From Bullets To Billions Chapter 669: The Nobody

Sono’s entrance into the lecture hall instantly soured the atmosphere. Max observed with cold detachment as a palpable wave of revulsion swept over the seated students. It was akin to a predator entering a space filled with prey; the students recoiled, their gazes fixed on their notebooks in a desperate attempt to disappear, while those in the front rows visibly trembled, their pens tapping a nervous rhythm against the plastic desks.

"That's him," Steve whispered, his voice nearly inaudible. "That's the brute who incapacitated Eric last night. Max, you have no idea... Eric couldn't even lay a hand on him."

'So, this is the individual,' Max mused, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the senior student. While Max and Eric weren't close, having only exchanged a few perfunctory words regarding the martial arts club, Max felt no profound anger or desire for revenge on Eric's behalf. Instead, a chilling annoyance settled upon him. He had been looking forward to exploring a new Wushu style simply to occupy his time, and now that diversion was obstructed because this ruffian had hospitalized his martial arts instructor. It was a minor disruption, but in Max's experience, such inconveniences often necessitated forceful resolutions.

What truly captured his attention, however, was the figure trailing behind Sono. Sylan, the soccer player Max had 'handled' in the solitude of an empty classroom, entered the hall with a significantly muted demeanor. Unlike the ostentatious Sono, Sylan appeared visibly uneasy, his eyes scanning the room and conspicuously avoiding Max's general vicinity. A palpable stiffness remained in his shoulder, a clear remnant of the 'pop' Max had inflicted merely twenty-four hours earlier.

"Alright, look at this. It appears we have quite a few vacant seats today. I suppose some of you indulged a bit too much at the festivities last night," Sono declared, his voice resonating with an artificial, jovial tone. He traversed the front platform like a seasoned performer. "But as I made exceptionally clear, that event was an obligatory demonstration of respect towards your seniors. Its absence is a direct affront."

Sono ceased his pacing and leaned over the professor's podium, his countenance hardening. "Unfortunately, I've been informed that a particular student spoke out of turn yesterday. Believing himself to be special, he received a thoroughly deserved thrashing, which he then utilized as a convenient pretext to evade our gathering. Therefore, let us commence the roll call. Jono... Jono!"

The room remained in hushed silence until Steve, from the back, finally mustered the courage to speak.

"He's... he's still confined to the hospital," Steve stammered, his face ashen. "The medical staff indicated he wasn't well enough for discharge today, but they might permit his release by tomorrow morning."

"I understand. Well, a doctor's note serves as a legitimate reason, I presume," Sono commented with a dismissive shrug. "As for the subsequent name on my roster... Max Smith."

Sono found no need to await a verbal confirmation. In a synchronized, instinctive motion, nearly every head in the lecture hall swiveled towards the back row where Max was seated. The freshmen were acutely aware of his identity; subsequent to the incident involving Sylan, Max had become a focal point of the seniors' aggressive attention.

"Now, what do we have here? So, you were too unwell to attend our welcome party last night, yet you managed to present yourself at a business lecture without issue?" Sono inquired, shaking his head in feigned disappointment, a slow, predatory smile stretching across his features. "Well, I've stated it before, and I stand by it: should any one of you falter, the entire cohort will face retribution for such indiscipline."

Without uttering another word, Sono leaped from the stage, his landing echoing with a solid thud throughout the hall. He did not advance directly towards Max. Instead, he abruptly lunged at the nearest student in the front row. Grasping the boy by the back of his head, Sono slammed his face onto the wooden desk, pinning him with a heavy, oppressive force.

"Do you all truly perceive this as a game? When we instruct you to heed your seniors, we are not extending an invitation!" Sono bellowed, his voice vibrating within the confined space. "You are peers! You bear responsibility for each other's lapses! If you wish to circumvent this, begin by instilling discipline in one another!"

A sickening sense of déjà vu washed over the students. The same mindless violence, the same public degradation, was unfolding once more, leaving them feeling utterly impotent to intervene. A smoldering resentment began to take root within the room, yet it was not directed at Sono. Like a insidious poison, the anger turned towards Max. They held him accountable for their current plight; had he simply complied, they would not find themselves in this dire situation.

Sono lifted the student’s head by his hair and delivered a sharp, stinging slap to his face. "I want every one of you to remember this: this pain is entirely because one person decided to ignore the simple instructions we put out."

Sono released the sobbing student and moved toward the next person in line. The atmosphere in the room was thick with the anticipation of further violence. Just then, Talia noticed it: Max was standing up. He proceeded with a deliberate, unhurried gait, making his way down the tiered steps toward the front of the hall.

'He's putting on an act again... is he truly going to attempt to resolve this the same way he dealt with Sylan?' Talia pondered, her mind in overdrive. She observed Max's back, noting the complete absence of tension in his shoulders. 'He only intervenes when the situation reaches its peak, but he isn't addressing the core issue. Who is he, really? Where does this self-assurance originate from?'

"Hey, idiot!" Yovan yelled from her seat, her voice trembling with fear. "Don't you understand? If you interfere, you'll only make things ten times worse for all of us! Stop being a foolish rebel and just sit down!"

Disregarding Yovan’s frantic cry, Max continued his descent. Precisely as Sono reached out to seize the next student, Max's hand darted forward. He seized Sono’s wrist in a grip as swift as a snare and forcefully tossed the senior's hand aside with a sharp, dismissive gesture.

"Hey. I am the person you are looking for, correct?" Max inquired, his voice serene, almost nonchalant. "There is no need to implicate all these other people in a personal affair. I will accept whatever punishment you deem I have earned. All of it."

Talia watched from her seat, her breath caught in her throat. She had witnessed Max confront and defeat Sylan, but she had also seen Sono effortlessly overpower Eric, a trained martial artist, with terrifying proficiency. In comparison to Sylan, the disparity in Sono’s raw power and resilience was immense. She doubted if Max comprehended the caliber of formidable opponent he was challenging.

"Hey, Sylan," Sono remarked, twisting his wrist to gauge the residual force of Max’s hold. He turned back to the soccer senior with a broad, disbelieving grin. "Isn't this the punk you claimed you beat so severely he required hospitalization? It appears to me that you did not strike him nearly hard enough. He still possesses some fighting spirit."

Sylan offered no reply. He merely fixated on the floor, his expression pallid and inscrutable.

"It would be preferable to have no witnesses for this, wouldn't it?" Max stated, inclining his head towards the exit. "Come along. I will endure my punishment in a location far more discreet. Unless, naturally, your courage only manifests when you have onlookers."