Chapter 182
The second those words were spoken, everyone in the room snapped their heads toward the door.
An old man stormed in, looking about sixty or seventy. He wore a simple gray-blue shirt and black cloth shoes, and his white hair stood out like a crown. His eyes flashed with anger as he walked.
Mr. Lane.
The Mr. Lane. Winner of the world’s highest honor in physics, the Norsier Prize. A legend whose name echoed in labs around the globe. So many foreign research centers had tried to lure him with huge salaries, but he’d turned them all down.
Eleanor and Ronald just froze. They both had physics backgrounds, and to them, Mr. Lane wasn’t just a celebrity. He was a hero. Seeing him at Vanguard High felt like something out of a dream. Just to meet him once in their lives would be enough.
It really was Mr. Lane.
Olivia recognized him immediately, and her heart just about burst with excitement. Everyone knew Mr. Lane loved students who were good at physics, and he’d even said he was looking for someone to mentor as his successor. If that was true, maybe this was her chance.
She cleared her throat, put on her best polite smile, and stepped forward. “Hello, Mr. Lane. I’m a student here at Vanguard High. My name is—”
But Mr. Lane didn’t even look at her. He walked right past as if she wasn’t there, heading straight for Charlotte.
He stopped at Charlotte’s desk. To everyone’s shock, he slapped a stack of papers down, then leaned in close, his face softening as he looked at her. “Lottie, why didn’t you tell Grandpa you were being bullied at school?”
Grandpa?
Everyone gaped in disbelief. How did Charlotte know Mr. Lane?
Charlotte flushed, embarrassed by the familiar way he called her Lottie. She pressed her lips together and asked quietly, “Why are you here?”
Mr. Lane grinned, his eyes full of affection. “I was having a drink with those old guys from the expert panel and heard you needed some papers. So I brought them over.” Then he remembered what he’d heard at the door, and his expression turned cold. Hé shot Ronald a glare and let out a sharp snort. “If I hadn’t come, who knows how much this old guy would have bullied you.”
Ronald’s heart skipped a beat. He rushed to explain. “Mr. Lane, this student was cheating on her test, so I-”
“Absolute nonsense!” Mr. Lane cut him off, voice booming. “Lottie could ace the test with her eyes closed. Why would she need to cheat?”
“You’re just being petty and picking on her for no reason!” Mr. Lane’s anger only grew. He pulled Charlotte behind him protectively, hands on his waist as he barked, “Where’s the principal? Call him in! When deft Loture in Vanguard High’s care what* did he promise me? Now she’s been treated like this, I want answers!”
The principal? Jim?
People knew Charlotte had gotten into the school thanks to the principal’s help, but nobody had guessed it was the famous Mr. Lane who’d recommended her.
If Mr. Lane himself said Charlotte could get a perfect score, maybe the results really were legit.
Ronald realized he’d messed with
the wrong
person. His face turned
pale and he tried to defend himself,
but he barely got a word out before a voice came from the doorway.
“Mr. Lane, I’m so sorry, I’m late!” Jim called, hurrying into the room.