Sam’s expression finally softened. “Mr. Banks, you never let anyone down. That’s why I prefer collaborating with you over the other directors and deans in this college.”
“I’m deeply grateful for your support, Mr. Cooper,” Joseph replied.
As Sam stood to leave, Joseph personally escorted him to the door. Once he was out of sight, Joseph’s smile faded away.
He returned to his office, pulled out his phone, and called the dean’s office. “Check the borrowing status of the CPRT measurement devices in those two labs.”
The voice on the other end hesitated. “One has always been with Dr. Xander’s research team, and the other… was just approved for Joli Clifford.”
“Joli Clifford? Isn’t he on Sophie’s research team?” Joseph asked.
“Yes, I was surprised as well. I knew they already had one, but why request another? By the way, Dr. Young’s three postgraduate students tried to book it, but they were too late.”
“So, Christine applied as well?” he asked.
“Yes. They submitted their application right after the other team did.”
Joseph finally connected the dots and thought Christine had enough influence to persuade Sam to step in.
“Make that lab available. Joli’s actions are absolutely absurd!” He held back from blaming Sophie, who was behind Joli.
“Got it.”
Just as Joseph hung up and sighed in relief, his office door swung open again. He hadn’t even had time to wipe the sweat from his forehead before he stood up and smiled. “Dr. Jefferson, what brings you here? Please have a seat.”
Paul skipped the small talk and got straight to the point. “If I remember correctly, the college regulations state clearly that maliciously hogging public resources and engaging in unhealthy competition between research teams is prohibited. As the associate dean, you should know these rules better than I do.”
Joseph’s heart sank, and he thought, “Seriously? Not this again.”
The two cleaning ladies worked efficiently. Within an hour, the lab was spotless.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“You’re welcome,” the cleaning ladies replied. After a brief exchange, they gathered their cleaning tools and left with cheerful smiles.
Earlier, Miranda, Madison, and Sebastian had moved some equipment into the hallway to make cleaning easier. Fortunately, it wasn’t much, and the trio could move those back with just a few trips.
“Look who’s here? It’s Dr. Young’s three protégés.” They heard someone say, and the trio turned to see Hank and Yasmine standing a few feet away.
One of them had a smirk full of mockery, while the other stood with their arms crossed like a spectator.
“So, is this the lab you guys applied for? Let’s see… huh, looks like a bunch of junk. Not a single decent piece of equipment is in here. What a waste of such a big space.”
Yasmine raised her chin slightly and smirked. “Hank, stop talking nonsense. Our team has all the best equipment in the school. Did you really expect them to have anything useful?”
Hank replied, “Yeah, only good horses deserve good saddles. As for the weak ones, it’s better to get rid of them. Plus, keeping them around is just wasting resources.”
Miranda smiled. “If you want to act like animals, don’t drag us into it.”
Madison added, “Yeah, why settle for being a horse when you can be something better? What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Why you…” Hank sputtered, because he was too angry to form a coherent reply.
Yasmine frowned. “Stubborn as a mule. Let’s see how long that lasts.”
Madison pouted. “Keep your eyes peeled, and make sure they don’t fall out of your head.”
Yasmine scoffed. “If all your bluster actually meant something, you wouldn’t be here sweating and moving your own stuff. Let’s go, Hank.”
Hank sneered. “What a bunch of simpletons! You couldn’t book the lab, so you have no one to blame. So, you want to use the CPRT measurement device? Not a chance! Why don’t you buy one yourselves if you’re so desperate?”
“Sounds good to me,” Sebastian replied.
Miranda nodded. “I think it’s a great idea.”
Madison chimed in, “Free shipping, next-day delivery! Be sure to check back tomorrow!”
Hank looked like he had bitten into a lemon. “You guys are crazy! Each and every one of you!”
He laughed off the idea that Miranda and the others thought getting a CPRT measurement device was as simple as snapping their fingers.
The following day, the equipment was transported through the academic building en route to the lab. Hank and Yasmine watched from the crowd, and suddenly, their smiles faded.