"Mr. Hugo thought so highly of him; who would have thought he'd turn out to be a thief!" "How many years will he get for stealing such an expensive ring?" As Finley listened to the discussions below, a barely noticeable smirk played on his lips. Ah, money really does make the world go round. He looked triumphantly at Arthur. Now, he must be scared! Daring to challenge me was practically suicide! But, as Finley watched, he saw no sign of panic on Arthur's face. Finley couldn't believe it and moved in for a closer look. Even now, he couldn't believe Arthur could remain so composed! Finley had even planned how he would humiliate Arthur, how he'd make sure he got years in prison! But he saw nothing. Arthur's face was calm, even his gaze held a trace of mockery—as if he was watching a clown perform! This realization infuriated Finley! Arthur! Still putting on an act at a time like this! Fine! Let’s see how long you can keep this up! Seizing on the crowd's reaction, Finley feigned surprise, "What? Arthur? You stole my ring? No, this ring once belonged to Queen Eldoria, my grandmother personally obtained it for me. Even if you managed to steal it, you couldn’t possibly sell it here in Lioran or anywhere on this continent! No one would dare buy it!" He added, seemingly with pity, "Did Taylor put you up to this? Did he encourage you to steal?" Finley glanced at Taylor, smirking internally. Taylor is all about loyalty, right? Wants to stand up for Arthur? Then I’ll satisfy him! He was ready to pin the blame for a joint theft on them, especially given Taylor’s erratic behavior earlier; there was no escape for him now! Finley continued, as if an afterthought, "If you were short of money, you could have just told me. We're classmates, I would have definitely helped you. There was no need to resort to stealing!" Hugo, Mateo, Taylor, Mia, and Sage were all frantic. Finley's words had essentially confirmed Arthur’s guilt! Now, even if Arthur claimed he didn't steal the ring, given the chaos of the moment, how could he prove it wasn't him? Finley had seized on this very point to blatantly frame Arthur! As Finley finished, a wave of praise erupted from the crowd below."My God! How kind is Finley! Even now, he's thinking about helping them." "How could they bear to hurt such a kind person? By stealing Finley's ring, aren't they just breaking his heart?" "I feel for Finley; it seems good people never get rewarded." "If they were short of money, they should have just asked Finley; he would have surely helped them." "They are just greedy! Instead of studying hard, they think about committing such shameful acts every day!" "I’m embarrassed for them! I don’t know how they still have the face to stand on stage." "They should at least bow deeply and apologize to Finley, to mend his broken heart." Unable to bear it any longer, Hugo and Mateo quickly moved to Arthur’s side, shielding him from the scrutinizing eyes of the crowd. Hugo spoke first, "Officers, there must be some misunderstanding here. Arthur is a student I personally admitted, and I can vouch for his character with my own reputation—he would never commit theft!" Hugo’s voice was resolute, dropping like a bomb in the noisy crowd. Mateo hadn’t said anything yet, but his determined expression and the way he shielded Arthur said it all. "My God! Has Mr. Hugo lost his mind? Even now, he’s vouching for him with his own reputation!" "He’s Mr. Hugo! Not only a professor at the school, but he also holds a significant position in the government! And he’s staking his reputation to guarantee for Arthur!" "And Mr. Mateo, I know it took a lot for him to become the president of Governance University. He’s even putting himself in the middle of this." "Could there really be some misunderstanding? After all, it’s Mr. Hugo and Mr. Mateo, both stepping up to vouch for him!" "But how did the ring end up in Arthur’s hand, and only brought out after the police arrived? Isn’t this situation too suspicious?"