He turned to the parents crowding around him and spoke in a voice that cut through the noise.
"Parents of Senior Class 11, are you here? Come forward."
"Here!"
"Sir, what happened? They're supposed to be taking the exam! Why were our children pulled out?!"
"Exactly! If this ruins their national college entrance exam, can you take responsibility for that?!"
"Responsibility?!"
The proctor's expression darkened even further.
"Your children brought electronic cheating devices into the exam room! They don't even answer for themselves—and you want *me* to answer for them?!"
He turned to face Molly and Ethan, standing in the middle of the group.
"Do you know this year's new exam regulation?!"
"Anyone caught cheating during the national college entrance exam is permanently banned from taking the exam again! Your futures are destroyed by your own stupidity!"
The moment his words landed, the crowd erupted.
Every parent from our class went white.
"Cheating devices?"
Austin Henson lunged forward and grabbed the proctor's arm.
"Sir, you've got this wrong! My kid's always been honest—three years he's been grinding, up before dawn, studying past midnight. How could he bring a cheating device in there?!"