Confidence doesn’t come from beauty.

It comes from capability.

With clear eyes and graceful bearing, Xia Xiaolan was confident!

Even without enough dollars in her pocket, she could seek lawyers and support from non-profit civil rights organizations.

Confidence stems from experience.

When a person’s horizons broaden, there are countless ways to solve problems. If one path is blocked, switch to another – no situation could truly trap Xia Xiaolan.

“Hello, I’m Eric Bloom.”

Eric shook hands with Xia Xiaolan. Recognizing her as a confident and intelligent person, he treated her not as an ordinary student but as a client.

“Mrs. Dawson might have something to say. If both parties can’t settle, the next step would be court.”

Eric was matter-of-fact.

He preferred going to court – that’s where he could make his mark.

If not for money, then for reputation.

But upon meeting Xia Xiaolan, Eric knew she couldn’t be manipulated despite her youth. Her every gesture showed she had her mind – completely different from Mrs. Dawson!

So Eric needed to respect Xia Xiaolan’s opinions.

What did Xia Xiaolan want?

She didn’t want to get caught up in a prolonged lawsuit – she had to return to China in two months. Would she need to come back to America for court appearances later?

What she wanted was to stop Mrs. Dawson, to make her apologize publicly, to let others see that Chinese students weren’t pushovers. If one Mrs. Dawson hit a wall, others who spoke disrespectfully would hit the same wall!

Swallowing one’s pride was certainly an option.

But abroad, when a Chinese student backs down, it affects how foreigners view all Chinese people – they’ll think all Chinese students can be bullied.

Xia Xiaolan looked at Mrs. Dawson with a half-smile:

“Whether we go to court isn’t my decision alone.”

Mrs. Dawson’s face went through a series of changes.

Being surrounded by onlookers like this reminded her of participating in beauty pageants in her youth. Back then, many eyes were on her too, but those gazes were admiring.

Now these stares were contemptuous.

“I… I…”

Her mouth opened and closed, her throat felt stuck with thick maple syrup, unable to form complete sentences.

Xia Xiaolan chuckled. Like mother, like daughter – Heidi wasn’t straightforward either, only stirring up trouble without thinking about the aftermath.

Would someone clean up after Mrs. Dawson?

Xia Xiaolan was somewhat expectant – perhaps Mr. Monde could no longer remain behind the scenes; it was time for him to appear!

However, the Academic Affairs Office was surrounded tightly by students. How could a Pritzker Architecture Prize winner dare to show up in such a situation? Whether or not Monde knew about the current scene, he would likely play dumb till the end.

Xia Xiaolan realized this, and Mrs. Dawson knew her husband even better.

Monde wouldn’t come.

This moment of humiliation was hers alone to bear.

Mrs. Dawson had no good choice between losing face in front of Cornell students or the newspapers.

“I… I’m sorry.”

Mrs. Dawson was so embarrassed she wished she could sink into the ground!

Some mischievous voice laughed: “Speak up, Mrs. Dawson! Your voice was so loud when you were making a scene in the Academic Affairs Office. Now that it’s time to apologize, how can you let people not hear?”

These annoying students!

Mrs. Dawson’s still-attractive face was filled with embarrassment.

Ning Xue spoke coolly: “Mrs. Dawson, are you apologizing for the floor tiles? Well, considering how much saliva you’ve sprayed on them during your multiple scenes here, perhaps you should apologize to them properly.”

Even the academic star wasn’t easy to bully – she could criticize without using a single vulgar word.

Xia Xiaolan found this version of Scholar Ning somewhat endearing.

Mrs. Dawson didn’t find Ning Xue endearing at all – just a Chinese hussy who stole Jonathan!

But now, what good was the surging hatred in her eyes? In front of so many students and lawyer Eric, she dared not use “yellow monkeys” or other insulting terms.

Eric was just waiting for her to fall into his trap!

Eric must have been hired by Professor McCarthy!

Mrs. Dawson simply closed her eyes. Humiliation choked her throat – she felt utterly wronged:

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have accused you like that. I apologize to you all!”

The students were ready to cheer, but Eric still wasn’t satisfied. “Mrs. Dawson, don’t be vague – who exactly are you apologizing to?”

Mrs. Dawson wanted to devour Eric whole.

But the students started clamoring:

“Yes, who are you apologizing to? Make it clear!”

“Nobody bullied Heidi.”

“What right do you have to drive Cornell students away? Cornell University isn’t yours to command!”

The rising and falling voices of discussion made Mrs. Dawson feel like she’d been stripped naked and thrown onto the street. Shame enveloped her, anger and hatred enveloped her, her ears were red as if about to drip blood, her cheeks burning, and her whole head buzzing.

She just wanted to resolve this quickly and escape.

“I’m sorry… I was just too concerned about Heidi and lost my composure. I apologize for everything. I shouldn’t have spoken that way about the Chinese students at the school. They… I take back the insulting terms. I’m sorry, please forgive me.”

Dear God, let this end quickly!

Let this nightmare end soon.

Eric announced loudly: “Mrs. Dawson has apologized. She apologizes for her rudeness and superficiality. In Cornell University’s 120-year history, no student has ever been expelled due to power politics. Mrs. Dawson’s narrow-mindedness has insulted both Cornell University’s reputation and two excellent Chinese international students! Racial discrimination should not exist in world-class universities. I believe this is not just a victory for Chinese international students, but a victory for everyone!”

Eric wouldn’t let Mrs. Dawson be vague – he needed to clarify her mistakes.

He was too skilled at stirring emotions; a seasoned lawyer, he had these future elites of the ivory tower burning with passion.

The students all cheered. Mrs. Dawson wanted to escape the chaos, but Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t let her off easily. She threw a glance, and Matthew, Daisy, and others rushed over to block Mrs. Dawson’s escape route:

“Mrs. Dawson, I know your apology is forced by circumstances – you’re not truly repentant. After today, you’ll probably hate Chinese students even more, saying things a hundred times worse than ‘yellow monkeys’ in private! You’ll probably laugh at my naivety, thinking I’ve done something meaningless. I don’t need your apology – I just want you to remember today’s lesson. Next time you want to make unreasonable trouble, bully someone weaker, or discriminate against Chinese people or other people of color, remember to hesitate because you might encounter a second, third, or even thousands more ‘inferior people’ who stand their ground… You still owe Professor McCarthy an apology, but I think the professor doesn’t want to see you at all. Please leave Cornell now – we don’t welcome shallow, ignorant trophy wives here!”