Chapter 369 – Reputation Affected
At this moment, Yu Wan exclaimed, “Hmm, theoretically speaking, it’s possible, right? Will she still come to our class after all this?”
Lu Xia shook her head, “I think the probability is very low. Although she’s the victim, it’s been almost two months since we started school. Even if she comes, she might struggle to catch up with the curriculum. The school probably won’t agree. I’m not sure if they can let her start with the next year’s freshmen.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Nan shook her head, “I don’t think so because when it comes to responsibility for causing this incident, it’s not really the school’s fault. The school fulfilled its obligation by sending out admission notices. The real culprit here is Xie Yunyun. At most, the school might be accused of negligence. It all depends on what Xie Yunyun’s record shows. If her record is also fake, then the responsibility lies with the one who fabricated it. In reality, the school shouldn’t be held responsible. But this situation doesn’t look good, and if the school has goodwill, they might compensate her. We just don’t know what that compensation would be.”
Others sighed after hearing this, “If that’s the case, she’s really unfortunate!”
“Yeah, she lost her identity as a university student!”
Lu Xia also sighed, “But at least she understands the truth now, and she found the culprit, which is some closure for herself.”
Tan Yunfang nodded, “Yes, if she didn’t know, it would have been even more frustrating. We saw how miserable she was when she cried last time; we know how wronged she felt.”
“True…”
Others also sighed.
…
This incident caused quite a stir, and initially, Lu Xia thought it had only spread within the school. However, to her surprise, the next day, when she returned home after school to have dinner, Aunt Jiang also asked about it.
“I heard that your school discovered someone impersonating a student?”
Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo exchanged surprised glances upon hearing this. “Yes, but she has been expelled already. How did you hear about it?”
Aunt Jiang replied, “I overheard some nurses in the department talking about it during lunch break. The reputation of your university has been tarnished this time; people are saying negative things.”
Grandfather Jiang, who was sitting nearby, also curiously asked, “What happened? What do you mean by impersonating?”
Lu Xia then proceeded to explain the whole situation about Xie Guifang to him.
Upon hearing this, Grandfather Jiang became quite angry, “These people have such a great opportunity, and instead of focusing on their studies, they resort to underhanded tactics. You said the person who was impersonated comes from a well-connected family. What will happen now that it’s been discovered?”
Lu Xia shook her head, “I don’t know, but since the school has investigated and uncovered the truth, it means that the matter has come to light over there as well. Punishments will probably follow soon.”
Grandfather Jiang seemed satisfied upon hearing this.
The next day at school, Lu Xia heard about the punishment that Xie Yunyun’s parents received from Ye Nan.
“I heard that her parents were responsible for fabricating her records, and even some government departments like the Education Bureau and Post Office were involved. All these people are now in trouble, and it’s likely they will face severe consequences.”
Everyone was surprised to hear this, “How did you find out?”
Ye Nan smiled and said, “It was Teacher Jin who told me. She has a classmate who works at a newspaper. When she heard about this incident, she called to inquire about the situation in Jiang Province and conducted a detailed interview about what happened. It’s likely that this story will be in the newspaper soon.”
Upon hearing this, everyone fell into silence. They knew that this incident was not good for the school’s reputation, and if it made it to the newspapers, the university’s image would likely suffer.
“Well, our school has become a typical example of being caught in a scandal.”
*
Chapter 370 – Special Attention
.
“True.”
Ye Nan nodded and said, “I heard that the reason this incident had such a significant impact is that when they were investigating Xie Guifang’s case, they discovered that it wasn’t just Xie Guifang who had been replaced. There were over ten cases like hers, but currently, only Xie Guifang’s has been exposed.”
“What? So many!” Other roommates in the dormitory were surprised to hear this.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s said that the reason these imposters weren’t discovered earlier is because most of them stole admission notices from schools that weren’t very prestigious, some were low-ranking undergraduate institutions, and others were vocational colleges. These candidates were already on the edge of whether they would get in or not, so even if they didn’t get accepted, they wouldn’t find it suspicious. They certainly wouldn’t come to the school to inquire like Xie Guifang did, which is why it took so long for their cases to be uncovered.”
Everyone fell silent after hearing this; they didn’t know what to say.
So, Xie Yunyun’s greed in stealing an admission notice from a prestigious university like Peking University was what made this case blow up. If she had stolen one from a less reputable school, it might have gone unnoticed.
Ye Nan continued, “Not only that, but in just this small county, there were over ten cases like this. Who knows how many cases there are in other places. So, I heard that the country is taking this matter very seriously and has requested thorough investigations everywhere. Even our school is going to re-examine the records.”
Everyone wasn’t concerned about their own records because they had earned their spots through their own efforts. However, they felt uneasy knowing that such cases might be more widespread, and in this day and age, discovering these situations without an incident like Xie Guifang’s would be extremely difficult.
“Anyway, let’s not talk about this anymore. Teacher Jin also asked me to write an article, so I need to think about how to start.”
Tan Yunfang smiled when she heard this, “It seems like Teacher Jin is really pushing you toward a career in journalism, always asking you to write something every other day.”
Ye Nan chuckled, “Well, I do enjoy it.”
Everyone didn’t tease her any further.
At that moment, Lu Xia glanced at the empty bed next to her and said to Tan Yunfang, “Yunfang, Xie Guifang… um, Xie Yunyun’s bed is empty now, and it probably won’t be occupied for a while. Why don’t you let Xiaoya move over there? It’ll save you from squeezing in.”
The other roommates in the dormitory chimed in, “Yes, we all have single beds, and they’re narrow. I’m always worried that you’ll fall off in the middle of the night.”
Tan Yunfang thought for a moment and replied, “Let’s wait until the weather gets warmer. Right now, I only have one blanket. When it gets warmer, I won’t need to use it, and we can switch then.”
Upon hearing her concerns, Yu Wan immediately said, “No need to wait. I have extra blankets at home; I’ll bring one over for you.”
Ye Nan also said, “I have some at home too.”
Lu Xia added, “I have some as well.”
Tan Yunfang was touched by their offer and didn’t refuse this time, “Alright, thank you.”
“What are you thanking us for?” Yu Wan smiled, “Living together is fate, and we’re all good friends.”
“Exactly,” Lu Xia nodded, “And Xiaoya is such an understanding and likable girl.”
So, it was settled. Later on, they gathered extra blankets, and Tan Yunfang moved to Xie Yunyun’s vacant bed, while Xiaoya remained in her original bed.
As for Xie Guifang’s case, it indeed made it into the newspapers due to its significant impact. The newspaper provided a detailed account of the development of the case, explaining how Xie Yunyun’s parents conspired with various departments to steal other student’s admission letter, all in an effort to get their daughter into university.
