Chapter 7 — Evidence That Doesn't Lie

"Sir, I formally request that the university make the results of this investigation public."

The vice dean nodded solemnly. "The university will release them to the public."

I continued without pause, "I also reserve the right to pursue legal action against them for defamation and the falsification of academic documents."

The inspector standing nearby replied, "That is, of course, your right."

Suddenly, the sound of an altercation erupted outside the office door. Lu Cheng shoved his way inside. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in days; dark, bruised shadows hung heavily beneath his eyes.

"Van Van, we need to talk."

My academic advisor immediately stepped in front of me to block his path. "Lu Cheng, you are currently under investigation. You are strictly forbidden from having any private contact with Lam Van."

But Lu Cheng refused to look at anyone but me. "I know you’re angry, but I never intended to push you into a corner."

I lifted my gaze to meet his. "And just how far exactly did you intend to push me?"

His lips trembled. "I only wanted Thanh Le to have a chance."

I let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Is her 'chance' built on the foundation of trampling over my life?"

Lu Cheng remained silent for several agonizing seconds before speaking in a low, strained voice. "You are so brilliant. Even without the direct admission to the graduate program, you would have passed the entrance exam easily. But Thanh Le is different from you. She simply isn't as strong as you are."

As the words left his mouth, the expression on every professor's face in the room shifted to one of profound shock and disgust. I stared at him, feeling only a sense of surreal absurdity.

"So, because she is 'weak,' she is entitled to steal what belongs to others?" I asked, my voice steady. "And because she couldn't succeed on her own, I am the one who had to suffer the misfortune?"

Lu Cheng’s eyes reddened. "Van Van, we grew up together. Do you really have to destroy me?"

I stood up from my chair, looking down at him. "Lu Cheng, you were the one who tried to destroy me first. Now, it is simply your turn to pay the price."

The university’s response was swifter than I had anticipated. It was not out of any newfound pity for my situation, but because the scandal had ignited such a firestorm online. The livestream incident during the anniversary ceremony, the framing of a top-tier student representative, the student council president tampering with files, and the corruption surrounding graduate school admissions—every single detail was explosive. The official account of Jiangcheng University was flooded with angry comments, and alumni groups were in complete chaos.

By that evening, the university issued its first statement. It confirmed that an investigation into the academic dispute had commenced. It noted that the submission timeline for student Lam Van was impeccable, and no evidence of academic misconduct had been found. The student council head, surnamed Lu, and the student surnamed Hua were immediately suspended from their duties and barred from graduate school admission considerations.

The following day, the official investigation results were published. Lu Cheng had abused his authority within the student council to gain unauthorized access to the presentation files, deleting the original content and replacing it with fabricated documents. Hua Thanh Le had forged the original manuscript, plagiarism reports, and letters of recommendation from faculty, intentionally slandering a fellow student. Their actions were a calculated attempt to manufacture an academic integrity dispute to manipulate graduate admissions.

The university’s verdict was decisive: Lu Cheng was stripped of his position as student council president and his graduate admission eligibility, and he received a formal disciplinary record. Hua Thanh Le lost her eligibility for supplemental admission and all annual honors and awards, and she was placed on academic probation. Regarding the falsification of signatures and defamation, the university encouraged me to pursue criminal charges. I did not hesitate; I immediately handed all evidence to my lawyer.

After the disciplinary actions were announced, Hua Thanh Le sought me out one last time. She stood outside my dormitory, wearing the same white dress from the day of the anniversary ceremony. But without the stage lights and the rehearsed tears, she looked utterly disheveled.

"Lam Van, can we talk?"

I stopped in my tracks. "Speak."

Tears welled up and spilled instantly down her cheeks. "I know I was wrong. I was just momentarily confused."

I watched her, remaining silent. She sobbed harder. "I’ve lived under the roof of the Lu family since I was a child. I’ve always had to walk on eggshells, watching everyone's expressions just to survive. You don't understand that feeling."

"You were always the talented one, the favorite of the teachers. Even Lu Cheng was always talking about you." She choked out a breath. "I just wanted to prove that I wasn't inferior to you."

I shook my head, cutting through her narrative. "Is that how you chose to prove yourself? By stealing my work?"

Hua Thanh Le’s face turned deathly pale. "But you won! You still have your admission. I’ve lost everything."

"That is because you failed," I said, stepping closer to her. "If I hadn’t kept the evidence, the one standing here, begging for mercy, would be me."

She began to wail, her voice shrill. "Must you be so heartless?"

I stared into her eyes, cold and unwavering. "Hua Thanh Le, when you called me a thief during that livestream in front of the entire school, did you ever stop to think if you were being heartless?"

She was rendered speechless, choked by the weight of her own hypocrisy. I walked past her, leaving her standing there in the cold. I hadn't taken more than a few steps before Lu Cheng emerged from behind a nearby tree. Did these two have to queue up to beg for my forgiveness? Lu Cheng looked even more gaunt and broken than Hua Thanh Le.