Ye Zhen stood rooted to the spot, his carefully crafted plan disintegrating into dust. The world around him seemed to shift, reality distorting under the weight of the unexpected.
He, who had envisioned himself as a hero, now felt like a clown, his grand entrance reduced to a mere blip in the grand scheme of things.
His carefully chosen words, designed to provoke and challenge, now tasted like ash in his mouth.
The arrogant statement from Ai on the podium amplified his humiliation, turning him into a laughingstock in the eyes of the crowd.
His carefully nurtured anger boiled over. He clenched his fists, veins bulging from his forehead like knotted cords.
His teeth ground together, the fury in his heart an inferno threatening to consume him.
"Who are you to tell me how I will survive today?" he snarled, his voice laced with scorn and barely contained rage.
