Chapter 296 : Just A Bean

Chapter 296 : Just A Bean
The comments continued pouring in, but Tommy never posted another message.

On the stage, the panel of teachers carefully reviewed Allison's answers. After a brief discussion among themselves, they held up the graded paper and turned it toward the camera.

The entire stadium seemed to hold its breath. Then one of the teachers announced the result. "Tommy was right. She was only two points short."

"So she didn't cheat?"

"That score alone is more than enough to get her into Kansas Medical University."

"Then who the hell started the cheating rumor?"

The livestream exploded with speculation as people tried to piece everything together.

"Maybe someone who knew what she was capable of... and tried to take her down before she could succeed."

"Exactly. Up to this point, nobody has come up with any actual proof that she cheated. I mean, she's basically cleared now, right?"

"You really think a livestream proves she didn't cheat? Everyone's saying she's got connections. What if she rigged the exam site?"

"Did anyone check the desk?"

The comments quickly shifted direction, and before long, a request from the livestream audience was relayed to the teachers on stage.

They wanted the desk inspected.

One of the teachers immediately walked down to the field and crouched beside the desk. The cameras followed his every move.

He carefully felt around underneath it. At first, nothing seemed unusual. Then his fingers suddenly stopped.

The teacher's expression changed slightly as he reached into a narrow gap and pulled something out.

It was no bigger than a grain of corn, wedged between the joint of the desk leg and the underside of the chair.

The moment it appeared on camera, the entire stadium fell silent.

Even the livestream comments seemed to stop for a moment. Everyone stared at the tiny object in the teacher's hand.

"This has to be a joke. She really planted a bug?"

"Someone said it earlier. She set this whole thing up to throw us off. Acting all confident, like we were the ones being questioned."

"She made the rules, chose the stage, and built this entire scene just to make herself look innocent."

"Has anyone even checked that device? What if she planted it herself?"

The revelation turned the tide of public opinion almost immediately.

While Allison remained silent off to the side, the teacher, gripping the device, shot her a furious glare.

The reporters gathered along the sidelines pushed forward, bombarding her with questions.

"Allison, do you have anything to say about the device?"

"Did you place it there yourself?"

"Were you cheating from the very beginning?"

The crowd's uproar intensified with every moment.

If the security guards hadn't kept the crowd under control, someone might have already charged forward and attacked her.

Why were they so angry? Because she had come dangerously close to pulling it off.

She had almost cleared her name.

And that possibility made them panic.

If Allison had managed to clear her name, then every insult and accusation they had thrown at her would have become proof that they had been publicly bullying her all along. And Allison is the victim.

They couldn't handle that.

They were angry because they had nearly been forced to admit they were wrong.

Suddenly, Tommy's account came back again.

"...Wait, something's not right here..."

"Whoa, my brain is itching. Am I... am I starting to get it? I think I finally understand what Tommy was trying to say..."

Tommy typed, "None of you have ever met me, yet because people call me a 'test god,' you automatically assume I would never cheat. But the moment she gets dragged into a cheating scandal, you all act as if you witnessed it with your own eyes. Isn't that ridiculous? Tell me, what else was she supposed to do to prove she's innocent? So anyone can spread a rumor, and you'll gladly become their weapon? If she was really framed and it destroyed her future, which one of you keyboard warriors would take even a tiny bit of responsibility? She didn't take this test to prove she's innocent. She took it to make you admit that you wanted her gone from the start. None of you ever cared about the truth. What you really enjoy is standing on your moral high ground, judging other people without ever paying the price when you're wrong."

The comment was long, and every line hit harder than the last. As people continued reading, the once-chaotic comment section gradually fell silent.

Even the proctors inside the stadium lowered their eyes to the test papers, lost in thought.

What kind of high-tech device could possibly transmit answers while millions of people were watching online?

Allison smiled bitterly. "Knowledge can't be stolen. Even if you want to accuse me, at least catch me in the act. Don't try to erase everything I've done with a single object found afterward."

She took the small item from the proctor's hand, placed it on the desk, and slammed her hand down on it.

A soft crack echoed through the stadium. The tiny object split cleanly in half.

As the camera zoomed in, everyone finally saw what it was. It was nothing more than a small yellow bean.

Just a bean.

And Allison had been the one who deliberately wedged it into the gap beneath the desk.

The camera slowly pulled away from the bean and focused on Allison's determined expression.

The comment section went completely silent.

One by one, people began to understand what had just happened.

From the moment Allison started the livestream yesterday, she had never intended to prove anything. She never cared about clearing her name.

Both livestreams had been her revenge, aimed at the internet trolls, the people who spread rumors, and those who lied without consequence.

The people who had once insulted her and doubted her ability felt embarrassed. Even those who had remained silent could no longer ignore their embarrassment.

Looking straight into the camera, Allison mumbled softly. "Have you ever been doubted? Did you ever try to prove yourself? And did it really make any difference?"

No one answered.

Viewers started leaving the livestream one by one, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

The pain only hurts when the needle pierces your own skin.

Allison's words struck something deep inside everyone who was still watching.

People can spend years together and still never really understand one another. Who had never been misunderstood? Who could really say they had opened their heart completely and been fully understood?

There was nothing more painful than being unable to defend yourself, no matter how hard you tried.