When fate plays its hand

Chapter 0796

“Goodluck, good sir.” Someone posted a meme.

Other heartfelt comments followed.

User A: “I never liked studying, but I admired those who did. They worked so hard, traveled so far, only to arrive at the highest institution in Hebrana, where no one told them a deep abyss awaited.”

User B: “I’m from a lesser–known college. I want to say something, but words fail me. Still, I feel I must leave a mark somehow.”

User C: “Win this fight. I may be worthless, but he isn’t. He’s the kind of person I always admired, someone truly great at academics. I don’t want to see him fail.”

User D: “Joli, I hope you have a bright future and a magnificent life.”

User E: “The youth must not end as an incomplete poem; they must be the most shocking chapter in a forbidden book!”

At noon, Joli posted his second update. It was a 10–minute recording.

It captured a conversation he overheard between Sophie and Yasmine when he visited her office about Theodore. The audio, unedited and accompanied by auto–generated subtitles, exposed their scheming in full detail.

By 1:00 pm, the hashtag #Bedford CollegeStudentReportsAdvisor was trending at the top of TikTok, Facebook, and other platforms.

A flood of netizens bombarded Bedford College’s website in search of complaint channels, crashing the server entirely. The college’s official social media accounts were also overwhelmed, with every comment demanding justice for Joli.

Senior administrators, some vacationing abroad, rushed back overnight to the campus in Elgerson to take charge of the situation.

“That Sophie! Sophie!” They gnashed their teeth at the mention of her name.

The century–old reputation of Bedford College, the pinnacle of academic prestige, was tainted by one bad apple.

“Hold her accountable! Investigate this thoroughly! Why wasn’t this flagged when it first surfaced on the campus forum? And check everything about this college competition! If nothing can be explained, every person involved will bear responsibility!”

A night of intense arguments left the aged administrators hoarse, but by the next morning, they released an official response titled, “Statement on the Investigation and Handling of

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Chapter 0796

Issues Regarding Bedford College Faculty Member Sophie X’s Academic Misconduct.”

“In response to the February 5th online allegations of academic misconduct by Bedford College faculty member Sophie X, the college had swiftly established a specialized task force.

“This team included academic, ethical, financial, and student affairs investigation groups to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter.

“The investigation confirmed that Sophie X, as the corresponding author, had engaged in significant academic misconduct.

“This included fabricating and altering data and images in 11 published papers, improper authorship designations in 10 papers, and falsifications in one research grant application, among other irregularities.

“Based on the findings, and in accordance with the ‘Regulations on Personnel

Management for Public Institutions,‘ the ‘Higher Education Guidelines for Preventing and Addressing Academic Misconduct,‘ and ‘Bedford College’s Guidelines for Preventing and Addressing Academic Misconduct,‘ the college announced the following actions.

“All of Sophie X’s academic and administrative positions at Bedford College would be revoked, and her employment contract terminated.

“A recommendation would be submitted to revoke her teaching qualifications, and retraction of her fraudulent academic papers and cancellation of implicated research projects would be pursued.

“Textbooks authored by Sophie X would be discontinued.

“The Faculty of Bioinformatics would receive a public reprimand, and relevant personnel would undergo counseling and disciplinary measures.”

The statement also noted that other individuals implicated in the misconduct would be investigated and handled in accordance with institutional and legal protocols.

The college’s response was timely and seemed appropriately strict. However, for many, it left a glaring omission.

“What about Joli?” asked numerous commenters.

“The advisor has been dismissed, but what happens to Joli?”

“The statement doesn’t mention Joli, yet every word seems like a death sentence for him!”