章 1749: Chapter 1184 Inquiry (Middle)_1

William slowly narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who's the exception?"

Shiller shook his head and replied, "I was merely offering an example, I can't provide you with a specific name."

But William persisted, pressing further, "So, you can't treat all students at the same level fairly?"

"You too are a behavioral scientist, you should understand that in this world, no one can truly treat everyone equally. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, which inevitably get manifested through their actions."

"So, have you made your utmost effort to avoid personal preferences affecting educational fairness?"

Shiller fell silent.

William slightly lowered his head and said, "Professor Rodriguez, precisely because I am a behavioral scientist, I understand that there's no such thing as a saint in this world. Everyone makes mistakes, but as long as they are within the boundaries of morality and law, these mistakes can be forgiven."

"And our ongoing investigation into you is to ensure that any potential mistakes you might have made haven't overstepped these boundaries."

"No one here is denying your academic achievements or criticizing any possible educational failures you might have had. We all hope to secure a better learning environment for your students."

"Speaking personally, being publicly accused so severely by so many of my own students would be a significant blow to my teaching career."

"But, from the moment I first met you, you've shown no outward signs of sadness or disappointment. You've been composed throughout."

"If you were wrongly accused, you should feel outraged. If you knew you were in the wrong, you'd likely feel guilty, or you'd be reflective. But you've shown none of these feelings, signifying that these students accusing you don't really matter to you."

William moved to the front of the desk and started to pace, looking down at the floor as he spoke, "In all previous cases I've dealt with involving students accusing teachers, each and every teacher was extremely interested in the specific students who accused them and the substance of the allegations."

"Without exception, they passionately demanded from us to disclose who exactly accused them, why they were attacked, or what grounds they had for these accusations. However, you don't seem curious about any of these questions."

"Honestly, I am not sure what you're thinking. Your attention doesn't seem focused on your current predicament. Having your intellect and knowledge, you should know that this is a very serious matter. If you don't deal with it appropriately, you may ruin your reputation."

William moved to face Shiller, looking down at him as he asked, "So Professor Rodriguez, can you tell me, since you're not thinking about these students or yourself, then what exactly are you thinking about?"

Shiller averted his eyes, not meeting William's gaze. William then asked, "Do you happen to remember having two students, one named Rhomann Sionis, and the other Thomas Elliot. Do you remember them?"

Shiller nodded. William closely observed Shiller's expression, but there was no sign of guilt on his face. William stepped back, clearing more space before continuing.

"They alleged that you had subjected them to psychological manipulation and abuse. What do you have to say about this?"

Shiller remained silent for a while before speaking, "I don't know why they'd do this. But you're right. I don't feel outraged. Maybe because..."

Shiller pursed his lips, dropping his gaze, before saying, "Due to some reasons, I wasn't able to achieve complete fairness. So, I don't know these two students well, they even feel somewhat unfamiliar to me."

"I didn't deliberately hypnotize or belittle them. But perhaps, my neglect is the reason behind their accusations."

William exchanged a surprised glance with Jimmy. William returned to his seat while Jimmy leaned forward, scrutinizing Shiller's eyes, "If I'm not mistaken, Professor, you just admitted to their accusations?"

"I'm merely saying they have reasons to accuse me". Shiller straightened his jacket with both hands then continued, "Before now, I considered myself a good teacher. I devotedly prepared for each topic, conveyed the knowledge as simply as possible, never letting my personal life interfere with my professional work."

"But recently, I realized that giving too much attention to one student and overlooking others could lead to two serious outcomes."

"Firstly, the student who becomes the focus of my attention becomes passive. They don't advance, even when pushed."

"As a psychologist I am well aware that when you pay attention to someone, beyond showing care, it may also exert pressure upon them. The desire to understand and express can inadvertently slide into the desire to control."

"The students who have been neglected may not only harbor hatred towards me, but also towards the student I pay special attention to, thus isolating him, pushing him away, or even resulting in him being bullied."

"This phenomenon is very common in the campus. Students who are favorites of the teachers might not necessarily be popular among peers. Or as it may be, it's their status of favoritism that incurs jealousy and hatred."

