Chapter 61: DRESS CODE VIOLATION.
Headmaster Jian stared at the piece of dismantled hardware on his desk—a burnt-out circuit board connected to what looked like a crude makeshift lens. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked up sharply at the boy standing confidently in front of him.
"So, you're saying... Are there hidden cameras? Connected to somewhere outside?" His voice was low, tinged with disbelief and rapidly boiling irritation.
Zinchen Liu nodded, arms folded calmly, as if he wasn't standing in front of the most powerful man in Blackthorn Academy. "Yes, sir. At least one. And if there's one, there could be more."
Headmaster Jian narrowed his eyes. "And when exactly did you discover this?"
"A while ago."
The silence that followed could have shattered glass.
"A while ago?" Jian repeated, his tone now dangerously quiet.
Zinchen gave a slight shrug, like a man explaining why he didn't water the plants last weekend. "I needed to be sure before causing unnecessary panic."
The headmaster's jaw clenched as he leaned forward. "You do realize that keeping such critical information from the administration is a punishable offense? I could have your points slashed in half—"
"Sure," Zinchen interrupted casually, "you could. But then I'd have to report how such a major breach of security happened under your very responsible watch."
Jian blinked.