"If you can still speak, apologize to Marcus Shaw first." Nora Scott’s pointed remark brought the previously bustling office back to silence. The teachers who had been there to watch the spectacle exchanged glances for a moment, then retreated awkwardly to the side, making space for those involved to wrap things up. Mr. Flynn and Oliver Scott also consciously stepped back a bit. To Anastasia, all the gazes and attention felt like needles and blades, slicing away her flesh bit by bit, making her feel tortured and embarrassed, so much so that even breathing became extremely difficult. She opened her mouth, her lips trembling slightly, yet she couldn’t utter a single word. After a moment of silence, Dean Carter timely spoke, "Anastasia, make a statement." The grade director, upon seeing the dejected Anastasia, sighed inwardly and proactively said, "Marcus Shaw, looking at how things turned out, it’s our negligence. We wronged you without clarifying the matter. I apologize on behalf of us here." Saying this, the grade director also walked to Anastasia’s side and nudged her. As for Marcus Shaw’s sister, it’s clear she is not someone to be trifled with. If Anastasia doesn’t apologize, this issue will definitely not end. They were at fault first; now that the evidence was irrefutable, they just wanted to quickly resolve this matter and calm things down. "Marcus Shaw, I’m sorry." Under pressure, Anastasia had no choice but to lower her head and utter the humiliating words. Nora Scott let out a cold laugh, her gaze sweeping past Anastasia. Anastasia gritted her teeth tightly, anger boiling inside her, yet she was helpless. "Since the truth has come to light, let’s put an end to this matter. However, as teachers, we still need to reflect on this," Dean Carter publicly declared, then turned to the grade director, saying, "Notify everyone in the group to hold an impromptu meeting this afternoon." The grade director quickly nodded. Anastasia’s face grew even more unsightly. She was a special-grade teacher, known for her competence and outstanding teaching skills, always lauded at meetings. However, at this meeting, she was undoubtedly the "negative example." Thinking about it made her feel humiliated. "You’ve seen enough of the drama, so let’s disperse." Dean Carter turned back, addressing the students kindly, "Return to your classrooms; your teachers need to assign winter homework." As students, the words "winter homework" were undoubtedly a cold shower on their excitement, leaving them utterly disappointed. They let out symbolic howls of dismay and slipped back to their classrooms without waiting for the other teachers to "shoo" them away. Undoubtedly, the scene in the office just now would quickly spread throughout the school in no time. The summary session before the winter break for Second Year Class Three was originally meant to be led by Anastasia. However, given Anastasia’s current state, it was naturally unsuitable for her to appear, so the grade director asked Oliver Scott to find another teacher, and Oliver went ahead. Marcus Shaw and Mr. Flynn walked behind. "Anastasia probably won’t be teaching your class anymore," Mr. Flynn said. Marcus Shaw was indifferent. Mr. Flynn chuckled, then, as if unintentionally, glanced backward and asked, "The one in the office just now, is she your sister?" Marcus Shaw didn’t answer, instead wary as he stared at Mr. Flynn. Mr. Flynn, finding his caution over the top, said with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "I was just asking casually." With a slight frown, Marcus Shaw warned, "She already has someone." "You give me too much credit," Mr. Flynn was startled, utterly speechless, "I wouldn’t dare think about your sister." Sensing something off, Marcus Shaw squinted and asked, "Do you know her?" "Not quite," Mr. Flynn lifted his gaze, looking through the corridor glass at the empty playground, then brought it back with a slight smile, "Just heard a lot about her." "..." Follow current novᴇls on 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕·𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎·𝚗𝚎𝚝 Heard a lot about her ’terrible acting’? Marcus Shaw wasn’t sure what to make of it and decided not to pursue further. "You better head to class," Mr. Flynn instructed at the stairway entrance, "Also, wanting to study is a good thing, but don’t forget about the Mecha competition." Marcus Shaw replied perfunctorily, stepping toward the stairs. Watching his back, Mr. Flynn gave a light smile and turned his gaze away. The phone in his pocket vibrated suddenly, causing Mr. Flynn to pause for a moment as he took it out. The screen lit up with a WeChat message. [Ethan Scott]: Are you free tonight? I’ll come pick you up. Nora Scott and Dean Carter walked out of the teaching building. "I have something to do later, so I can’t accompany you shopping," Dean Carter said. "I’ll just wander around a bit." Oliver Scott