Chapter 1579
Chapter 1579 Take Wynter Away
Fredric was truly angry this time, especially when he heard that Eliana had been taken by Wynter.
He didn't hold back, directly ordering his subordinates to take action against her. It was clear that he had made up his mind to deal with her.
He was also under pressure. The phone call he received was stern, and he could sense the displeasure on the other end.
The caller sighed deeply and said, "When progress stalls, perhaps the methods are at fault.
"You need to consider the actual situation and find a way to talk to the other party, especially when it concerns young people's education. This isn't something that can be handled by any ordinary grassroots effort."
"Yes, you're right. I'll pay attention to these matters." Fredric's tone showed that the person on the other end was not someone to take lightly.
"I have several meetings here and won't be back this week. The issue at Mindcrest High School is having a terrible impact. I expect to see results by Monday." This statement indicated the problem's severity.
Fredric assured, "When you return, the public outcry will have calmed."
After hanging up, he reviewed the reports from his subordinates.
He hadn't expected trouble to come from Gideon's side. For the past two years, Mindcrest High School had been their most discreet and important operation within the "scholarship committee". It wasn't something that should have drawn attention.
Frowning, Fredric turned his gaze to a photo of Wynter.
"Was she really just coincidentally picking someone up?" Having reached this position, he was inherently alert to many matters. "Does she have anything to do with what happened to Gideon?"
His men weren't at the scene, but one of them responded with his head lowered, "She shouldn't be involved. Online reports say that Gideon's trouble was just bad luck. The woman he kept outside tried to provoke his wife by showing up at the school gate with their child, but it backfired."
"Is it really that coincidental?" Fredric was skeptical. "Is no one investigating the school? What about the exchange students? Has anyone looked into them?"
Fredric was clever. He knew that if something were to be uncovered, it would start with details like this.
If the issues he suspected were real, it would mean that the scholarship committee was no longer safe, and that would spell big trouble for him.
"No." His subordinate shook his head confidently. "Everyone is talking about Gideon, saying he doesn't deserve to be a scholar or an educator. People are reporting him to the education authorities, demanding he be removed as principal."
If Gideon were just an ordinary principal, Fredric wouldn't care to protect him. But the problem was that Gideon had too much information tied to the scholarship committee, and Eliana hadn't been delivered yet.
Someone still needed to clean up the mess. The key issue now was how to silence Gideon for a while.
Fredric stood up and glanced at the man behind him.
The man appeared to be an ordinary driver, but it was clear he was trained. He nodded and left without a word, which was chilling. Making someone disappear naturally was the
hardest thing to do, but they excelled at it.
Meanwhile, the public outrage wasn't much of a problem for Fredric. When the public wanted accountability, he could easily give them what they wanted.
The Department of Education quickly issued a statement, announcing Gideon's dismissal as principal and bestowing honors that were long overdue to Natalia.
This move helped ease the anger of many. Their interest in Mindcrest High School began to fade as well.
After all, these kinds of incidents were common online, and most people eventually moved on, leaving the issues unresolved. Investigations rarely went deep-no one wanted to unearth something too messy to manage.
Wynter, however, was guarding against exactly this tactic. In addition to the authorities, she had also arranged for the newly appointed Secretary-General, Lucas, to get involved with Gideon's case.
Fredric had hoped to quietly bury the matter, but now it had already escalated. As the new appointee, it was only logical for Lucas to take an interest in such a case.
At a meeting, one of the officials tried to cover things up. "Mr. Keller, this is a minor issue. There's no need for you to worry. The others will handle it. You've had a long trip, so why don't we-"
"Mr. Dooley!" Lucas was visibly displeased as he interrupted Crosby Dooley. "How can matters of education be considered minor? It seems none of you care about public opinion online.
"If a principal can't even maintain his own personal conduct, which parent would feel safe sending their child to that school? I will not only hold Gideon accountable, but I will personally visit the school and ask the students myself if there are any other issues!"
As a newly appointed official, Lucas was ready to make his mark. After all, it was under his leadership that a major human trafficking case had been resolved, bringing order to
Southdale and boosting the local economy.
He wasn't someone who could be fooled with empty talk. The officials were sweating profusely when faced with this young leader.
Lucas cast a cold smile at them. "If this hadn't come to light online, would this man have been sitting among you in a month? You were all ready to promote someone like him.
"Mr. Dooley, why don't you explain your reasoning for writing his recommendation letter? Let's hear how you viewed Gideon as worthy."
Crosby's hands were trembling, and he could hardly speak. "I... I didn't know about his personal conduct, Mr. Keller. I thought he..."
He trailed off as he shook, and his legs were barely holding him up.
Gideon's resume now seemed almost comical-best principal, best teacher, and a slew of honors. He was even praised for being humble and dedicated to education in the
recommendation letter.
Lucas tapped the letter. "Is this what you call humble and dedicated? I think we need not just reforms but major reforms. I will visit Mindcrest High School personally."
The officials exchanged nervous glances.
"Yes, of course. Mr. Dooley is confused. It's essential to investigate such a big issue thoroughly," one of them hurriedly agreed. "We must ensure the environment is conducive
to proper education."
"Yes, Mr. Keller is right. We must make significant changes. Some people inflate their achievements, and as inspectors, we need to be more diligent in verifying the truth. We need to go into the school and see firsthand what the students' current situation is."
They were just trying to save their own skins.
Crosby had become the scapegoat. He was the one who wrote the recommendation letter, and he knew Gideon, so there was no avoiding accountability.
Initially, he had been willing to take the blame. But he didn't expect Lucas to hand his case directly to the disciplinary committee.
