Grandfather Li maintained his rhythmic cadence. "Who gave you the order?"
"The person… used an anonymous account. I don't know who they are," Damon mumbled, his voice a flat, entranced monotone.
*The truth.* And with it, a dead end.
The elderly man's expression grew grimmer. The one pulling the strings was careful. Cautious. They dared to use the Su heiress's own friend as a weapon, displaying not only malice but operational security that left no digital fingerprints. This elevated the threat from a personal grudge to something more complex—and far more dangerous.
Because this was **Chang Ning County**. This was **Su family territory**.
Grandfather Li withdrew his hands. Damon blinked, consciousness crashing back into his eyes. He took in the cold stares, the wreckage of his plan, and immediately fell to his knees, tears of panic streaking his face.
"I was tempted! I lost my way! Kaelan, please, I made a mistake!"
Kaelan said nothing.
Damon kept kneeling, shuffling forward on the polished floor. "Kaelan, we were best friends for years! I wronged you just this once! I'm begging you, forgive me!"
He was cunning. He knew his direct crime was against Kaelan, so he directed his groveling plea at him. *Kaelan's always been soft-hearted. A good person. If I humiliate myself completely in public, he'll relent. Selene's a gentle soul, too. If Kaelan forgives me, she likely won't press the issue. No lasting harm was done. As long as the Su heiress doesn't demand blood, the Su family won't waste resources crushing a penniless student.*
As if on cue, Selene looked at Kaelan, hesitation in her eyes. "How… how do you want to handle this? He is… still a classmate."
Aunt Lin cut in sharply. "Young Lady, this matter is not that simple. It must be pursued to its conclusion." Her stern gaze shifted to Kaelan, waiting for his verdict.
Kaelan remained silent for a long moment. Then, he smiled.
"To be honest," he said, looking down at the groveling form, "my thoughts align with yours right now."
Damon shuddered, a wave of relief washing over his features. "Y-You mean… you'll forgive me?"
"No."
In full view of the stunned onlookers, Kaelan strode forward until he stood directly over Damon. He leaned down, his whisper carrying only to the traitor's ears. "Right now, I feel our friendship should go to hell."
Before Damon could process the words, Kaelan's leg snapped out in a vicious, precise kick.
***THUD-CRASH!***
Damon's body sailed several meters before slamming into a refreshment table, sending glasses and bottles of champagne cascading to the floor in a symphony of shattering crystal. A large, half-full bottle of champagne plummeted from above, striking his temple with a solid *thunk* and knocking him unconscious amidst the spreading pool of alcohol and glass.
Kaelan turned back, his voice calm. "Aunt Lin, I'll leave the follow-up to you. Please find out who was behind him."
The woman looked at him with newly appreciative, gleaming eyes. "Clean move, kid. I was worried befriending you might make our young lady too soft. Seems that concern was unfounded."
With a flick of her wrist, a sleek, white alloy helicopter descended from above, its rotors whipping the air into a frenzy. Emblazoned on its nose was a single, proud character: **'Su'**—the symbol of ultimate authority in Chang Ning.
Grandfather Li hoisted the unconscious Damon over his shoulder and boarded the craft.
"Young Lady, it's unwise to remain here any longer," Aunt Lin stated. "We depart."
Selene nodded. As she passed Kaelan, she paused. "Tomorrow night. I'll come to your stall for that grilled meat feast. Is that still alright?"
Kaelan was taken aback for a second before recovering. "You're always welcome."
It had been a throwaway line to defuse the confession, but she'd seized it. He had no reason to refuse. To pay his way through school, he ran a small barbecue stall every evening after classes. The skills were real.
A beautiful, relieved smile graced Selene's lips before she followed Aunt Lin onto the Su family helicopter. It ascended swiftly, vanishing into the night sky.
With the Su family's abrupt departure, the representatives from various prestigious organizations began to make their exits. The grand graduation prom, the social event of the season, ended not with a celebration, but with a chilling whisper of scandal. It was likely the most catastrophic prom in Chang Ning Noble Private Academy's history.
But to Kaelan Rook, it was the best possible outcome.
He had sidestepped the inescapable trap that had once destroyed him. He was not expelled. In a few days, he would take the **Commonwealth Unified University Entrance Examination**. With his academic record, entry into any top-tier state university was virtually guaranteed.
As for Damon… his fate would be far less kind. Selene shared no deep bond with him, and he was the confirmed architect of the plot against both her and Kaelan. She would not kneel for his life. The Su family would employ every method at their disposal to extract the truth from him.
The misery Kaelan had endured in his first life, Damon would now taste. Perhaps a crueller vintage.
*Everything has changed.*
With a renewed sense of grim satisfaction, Kaelan made his way out of the school grounds.
He was a slum orphan. Helicopters and taxis were not in his budget. His daily commute was a long walk.
---
**Half an hour later.**
As Kaelan left the neon-lit commercial district and approached the vast, dimly-lit square that marked the entrance to the sprawling residential slums, his footsteps halted.
Blocking the mouth of the alley ahead was a sleek, wingless **VTOL transport**, nearly 1.9 meters tall. A middle-aged man in an immaculate white shirt and black tie stood beside it, executing a graceful, practiced bow as Kaelan approached.
