Chapter 87: The Exam
Hearing this, the proctor looked suspiciously at Paige.
Paige, without even looking up, continued working on her exam. The proctor frowned and walked closer, ready to scold her, but then he noticed she was working on additional special tests.
These tests were distributed to every student to demonstrate the school’s commitment to fairness. However, except for a few particularly bright students, no one usually attempted these difficult problems.
The proctor looked down at the sheet Paige was working on. It was a challenging exam on international laws, with some very tough questions.
Clearing his throat, he asked, “The two girls claim the paper ball is yours. Do you have anything to say?”
Paige, still focused on her test, didn’t even look up. “Their garbage answers?”
The proctor glanced at the paper ball in his hand and then at Paige’s test sheet. Sure enough, the answers were completely different.
He glared at the two girls. “Get to the office and explain yourselves.”
This incident stirred up resentment among the girls. Following this, Paige faced various forms of sabotage. Her desk was broken, the bathroom door wouldn’t lock, someone tried to give her tainted water… She dealt with each of these with patience…
The last exam was to be taken in the computer lab.
The proctor this time was a familiar face: Professor Hodge, the one she had previously threatened…
As soon as Paige sat down, a soft cough came from her right. She turned to see Rachel sitting there. Rachel smiled apologetically, “Sorry, I have a bit of a health issue and cough occasionally. Will it bother you during the exam?”
Paige glanced at her. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Exams start in 30 seconds, no more talking!” Professor Hodge’s voice echoed. Paige turned on her computer and logged in.
As soon as she logged in, the screen went black.
It was full of gibberish-her computer was infected.
Seeing the jumbled screen, she couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation and raised her hand, “Professor Hodge, my computer has a virus.”
Hearing this, the students around her looked over. Rachel looked at her and said kindly, “No worries, just switch to another computer.”
“All the computers are in use for the exam. Where do you expect to find another one?” Professor Hodge walked over, glanced at Paige’s screen, and said sarcastically, “Why is it that only your computer has a problem?”
Rachel interjected. “Professor Hodge, could you borrow a computer and download the exam software on it?”
Professor Hodge gave Rachel a side glance. She was the head of the Elite Club and the daughter of the Gustin Group, talented and wealthy, even the principal respected her, let alone a mere professor like him.
“Fine, I’ll call someone to bring over a computer.”
“Thank you, Professor Hodge,” Rachel said happily, then looked at Paige, “Great, now you can take the exam. Good luck!”
Paige stared at her.
“What’s wrong?” Rachel couldn’t help but touch her face under Paige’s gaze. “Is there something on my face?”
“No, I just think you’re really helpful,” Paige said, waiting for her computer to arrive.
Ten minutes passed.
Thirty minutes passed.
The computer never came, and Paige just sat there waiting.
Some students began to notice something was wrong and stood up for Paige. “Professor Hodge, hasn’t the computer arrived yet?”
Professor Hodge sat at the front, sipping from a water cup. “I’ve already made the call. If they haven’t brought the computer, what can I do?”
Paige sat in her seat, smirking.
“But it’s been half an hour since the exam started. Even if they bring it now, Joss might not have enough time to finish. Are you going to give her extra exam time?” the student persisted.
“When I supervise exams, everyone is treated equally under any circumstance. Who knows if she caused this virus herself, deliberately delaying to wait until everyone finishes so she can get the answers,” Professor Hodge retorted coldly.
His words caused a stir throughout the room.
There were only 20 minutes left to complete the exam.
But the computer still hadn’t arrived.
Paige sat upright in front of the computer, and began typing rapidly on the keyboard. While not a computer genius, but when she was a teenager, she started to learn how to use them. So even if she couldn’t immediately crack this virus, she could still find a way to pause the exam. She typed quickly on the keyboard.
Three minutes later, all the computers in the computer lab went black, infected collectively.
“Oh my god! What’s going on? I was just one big question away!”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
“What’s happening? Are all the answers I wrote before useless?”
“I knew we should’ve checked the virus issue earlier. Now all of us are infected. How can we continue the exam?”
“Professor Hodge! Professor Hodge!”
Professor Hodge quickly stood up, and saw that all the computers had gone black, rolling with garbled code.
Several girls nearby were crying in frustration. “It’s over. I haven’t finished yet. I still have so many questions left. What are we going to do?”
“This can’t be considered our fault. We didn’t cause this virus,” another student protested.
“Quiet!” Professor Hodge was getting a headache from the commotion. He stared at Paige with suspicion. “Did you do this?”
Paige couldn’t help but chuckle, her voice cold. “Professor Hodge, it seems you’ve forgotten that I’m the one who suffered the most here. Are you blaming me for this? I haven’t even seen the test paper, let alone answered a single question.”
Professor Hodge couldn’t argue back. Eventually, under the collective pressure from the students, he called the school administration. Finally, the school decided that none of the students in the room could leave, and they would wait for new computers to arrive and retake the exam.
The students murmured quietly, saying that they should have checked for virus problems when the first computer had issues, so they wouldn’t have wasted so much time. This was entirely Professor Hodge’s responsibility as a teacher.
Professor Hodge’s face turned quite ugly under the students’ criticism.
“Joss, you’re really something,” Rachel said admiringly.
Paige pretended not to understand. “What?”
“I heard you typing just now. Did you cause the second virus? I didn’t expect you to have that kind of skill,” Rachel smiled and added, covering her lips, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
Paige neither admitted nor denied it. “You seem very eager to befriend me.”
“I want to be friends with you.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not interested,” Paige bluntly cut off her.
Rachel’s smile turned awkward. “You seem to really dislike me. Do you have some misunderstanding about me?”
“I don’t know.”
New computers were quickly brought in from outside, and their conversation was interrupted.
…
The exams lasted until dusk, and Paige left the campus. She walked a long way without seeing the driver’s car.
She stood by the roadside for a while, glanced at the time, and continued walking, preparing to hail a taxi back.
Honk! A car horn sounded.
Paige ignored it and was about to take out her earphones to listen to music, but the horn continued to sound persistently. She turned her head and saw a specially customized Pagani sports car leisurely following beside her. The gull-wing door opened, revealing Enrico inside.
Paige took her bag off her shoulder and bent down to get in.
As soon as she sat in the passenger seat, she was pulled over. Her earlobe was gently held, and Enrico’s low, magnetic voice teased her, “Missed me?”
Paige almost fell into his arms in an uncomfortable position. She tried to sit up, but Enrico still held her, kissing her earlobe repeatedly. “Did you miss me?”
He was obsessed.
“I’ve been taking exams all day today. I didn’t have time,” Paige replied.
“Then make time to miss me!” Enrico tightened his grip on her shoulders even more, commanding dominantly.
“Okay,” Paige replied casually.
“I came to pick you up personally. Aren’t you moved?” Enrico stared at the face he had been thinking about all day.
“Very moved.”
“That’s more like it.” Only then did Enrico let her go.
Paige immediately sat back, placed her bag aside, and fastened her seatbelt.
As soon as she fastened it, he took her hand and placed it on the gear control in the center console.