"A genuine educator should not treat the jealousy and hatred imposed onto the special students as purely individual behavior. It should be understood as a failure in education."

"If this is due to the arrogance or biases of the educator, the educator needs to be responsible for it. He has to own up to the bullying suffered by a student who is favorited, and he must also take responsibility for the negative emotions felt by the students who appear villainous as a consequence of such unfair treatment."

Across the desk, Angela's lips twitched. She interrupted before Jimmy and William could speak:

"Professor, you must understand that everything you say during this inquiry will affect your evaluation results. You need to be responsible for your statements."

Jimmy immediately turned his head, shooting Angela a somewhat dissatisfied look. He then sighed and said, "Truth be told, professor, I admire the fact that you are able to voice out such thoughts in such a situation. Not everyone can reflect so deeply on their own conduct. People are often blinded by their own actions and tend to beautify themselves."

"And if your statement in this situation might directly affect your future career, admitting your mistakes and reflecting on yourself is even more admirable."

Jimmy leaned back, straightened some of the files on the desk, and then said, "Today's interview is over. The next part of the investigation is divided into two sections."

"Investigator Dodgers from the Administrative Investigation team will be responsible for investigating the murder and illegal detention allegations against you. William and I will be conducting psychological evaluations of the students involved."

Jimmy stood up, went over to also stand Schiller, shaking his hand and earnestly said: "The results of the psychological evaluations could directly impact your own evaluation. We will strive to be fair and objective, but if the results are not satisfactory, we must serve justice."

Schiller took a deep breath, his expression was calm, but Jimmy thought that Schiller might already be expecting the result. Jimmy firmly shook Schiller's hand and added, "I will try to ensure that the evaluation is fair. The rest, we can only leave to God."

After the investigators and record-keeper left the room, Schiller stood there for a long time, in solitude.

It wasn't until the person outside waiting for him got impatient that he finally left the room.

After the end of the interrogation, Jimmy, William, and Angela walked towards the file room together. On the way, Jimmy began to speak, "Honestly, I was feeling pretty nervous during today's inquiry. Everyone knows who Professor Rodriguez is."

"But the good news is, he seemed very open. The bad news is, the evaluation results might not be very good," Jimmy said, shaking his head.

William also sighed lightly and said, "From his statements, I think, he is a respectable professor. There may be some errors, which are forgivable. However, unfortunately, one in a high position must be ready for all forms of scrutiny. I have seen many commonplace incidents which when amplified, cannot be understood."

The trio stopped at the entrance of the file room. As Jimmy opened the door, he turned to Angela and said, "Miss Dodgson, you have worked hard today. If there's nothing else, you can go back to rest."

Angela handed Jimmy the files she was holding and told him, "I'm sorry. The interrogation today made me think back to some incidents I encountered when I was younger. If there was anything inappropriate in what I said, I apologize."

Jimmy's expression eased somewhat. He shook his head and told Angela, "It's not a big deal but you need to understand, we have to maintain objectivity and impartiality as much as possible."

Leaving the door of the file room, Angela hurriedly left the base of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the metropolitan area of New Jersey. When she returned to her hotel, she dialed a special number.

"Hello? Is this Mr. Wayne? I am Angela Dodgson. We've met before, you should remember... Yes, exactly. I was with Constantine at the time."

"For sure, you must have heard about the misconduct investigation your university professor, Schiller Rodriguez is undergoing. Things are looking quite bleak now... Can we meet and talk?"

"Alright, I am at a hotel in Lavira County, east of the metropolitan area. This is the largest federal investigation bureau outpost in New Jersey State. When you send the helicopter to pick me up, be sure not to enter their surveillance radius."

"What? Rooftop? What about the hotel rooftop?... Open the window? Why should I open the window?"

Angela appeared utterly perplexed. Tugging the phone cord, she went to the window. The moment she pulled the curtains aside, she stopped dead in her tracks.

A strange, all-black plane marked with the bat symbol was hovering outside her window. Inside the cockpit, Bruce Wayne was waving at her.

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