Chapter 4

The homeroom teacher, Neil Watson, was a very status-conscious man.

During morning reading class, he walked into the classroom with a bright smile. He held two application forms in his hand.

“Class, quiet down. Regarding the spots for this provincial exam, after discussion by the school leadership…”

He looked at Winnie for a moment and gave her a kind, almost fatherly smile.

“Winnie has excellent grades and works very hard. Everyone can see that. I vote for her.”

The whole class broke into applause.

Winnie stood up and bowed with a red face.

“Thank you, Mr. Watson. Thank you, everyone. I won’t let you down.”

Neil pressed his hand down to calm the class.

“As for the second spot…”

His eyes scanned the room and finally landed on Jace.

“Jace is a bit mischievous, but he is smart and has a lot of potential, so I recommend—”

“Mr. Watson!”

A clear voice cut him off.

I slowly raised my hand and stood up from the back row.

“I want to apply too.”

The classroom went completely silent for a moment. Then it burst into laughter.

“Xena? Is she crazy? She wants to take the provincial exam with a 20-point score?”

“She’s just there to make up the numbers, right? Haha.”

“She probably can’t even remember the formulas. She’ll just embarrass the school.”

Mr. Watson’s smile froze. His brows came together into a deep frown.

“Xena, don’t be ridiculous. This is a provincial exam, not a game. Your grades… You know what they look like, don’t you?”

I pulled a thick workbook out of my desk and slammed it onto the table with a loud “bang.”

“I know exactly where I stand. That’s why I’m applying. What, is there a rule that says you can’t apply if you get 20 points? Or is this spot already decided for certain people?”

I looked straight at Winnie as I spoke.

Winnie’s face turned pale again. She looked like she was about to cry. Jace suddenly stood up so fast that his chair fell backward with a sharp crash.

“Xena, are you just trying to cause trouble? Do you even know your own level? Why do you have to compete with Winnie? She has been preparing for this exam for half a year. She sleeps only four hours a day! What about you? What do you do all day? You play with dogs!”

He walked right up to me. His finger almost touched my nose.

His thoughts were even more vicious.

“How did this girl suddenly change? Why is she forcing herself into this? No. I can’t let her ruin Winnie’s chance. Mr. Watson already took my ‘gift.’ He’ll definitely side with me.”

As expected, Neil cleared his throat and put on a stern expression.

“Xena, sit down. The selection is based on the school’s overall evaluation. It’s not something you can just apply for. Besides, there are only two spots this time. Jace and Winnie are the most suitable candidates.”

I did not sit down. I smiled even brighter instead.

“Overall evaluation? Evaluation of what? Who can act better? Or who gives more gifts behind the scenes?”

Neil’s face turned dark red. He slammed the desk hard.

“What nonsense are you talking about? One more word and you’re out of my classroom!”

“Fine.”

I packed my bag calmly.

“If this class can’t accept me, I’ll switch classes. Still, Jace, Winnie, remember this.” I walked to the door and turned back to look at them. “The things that belong to me, no one can take them. Even if I throw them in the trash, I won’t give them to you.”

Jace let out a cold laugh. His face was full of contempt.

“Sure. Go take the exam. Let’s see what score you get. Don’t come back crying and ask me to pull strings for you.”

He picked up the application form from the desk and signed his name in the recommendation section. He did it very seriously right in front of me.

Then he handed it to Winnie.

“Winnie, good luck. This spot belongs to you.”

Winnie took it with tears in her eyes. She held the form like it was something priceless.

“Thank you, Jace. You’re so good to me.”

The two of them looked at each other with deep emotion, as if I were the villain breaking up a tragic couple. I stared at them. The last trace of emotion in my heart disappeared.

Good. If they wanted to play, I would play to the end.

I walked near them as I pulled out my phone and called a familiar number.

“Hello, Dad. Do you still take it out on company acquisitions when you are unhappy?”

There was a brief pause on the other end.

“Still the same? Good. I don’t like Griffin Corp. Before sunrise, I want the company to be renamed Jordan. No problem, right?”