was going to head back with Marcus Shaw, saying they had something to discuss, so Nora still needed to wait for them. Since she had nothing else to do, she thought she might as well take a walk around the campus she used to know. "Alright." Dean Carter nodded, then suddenly thought of something and asked, "Are you free recently?" Nora Scott glanced sideways at him, "Why?" "An old friend of mine took on a project requiring the use of mechanical techniques, but they’ve hit a snag, supposedly a difficult one," Dean Carter said, "I wanted to see if you had time and could lend a hand." Dean Carter had been interested in Ancient Mechanism Technique since childhood. Unfortunately, I don’t have the talent in this area. However, he knew that Nora Scott had inherited Antonio Easton’s exceptional skills and had even surpassed them. In his view, the so-called problem his friend encountered was something Nora Scott could definitely solve; it was just a matter of whether she was willing to or not. "What are we making?" Nora Scott asked nonchalantly. "It seems to be a Mechanical Lotus." Nora Scott raised an eyebrow. Noticing the fleeting interest in her eyes, Dean Carter hastily asked, "Interested?" Curving her lips, Nora Scott said, "A little." If it weren’t such a coincidence, it must be the project Ethan Scott was researching. A while back, Professor Duncan called Nora Scott to complain, saying that after Ethan Scott’s project hit a snag, he recruited a bunch of so-called "experts" in Mechanical Techniques. They had some skills but quickly hit a bottleneck, and each one was at a loss. The implication in Professor Duncan’s words was: Ethan Scott refused recommended talents and instead bothered with so-called experts for nothing. Eduardo and Montague, because of their shallow experience and youth, were now pushed to the fringe by the experts. "Shall I give him your contact info?" Dean Carter asked. Nora Scott responded calmly. The drawings for the mechanical chamber were complete; in a day or two, it would be finished. Next, she would be mostly idle at home, with nothing to do. If Ethan Scott’s project found her, she wouldn’t mind getting involved. She was quite curious to see— What exactly was the Scott family’s Mechanical Techniques. Surprised by her quick agreement, Dean Carter was taken aback but didn’t overthink it. As soon as he said goodbye to Nora Scott, he quickly contacted his friend. Knowing well that people in this field place great importance on experience and age, Dean Carter didn’t specify Nora Scott’s age, gender, or even any specific identity while recommending her. He only said there was a friend worth trying out and then gave his friend her WeChat. His friend, worried sick about the project, eagerly sent a friend request when Dean Carter recommended someone helpful. After handling trivial matters at school, they formally announced the holiday. Underneath a certain section of the wall. Nora Scott stood under a tree, gazing up at Oliver Scott and Marcus Shaw approaching side by side, her eyes quickly landing on the thick homework they were holding. "Is this your winter vacation homework?" Nora Scott was quite astonished. It was Oliver Scott who responded to her. Nora Scott said nothing. However, Oliver Scott and Marcus Shaw clearly saw a hint of sympathy in her eyes. Oliver Scott + Marcus Shaw: "..." A sudden heaviness filled their hearts. After a brief pause, Marcus Shaw looked up at the wall, instinctively took off his backpack, pulled the zipper, and threw the pile of homework into the backpack. Oliver Scott hadn’t reacted yet, questioning, "Why are we here?" Marcus Shaw: "The car’s parked outside." "There’s no door here." Oliver Scott looked around, confused. Marcus Shaw replied blandly, "There’s a wall." The voice stopped abruptly. In no more than five seconds, Oliver Scott saw the scene of Nora Scott flipping over the wall, his mind going blank. Marcus Shaw snapped his fingers quickly, bringing Oliver Scott back to his senses. Oliver Scott’s eyes filled with excitement as he turned to Marcus Shaw and said, "Our sister is really cool." Taking a step forward, Marcus Shaw warned him, "Watch your words." No matter how high the test scores, a little dimwit was still a little dimwit. Inside the wall, Marcus Shaw was teaching Oliver Scott the essentials of wall climbing. Outside the wall, as Nora Scott waited out of boredom, her phone vibrated a few times. It was the publishing editor responsible for "Little White Dove." [Barry]: No idea what’s going on, but Cool Ridge, Fernwood, and Victor, the three big companies, teamed up for quite the maneuver, giving "Little White Dove" a big publicity boost. [Barry]: The third reprint of 100,000 copies sold out again in less than half an hour. [Barry]: Congratulations, you’re trending again. [Z,]: What happened to the 100 books I wanted? [Barry]: Sir... oh no, sister, (ㄒoㄒ) I tried my best. I couldn’t get any!