“When did I try to hide the files?” Liu Qian frowned and had no idea where this was coming from.
“Do I have to pull the surveillance footage before you are willing to admit to stealing the files?” Qi Hui raised his head and touched his forehead.
He looked at Liu Qian and said earnestly, “Mr. Liu, if you just admit to it, I won’t hold you accountable on account of our relationship, but…”
Qi Hui looked very disappointed.
Liu Qian finally recalled encountering Qi Hui on his way down from the archive room.
He had simply instinctively moved the files behind him. Even though it was just an inadvertent gesture, Qi Hui was certain he had something to hide.
“I didn’t take this set of archives. The one I took contained Bioinformatics research projects from seven to eight years ago,” explained Liu Qian.
Qi Hui found it even more unfathomable. “Research archives from seven to eight years ago? Can’t you find a better excuse?”
“It isn’t an excuse. I only took research archives from my division.” Liu Qian pursed his lips and stood with his back straight.
“Fine. If you claim that you were there to retrieve another set of archives, can you explain why you were the only teacher seen accessing the archives on the surveillance footage during this time?”
Qi Hui sneered. “Then did my archives run off on their own?”
“I don’t know either. Whatever it is, I didn’t touch other things. I only showed her things related to our division. Moreover, what use do I have for your archives?” reiterated Liu Qian with a serious expression on his face.
“What use?” Qi Hui glanced at Liu Qian before retrieving a scientific journal from his drawer.
He flipped to an article before holding it up in the air and pointed at the title. “Take a look at this.”
The article title happened to correspond with Qi Hui’s research report. Also, the contents and results in the article were more or less the same.
If he did not happen to see the journal today, he would not have thrown such a huge temper.
When Qi Hui found out someone had touched his research archives, he simply assumed that some other teacher had read it. He did not take it to heart and brought it up during his meeting.
He did not expect the culprit to read the article and leak it to some other university. This was a serious case of theft.
Every university conducted its own research and they were considered top secret. If any of their research got leaked, it would cause great damage to the university.
Liu Qian glanced at the article before veering his eyes. He had never read Qi Hui’s research archives or the article in the journal. He looked at Qi Hui and said, “Mr. Qi, are you trying to say the contents of the article were written by you?”
Qi Hui could tell Liu Qian still refused to admit to stealing his archives, so he chuckled and said, “If it wasn’t me, then who? Don’t tell me this article is yours?”
“That was not what I meant,” retorted Liu Qian.
Qi Hui did not want to talk to Liu Qian, so he raised his hand and interrupted him. “Enough. Stop talking already. I know you won’t admit to stealing them.”
He turned to look at Huo Yao. “I will give you the chance to admit to your crimes. If you admit to it, I will speak to Prof Liu so that you will only get one demerit point without having this reflected in your permanent files.”
Liu Qian opened his eyes wide the moment he heard what Qi Hui said.
