Chapter 500

On the Aurora High School sports field, under the hot June sun, reporters and onlookers craned their necks, waiting for the main subject to appear.
Suddenly, staff members from the school began carrying a massive blackboard onto the field.
“They’re supposed to be explaining the perfect score. What’s the blackboard for?”
“Just a distraction tactic, I bet!”
“It’s almost 2 p.m. Why haven’t the school’s administration and Juniper shown up yet? Are they getting cold feet?”
“Of course they are. Let’s see how they try to explain a perfect score on every subject.”
At 1:58 p.m., Salma appeared, with Juniper walking calmly beside her. The moment she was spotted, a storm of camera flashes erupted as reporters scrambled to get the perfect shot.
Salma and the head of discipline, intimidated by the sheer scale of the event, whispered to Juniper, “Are you sure you want to go up there?”
There were dozens of media outlets and a countless number of spectators. How could an eighteen-year-old girl handle this kind of pressure? More importantly, they still had no idea what she was planning.
“It’s fine,” Juniper said, her hands hanging loosely at her sides, a mango-flavored candy in her mouth. Her expression was calm. “I can go up by myself. You can all rest on the side.”
“Are you really okay?” Salma asked, her worry palpable. “The Department of Education has already responded. They said they’ll investigate and clear your name. If you’re scared
“Oh, I’m scared,” Juniper said, raising an eyebrow nonchalantly. “Scared of how terrifyingly good I am.”
Salma and the teachers were left speechless.
Without another word, Juniper walked to the center of the stage. Before she could even speak, a pack of reporters swarmed forward.
“Juniper, there are rumors online that your scores are fraudulent. What’s your response?”
“The Department of Education has announced an investigation. The consequences of leaking exam answers are severe. If you confess who was behind this, you might receive a lighter sentence.”
“Some have alleged that Jimmie Tate was also involved. What are your thoughts on that?”
“Juniper, what is the purpose of today’s press conference?”
“The overall scores for Orient Country were exceptionally high this year, with twice as many students qualifying for university as last year. Such a huge jump is highly suspicious, wouldn’t you agree?”
After the reporters had their say, the crowd grew agitated.
“A perfect score? Does she take us all for fools?”
“How can Orient Country have a degenerate like you?”
“Say something! Why are you just standing there?”
“Didn’t other students from Aurora High School also get surprisingly good scores? It proves more than one person cheated. Someone should call the police and have them all investigated!”
In an instant, the scene descended into chaos.
As the situation spiraled out of control, Juniper kicked the chair in front of her, her delicate face turning to ice. The chair went flying with an loud crash, instantly silencing the clamoring crowd. They stared at her, stunned.
“Are you all done talking? Is this all about my perfect score?” Juniper asked, her face devoid of
expression. “Do you really need to waste the Department of
Education’s time with an
Over
investigation for such a trivial matter?”
Before anyone could process what she meant, she spoke again. “From this moment on, I will accept any and all challenges. Ask me any question. If I get a single one wrong, I will admit that I cheated.”
A collective gasp went through the crowd as they finally understood. This wasn’t a confession; it was a live Q&A session. And she was taking on any question? It was beyond arrogant; it was insane.
“I have only one condition,” Juniper announced, her cold gaze sweeping across the entire field. “Everyone turn on your cameras and your
live-streaming apps. I want thi
entire press conference broadcast. live, in its entirety.”
To prevent any accusations of cheating, she deliberately tied her long hair back,
revealing her ears. No earpieces. No hidden receivers.