"Fine, stay here, but if you cause trouble I will kick you out," Rosemary threatened, but a sweet smile crept on her face. Even if she wanted to stay completely professional, she couldn't forget they spent time together out of school, which added a personal layer to her treatment of Glottis.
"Did you hear that, Babe? Miss Rosemary gave us her blessing," Glottis whispered to his neighbor's ear. Sheela only gritted her teeth in annoyance and ignored the comment.
"Good morning, class! Today, we're going to dive into the fascinating world of quadratic equations. Now, I know some of you might be thinking, 'Quadratic equations? Why do we need to learn about those?' Well, let me tell you, they are more than just equations; they are the secret keys to unlocking mysteries in various real-world scenarios."
Rosemary loved teaching Math; she didn't do it only for money or keeping herself busy. Everyone in class noticed it easily, garnering her the respect and fondness of her students.
"Miss Rosemary, I just wanted to say I know why I need to learn about Quadratic equations."
"Yes, Glottis Sonora?"
"To spend more time with the woman I like," he said with a straight face.
"That's too cheesy," Rosemary cringed with a slight wrinkle of her nose, making some students laugh before quickly forcibly suppressing it as soon as he looked at them.
"Anyway, think of a quadratic equation like a puzzle. Each part of the equation represents a piece of that puzzle. When we solve for 'x,' it's like finding the missing piece that completes the picture. Whether it's calculating the trajectory of a soccer ball or figuring out the optimum profit for a business, these equations are everywhere," Rosemary continued.
"You should've found a better way to hit on her," Sheela gloated with a snort, "I don't take others' leftovers, so you might have to settle for Zoey from our class."
"What are you talking about? I was referring to you, Darling. I couldn't say it out loud, but I'm learning quadratic equations to solve your curves," Glottis leaned closer.
"No, you weren't," Sheela whispered back and slapped his hand away from her thigh. "Besides, don't you like her curves better? Solve them instead."
"Glottis Sonora, Sheela Petit, you two are making too much noise!" Rosemary frowned and berated them.
"Sorry, Miss Rosemary," Glottis apologized. "Sheela lacked confidence in her curves, so I told her they were great."
"You!" Sheela blushed and found no words to retort.
"Ok, that's enough. Both of you, out of my class."
---
"Look what you have done!" Sheela shouted at him as soon as they stepped out of the class.
"We get to spend more time together, isn't it great?" Glottis shrugged. It was the first time a teacher dared kick him out of their class, it was a novel experience.
"No, it's not! You might have your parents' money to lean on, but I don't!"
"You can lean on me, isn't it good enough?" He suggested.
"Only until you get bored of me and find a fatter ass to play with. Young Master, I'm trying to live my life here, please don't ruin it for me," she said in a sad voice and looked down, making the man in Glottis awaken and feel sorry for the miserable woman. The fact she was pretty only worked in her favor.
"Fine. How about that, give me your phone number, and I will not force myself on you."
"Extorting my phone number is forcing yourself on me," she complained.
"Then it's my last time forcing myself on you. In exchange, if you are in trouble, no matter what it is, you can call me for help, and I will help you out."
"Every trouble?"
"Yes, but only once. Afterward, only if I feel like it."
"Deal."
Finally, Glottis got the girl's phone number, with the help of his family.
---
Meanwhile, Mike entered his new school. He talked it out with his sister and eventually decided to switch schools, avoiding the man who had caused him too much trouble ever since they met. If not for the system feeding Glottis with information, directions, and power, Mike would have walked all over him, but nobody could know that.
'What did he do here? Who was that girl in his car?'
Mike thought to himself but shook his head. It was none of his business. He wanted to put it behind him and move on. He could always take revenge later when he was stronger, but now was not the time for it. He had lost his biggest protector and benefactor – his master.
Susan was a lot of things for Mike, not only a teacher. She made sure to provide him with enough money to continue his life. He refused to take more than the bare minimum, but it was enough. Besides, she was his gate to forming new connections, and she was his last line of defense in case he messed with powerful forces. Without her, he had to find a new backer.
'Luckily, I'm at the Golden Core Stage now, it will be much easier to find people who would want early connections with me,' he sighed as he finally found his class.
"Hey, pretty girl, why don't you spend the day with me? You can also stay for the night," a man's voice came from his right. It was far from Mike, and he wouldn't hear it if not for his super hearing as a cultivator.
'Huh, another scum,' Mike thought and instinctively went to help. He paused for a moment, 'Isn't being chivalrous what had got me here?'
He hesitated whether he should intervene in such a problem again. He used to think he was invincible in his age group, but his experience with Glottis had humbled him. He learned that even if he was powerful, others could win by playing dirty.
'I'm stronger now. Let's check it out,' he compromised on visiting the scene and contemplating whether to push his nose into their business or not afterward.
"Young Master Tenaris, it's inappropriate to say such things to a lady in public," the girl said and pulled her arm out of the boy's grip.
"Don't be like that. I will take good care of you if you just let me," the man called Young Master Tenaris replied and stepped forward, blocking her way.
Mike was there just in time to see the scene of a girl surrounded by three teenagers his age, Tenaris and his lackeys. The scene made his blood boil in anger, but just as he was about to beat those boys up, he recognized the girl.
'She is the one Glottis brought here this morning!' He realized, and his desire to help vanished faster than an ice cream box in the hands of a heartbroken girl.
"Young Master Tenaris, I'm afraid you cannot force yourself on an employee of the Sonora household, do you want to slap them in the face?"
A man wearing a black suit pushed himself between the young master and the damsel in distress. He was not a student; he was a security guard in the school who was paid off by the Sonora family to protect Annie and other students affiliated with them.
"Get your filthy hands off me," Tenaris pushed the man away, but the security guard did not budge in the slightest.
"As I said, you cannot harass a woman affiliated with the Sonora Family. I apologize, Young Master Tenaris, but you will have to harass another woman."
"I'm harassing her BECAUSE she belongs to that family of pigs and dogs. Get out of my way if you don't want to have a war with my Tenaris family, or do you think the Sonora family will protect someone as insignificant as you at the cost of falling out with us?"
Mike was stumped for a moment when he heard it. One had to know that the Sonora family was one of the largest, richest, and most influential families in the whole Arika Republic, and nobody messed with them in Shintong City.
'Tenaris? I heard it before…' Mike tried to recall why this name was familiar. Most of his knowledge about the big world came from his master, hence, he tried to recall the circumstances under which she mentioned that name.
"Steer clear of trouble with the influential families until you have the power to face them as equals," she preached to him one day after he pummeled a few drunk young masters from rich families who were being assholes toward innocent bystanders on the street.
'Right, she named the Sonora Family and the Tenaris Family among others,' Mike finally knew why he knew this name. A frown took over his expression when he remembered his surprise at the origins of Susan. She always hid that she was part of the Sonoras. 'But the Tenaris Family is located in another city, Iork City. Why is one of their young masters here?'
He watched the situation escalate and the guard threw the two lackeys on the ground, sucking the air out of their lungs as they twitched from pain.
"A dog like you dares put his hands on me?!" The young master of the Tenaris family shouted in anger and slammed the man's chest. However, it seemed to have zero effect.
'He is a cultivator,' Mike realized.