The Tuesday morning air in Class 9 was stagnant, filled with the scratching of pens and the low hum of whispered gossip.
Ren sat in her usual spot in the back row, her chair tipped precariously against the wall. She held a thick foreign novel in one hand, while her other hand idly spun a pen. The hood of her uniform jacket was pulled up, shielding her face from the harsh fluorescent lights.
Peace, however, was a luxury that never lasted long around her.
*BANG!*
The classroom door slammed open, hitting the wall with a violence that made half the students jump.
Mrs. Lee, the head teacher of the elite Alpha Stream (Class 1), marched into the room. Her high heels clicked sharply against the linoleum floor, sounding like gunshots in the sudden silence. Her face was twisted into a mask of righteous indignation, her eyes scanning the room like a predator seeking prey.
Mr. Gordon, the homeroom teacher for Class 9, stood up from his desk, startled. "Mrs. Lee? What is the meaning of this?"
Mrs. Lee ignored him completely. She stomped to the center of the podium, her gaze locking onto the figure in the back row.
"Ren!" Mrs. Lee shrieked, her voice trembling with rage. "Stand up!"
The entire class turned to look. Joey, who had been sleeping, woke up with a start. Xavier, who was organizing papers at the front, frowned.
Ren didn't move. She didn't even lower her book. She simply turned a page, the sound crisp and loud in the silent room.
"I am speaking to you!" Mrs. Lee slammed her hand on the nearest desk. "Do you think Wolven High is a place for thugs? I received a report that you assaulted Jiang Han from my class yesterday! You beat her and threatened her in the dormitory hallway! Is this how a civilized student behaves?"
Mr. Gordon hurried over, trying to de-escalate the situation. "Mrs. Lee, please calm down. Ren is a quiet student. There must be a misunderstanding. We should investigate before—"
"Investigate?" Mrs. Lee scoffed, cutting him off. She looked at Mr. Gordon with undisguised contempt. "What is there to investigate? Jiang Han is crying in the infirmary! Her father donated the school library! And this... this *trash* from the Wildlands thinks she can come here and act like a gangster?"
She turned back to Ren, her eyes venomous. "I told the Principal from day one that accepting you was a mistake. You are rotten meat that spoils the broth. I'm going to ensure you are expelled today!"
Ren finally lowered her book.
She moved slowly, deliberately. She closed the book and placed it on her desk. Then, she looked up.
Her eyes were dark, calm, and utterly terrifying. There was no fear in them. No guilt. Only a bored, abyssal indifference that made Mrs. Lee involuntarily take a step back.
"Mrs. Lee," Ren said, her voice low and raspy. "You seem very sure of yourself."
"Of course I am!" Mrs. Lee rallied, puffing out her chest. "I have witnesses! You are a violent, uneducated delinquent. I'm going to call Principal Xu right now. I want your parents here immediately!"
Ren leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. A faint, mocking smile played on her lips.
"You want to call the Principal?" Ren asked. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and tossed it onto the desk. It slid across the surface and stopped right in front of Mrs. Lee.
"Go ahead," Ren drawled. "But you don't need to call him. He's already here."
Mrs. Lee froze. Then she let out a harsh laugh. "You're delusional. Principal Xu is a busy man. He doesn't have time for—"
"What is all this noise?"
A deep, heavy voice cut through the air from the hallway.
The laughter died in Mrs. Lee's throat. Her face drained of all color.
An old man walked through the door. He was dressed in a simple grey suit, his hands clasped behind his back. He didn't look flashy, but the aura of authority he carried was heavier than any mountain.
It was **Principal Xu**. The man who founded the Supreme Council. The man even the city's Mayor had to bow to.
Behind him stood the Dean of Students, looking pale and nervous.
"Principal... Principal Xu?" Mrs. Lee stammered, her knees knocking together. "I... I didn't know you were inspecting the classes today."
Principal Xu didn't look at her. His gaze swept over the classroom, resting briefly on Xavier, before landing on Ren.
Ren nodded at him slightly. A greeting.
Principal Xu looked at Mrs. Lee, his eyes sharp behind his spectacles. "I heard shouting from the stairwell. A teacher should have dignity. Screaming like a shrew... is this how you educate students?"
Mrs. Lee flushed red, sweat beading on her forehead. She quickly tried to pivot, pointing a trembling finger at Ren.
"Principal, you don't understand! I am angry because of this student! Ren assaulted Jiang Han from Class 1 yesterday. It was a brutal case of campus violence! I was just telling Mr. Gordon that we must expel her to protect the other students!"
She looked at Principal Xu expectantly, waiting for him to explode in anger at Ren. After all, Jiang Han's family was wealthy and influential.
Principal Xu frowned. He looked at Ren. "Is this true?"
Ren stood up. She shoved her hands into her pockets and walked slowly to the front of the room. She stood toe-to-toe with Mrs. Lee, her height giving her a natural dominance.
"I did hit her," Ren admitted calmly.
The class gasped. Mrs. Lee's eyes lit up with triumph. "See! She admits it! Principal, you must—"
"Mrs. Lee," Ren interrupted, her voice cutting through the teacher's excitement like a blade. "Since you care so much about campus violence, I have a question."
Ren turned her head, looking toward the corner of the room where a girl with short hair and thick glasses was trying to make herself invisible.
"Pan Mingyue," Ren called out.
The girl flinched, looking up with wide, fearful eyes.
"Mrs. Lee," Ren continued, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You are the head teacher of Class 1. You claim to care about your students. So why is it that for the past year, Jiang Han has been extorting money from Pan Mingyue? Why has she been verbally abusing her, locking her in the bathroom, and threatening her every single day?"
Mrs. Lee's triumph vanished. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. "I... I didn't..."