"Student Rook. My young master awaits you inside," the man stated, his tone devoid of inflection.
Kaelan's eyes flicked to the street corner safety cameras. The small red recording lights were dark. The entire square, usually bustling even at this hour, was conspicuously empty, a silent perimeter enforced by unseen means.
"And who is your young master?" Kaelan asked.
The man offered no answer, merely stepping aside and repeating his gesture. "Please."
*How interesting.* A faint, cold smile touched Kaelan's lips. He strode forward and entered the VTOL.
The interior was opulent, as expected. A young man lounged on a leather sofa, two young women kneeling at his feet, massaging them with practiced ease. From a small, built-in bar, a girl wearing decorative bunny ears quickly mixed a cocktail and placed it before Kaelan.
"Thank you," Kaelan said, accepting the glass but not drinking.
"Kaelan. Come. Sit," the young man said, gesturing to the plush seat opposite him.
Kaelan sat, placing the cocktail on the low table between them. "To what do I owe the honor of a late-night visit from our esteemed **Student Council President**?"
The young man—**Niall Yan**—shook his head with a dismissive smile. "Such formality is unnecessary. 'Young Master Yan' will suffice."
Niall Yan. Grandson of the current Patriarch of the **Yan Family**, another of the Commonwealth's Nine Great Houses. At Aethelgard Academy, only Selene's status surpassed his.
Niall waved a hand. "You are dismissed."
The women quickly tidied their things and filed out of the VTOL, leaving the two men alone.
Niall picked up a sheet of paper from the table, reading aloud as if reviewing a dossier. "Kaelan… your records are, frankly, exceptional. You outscored both Selene and me on every final exam."
"Let's see… Elementary Mech Architecture: perfect score. Global Conflict History: perfect score. Holographic-Neural Tech: perfect score. Starship Pilot Theory: perfect score. Even your elective, *Mech Plasma Conduit Dynamics*, you aced. Only in Physical Education did you scrape a pass."
He lowered the paper, letting out a soft, impressed sigh. "You're also a certified junior researcher at **Chang Ning Steel-Mech Research Central**. A position you earned on merit, not through Selene's influence. Even within the Su family, many must look at your file with envy."
Kaelan remained impassive. "I'm just securing a future."
Niall shook his head. "Every poor genius in this county dreams of entering the Su family's research division. You're the only one who made it. That's not diligence. That's raw, undeniable talent."
"I admire that kind of potential. So, I'm offering you a chance." From his inner pocket, Niall produced a sealed envelope and slid it across the table. "For you."
"What is this?" Kaelan asked, picking it up.
"See for yourself."
Kaelan broke the seal and extracted the letter. He read it silently, then looked up. "**Nan-Shi Aristocratic Institute. Letter of Acceptance.**"
"Correct," Niall smiled. "Agree, and you skip the entrance exams entirely. Immediate enrollment."
Kaelan set the letter down. "Thank you for the consideration. But I have no intention of attending this institute."
The **Nan-Shi Aristocratic Institute** was a third-rate university in a remote, underpopulated province, famous only for its subterranean mineralogy programs—a dead-end field. With his scores, Kaelan had his pick of the Commonwealth's premier state universities.
"Don't be so hasty," Niall's tone cooled several degrees. "Think carefully. What's more important? Your life? Or your… *friendship* with Selene Su?"
Kaelan met his gaze. "Why would you say that?"
Niall's smile vanished. He sat up straight, his aristocratic aura turning icy. "The entire noble circle of the Commonwealth—not just Chang Ning—watches Selene Su. She is the most coveted bride of our generation. And you, a pauper, a bug from the slums, dared to stage a public spectacle around her tonight."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "You have no money. No power. You're not even a **Paragon**. Any one of the houses that desires her could snuff you out like a candle."
He picked up the letter again, holding it out like a lifeline. "Take this. Go far away. Never contact Selene again. In return, you keep your life."
Kaelan looked at the proffered letter, making no move to take it. "Niall. You're speaking for yourself, not for any 'noble circle,' aren't you? Seeing as we've been classmates for three years, I'll offer you some advice."
Niall stared at him, then let out a short, incredulous laugh. "*You*… giving *me* advice?" He looked at Kaelan as he would at a peculiarly brave insect. *He's sharp, I'll give him that. He saw through my personal stake immediately. But so what? After graduation, our worlds will diverge like heaven and earth. I'll never have to lay eyes on him again.*
A smirk playing on his lips, Niall gestured magnanimously. "Fine. Enlighten me. I'm listening."
"Go back to being your family's rich young master," Kaelan said, his voice flat and final. "And do not cross me."
With that, he stood and exited the VTOL without a backward glance.
Niall sat alone for a moment, then shook his head in contemptuous amusement. "A locust warning an elephant. Pathetic."
He pressed a button on the table console.
The middle-aged man re-entered, bowing. "Young Master?"
"The preparation I requested?"
"All arrangements are complete."
"Chance of failure?"
The man allowed himself a thin, professional smile. "The contractors are top-tier. It will appear as a tragic accident. Any subsequent investigation will confirm nothing more."
Niall's lips curved into a cold, merciless line. "Excellent. Proceed."
"As you command." The man glanced at his chrono. "You may be assured. In ten minutes, Kaelan Rook will be deceased. A most unfortunate accident."