45 Principal’s Office
Noah took his time walking to the principal’s office, his steps slow and unhurried. He wasn’t the least bit anxious, knowing that the truth was on his side. As he approached the office door, he knocked lightly and heard a firm voice from within: “Come in.”
Entering, Noah greeted, “Good afternoon, Principal. I’m here because you called for me earlier today. I’m assuming it’s about the test results.”
The principal, a tall man with a stern but wise face, had his glasses resting on the edge of his nose. He was reviewing some papers when Noah spoke. As Noah finished, the principal lowered the papers slightly and gazed at him over his glasses, his eyes piercing as if trying to read through the young man standing before him. It wasn’t an accusatory stare but one of deep consideration. The glasses, perched at just the right angle, made his stare feel more intense, as though he were weighing Noah’s words and actions with decades of experience behind him.
“Take a seat,” the principal said with a nod, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. “Others will be joining us shortly.”
Noah sat down calmly, and within minutes, the room was filled with his subject teachers—Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and even English. Each teacher took their seat, exchanging glances, their curiosity palpable as they awaited the discussion.
The principal, folding his hands on the desk, cleared his throat before addressing the group. “Noah’s recent mock exam scores have raised quite a few eyebrows,” he began, his tone neutral. “Before we proceed, I need to ask some questions, both for my own understanding and for transparency.”
Turning to the teachers, he asked, “What have Noah’s grades been like in your classes up until now?”
One by one, the teachers responded, each with a similar answer: “Below average, but passing,” “He’s been consistent, but not exceptional,” and so on.
The principal nodded thoughtfully before continuing. “And how has Noah’s behavior been in class?”
“He’s respectful,” said Ms. Elara, his Math teacher. “He participates when asked and has never caused any trouble.”
The other teachers nodded in agreement, echoing Ms. Elara’s sentiments.
The principal stroked his long white beard in contemplation. “Has Noah ever been caught cheating before?”
All the teachers shook their heads. “Never,” they confirmed.
“What about lying?” the principal pressed.
Again, the response was unanimous. “No, never,” they replied in unison.
The principal paused, the air in the room growing heavy with expectation. He turned his full attention to Noah, locking eyes with him. “Noah,” he said slowly, “did you cheat on these exams?”
Without hesitation, Noah shook his head and replied, “No, sir. I did not cheat.”
The principal held his gaze for a long moment, as if searching for any flicker of deceit, but found none. He leaned back in his chair, a decision forming in his mind. “I believe you,” he said firmly, though his tone carried the weight of responsibility. “However, as much as I trust you, we need to ensure that everyone else—students and faculty alike—also believes in your integrity.”
He gestured to the teachers seated around the room. “That’s why, tomorrow morning, I’m going to have each of your subject teachers ask you two difficult questions—questions that, if you had cheated, you wouldn’t be able to answer. This will prove your innocence to everyone. Does that sound fair to you?”
At that moment, Noah heard the familiar chime in his mind.
[Ding! The Ultimate Choice System has been activated!]
Option 1: Accept the principal’s suggestion and answer the questions correctly.
[Reward: System Treasure Chest x1]
Option 2: Accept the principal’s suggestion and answer the questions incorrectly.
[Reward: Deceiver Skill]
Option 3: Deny the principal’s suggestion.
[Reward: -5 charm]
Without a second thought, Noah mentally selected Option 1. The reward of a System Treasure Chest sounded too good to pass up, and he was already planning to prove his innocence anyway.
Returning his focus to the principal, Noah nodded. “I’m ready to answer any questions you and my teachers have.”
The principal gave a small smile, seemingly pleased with Noah’s calm confidence. “Very well, then. Ms. Elara, would you like to begin?”
Ms. Elara, the Math teacher, adjusted her glasses as she stood up. “Noah, let’s start with a problem on trigonometric identities.
“Simplify the following expression: Sin^2(θ) – Cos^2(θ)
Noah didn’t even blink. “That’s simply ?cos?(2θ)” he answered smoothly.
Ms Elara nodded absent-mindedly, at the speed Noah answered the trigonometric expression.
“That’s… Correct, well done,” she said out loud.
