Chapter 391 He Thinks Isabella Is Not Fit to Enter This Place
The Next Day.
Cassian received the precious metals transferred by the Faye family at Red Ridge Pier.
He called Isabella, "Ms. Isabella Powell, the Faye family did send over a batch of precious metals as expected."
Isabella was in the car heading to Radiant University when she received the call. Yesterday she got a notice in the class group chat - Jerald said everyone should gather at 7:30 this morning on the first floor of the lab building to visit the Powell family's research institute.
When Jerald sent out that notice, everyone in the group got excited hearing they could visit the Powell family's research institute.
After hanging up with Cassian, Isabella checked the time - it was already 7:10. She glanced at the driver, "Can you go faster?"
"Sure."
The driver stepped on the gas.
Meanwhile, in the first-floor lobby of the lab building.
All the students from the Class of '89 physics program were gathered together, chatting non-stop.
"Never thought I'd get a chance to visit the Powell family's research institute in my lifetime!"
"I heard all the outstanding physicists from the Powell family are in there! Only people who've made major contributions to scientific research can join the Powell family's physics research institute!"
"Exactly, there must be tons of big shots in the physics world inside!"
"..."
Jerald scanned the students present and noticed Isabella hadn't arrived yet.
His expression immediately darkened.
Everyone was here except Isabella. Did she not see the notice he sent in the group chat yesterday?
"Next, I'll hand out the one-time passes to enter the Powell family research institute."
"These passes are stamped by the research institute and can only be used once. They'll be checked and confiscated when you enter the institute. Each person only gets one, so if anyone loses their pass, they won't be able to enter the institute! Keep them safe!"
Jerald started handing out the passes as he spoke.
After making sure everyone present had received their pass, he had two left in his hand.
One was his own, and the other was naturally supposed to go to Isabella.
Isabella still hadn't shown up.
Jerald frowned and said coldly, "Everyone get on the bus, we're leaving."
A bus was parked right outside the lab building.
The group noisily boarded the bus.
"Jerald." Kennedy didn't rush to get on. She noticed Isabella hadn't arrived yet.
Kennedy walked over to Jerald, "Isabella isn't here yet. Shouldn't we wait for her?"
"It's her problem if she's not here." Jerald pressed his lips together unhappily. "We can't have all these people wait for just her. Kennedy, hurry up and get on the bus. We're leaving now."
Kennedy frowned at his words. "But Jerald, it's only 7:18. We haven't reached the agreed meeting time yet. Waiting a few more minutes shouldn't delay our visit to the institute, right?"
"I have no obligation to wait for her." Jerald said coldly. "And I don't want to wait for her."
"Kennedy, don't waste everyone's time. Get on the bus now!"
Seeing that Kennedy still wasn't getting on, Jerald directly tore up the pass that was supposed to go to Isabella right in front of Kennedy.
He sneered, "Without this pass, Isabella can't get into the Powell family's research institute. Is there any point in waiting for her now?"
Kennedy was stunned.
She really didn't expect Jerald would do something like this.
Kennedy got on the bus in a bit of a daze. After the bus started moving, she snapped back to reality and quickly pulled out her phone to message Isabella:
[Why aren't you here yet?]
[We've already left, and Jerald tore up your entry pass.]
[Don't bother coming. Even if you come, you won't be able to get into the institute. The passes are issued in fixed numbers, there are no extras.]
Isabella looked at the three messages Kennedy sent her in quick succession while in the car, and frowned.
She didn't need to think hard to figure out what had happened.
"No need to go to Radiant University anymore," Isabella told the driver.
At this point, the car was less than 200 meters from Radiant University's gate.
The driver quickly hit the brakes, confused. "What's wrong, Ms. Isabella Powell?"
"Let's go straight to the research institute," Isabella said. "Our class arranged to visit the Powell family's research institute today. They've already left, so even if I go, I won't make it in time."
The driver was a young man. He was puzzled. "Why did they leave without waiting for you?"
The driver couldn't understand it.
They just left Isabella behind and took off? He didn't think any teacher leading a group would dare do such a thing.
Isabella didn't care though. "If they don't wait, they don't wait. The bus ride definitely wouldn't be as comfortable as this car anyway."
The driver thought about it.
She had a point.
"Then I'll take you to the Powell family's research institute now."
The driver turned the steering wheel and made a U-turn, heading straight toward the Powell family's research institute.
Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at the Powell family's research institute.
"Ms. Isabella Powell, we're here."
Isabella looked at the towering, grand building before her, momentarily awed.
