Can you really stand up to Wade, Calvin? Even with Mr. Belcher backing you, Wade''s reputation and experience in the scientificmunity are leagues ahead of Mr. Belcher''s, aren''t they?


    Zane smirked to himself. Once the call connected, he filled Wade in on how Meg was giarizing Mirabe''s ideas. "...Alright, I''ll wait for you toe over."


    Zane hung up shortly after. He had been on the verge of blowing his top earlier, but Wade''s response helped him cool down.


    Linden, who had been listening in, waspletely floored. He didn''t catch what was said on the other end, but just hearing Mr. Zane mention ''Wade'' was enough to leave him gobsmacked.


    There were plenty of professors in the department, but Wade was the authority, the one all the students looked up to. Linden had been at Prestige College for nearly five years and had only caught glimpses of Wade from afar.


    Swallowing hard, Linden couldn''t help but entertain a bold theory. He turned to Zane, "Sir, could Mirabe be Wade''s apprentice?"


    He''d heardst year that Wade was considering taking on a new apprentice. Given Mirabe''s skills and her early entry into their research group, it seemed entirely usible.


    Zane paused, surprised by Linden''s question, before replying, "I''m not entirely sure. I only know that your ssmate knows Wade, but whether she''s his apprentice, neither of them has ever said."


    Still, considering Wade''s approach, it seemed much like how one would treat an apprentice, didn''t it? Wade was never one to get tangled in departmental politics or waste time on petty issues.


    Linden was still in a daze, feeling like the world had turned upside down. Just moments ago, he''d been worried about Meg''s connections with a supervising teacher, fearing it might spell trouble not just for Mirabe but for himself, too.


    But now, knowing Mirabe had connections with Wade, what did Mr. Calvin amount to? No wonder the junior seemed so calm-she was holding a secret weapon.


    While Linden felt a wave of relief, he couldn''t help but feel a twinge of envy. Wade! The Wade! Even catching a glimpse of him was considered a stroke of luck.


    "So, Wade''s going to handle this?" Linden couldn''t resist confirming, despite his envy.


    "Yeah, Wade will swing byter," Zane nodded, settling back into his chair, his expression back to normal.


    Linden let out a sigh of relief, but then another worry crept in, "But without evidence, it''s tough to prove giarism."


    Zane tapped his fingers on the table, a sly grin appearing, "Who said there''s no evidence? I am the evidence!"


    And if that wasn''t enough, the data logged on theb''sputer would be the clincher.


    Linden looked at Mr. Zane in shock, "You?"


    Zane cleared his throat, skipping over the embarrassing detail of Mr. Calvin using department funds as leverage to force him into helping Meg with data analysis. "Anyway, there''s definitely proof,” Zane said, waving his hand dismissively, "Don''t fret over it. You can head back."


    Mirabe had Wade on her side, but Linden didn''t. It wasn''t his business to get mixed up in.