The next morning, Jow walked through the high school gates with a light, rhythmic step that he hadn’t possessed in days.
Dressed in the pristine, high-quality uniform shirt and tailored trousers that Mr.
Harris had generously gifted him, Jow felt a quiet, overwhelming sense of security melting away his previous trauma.
The crisp white fabric was completely free of stains, its neat structure highlighting his slender waist and radiant, porcelain skin.
His breathtaking, innocent face bore a soft, genuine smile as he entered the classroom, his long eyelashes casting gentle shadows over his bright eyes.
For a few brief moments, Jow allowed himself to feel truly happy, believing that his honest labor at the supermarket had finally given him a shield to protect his educational dreams from the brutal reality of his penniless background.However, the moment Jow took his seat, the cold, suffocating pressure from the back of the classroom instantly returned.
Teng was sitting with his legs carelessly crossed, his dark, calculating eyes narrowing the exact second Jow crossed the threshold.
Teng’s eyes locked onto Jow’s brand-new uniform, noticing how the clean white fabric perfectly accentuated the transfer student’s ethereal, fragile beauty.
A sudden, toxic mixture of intense irritation and burning jealousy flared deep within Teng’s immense ego.
He hated seeing Jow look so genuinely happy.
He hated that after drenched him in ditch water yesterday, Jow could still walk into his territory with a hopeful smile.
Teng lazily tossed a crumpled piece of trash directly at the back of Jow’s neat hair, his arrogant gang letting out a low, mocking laugh as Teng began to continuously kick the back of Jow’s chair, deliberately disturbing his peace.Jow’s fragile shoulders trembled, his knuckles turning white as he tightly gripped his pen, trying his best to ignore the cruel psychological harassment.
Just as Teng’s foot struck the chair once again, a sharp, authoritative voice echoed from the front doorway.
“Teng!
That is absolutely enough!” muller Mr.
Clark, the senior history teacher, who had just stepped into the room.
He had been quietly observing Teng’s systematic bullying for weeks, and today, seeing the fragile transfer student being harassed despite his polite demeanor, the teacher could no longer remain silent.
Mr.
Clark slammed his heavy textbook onto the podium, his face red with righteous anger as he stared directly at the billionaire’s son.
“Every single day you torment this innocent boy for no reason at all.
This is a school, Teng, not your personal playground!
Stop this disgraceful behavior immediately!”The entire classroom fell into a suffocating, deathly silence, the students holding their breath in absolute shock.
No teacher had ever dared to raise their voice against Teng, given his family’s multi-billion corporate dynasty that practically funded the prestigious academy.
Teng didn’t flinch or look guilty at all; instead, his handsome features twisted into an incredibly cold, dark smirk.
He slowly stood up, his tall frame emitting a terrifying aura of raw arrogance.
Teng didn’t even look at the furious teacher.
Instead, his dangerous, obsessive gaze remained locked onto Jow’s pale face.
“Jow,” Teng whispered, his voice smooth but laced with a chilling, sinister edge that reached every corner of the silent room.
“I won’t break you just yet.
Let me deal with this old man first.” Jow’s breath completely caught in his throat, his heart pounding with a terrible sense of upcoming doom.Before the midday lunch bell could even ring, a sleek, luxury private car rolled smoothly into the high school courtyard, blocking the main entrance.
Out from the back seat stepped Teng’s powerful older brother, his expensive tailored suit and cold demeanor radiating absolute authority as his private security team followed him into the principal’s office.
The immense wealth and political connections of their family were a weapon no ordinary citizen could fight against.
Within less than twenty minutes, a shocking announcement rippled through the school announcement speakers.
Mr.
Clark, a dedicated teacher who had served the institution for over ten years, was officially fired and terminated from his position effective immediately, with his teaching license permanently blacklisted under false allegations created by the corporate dynasty.Jow stood hidden behind the concrete pillar of the empty corridor, watching through the glass window as Mr.
Clark slowly walked down the school stairs, carrying a small cardboard box filled with his personal books and belongings.
The old teacher’s shoulders were slumped, tears of absolute devastation rolling down his wrinkled cheeks as his entire career was destroyed in a single hour.
Jow clamped his trembling hand over his mouth, an overwhelming sense of guilt and intense heartbreak crushing his soft chest.
‘It’s because of me,’ Jow thought bitterly, his innocent eyes filling up with heavy tears that spilled onto his brand-new white uniform.
‘He tried to protect me, and now his entire life is ruined.’ Jow crumpled to his knees against the cold wall, sobbing uncontrollably in the shadows, completely shattered by the absolute cruelty of the elite world.As the sound of footsteps echoed near his hiding spot, Jow looked up through his blurry vision to see Teng standing right in front of him.
Teng looked down at the weeping, beautiful boy, a cruel, satisfied smirk perfectly etched onto his handsome lips.
