With a screech of brakes, four dark gray tire marks appeared on the ground, and the air was filled with an unpleasant smell of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
The man driving the red supercar broke out in a cold sweat, closed the door, and ran over. He wore a sharp suit and sported a somewhat unruly hairstyle. What caught the eye was the meticulously groomed mustache on his face, befitting a middle-aged man.
"Thank God, are you alright, kid?" the man asked, visibly relieved.
By now, the passersby had recovered from the dangerous scene and recognized the man from the red supercar, exclaiming:
"Isn't that Tony Stark?"
"Tony Stark? The guy?"
"Yeah, I heard he's dated every girl in Playboy Weekly!"
"Oh, God, his stamina must be legendary."
Unlike the curious crowds elsewhere, the people here were surprised but didn't linger long and soon dispersed.
A good Samaritan snapped a photo and posted it online, adding a few words of jest: "Playboy Stark nearly hits a high school boy." A little excitement for bored New Yorkers.
Leo recognized this famous businessman, usually seen on billboards. Tony Stark was a household name, making headlines six days a week.
"Uh... I'm fine, Mr. Stark," Leo replied.
As soon as he said it, Leo froze, kicking himself mentally. "What a fool! I should have claimed to be hurt—he's Tony Stark, after all! I could have gotten a nice settlement!"
"Sorry, there was a glitch in my road simulation system. The lights shouldn't have changed so early. Thank you for reacting so quickly. My God, you were fast—I thought I was going to hit you, but you came away without a scratch."
Tony Stark patted his chest, visibly shaken.
"Actually, it's not entirely scratch-free. To be honest, my heart..."
"I still have some business, so I must go. Here's my card; call me if you need anything."
Rolling his eyes, Leo watched the red supercar speed away, then shoved Stark's business card into his bag.
Well, I didn't handle that well, but Tony Stark's business card must be valuable, right? Peter is a huge fan of his. Maybe the exam will be okay after all!
Luckily, the new ability 'Beast Instinct' saved his life. Though Leo wasn't sure how the ability was triggered, it seemed to be a passive skill allowing him to sense danger a step ahead and react instinctively.
The sensation when it activated felt like someone tugging a few hairs at the back of his head.
On his skateboard, he raced to avoid being late.
As he reached the back door of the classroom, Leo took a deep breath and crept in like an assassin.
"Bang Bang Bang" The blackboard was knocked heavily.
Leo stopped abruptly. Professor Will, standing at the podium, coughed. Leo grinned sheepishly and looked up. To be honest, the hair on the back of his neck prickled slightly, as if his Beast Instinct was about to kick in.
"Sorry, professor, I was late due to a car accident on the road," Leo said with a helpless shrug.
Some people in the classroom couldn't hold back their laughter. Among them, several girls looked over with big, caring eyes.
Professor Will glared: "A car accident? For the fifth time this month? Robin, you're really lucky."
Leo waved his hand: "Professor, my name is Leo Bright, not Robin. I've told you many times!"
Professor Will continued with a stern face: "Is there a difference?"
Leo looked serious: "Yes, professor. If you compare carefully, you'll find that although the initials of these two names are the same, there are differences in the vowels, and..."
"Stop! I don't want to talk about any complicated relationships."
"Uh, professor, you may not understand. The initials and vowels aren't related. In my country, even kindergarteners can distinguish them."
Professor Will's face flushed angrily: "I don't care about that, and I don't need a lesson on phonetics. I just want to know why you've been late to class five days out of seven in the past two weeks."
Leo noticed Professor Will's darkening expression and quickly answered the question seriously.
"Uh, professor, I think...I was late three times this week...probably because..."
"Is it Wednesday?"
There was laughter in the classroom, and Peter Parker covered his face with one hand, feeling a headache coming on.
Professor Will laughed in exasperation, his smile trembling.
Then Leo laughed too.
Immediately, Professor Will's expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book. He pointed to the desk in front of him and pulled out a stack of test papers from his folder.
"Leo, sit here today, and let's start the exam!"
"What?"
"No, no, professor, I'll go back to my old seat."
"I'm very fragile; I might go insane sitting right in front of you."
Leo quickly waved his hand to refuse, but it was useless. In the classroom, the professor was the boss.
So, he obediently moved to the seat assigned by Professor Will, a look of dread on his face.
Damn it!
From this position... Peter couldn't help him at all.
Sure enough, Peter looked at Leo, spread his hands, and gave a helpless look, wishing him luck.
On the side, Professor Will observed Leo intently. He wondered how this perpetually late transfer student managed his studies.
Will suspected this guy's high scores were achieved through unusual means.
As for whether his suspicions were correct, today's class would reveal the truth.
Or maybe this kid was a one-in-a-million genius???
Leo frowned, feeling a headache coming on.
After the test papers were distributed... his headache got worse.
What on earth is this...
He didn't understand a thing!