IM's words made me chuckle. It was true that my power had grown exponentially since I first discovered it. But even with all my abilities, I still felt a sense of camaraderie with the other members of our group.
"Well, maybe this meeting will be different," I said, trying to sound optimistic.
IM shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm still not looking forward to it."
I nodded, understanding his reluctance. Meetings could be tedious, especially for someone like IM who preferred action to discussion. But I knew that they were necessary to keep our group organized and focused on our goals.
Arriving at the WRA Company, they were already there as a full team: Dove, Aca, Irune, Lili, Vill, and Yolan. The girls were already sitting on the chairs. The room had changed slightly, becoming a square table like we were going to discuss the country... well, that might be true.
Yolan pointed her finger to the left two chairs. "You guys sit there."
"Okay," IM said, sitting down in one of the chairs. I followed suit, taking the other chair.
The room was filled with an expectant silence as we all waited for Dove to begin the meeting. Finally, she cleared her throat and spoke.
"As you know, Xian has taken the first step in our mission to expose the corruption in our government," she said. "His actions have been a major blow to the system, but there's still a lot of work to be done."
"We need to keep the pressure on," Aca added. "We need to expose as much of their corruption as possible, and we need to do it quickly."
Irune nodded in agreement. "We also need to be prepared for a backlash," she said. "The people in power are not going to give up without a fight."
Lili looked at me. "Xian, what do you think?" she asked.
I thought for a moment before responding. "I think we need to be strategic," I said. "We can't just go out there and expose everything at once. We need to carefully plan our next moves."
"That's a good point," Vill said. "We need to think about the consequences of our actions. We don't want to put ourselves or others at risk."
Yolan nodded. "And we need to be prepared for anything," she added. "We need to be ready to adapt to whatever challenges come our way."
Dove tapped the table, making everyone silent. "Okay guys, take a chill. I am the CEO here, remember... listen, Xian, if we're really serious about changing the country... then let's go, say it first, are you really serious or not?"
"Yes, I'm serious," I said, my voice firm. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make this country a better place."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Then let's get to work," Dove said. "We have a lot to do." She got up and turned on the projector.
We're going to have a presentation...? I thought, confused.
The room darkened as the projector screen lit up. Dove began to present a detailed plan for our next steps. She outlined the targets we would focus on, the information we needed to gather, and the strategies we would use to expose the corruption.
"First, we need to identify the key players in this system," she said. "We need to know who's pulling the strings, who's profiting from the corruption."
"Once we have our targets, we need to start gathering evidence," she continued. "We need to find documents, recordings, anything that can prove their wrongdoing."
"This is going to be a dangerous task," she warned. "We need to be cautious and discreet. We can't let them know what we're doing."
"Once we have enough evidence, we need to start exposing them," she said. "We need to go to the media, to the public. We need to let the world know what they're doing."
"But we also need to be prepared for a backlash," she added. "The people in power are not going to give up without a fight. They will try to discredit us, to silence us."
"We need to be ready for anything," she said. "We need to be prepared to fight back."
"This is going to be a long and difficult battle," she concluded. "But it is a battle that we must win. For the sake of our country, for the sake of future generations, we must expose the corruption and bring about change."
"How about... we just kill them, and make me become leader..." I said without having a second thought.
The room fell silent.
The silence in the room was deafening. Everyone was staring at me, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
"Xian, are you serious?" Dove asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Sorry, just a thought, don't mind it..." I replied, embarrassed.
"You know, we really desperately need a good leader. If every leader got caught, who's going to change it... right, Xian?" Yolan nudged my elbow.
"...I'm never leading anything, Yolan." I replied to her.
"Oh, you did, the Anti-Gangster and the superhero? You are the leader, right?" Yolan teased further.
Sure enough, in the act of becoming a superhero, I was indeed the leader. But I never even told them to do anything; they just followed me and worked together. I was also still a high schooler.
"Shhh... for now, how about we focus on how to change it, not who's going to change it." Dove said.
"Okay, let's focus on the plan," Dove said. "We need to identify the key players in this system, gather evidence, and expose their crimes."
"I think we should start by focusing on the financial aspect of the corruption," Aca suggested. "We know that a lot of money is being laundered through offshore accounts. If we can expose those accounts, we can start to dismantle the system."
"That's a good idea," Irune said. "We can use Gilg's hacking skills to trace the money flow."