He didn’t offer a tissue; instead, his predatory instincts flared up with a new, dangerous intensity as he watched Jow’s fragile spirit shatter under the heavy weight of the guilt.
Teng leaned down, his cold breath brushing against Jow’s wet cheek as he whispered, “I told you, Jow.
Anyone who dares to stand between me and my prey will be utterly crushed.
From today onward, your real living hell begins, and no one will ever dare to save you from my hands.” Teng turned and walked away with a dark chuckle, leaving the vulnerable transfer student sobbing on the floor, knowing that he was now completely isolated, entirely trapped in the hunter’s absolute territory.Teng’s heavy footsteps gradually faded down the long concrete corridor, leaving behind a chilling silence that felt heavier than the dark shadows surrounding Jow.
Jow remained on the damp floor for a long time, his small, fragile hands trembling violently as he buried his face in his knees.
The fresh, crisp fabric of his brand-new uniform shirt was now completely soaked with his own bitter tears, wrinkling beneath his tight grip.
The overwhelming weight of guilt was crushing his chest; he couldn’t banish the heartbreaking image of Mr.
Clark walking down the school stairs with that small cardboard box, his entire ten-year career obliterated in a single, brutal hour just because he had dared to speak up for a penniless transfer student.
Jow felt entirely isolated, trapped in a cold, elite world where wealth was an unstoppable monster that devoured innocent lives without a single drop of mercy.With a painful, agonizing slowness, Jow forced his stiff legs to stand up, using the concrete wall to support his fragile weight.
Every muscle in his body ached from the emotional trauma, and his porcelain skin looked ghost-white under the dim lights of the deserted hallway.
He walked toward the school bathroom, splashing cold water onto his burning eyes, trying his best to wash away the traces of his helpless sobbing.
Looking into the cracked mirror, Jow stared at his exceptionally handsome yet entirely broken reflection.
He carefully adjusted his uniform collar, smoothing down his damp bangs to hide the dull, purple bruise on his jaw.
He knew he didn’t have the luxury to lock himself away and cry.
The final bell had already rung, and his first official full shift at ‘The Daily Fresh’ supermarket was about to begin in less than thirty minutes.
He had to stay strong, not just for his own survival, but for his sick grandmother waiting at home.Just as he stepped out of the school gates, a sharp vibration inside his trouser pocket broke the suffocating silence.
Jow pulled out his old, scratched phone with numb fingers, his eyes widening slightly as a new notification flashed across the dim screen.
It was a direct text message from Mr.
Harris, the supermarket manager.
The message read: “Jow, we have an unexpected VIP delivery arriving at the back loading dock at 5:15 PM today.
The inventory looks chaotic, and I need my most reliable and polite worker to handle the log files.
Please hurry over as soon as you finish your classes.” A transient wave of fresh panic washed over Jow’s fragile heart.
He checked his wristwatch; it was already 4:50 PM.
He only had twenty-five minutes to cycle through the narrow, crowded streets of the commercial district, change into his green employee apron, and report to the loading bay.Without wasting another second, Jow mounted his rusty bicycle, his legs pumping furiously against the pedals as he sped away from the high school territory.
The cool evening wind brushed against his face, temporarily cooling his flushed, tear-stained cheeks, but his mind remained a chaotic storm of anxiety.
He kept remembering the terrifying smirk on Teng’s face and his older brother’s sudden arrival at the principal’s office.
Jow clamped his jaw shut, forcing himself to block out the physical exhaustion that threatened to blur his vision.
He desperately hoped that the bright, bustling environment of the supermarket would provide a safe sanctuary for the next few hours, entirely blind to the fact that his daily routine was no longer a secret, and the corporate beast had already calculated his every single movement.Jow arrived at the back entrance of ‘The Daily Fresh’ exactly at 5:12 PM, his breath coming in ragged, painful gasps as his lungs burned from the intense sprint.
He rushed into the employee locker room, his slender hands shaking so violently that he almost dropped his green uniform apron on the dusty floor.
He quickly tied the strings over his clean white shirt, took a deep, stabilizing breath to lock a soft, polite smile onto his pale lips, and walked straight toward the heavy steel doors of the loading dock.
He stepped inside the massive warehouse, surrounded by rows of towering wooden crates and the busy hum of the forklift engines.
With his small notepad in hand, Jow completely focused his mind on his heavy logging duties, determined to work as hard as possible to keep his job.
As the heavy steel doors shut behind him, the peaceful hum of the store provided a transient sanctuary, sealing him away from the harsh, cruel realities of his school life for the rest of the evening.”He felt completely safe inside his quiet sanctuary, entirely blind to the fact that the school doors would open again in the morning, and Teng’s ultimate play to turn his life into a living hell was already perfectly waiting for him.”