Chapter 3

"Hey, old man, this test is way too easy for me. It's pointless," I told Mr. Jefferson.

The lecture hall was deathly quiet.

After a long bout of silence, someone cursed out loud.

"The fuck are you doing this again? Can't you just shut up for once? Is someone going to die if you just stop being a jerk?"

I pretended like I never heard it and stood up, placed my hands on the desk, and stared at Mr. Jefferson.

"Let's have a contest. We'll both do this test at the same time. If I win, you will resign. I'll be the one taking over the podium, and you can go home and retire.

"But if I lose, I'll do whatever you want. Get on my knees and beg and grovel for forgiveness, or spend the rest of my time in detention, or drop out and get lost from your sight—your pick. Wanna bet?"

The classroom was so quiet I could only hear my own breathing.

Mr. Jefferson pushed up his glasses but didn't speak.

I just smiled and walked up to the front, got onto the podium, and grabbed a piece of chalk, twirling it in my hand.

"Well? Or do you not dare to do it? Afraid you'll embarrass yourself for losing to a 17-year-old brat like me?

"I'm telling you that I've disliked you for a very long time. The country's resources are limited, yet they're all controlled by old folks like you.

"Why are you the one sitting up here while I'm sitting down there? Why should you be the one teaching me? Do you even have the right to do so?"

A female student shouted from the back of the class. "You're going overboard, Shawn! Don't you know anything about respecting your teachers and professors?"

I turned around to look at her. "What, am I supposed to respect him just because he's older than me? There's an old beggar on the side of the street out there. Why don't you go and call him your dad, then?

"A person's value lies in their mind, not their age. You know what it means by 'survival of the fittest'?"

Everyone exploded at once. "Shut up, Shawn!"

"You idiot!"

"Don't pay attention to him at all, Mr. Jefferson! He's out of his mind!"

Mr. Jefferson held up his hand and asked everyone to remain calm and quiet. Eventually, the commotion died down.

He then turned to look at me and said, "Okay."

Everyone was stunned.

"Mr. Jefferson! You can't—"

He waved his hand and dismissed one of the students who tried to advise him against it. Then, he retrieved a blank test paper, took out his pen, and said, "Alright. Let's start."

I was startled for a bit. Then, I grinned.

I picked up my pen and got to work.

Mom was watching from the outside, and she rubbed her hands in glee. The greed and crazed look in her eyes were literally oozing out.

I had studied for 17 years under Mom's very strict discipline. The complex problems and formulas automatically deconstructed in my head as soon as I looked at them. I could come up with the answers almost at once without even having to think about it.

On the other hand, Mr. Jefferson frowned next to me, and his movements became noticeably slower.

As I solved the problems, I sarcastically remarked, "What's wrong, old man? Got shaky hands? Or are your reading glasses failing you? You know, you can just beg me to share some of my intelligence with you."

Soon, I solved the last problem and turned to look at Mr. Jefferson.

His face was pale, and there were beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was gripping his pen with his right hand, but he wasn't writing anymore. Instead, he was just doodling circles on the paper.

Then, his pen fell to the floor.

He bent down to pick it up. Suddenly, he jerked and fell forward, face down.

"Mr. Jefferson!"

The whole lecture hall erupted into chaos as everyone immediately rushed up to him in shock.

"Someone, call the ambulance! He's having a heart attack!"

Someone was screaming, some were crying, some were digging through Mr. Jefferson's pockets for his medication, and some others were trying to get him to wake up by patting him on the back.

A few male students glared at me with red eyes.

"Shawn, you're a murderer!"

"I swear, if anything happens to Mr. Jefferson, I'm going to knock all of your teeth out!"

A barrage of yells and insults immediately hit me. I just remained standing in my spot without moving.

Someone shoved me, but I didn't retaliate. Someone else hit me, and I stumbled slightly, but I still didn't move from my spot.

Another male student brandished his fist in my face, but the others quickly pulled him aside.

"Stop fighting! We need to save Mr. Jefferson first!"

I stood rooted to my spot, watching as Mr. Jefferson shriveled up in his chair.

He slowly opened his eyes and reached out his hand, pointing at me.

"C-Come here," he said in a deep, hoarse voice. "Come here…"

Everyone quietened down at once as they turned to look at me.

I glanced at Mr. Jefferson before slowly making my way over. I crouched down beside him, and he reached out, grabbing me by the wrist in a surprisingly strong grip.

I frowned slightly.

Then, he winked at me.

I was taken aback.

He let go of me before looking at the other students.

"Call the police… C-Call the police… Don't let him get away…"

Mr. Jefferson spoke a little louder toward the end, and everyone immediately exclaimed, "Yes, we have to call the police!"

"Call the police on Shawn! We can't let him get away with this!"

"He was the one who did this to Mr. Jefferson! There are cameras in the lecture hall!"

Mom rushed into the hall just then and shielded me behind her.

"What are you doing? What does this have to do with my son? It was the professor's fault for having a heart attack! It's none of my son's business!"

Ariel sobbed as she yelled, "Shawn was the one who gave him the heart attack! Everyone saw it! And Mr. Jefferson also said it was him! He's still trying to get away!"

The police arrived 20 minutes later. The students immediately pointed their fingers at me when the police officers filed in.

"It was him! He's the culprit! He deliberately provoked and insulted Mr. Jefferson, causing him to have a heart attack!"

The officer first looked at me, then at Mr. Jefferson receiving emergency treatment on the floor, his brows furrowing.

Mom still tried to defend me, but I stepped out from behind her and calmly extended my hands toward the officer, amid the shocked, angry, and expectant gazes of everyone else.

"It was my fault. Please arrest me. I insulted the professor and my classmates, and also disrupted class. And I'm willing to take full responsibility for everything."