Chapter 155

Although she looked quiet and sweet, she was fast and strong. Her aura instantly silenced the gossiping girl. Riley's best friend subconsciously took a step back and fell silent. Riley glanced at her. "You shouldn't have spoken so much." The girls stopped talking.

Emma picked up the package and left, her demeanor cold. The moment she stepped out of the mailroom, she halted. "Oh, by the way," she said, her tone calm yet chilling, "someone intentionally scattered sand on my wooden bridge that day. I've reported it to the supervisor, and we should identify the culprit within a week. Once caught, that person will not only be disqualified from the evaluation but also face societal criticism! Do you think they'll regret their actions? Hmm?"

After she left, Riley, standing nearby, looked furious. "Look what you've done! That was so stupid. Don't do it again, or you're not my friend anymore."

Everyone in the dormitory was curious when they saw Emma carrying a large box of packages at night. "Hey, Miss Wilson, what did you buy?"

Emma replied, "Oh, a friend sent me some local specialties. Come and try some." Emma's roommates, all from Class One, usually slept soon after showering due to their demanding training schedule, and interacted little. Though not close, they got along well.

Emma opened the box. "Wow, it's water caltrop!" someone exclaimed excitedly. "Is your friend from Bulka City, too? Oh my god!" Emma herself had never seen water caltrop before; it was black with a hard shell. "How do you usually eat it?" she asked.

Rielle described the aquatic plant: "It has a crispy skin and delicious flesh. It's usually steamed and very aromatic."

Seeing Emma's uncertainty, Rielle volunteered, "Don't worry, I'll handle it. I'll just heat them up in the microwave downstairs."

When Rielle returned with the heated water caltrop, a table had been set up in the dormitory. Emma prepared a small bowl of sauce. Everyone peeled the water caltrop and dipped them in the sauce. Amazement filled the room. "Emma, where did you get this sauce? It's incredibly delicious!"

Emma smiled. "I didn't buy it. I made it myself!"

"Wow, you're amazing!" the girls praised.

Emma was secretly thrilled. Despite her limited knowledge of water caltrop, she was a top-notch chef. With this sauce, even water caltrop tasted gourmet!

At that moment, Rielle sighed. "Oh right, I suddenly remembered my cousin loves water caltrop."

"Cousin? The one who also graduated from Charon?" another roommate asked.

"That's right. Water caltrop is very popular in Bulka City. Everyone likes them," Rielle said. "If she'd had water caltrop and Miss Wilson's sauce before that competition, she would have become the world champion of the Krot Competition!"

Emma's eyes widened in shock. "Did you say your cousin competed in the Krot Competition?"

Rielle seemed to realize she'd revealed too much. The Krot Competition's list wasn't public, but her cousin had participated years ago. With a dry smile, she confirmed, "Yes, participants are supposed to be kept secret. But it was years ago. My cousin did participate."

Emma suppressed her excitement. There were no discoveries in school archives, but new clues had emerged! "Which year?" she asked.

Rielle pondered. "Four years ago? Five years ago? I don't remember."

Dummy participated five years ago. Rielle's cousin must know what happened to Dummy back then! Emma thought.

Emma informed Josiah of the clue. He planned to investigate Rielle's cousin through Rielle—a simpler approach than directly searching the Krot Competition's records.

This significant discovery helped Emma relax after several tense days. Meanwhile, there was feedback regarding the sand on her wooden bridge.

In the office, the staff explained, "After a thorough school investigation, there's no evidence to suggest someone intentionally scattered the sand. Therefore, your complaint is unsuccessful for now."

Emma was upset. "The bridge's surface is smooth. It's unlikely so much sand would naturally stick! Someone tampered with the bridge to make the sand stick!"

The staff remained firm. "If you have clear evidence, bring it. We will reconsider."

Emma frowned. "It's been so long, and it's rained twice. How can we find evidence now?"

The staff shrugged. "Then there's nothing we can do." He advised, "Since you've won the championship, forget about it and concentrate on training!"

Emma was furious. "How can we just forget about it? This isn't about rankings; it's about fairness!"

The staff member asked, "Why are you so serious? This is just a school exam, not a strict competition."

Emma retorted, "Don't you think the fairness of the exam is important?"

At that moment, someone knocked and entered. Emma recognized Riley's best friend, Marie Lanson, whom she'd met at the guardhouse.

Marie glanced at Emma. "Mr. Lambert, what can I do for you?"

Emma understood Marie knew the man.

David Lambert chatted with Marie, but Emma remained, unmoved. It didn't bother her that Marie called him "Mr. Lambert."

Enraged, Emma called Richard. "Hello, Uncle."

"Emma?" Richard, involved in educational work at Charon Military School, was nearby.

"I ran into trouble in Building 2. Yes, it's related to that monthly exam. Can you come over? Okay, thank you, Uncle Richard."

Marie and David watched Emma call. They saw she'd found help. David grew nervous. However, he'd seen Emma's file. Her mother had passed away, and her father was bankrupt. A person with no background shouldn't be noteworthy.

Marie mocked, "Emma, who is your uncle? The guy washing the toilets?"