The next day, David woke up before everyone else in the house. He brushed his teeth, took a bath, cooked breakfast, and ate. Afterward, he put on the dazzling new uniform his father had bought for him using almost all of his savings.
Mr. Jackal was surprised, as David had not been this excited in years. When the clock hit 6:45 a.m., his dad said to him, "It's time to go, or else you will be late."
When David and his father stepped out of the house, two expensive SUVs pulled to a stop on the dry, dusty terrain, their heavy wheels looking like they were built specifically for the rough ground.
David's unfilial mother stepped into the morning light wrapped in oversized Chanel sunglasses, a sleek Gucci trench coat, and tailored silk slacks. Gold bracelets gleamed at her wrists, and a heavy diamond necklace sat against her collarbone.
She handed her premium leather luggage to the bodyguards as they greeted her. She responded to them with a warm, gentle tone, the kind of sweetness she had rarely shown her husband or son in years. She then slid into the back seat and tossed the house key out the window into the dirt. She looked flawless, but the way she treated the family she was leaving behind made all that beauty feel cold and fake. Before the convoy drove off, she threw David and his father one last nasty look.
The bodyguards loaded her luggage into the second SUV and climbed inside. Both engines roared to life and the convoy pulled away, their Designo Graphite metallic paint smudged through the rising dust. David and his father stood frozen, eyes locked on the departing vehicles as they shrank down the dirt road. Soon, the dark charcoal bodies blurred into the dusty road, leaving only the silver Mercedes-Benz logo catching the shimmering light, drifting further and further away until it was out of sight.
Jackal hid his sadness, swallowing it down so David would not worry and could focus entirely on school. David looked at his father and promised him that he would work hard and make him proud.
David and his dad got into Jackal's old BMW and headed for David's new school. By 7:05 am, they arrived at the front gate of Kingston High School. After parking, David stepped out and looked around, amazed by the school's unique build and taking in the cool, natural air he knew he would enjoy getting used to.
After parking the car, his dad followed him inside. As they walked through the school building, David was amazed by how modernized everything was. They finally reached the principal's office. Right away, the principal took a liking to David's behavior. Unlike other kids from the countryside who would interrupt conversations or touch things marked "do not touch," David simply sat down, looking around in quiet awe.
The principal took David to a teacher who gave him an exam to write. Even though he had already gotten the scholarship, it was standard protocol for every admitted student to take the test to discover their strengths and areas of expertise. David wrote the exam and passed it with flying colors.
The principal told David's dad to buy all the required stationery so David would be ready for class. After getting the supplies, the principal turned to Mr. Jackal and said, "Sir, with what I am seeing, you have really trained your son well. He is intelligent, well-behaved, and has a lot of potential. I just want you to know that he is in good hands." Jackal thanked her for her remarks, and before leaving, handed David the rest of his cash so he could buy lunch.
After entering his name into the school database, a teacher was told to show David to his classroom. When they got there, the teacher introduced him to everyone. "Class, this is David," the teacher said. "He is here on a scholarship. Make him feel welcome, okay?"
What an introduction, David thought to himself as the teacher turned and left. He had heard and read that city kids were nothing but spoiled, entitled brats who took great pleasure in bullying people. Skipping any further speech, David walked cautiously to an empty seat at the back, determined not to get pranked on his first day. He stayed on high alert until the bell rang for the first class to begin.
Immediately after the bell rang, the teacher arrived in the blink of an eye, and class began. It did not take long for both the teacher and the whole class to realize David was exceptionally smart. When the teacher assigned classwork, David scored the highest mark alongside a boy named Jimmy.
The teacher praised them both, called them to the front of the class, and presented them with a prize. It was a keycard to the brand-new research and library room, an exclusive facility reserved for only twenty of the school's top students.
The whole class erupted into applause and cheered for them. This made Charles furious with jealousy; he was the class president, and David's sudden success directly threatened his position. He was enraged that a new kid had beaten him in class on his very first day. Hating competition, Charles was determined to do whatever it took to stay on top.
Charles took after his father, the general manager of Fu's Group. His father held enough dark secrets to ruin himself, carrying enough dirt on his hands to sign his own death warrant, whether through a life sentence under the law or a hired assassin sent before he ever saw a courtroom. Charles possessed that same ruthless instinct.
David walked back to his seat, feeling Charles's cold gaze on him, but he did not care. He was used to cold treatment from people, so it was nothing new.
David was unaccustomed to the school's high-tech amenities, especially what he privately called "the night cool breeze," referring to the air conditioning. However, one glance from Charles was all it took for David to decipher his plot. He decided to let Charles cook, offering him false leads like the pseudopodia of an amoeba.
Mid-lesson, while the teacher was speaking, Charles raised his hand and demanded the air conditioning be turned down to a cooler setting. He claimed it was for the benefit of the class, emphasizing that as class president he always looked out for everyone, even though the room was already quite chilly and the weather outside was cool. The teacher granted his request and handed him the remote to adjust the temperature while she continued her lesson.
Two air conditioners serviced the classroom, one mounted on the left wall directly above the teacher's desk and the other situated near the back. Charles lowered the setting down to a freezing fifteen degrees Celsius before returning to his seat.
Seconds later, David felt the hair on his arms stand up as a wave of cold hit him. He was right. Charles had taken the bait. Since the rear unit was mounted on the wall directly above David, Charles must have set it even lower than the fifteen degrees Celsius he had claimed to the teacher. Fortunately, David's body adapted quickly to extreme weather, especially the cold, leaving him completely unfazed.
Charles looked back to catch a reaction, but saw nothing. David was simply taking notes and enjoying the class. Charles quickly looked away before David could spot him, his attempt a total failure as the lesson continued.