Mateo was barely holding back his rage. He jabbed a finger toward the sea of young faces below. "Governance University is a law school! And in law, what matters most isn’t just your academic performance. It’s your character!" "But look at you!" His expression was stormy, his voice shaking with anger. "You don’t even know the full story, yet you’re so quick to pass judgment just because of a few words from someone else!" His voice thundered through the room. Governance University had never been exclusive to prodigies, but at the very least, its students used to have independent thinking skills. Now? The younger generation was getting more impatient, more eager to follow the crowd instead of thinking for themselves. It wasn’t that they couldn’t think critically. They just didn’t want to, especially when it came to things that didn’t directly affect them. But what they failed to understand was that a few careless words could ruin someone’s life. How many times had online hate spiraled out of control because people jumped on a bandwagon without knowing the full story? And in the end, it was always the same. The victim would take their own life, and only then would the harassment stop. And what did the people who participated say? Just a simple, dismissive "I didn’t know," as if that made everything okay. Mateo inhaled sharply, trying to suppress his frustration. "You’re not kids anymore. You were the best of the best in high school. Do you seriously have no ability to think for yourselves?" Mateo’s harsh words hung in the air, and no one dared to look up or speak. They had only jumped in because they wanted to join the commotion. It wasn’t their problem, so they treated it like entertainment. Thinking too much about it never even crossed their minds. Some of them understood what was really happening, but Finley wasn’t someone they could afford to go against. Instead of questioning things, they chose the easier path—staying quiet and keeping their heads down.The upperclassmen? Most of them preferred to sit back and watch. Silence blanketed the room. Meanwhile, Finley—who had basically been called out as the prime example of what not to do—was barely holding back his fury. If not for the fact that everyone had their heads down, they would have seen how close he was to losing it. Kent, noticing the tension in Finley’s posture, quietly moved closer. He wanted to calm him down, to keep him from letting his emotions get the best of him. This wasn’t the time to lose control. But Finley didn’t appreciate the effort. Instead, he shot Kent a look so sharp it felt like a knife. Kent’s heart skipped a beat. He’s this mad at me? Even after everything Kent had done—taking the fall to protect Finley’s reputation—he still wasn’t worth even the slightest bit of acknowledgment? The suffocating silence dragged on until Mateo finally spoke. "At the end of this semester, I will require all professors to introduce a mandatory morality and ethics exam. If a student fails, their grades won’t matter. Governance University will not allow them to stay." His words sent a shockwave through the room. An ethics exam? And if someone didn’t pass, even perfect grades wouldn’t save them? Of course, everyone understood the concept of morality. And for top students like them, figuring out the right answers on a test wasn’t exactly difficult. When the time came, all they had to do was write about being kind, upholding ethics, and making good choices. As long as they stuck to the script, they would pass. But for the school to introduce an entirely new exam just because of this incident—and to openly declare that failing it meant expulsion—showed how deeply disappointed the principal was. Just as some students started comforting themselves with the idea that they could fake their way through, Mateo’s next words crushed that illusion. "This new morality and ethics exam will not be as simple as a written test." A heavy silence fell over the crowd.Not just a written test? A ripple of unease spread through the students. "I will introduce multiple assessment methods, and professors will evaluate you based on a comprehensive grading system. So don’t assume that looking good on paper will be enough." Before he was a principal, Mateo had been a professor. Years of experience had sharpened his ability to read his students like a book. A single glance told him everything he needed to know. And now, with just a few words, he crushed any lingering hope that they could simply fake their way through. A sense of dread settled over the crowd. Different types of assessments? That could mean anything. Worry spread through them like wildfire. They had worked so hard to get into Governance University, and now they were at risk of being kicked out. When they first got in, their families had celebrated for days. They had made their parents proud. They were the shining stars of their families. But if they actually got expelled, they wouldn’t even know how to break the news to their parents, let alone deal with the shame. Taylor glanced at the stunned, panic-stricken faces around him and finally felt some relief. Just a little while ago, these same people had attacked Arthur without hesitation while Finley pretended to be innocent.