Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 582

As soon as Mr. Smith finished speaking, a wave of agreement echoed throughout the massive hall.

"The professor is right," an elderly, white-haired academic in the front row said gravely. "Science is built on empirical truth, not empty words. Since we can't tell who's lying, a live experimental challenge is the only way to eliminate false accusations and clear the innocent."

A researcher beside him chimed in. "A transparent, live demonstration is the most definitive way to expose academic fraud. With a live broadcast and hundreds of witnesses, one experiment will settle the debate once and for all. There's no room for tricks."

Other attendees nodded vigorously, their voices layering over each other in resounding agreement.

Suddenly, someone turned toward the pale Vivienne. "Ms. Sinclair, since we're already at this point, you might as well accept the challenge. If you refuse now, the public will only keep speculating. The controversy will never die, and it will only damage your reputation further."

"Yeah, it's not like she's too scared to do it, right?" In the crowd, some of the more impatient attendees were already getting vocal.

At those words, the room went dead silent again. Everyone's gaze nailed Vivienne to the floor, filled with scrutiny, probing curiosity, and blatant suspicion.

The speaker continued, "Ever since this scandal broke, you've been dodging the issue. Are you terrified because you know your research is fake and your theories are hollow? Are you too scared to accept because the second you touch the equipment, everyone will know you're a fraud?"

On the other hand, if she risked it, there might be a tiny sliver of hope.

Vivienne's mind raced frantically for an exit strategy. She had watched others perform basic lab work before, so she remembered the general framework. If push came to shove, she could covertly mimic Willow's movements and fake her way through. If that failed, she could try to cheat when the cameras weren't looking.

Most importantly, she still harbored a toxic, arrogant delusion about Willow. She stubbornly believed Willow was a talentless nobody. As long as her performance wasn't glaringly worse than Willow's, the crowd might not notice the flaws.

After a few agonizing seconds of inner turmoil, Vivienne snapped her head up. Forcing down her guilty panic, she put on a mask of fearless righteousness. "Since all my esteemed peers and seniors are demanding a public verification, I'll play along. I will use my skills to prove exactly who the liar is."