The three judges—Professor Zhang, Mr. Liang, and Dr. Chen—stood on the stage, their expressions carefully neutral.
Of the three, only two recognized Luo Zhelan by name. Their frowns deepened as they processed his words.
Because he was right.
They had chosen not to disqualify Hao Ran's team because, at the end of the day, this was just a school competition.
The students weren't professionals.
Their project had promise, even if it was leagues behind Jiang Yue's work. And—more importantly—disqualifying them would be a mess.
Professor Zhang, a man of considerable influence and Principal Wei's longtime friend, finally broke the heavy silence.
His voice was steady, carrying the quiet authority of someone who had been in his position for far too long.
"You raise a valid point, President Luo," he acknowledged, his gaze sweeping across the hushed auditorium. "However, to ensure fairness in judgment, let's seek a second opinion."