The research institute's architectural style was very modern and high-tech. The overall atmosphere was solemn and imposing, with two rows of military guards stationed at the entrance.
At the entrance, Isabella happened to see Jerald.
"Isabella, why did you come?" Kennedy looked at her in surprise.
She thought Isabella wouldn't come after receiving her messages, since Isabella couldn't enter the institute anyway without a pass. It would just be a wasted trip.
Isabella raised her cold eyes and looked straight at Jerald. "You tore up my entry pass without my permission. Is that appropriate?"
Jerald narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Isabella, you never showed up. I thought you weren't planning to come, so I tore up your pass. After all, the Powell family's research institute has strict entry management. If I didn't destroy the pass and someone else stole it and snuck into the institute, causing losses to the Powell family, that would be bad."
Isabella let out a mocking laugh. "What a reasonable explanation, leaving no room for argument."
"Anyway, Isabella, forget about getting into the Powell family's research institute now!" Jerald looked at her coldly. "This was probably your only chance in this lifetime to visit the Powell family's research institute. Too bad you didn't cherish it and missed it. I feel sorry for you."
Jerald didn't actually need to tear up Isabella's pass, but he just didn't want Isabella to have the opportunity to visit the Powell family's research institute. He felt Isabella didn't deserve to enter such a place!
If Isabella came, she would only pollute the air here!
Jasmine, Theodosia, and the others watched this scene with amused smiles.
They all disliked Isabella, so seeing her deliberately targeted by Jerald now actually made them feel better.
Who told Isabella not to know her place and go against Jerald? Now that Jerald was making things difficult for her and tore up her pass, she totally deserved it!
"It's just an entry pass, isn't it?" Domingo was unhappy seeing Jerald target Isabella like this and embarrass her in front of everyone.
He frowned at Jerald. "It's disgusting that Radiant University has a teacher like you! Since you don't want Isabella to go in so badly, I'll give her my pass."
"I don't care about visiting the Powell family's research institute anyway."
With that, Domingo held out his pass. "Isabella, take my pass. Worst case, I just won't go in."
"No need." Isabella refused. "Keep it yourself. I have other ways to get in."
Jerald laughed coldly at these words. "Isabella, without a pass, you can't get in."
Besides showing a pass, there was no other way to enter the Powell family's research institute. Yet Isabella had the nerve to say she had other ways?
Jerald couldn't be bothered with Isabella. He didn't want to waste any time on her. He walked straight to the entrance and showed his pass to the staff there. "Hello, I'm here with students from Radiant University for a visit."
The staff member took the pass, glanced at the stamp in the lower right corner, and opened the gate directly.
The others also went through verification one by one and passed through the gate.
As Jasmine walked past Isabella, she twisted her lips into a mocking smile. "Isabella, we're going in now. You can just stand there like an idiot by yourself."
Everyone looked at Isabella with gazes that were either sympathetic or watching for a show.
Kennedy, Domingo, and Reid hadn't gone in yet. Domingo looked at Isabella with some concern. "Isabella, what are you going to do? Why don't you just use my pass?"
"No need." Isabella looked at the staff member and said, "Hello, this is my first time here. I need to enter my administrator password, and please issue me a permanent access card."
Jerald was waiting for all the students to pass through the gate, so he hadn't left yet.
Hearing Isabella's words, Jerald immediately turned his head.
Administrator password?
He knew what an administrator password was.
At high-level institutions like the Powell family's research institute, senior management personnel were all issued unique administrator passwords. These passwords were used to handle emergency situations, like starting or shutting down advanced core equipment, or entering classified labs.
An administrator account was the highest level of access authority at such institutions! It meant being able to access any area of the research institute, let alone just this gate.
Jerald didn't think he'd heard wrong.
He definitely just heard Isabella say she wanted to enter her administrator password!
How was that possible?
How could Isabella possibly have an administrator password for the Powell family's research institute?
"Isabella, do you even know what an administrator password means, and you dare talk nonsense?" Jerald looked at Isabella with a mocking expression. "Be careful or the military here will arrest you!"
As far as he knew, only top experts or high-level institute officials could have administrator passwords. There were probably fewer than twenty such people in the entire institute!
Jasmine, Selene, and the others also mocked coldly, "Isabella, who do you think you are? How could you possibly have an administrator password for the Powell family's research institute?"
"Whether I have one or not isn't for you to say." Isabella's cold gaze swept over them.
At this moment, the staff member also looked at her with some surprise and uncertainty. "Miss, are you sure you really have an administrator password? If the system shows an error when you enter the password, you'll have to take responsibility!"