Chapter 414
"Difficult?" Hannah blinked.
"What's so hard about reporting someone? The evidence is solid."
"Once public opinion builds, the school has to deal with Professor Lowell. It's much faster than a lawsuit."
Under public pressure, the administration would have to act seriously.
Everyone would be watching.
Marcus Lawrence shook his head.
"Reporting is indeed the fastest way. But look closely at that post."
"I've read it several times. It seems fine."
"Caleb used his real name."
Hannah frowned.
"What's wrong with using a real name?"
Marcus had a complicated expression. The naive girl was still staring at him innocently.
He sighed helplessly.
"A student reporting their advisor only has two outcomes."
"Succeed, and the advisor gets punished."
"Fail, and the advisor remains unscathed."
"But in either case, the student ends up in a difficult position."
Hannah frowned.
"I understand failing. The advisor would definitely retaliate."
"But why is succeeding also difficult?"
Marcus countered.
"What happens after success?"
"The professor gets fired. In serious cases, they might even go to jail!"
"The advisor is fired. What about the student?"
"Caleb is in his third year of graduate school. He's about to graduate. What does he do then?"
Hannah froze, finally understanding.
If the advisor is fired, Caleb cannot graduate.
Even if he changes advisors, he would have to change his research direction.
Three years of hard work would be wasted.
A graduate student who can't graduate is worse off than an undergraduate.
Undergraduates of the same age are younger and have more advantages.
Hannah was silent for a long time before whispering, "...He just needed to hold on for a few more months to graduate..."
Yes, enduring a few more months to get his diploma would have meant true freedom.
But Caleb chose to expose everything at this very moment.
"So," Sophia Sullivan put down the things in her hands, "he has no way out—he can only win."
Marcus frowned.
"From the looks of it, his chances of winning are very slim."
"But it's all over the forum! Over thirty pages of material can't take down Victoria Lowell?" Hannah couldn't believe it.
She thought public pressure would be enough to force the school to act seriously.
But Sophia and Marcus clearly didn't think so.
Marcus explained.
"Public opinion varies in scale."
"Right now, it's only spreading within the school."
"It hasn't reached the outside world."
"What good does it do if only our students know?"
Hannah gasped.
"The school will protect Professor Lowell?"
Sophia said solemnly, "Protecting Victoria Lowell means protecting the school's reputation."
"But everyone is watching! Would the school dare to openly shield her?"
Marcus snorted lightly.
"The administration is watching and waiting."
"If the wind changes direction, they will step in."
"Whether they protect or abandon her depends on which side has more weight."
"Then... can we help Caleb? Add some weight to our side of the scale?"
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"We can. But we need a plan for how to do it specifically..."
Sophia seemed lost in thought.
Suddenly, both of them looked at her.
"Wait..." She laughed. "Why are you two staring at me?"
"Sophia, think of a way. Let's help Caleb."
"Let's take this chance to deal with Victoria Lowell so she can't harm anyone else."
Marcus nodded.
"She's screwed us over so many times. It's time she paid her debt."
Sophia's eyes flickered.
"Hannah, call Caleb. Tell him..."
...
Sophia and Marcus were right. When the post was first published, it was very popular.
The discussion volume broke one hundred thousand.
But the school didn't respond. Victoria Lowell didn't show herself.
With no new developments, the onlookers gradually dispersed.
The heat began to decline.
In a few more days, this storm would calm down and be forgotten.
"Tch—" Victoria Lowell had been following the progress, remaining calm as if she hadn't been reported.
Now, she smiled contemptuously.
Ashley Lowell wasn't nearly as composed.
Since the post went up, she had been on the verge of a breakdown.
She had been crying for three whole days.
Her tears never stopped as she kept refreshing the forum.
Seeing the hateful comments, she started crying again, eventually crying herself into a faint.
Victoria scolded her.
"Useless! I'm not dead yet, why are you crying? Are you cursing me or disgusting me?"
She walked over and grabbed Ashley, who had fainted on the couch.
Ashley cried out in pain.
"Auntie, that hurts—"
"You know it hurts? I hope it hurts you to death!"
"I'm... I'm scared... Caleb reported you using his real name. He exposed everything..."
"Auntie, will the school expel us?"
"Expel me? Can they just fire a full professor that easily?"
"It's been three days. Has the school said a single word?"
"...What does that mean?" Ashley was confused.
"You think I've been at MIT all these years for nothing?" Victoria sneered.
"The administration is watching and waiting."
"Once the post's heat dies down, dragging it out for a while will make it all go away."
"I'll be fine. You'll be fine too. Pull yourself together! Stop looking so mournful!"
Ashley asked, "...R-really? It'll be okay?"
Victoria put on her coat and changed her shoes, ready to go out. She couldn't be bothered to answer such a stupid question.
"Auntie, where are you going?"
Victoria narrowed her eyes.
"To see my dear student. The one who started this whole storm!"
School office—
Victoria looked at the thin, stubborn young man in front of her and let out an exaggerated laugh.
"Ha..."
Caleb looked up and met her gaze directly.
"The quiet dogs are the ones that bite the hardest!"
"Usually acting so honest, but striking with a deadly move as soon as you make your move."
"Over thirty pages of reporting material. Written very well."
"Clear and logical, straight to the point."