Crosby had spent his whole life climbing the ranks, and now that he was finally in a high position, he didn't want to lose everything.
Wiping his sweat, he asked the officer escorting him out, "Could I speak privately with Mr.
Keller?"
"You'll have the chance once you've explained your issues."
Unlike Crosby, who was morally corrupt, Gideon could leave at any time before any other
issues were uncovered. It was just that he could no longer hold on to his position as the
principal.
Even on his way home in the neighborhood, people were watching him. He didn't expect anyone to rescue him. Now that his chances of advancement were gone, he was only thinking about his money.
But Wynter was already one step ahead of him. Under the guise of helping him with his divorce case, Sebastian had started investigating all of Gideon's income and financial transactions. Since the investigation was linked to the divorce, no one thought much of it. Fredric, however, hadn't expected the breakthrough to come from this angle.
The most frustrating news for him came when he learned that Lucas intended to personally inspect Mindcrest High School's educational environment because of Gideon's case.Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.
It was perfectly reasonable-so reasonable that there was no way to stop it.
As a secretary, he had to accompany him. Fredric had originally wanted to avoid the meeting, so when Lucas arrived, he made an excuse to stay away.
No one would suspect that Fredric, from Riverfield, would feel uneasy around Lucas.
The human trafficking case that had shocked the nation was extremely severe, affecting the entire township and region. Taking down such a local operation was one of Lucas' achievements and also one of Fredric's deepest fears.
He couldn't imagine what it would mean for his future if his background were exposed now that he had reached his current position. So, he had to be extremely cautious when facing
Lucas.
This reassignment was initially meant for his superior, but unexpectedly, Lucas was parachuted in.
As someone who was two ranks lower than Lucas, Fredric had already masked his true feelings. He approached Lucas with feigned excitement.
"Mr. Keller, we've been eagerly awaiting your arrival! We've heard a lot about your accomplishments, and they're a great inspiration to us!"
Lucas looked at him but didn't think too much of it.
After all, Fredric had always distanced himself from such matters. He shook Lucas' hand firmly. "I rushed over immediately when I heard you're visiting the school.
"Coming from a small place myself, I believe education is paramount. We can't allow people like Gideon to remain in our schools as it negatively impacts the students."
Lucas nodded and smiled. "Mr. Monty, will you be joining me?"
"Of course." Fredric was skilled at putting on a show.
Among the crowd, he was the most natural one, appearing even more eager than Lucas to investigate these corrupt elements in the education sector.
An outsider who wasn't privy to the ins and outs remarked, "Isn't it a bit sudden to go there
today? Shouldn't we inform the school first?"
Lucas shot him a glance. "Even Mr. Monty, who's working outside, knows I'm coming. Whether we inform the school or not is irrelevant. Mr. Brady, let's head out."
Kyle Brady was the Department of Education's deputy director.
This incident had truly embarrassed them. Countless parents were writing joint complaint letters, while others mocked them. With Gideon's incident, they had to work overtime!
Fredric was rushing over now to follow along, wanting to know if anyone had noticed the scholarship committee. His sixth sense told him that Lucas going to Mindcrest High School right after arriving in Hawford was too coincidental.
However, his work experience reminded him that such a significant event occurring on a new leader's first day seemed like an unavoidable duty for anyone in leadership. The investigation would be inevitable. Nonetheless, it felt too coincidental.
Sitting in the car, Fredric pondered while gripping his hands tightly on his lap. He casually asked, "Mr. Brady, has Mr. Keller been in meetings since he arrived? Has he met anyone? I remember that Mr. Keller knows the Whitman family, right?"
"Mr. Keller? The Whitman family?" Kyle frowned. "Mr. Monty, you must be mistaken. Mr. Keller doesn't know anyone. He just got here and came across such a scandal. He only met us, and now there are results."
Fredric's previous comment was intended to test his colleagues. He was worried about the connection between Lucas and the Whitman family. There must be other purposes for today's visit to Mindcrest High School.
But with this revelation, he felt relieved. It seemed to be just a stroke of luck.
After all, although the Quinnell family and Whitman family were influential in business, they had always been lacking in connections in this realm. How could they possibly know Lucas? He was overthinking it.
Fredric raised a hand to rub his temples, feeling increasingly troubled by the recent events caused by Wynter. He realized he might have been overreacting.
The best scenario was if there were no connections at all. That would make it easier for the people below to act.
Wynter's most brilliant move was to allow Lucas to reasonably enter Mindcrest High School.
If Lucas had arrived without warning or justification, it would have inevitably aroused suspicion. Everyone would know he might be investigating the scholarship committee, the intricate relationships behind it, and the long-rooted corruption.
But now, it was different. Wynter had opened the door for him using Gideon. As the new leader, Lucas could conduct an open investigation, and who would suspect the scholarship committee?
Even a cunning person like Fredric would conclude it was merely a coincidence. After all, events do occur spontaneously. Who could predict such developments?
Fredric had never considered, nor could he imagine, that Wynter was the Special Unit's mysterious leader, known only as 001.
He signaled for his subordinates to take action. Naturally, his subordinates complied as they had also lost money in the stock market, especially Edison, who was waiting for Wynter to
fall!
These several influential families, on the brink of collapse, couldn't handle Wynter on their own, so they resorted to such underhanded tactics.
Since the problem lay in the stock market, they intended to see her suffer because of it.
After everything was arranged, Wynter returned to the Whitman residence on her BMW Tomahawk.
Reuben was laughing and about to praise Wynter when someone came in from outside, dressed in uniform. "Is Ms. Wynter Quinnell here? Please have her come out. We need to take
her with us."