He was a disabled military officer who doted on his research work in the Northwest.

Fluorescent agent? Ma Decai subconsciously looked at Sun Xiulan, only to see her nod slightly. His face turned pale instantly.

"Fluorescent agents are invisible to the naked eye when applied to paper, but they will adhere to the skin once touched. Ordinary handwashing and showering won't remove them within a few days. Special chemical solvents are required for removal."

"Skin exposed to fluorescent agents will fluoresce under ultraviolet light."

The corridor was completely silent, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Ma Decai's hands.

Ma Decai felt those gazes, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He subconsciously tried to hide his hands.

Shen Tang looked around: "It's very simple to verify now—find a dark room, a UV lamp, and have everyone stick their hands out. Who stole the exam paper, and who framed someone else—it'll be clear with a quick scan."

Her gaze finally settled on Ma Decai's face: "If I stole it, then my hands aren't clean either—just expel me then. Teacher Ma—would you dare to try it with me?"

The corridor was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

Ma Decai stood there, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

His mind was rapidly weighing the options—

Fluorescent agents? That's ridiculous. How did a high school student like her know about this? And where did she get them?

Besides—even if there really was fluorescent agent—he took a shower the night before last. He lathered himself up several times with soap. It should… it should have washed off, right?

But his hands were trembling involuntarily.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on him. The other teachers, including several colleagues with whom he usually had a decent relationship, were looking at him differently.

He can't back down. Backing down would be tantamount to admitting defeat.

"I'll give it a try!" Ma Decai gritted his teeth, forcing himself to straighten his back. "A clear conscience fears no accusation. I, Ma, have done nothing wrong—who's afraid of who!"

At this moment, a calm voice came from the outermost part of the crowd:

"Well said. Let's give it a try."

Principal Zhou arrived sometime earlier and now stood at the back of the crowd, his face ashen. He adjusted his glasses, his gaze shifting from Ma Decai's face to Shen Tang's, and then to the exam paper on the ground.

"Everyone—get to the dark room in the lab building. Today we'll see who this ghost really is."

……

Second floor of the laboratory building. Darkroom for photography.

This darkroom is usually used for developing photos in art class. The windows are covered with black cloth, and once the door is closed, it's pitch black.

The school doctor brought an ultraviolet lamp to disinfect the examination room.

Principal Zhou stood at the door of the dark room, his gaze deep and somber.

"Ma Decai, Shen Tang, and..." He looked at everyone, "and all the students who took today's exam—go in one by one."

Several students looked displeased. "Weren't the test papers found in Shen Tang's bag? Why are we checking them too?"

Sun Xiulan stood behind him, giving the student a cold look. "Because Shen Tang's bag is outside, anyone could come into contact with it. If you have nothing to hide, what are you afraid of?"

No one dared to speak anymore; if anyone didn't go in now, it would be tantamount to admitting defeat.

Shen Tang was the first to enter the dark room.

The ultraviolet lamp hummed and lit up, emitting a faint blue light.

Shen Tang stretched out both hands—palms, backs of hands, and between her fingers.

It was spotless. There wasn't a trace of fluorescence.

She came out.

Gu Bei was the second to go in.

Equally clean.

One by one, the students from Class Two went in—Zhang Ming, Zhao Xiaoya, and everyone else.

All clean.

It's class one's turn.

The first person to go in was a girl whose grades were usually average. She nervously stretched out her hand—

Clean.

The second and third ones are both clean.

The fourth one is the class's study committee member.

His fingertips lit up under the ultraviolet light.

A faint, but clearly visible, fluorescent green glow clung to his fingertips and palms.

A gasp of cold air echoed from the dark room.

"Next." Principal Zhou's voice came from the doorway.

Eight of the top ten students in the class had fluorescent reactions on their hands.

Zhao Liang's reaction was the most obvious—not just his fingers, but even the backs of his hands glowed fluorescent green. He must have looked at the test paper the most times.

Shen Yao—her right index finger and thumb have a faint glow.

When she saw the green light in her hand, her face turned pale, her lips trembled, and she secretly glanced at Ma Decai but didn't dare to speak.

the last one.

Ma Decai.

He stood in the center of the dark room, the eerie blue light of the ultraviolet lamp illuminating his face, making his expression appear distorted and disheveled.

He held out his hands.

Both hands—from fingertips to palms to wrists—were entirely fluorescent green.

It was blindingly bright.

He took a shower the night before last. He lathered himself up several times with soap.

But fluorescent agents can't be washed off with soap.

The dark room was deathly silent.

As Ma Decai looked at his glowing hands, the color drained from his face.

But he didn't break down; at least outwardly he tried to remain calm.

He took a deep breath and put his hands behind his back.

"What does this prove?" His voice trembled slightly, but he still tried to stay composed. "I'm a teacher on the exam-setting team—I set the chemistry exam, of course I've touched the materials in the teaching and research office! Who knows how Sun Xiulan applied it? Maybe this fluorescent powder also got on the safe handle? I opened the safe to take out my own chemistry exam, and it got on me—isn't that normal?"

A murmur rippled through the corridor.

This excuse does make sense. The papers are all in the same cabinet, so they might have gotten contaminated. Who can be 100% sure about such a thing?

"How do you explain the glowing lights on the hands of those students?" Gu Bei asked loudly.

"How would I know?!" Ma Decai's voice shrieked. He couldn't explain, and his guilty conscience made him raise his voice even higher. "Maybe they've also touched things in the research office—isn't it normal for students to occasionally go to the research office to hand in assignments?!"

Everyone knows this reason is untenable. Which student hands in their homework in a hurry and leaves without lingering for even a second? Who would touch the safe handle for no reason?

But Ma Decai wouldn't budge. He knew that once he admitted it, everything would be over.

Principal Zhou frowned. "Since we can't figure it out, let's call the police and let them investigate. Everyone's grades are invalid. If it's found out who it is, whether it's a teacher or a student, they'll all be expelled. Our school for children of employees can't give diplomas to such black sheep; they'll only bring trouble into society."

Police? Investigation?

A demerit? Expulsion?

The students who tested positive for fluorescent substances just now turned as white as paper.

Once the police are notified, they will definitely be able to find out. Grades will be canceled, student status will be invalidated, and there will be a disciplinary record in the file. A life that hasn't even begun will be completely ruined!

Shen Yao gripped her backpack strap even tighter. No, she absolutely couldn't let the police get involved, she absolutely couldn't let herself be implicated.

Zhao Jianhui's father already felt that his education level was too low and he was not good enough for his son. If he were found to have cheated and was expelled from school, then everything would be over!

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and decided to go all out.

Teacher Ma, I'm sorry. You should take responsibility for your own actions; I can't die with you.

"It was... given by the teacher." A weak voice rang out from the crowd.

Everyone turned to look.

Shen Yao stood in the crowd of students from Class One, her face as pale as paper, but her posture remained pitiful. Her right hand unconsciously clenched her left wrist, covering the two fluorescent fingers.

"Nobody dares to tell the truth. So Yao Yao will speak." Her voice trembled, and her eyes reddened. "Actually, we don't know anything... It was Teacher Ma who gave us the test papers. Two days before the exam, after evening self-study, he called a few of us with good grades to his office and said... told us to look at the key points beforehand and familiarize ourselves with the question types..."