“Maybe he saw it before somewhere and remembered it, let me give him a harder one.”
“Next one: Given that a+b+c=180°, prove that sin?(a)+sin?(b)+sin?(c)=4sin?(a/2)*sin?(b/2)*sin?(c/2)
Noah’s expression remained calm as he elegantly laid out the proof, his explanation concise and thorough.
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The other teachers exchanged impressed glances. Ms Elara sat down, satisfied and impressed very deeply.
Next, the Biology teacher spoke up. “Alright, Noah. In which part of the cell does the Krebs cycle take place, and why is it important for cellular respiration?”
“The Krebs cycle occurs in the mitochondria,” Noah replied instantly. “It’s crucial because it generates high-energy molecules like NADH and FADH2, which are used in the electron transport chain to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell.”
“Impressive,” the Biology teacher murmured. “And one more—what’s the role of ribosomes in protein synthesis?”
“Ribosomes translate mRNA into polypeptide chains, synthesizing proteins by linking amino acids in the order dictated by the sequence of codons on the mRNA.”
Again, the teacher nodded in satisfaction.
One by one, each of Noah’s teachers took their turn. Chemistry, Physics, History—every question was answered with precision and depth. As each question was posed, the expressions on the teachers’ faces shifted from curiosity to amazement.
When it was over, all eyes turned to the principal. He stroked his beard thoughtfully, his gaze lingering on Noah. “It seems,” he said slowly, “that I was right to believe in you.”
He turned to the teachers. “This matter is settled. Tomorrow, I want each of you to announce Noah’s innocence to your classes. And if any student dares to accuse him of cheating again, bring them directly to me for punishment. Is that clear?”
The teachers nodded, still processing what they had just witnessed.
The principal turned back to Noah, his expression softening into a warm smile. “I’m sorry for making you go through this, Noah, but we had to follow procedure. I hope you didn’t mind this old man too much.”
Noah smiled back, standing up. “Thank you, Principal. You’ve done more than enough.”
As Noah left the office, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Not because he had proven his innocence, but because of what awaited him—a System Treasure Chest that promised unimaginable rewards.
[Ding! 1x System Treasure Chest is in the inventory!]
Noah exited the school building, walking at a leisurely pace, still thinking the system’s reward.
As he approached the school gate, a shiny 2023 Audi A3 caught his eye. A small crowd of students had gathered around, admiring the sleek car, and there, leaning casually against the hood as if he owned the entire street, was none other than Mark. He was trying too hard to exude confidence, his posture a mix of arrogance and showmanship. The way he glanced toward Noah as he approached made it clear—this was no coincidence. Mark was trying to show off.
Noah smirked inwardly. The school day had been enough of a show, and this was just another chapter in Mark’s futile attempts to appear superior.
As Noah got closer, Mark straightened up and smirked, his voice dripping with condescension. “Want a ride home, Noah? i can drop you off if you want.”
Before Noah could reply, the low, authoritative hum of an engine caught everyone’s attention. A sleek, blacked-out 2024 limousine, far more luxurious than anything anyone had ever seen, slowly rolled toward the school gate. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Its tinted windows gleamed under the afternoon sun, and the license plate, marked with the number 0019, showed the status of the person who owned it. The limo honked, and Mark’s car was in its way.
Mark’s face paled instantly, his arrogant posture vanishing. He muttered under his breath, “Shi… I can’t afford to offend these people.” His bravado melted as he quickly scrambled into his Audi, moving it out of the way. The students who had been admiring the car moments ago now turned their attention toward the limousine, their curiosity piqued.
Mark got out of his car once again, adjusting his shirt as he approached the limo. He put on a strained smile, trying to recover his composure as a middle-aged man in a sharp, dark suit stepped out.
The man exuded confidence and carried himself with the kind of poise that came only with power. His stern face, chiselled features, and cold eyes made it clear that he was not a man to be trifled with.
Mark, still eager to curry favour, quickly rushed forward. “Good afternoon, sir. Is there anything I can help you with? Who might you be looking for?” His tone was full of forced politeness, and the confidence he had shown just moments ago was now completely gone.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Risaliyah