Dove nodded. "That's the plan... well, any questions?"
The room fell silent as everyone pondered the plan. Finally, Lili spoke up.
"I'm worried about our safety," she said. "The people we're targeting are going to be powerful and dangerous. They won't hesitate to hurt us if they find out what we're doing."
"I agree... even I know our family was extraordinary, having powerful power, but still... I don't want to let my son not have a mother, ya know." Vill replied.
"Oh, come on, Vill. It's not like you're going to go in and fight. We already have four, Xian, IM, Yolan, and Lili." Dove interjected.
"We have to be prepared for anything," Dove said. "We need to have a backup plan in case things go wrong."
"We could set up a safe house," Aca suggested. "A place where we can hide if we need to."
"That one I will do it," Yolan replied to Aca.
"So it's clear we're going to start the play?" Dove asked.
Everyone nodded.
"Then Operation 'Roll the Mat' starts!" Dove exclaimed.
The day came to change, and now I and IM were once again at school, still in the middle of the exam. I was still lost in my mind, though my paper was already full with 100% right answers with my power.
I was lost in imagining that leader's face. He looked like a spoiled child, even though his features already smelled of the ground.
The exam room was filled with the sound of scratching pens and the occasional sigh of frustration. I sat at my desk, pretending to work on my paper while my mind raced with thoughts of the mission ahead.
IM was sitting beside me, his expression also one of deep concentration. I knew that he was just as eager as I was to get this over with and get back to the real work.
As the minutes ticked by, I became more and more restless. I couldn't focus on the exam, and I knew that IM was feeling the same way.
Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam. I quickly handed in my paper and stood up, eager to leave the classroom.
As I was walking out, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw IM standing there, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Want to go grab a bite to eat?" he asked.
I nodded, eager for a break from the stress of the exam. We headed out of the school and found a nearby cafe.
On the cafe, I found Pila, the smartest girl in the school, having lunch with a boy.
I never knew she had a boyfriend, I said, walking to the nearby vendor.
"Hey, pretty boy, like usual?" the vendor said.
I nodded. "Usual, two chicken and rice."
The vendor handed me my food, and I paid him. I then sat down at a table with IM and waited for our food to arrive.
"So, what do you want to do after school?" IM asked.
"I don't know," I replied. "Maybe we could go to the park or something."
"That sounds good," IM said. "I could use some fresh air."
Just as we were about to start eating, Pila and her boyfriend walked past our table. Pila glanced at me, but she didn't say anything.
"I wonder what she's up to," I said to IM.
IM shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she's just trying to avoid you."
"I mean, I didn't do anything bad. Last time was yesterday, I gave her money..." I said.
"Mhm..." he said in the middle of chewing.
"Hmm... well, I mean, she's pretty, so she'll easily catch the attention of boys." I said.
I looked at Pila and her boyfriend walking closer, looking at their backs. Just then, the boyfriend looked at my face with sinister eyes.
Someone jealous got stared... I thought.
Shaking my head, I went back to eating my food.
"Hmm... excuse me..." a soft voice came from a girl standing beside me.
Looking at her, I tilted my head. "Yes?"
"S-Senior Xian... can... can... can I get your number?" she said.
...this one's bold, but I'll just give her my phone. I thought.
"Sure, what's your name?"
"My name is Rin, Rin Aisyah." she said shyly.
"Nice to meet you, Rin. Here's my number." I handed her my phone.
She took my phone and quickly typed her number into it. Then, she handed it back to me.
"Thanks," she said, smiling.
"No problem," I replied.
"I like your long hair..." she said shyly.
"Thanks, I've been taking care of them for a long time." I replied, still looking at her. It wasn't good if I looked away now.
"How can the teacher let a senior have long hair... for a boy?" she asked.
"I don't know, the headmaster just let me..."
"Ah... I see.... w-well, Senior, see you around."
I nodded.
"Popular just like usual?" IM teased.
"Mhm, like usual." I said, continuing to eat the food.
"You know? At first, I would have thought my reputation of handsome would be more than yours, but I was wrong, huh..."
"People have different charisma."
"True, but you're still pretty handsome," IM said, grinning.
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help but smile.
"Also, after school, want to do the terror?" I asked.
"At noon?"
"Yep," I nodded.
< Chapter 159 > Fin.