“Oh my, it really is Jonah! I couldn’t see because the people in front were too tall!” “What do we do? What do we do? What if he thinks we hate him?” The whole crowd gathered under the flagpole broke into noisy chaos. Bill strode onto the stage, grabbed the microphone out of Percy’s hands, and spoke with a voice full of authority and power. “Everyone, quiet down! What do you think you’re doing, making a scene under the national flag?” The crowd immediately fell silent. Bill rarely spoke publicly, but when he did, the intimidation he gave off was immense. His expression was cold and sharp as he scolded them. “Even if you don’t like someone, this is not how you treat them. What have your teachers been teaching you? Where’s Herbert? Why didn’t you stop them in time? Do you realize how much damage this kind of behavior can cause to a student? “From now on, no one is allowed to speak during the flag-raising ceremony! Percy, stop blowing kisses. I know a lot of students like you, but you should stay humble. No showing off.” “Got it, Mr. Hayes!” Percy grinned and happily hopped off the stage. The students in the front rows clenched their teeth in rage. Percy was shameless! Bill continued, “Jonah, I hope today serves as a wake-up call. A flashy background doesn’t give you the right to push others around. People may stay silent out of fear, but when the time comes, what you’ll face is a difficult blow. “Today, your schoolmate taught you a lesson. In the future, your fate is in your own hands. Alright, you can continue.” Bill handed the microphone back to Jonah. Herbert was sweating bullets by now. It was all wrong. Everything had gone horribly wrong. If he had known things would spiral like this, he would’ve stopped those students right away. How could his prized student, the best of the best, be humiliated like this? However, he didn’t even dare to speak up. If he tried to explain it away, he would only expose himself and show everyone he could have stopped it earlier, but chose not to. Bill would tear into him even worse. Meanwhile, standing alone on stage, Jonah sank into deep self-doubt. He had always lived under the shining halo of the Quinn family, always at the center of attention. He never imagined he could ever be disliked. When Scarlett had told him she hated him, he had brushed it off as her playing hard to get. After all, he was a member of the Quinn family. How could anyone possibly hate him? She must have had some hidden motive. However, now, he realized the painful truth. No matter how privileged he was, he wasn’t some priceless gem everyone adored. People had the right to dislike him, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to accept it. Slowly, he raised the microphone to his lips, but instead of reading the speech he had prepared, he chose to speak from the heart. It was as if he were pushing aside his background as a Quinn and showing his real self. “Good morning, teachers and fellow students. I’m Jonah from Class A. Last Friday, during lunch break, I had an unpleasant incident with Percy. It was my fault…” He spoke every word clearly, sincerely, and honestly. It was an actual self-reflection, not just an empty apology. Scarlett narrowed her eyes slightly, watching him. The Jonah today was not quite the one she had expected. Maybe this so-called humiliation today wasn’t such a bad thing for him after all. Percy clicked his tongue. “He’s really apologizing? Didn’t think he had it in him. Maybe he’s not such a wimp after all.” Before long, Jonah finished his speech. He turned to Class F, bowed deeply, and apologized. “I’m sorry, Percy and Scarlett. I spread rumors about your relationship without knowing the truth. I apologize.”