In the main campus building, Mike walked toward the back row of the classroom.
He saw Jason sitting there, focused on his book, and slid into the seat next to him."Jason, do you know who was behind trying to get you expelled from the student council?"
Jason answered calmly, without even looking up."I don't know, and honestly, I don't care."
Mike studied him quietly. He felt like he was seeing Jason in a new light.
He believed Jason's words. It was obvious Jason didn't know who had set him up—but at the same time, Jason didn't even need to. With just a single move, he had forced the entire student council—its president, vice presidents, and senior members—to scramble and protect him.
Mike remembered Jason's earlier words: I'll handle it. At the time, he had thought Jason was just reassuring him. But now… it seemed Jason had really meant it.
Not pressing further, Mike lowered his voice."The person who tried to fire you was Liam Cole, the student of the Academic Affairs Department. The president, Harrison, said he's bringing Liam over to apologize to you in person."
Jason's reaction was flat. He didn't even raise an eyebrow. From the moment he decided to leverage his family's donation, the student council was just a trivial nuisance.
What mattered was the principle. His first experiment at turning money into influence had gone smoothly. He now had the ear of the school's leadership.
Jason understood something most students didn't: in the outside world, money was power, and power existed to either dominate others or avoid being dominated. Money without influence only made you someone else's tool. But if you mastered the cycle of money creating power—and power creating more money—you'd be untouchable.
Not long after, Harrison arrived with Zach and Eathan, escorting a very pale-looking Liam Cole.
Liam, already realizing what kind of mistake he'd made, bowed deeply the moment he saw Jason."I'm sorry, Jason. I sincerely apologize."
Jason ignored him completely. Instead, he turned to Mike."Class rep, are you interested in taking over?"
Ethan froze for a moment. Liam's face went rigid. He wanted to argue, but Ethan's sharp glare silenced him instantly.
Harrison spoke up quickly, "Mike's been active in student council for a while. He's responsible, capable, and well-qualified. He's more than suited for the role."
Ethan added, "Liam abused his position for personal vendettas. He's disqualified. Ethan can step in immediately."
Hearing that, Liam's heart sank. If even Ethan had given up on him, resistance was pointless. Jason wasn't just someone inside the student council—he had direct influence with the administration itself. Against that, Liam was powerless.
Mike wasn't a fool. He nodded."If that's how it is, then I'll accept the responsibility."
Harrison hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously,"Jason, would you… like a different role yourself? Secretary? PR director? Vice President? Even President? If you wanted, I'd step down right now."
It wasn't a test—it was sincere. Harrison was already a senior and nearing graduation. Stepping aside a little early would still count as a smooth retirement.
Jason shook his head."I'll just stay in Academic Affairs for now. I'll continue working with Mike."
Harrison immediately understood that Jason didn't care about the council at all. He nodded quickly."That works. Just let us know if you ever need anything. We won't bother you anymore."
The three of them finally left, relieved Jason hadn't pressed further.
Downstairs, Jack exhaled."So… do we still hold the expulsion hearing?"
Harrison shook his head."No. Let it go. Better to use this to clean up our own ranks and tighten discipline."
Ethan agreed."Then I'll handle the paperwork and put Mark's appointment through the proper channels."
That was the thing about the student council—it had no real power. Even a simple replacement had to be approved by the administration. Still, approvals were usually a formality.
Ethan turned toward the office building. Just as he reached the entrance, two girls stepped out.
One of them was the Finance Director.
The other wore a plain, washed-out sundress. On her feet was a pair of old but spotless canvas shoes. Her long dark hair was tied casually at the back, a few loose strands framing her neck.
She wore no makeup, no jewelry, no accessories at all.
And yet—her natural beauty shone through effortlessly. Her brows were delicate, her eyes bright like starlight, her nose slender, her lips soft, her skin pale and flawless.
In a campus filled with trendy outfits, dyed hair, polished nails, and bold makeup, she looked almost out of place. Unpolluted. Like she belonged to a different, simpler world.
Fresh. Pure. Untouchable.
When Ethan spotted the girl, he immediately put on a warm smile."Olivia, are you here to apply for a need-based scholarship? Didn't I tell you before—I'd definitely help persuade the committee for you."
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Olivia replied softly. She instinctively stepped back, her posture polite yet distant.
"This has already been taken care of, Vice President," she said with a light smile as she gently pulled Olivia along.
Ethan froze. Already handled? Just like that? Still confused, he walked into the Student Affairs office.
After submitting Jack's application to replace Liam as Academic Affairs Director, Ethan casually asked,"Mr. Stevens, Olivia Harper's scholarship… has it been approved? Didn't you say there weren't enough spots left?"
Mr. Stevens didn't look up from his papers."Approved. Jason signed off on it."
"Wait… what?" Ethan blinked in disbelief.
Even if it had been approved, how on earth could Jason have been the one to approve it?
Normally, scholarship applications had to pass through student council review, then the committee, and then be reported to the Education Board. Ethan had been working for days with no results. Yet now, with just a single word—"Jason approved"?
How could a student directly decide something like this?
Ethan's mind spun. A sharp unease settled over him. No way… is Jason interested in Olivia?
First it was Holly Larson… and now Olivia? Is he seriously coming after her too?
Of course, in reality, Olivia had never been "his" to begin with—only in Ethan's own imagination.
Meanwhile, as Emma walked with Olivia, she muttered under her breath,"Ethan only helps when it benefits him. Even if he does something small, he'll expect you to feel indebted forever. Every little step is a way for him to take advantage of you."
Her tone sharpened."Trying to use a scholarship to trap you? Please. He has no idea what you've been through—the hardships, the temptations you've resisted. He doesn't deserve to put a price on you."
Emma's lips curled faintly."I even heard he ignored you at first. Then the moment he noticed how beautiful you are, he suddenly became 'supportive.' Typical."
Olivia didn't want to discuss Ethan further. Instead, she asked quietly,"Emma… how did you manage to get my application approved? You weren't wronged because of me, were you?"
Emma waved dismissively."Wronged? Me? Of course not. The approval came through quickly this time."
But Olivia's clear eyes fixed on her with disbelief.
Emma fidgeted, then finally sighed in defeat."Alright, fine—I'll tell you the truth. The credit goes to a certain classmate. He donated six million dollars to the university—two million of which went directly to scholarships and grants. Your scholarship was personally signed off by him."
Olivia blinked in shock, her expression full of disbelief."Who… who was it?"
"Jason. From the Engineering Department."
Emma pulled out her phone, showing a freshly snapped photo. In the picture, Jason stood confidently among a group of university administrators, engaged in lively conversation. His presence was refined, calm, almost untouchable.
Olivia's eyes locked onto the boy at the center of the photo, as if etching his features deep into her memory.
At that very moment, a digital chime rang in Jason's mind:
[Olivia: Affection +30]
Name: Olivia
Age: 20
Appearance: 9.1
Height: 5'5" (166 cm)
Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg)
Affection: 0 → 30
Jason froze, caught off guard.
He had guessed that donating might raise Olivia's favorability once she received the scholarship.
But he hadn't expected such a big jump—+30 all at once. Nor had he thought Olivia's beauty rating would surpass even Mia, the acknowledged campus beauty, whose score was only 8.9.
How exactly was this being calculated?
He hadn't met Olivia face-to-face yet, so he couldn't judge for himself. But clearly, the online forum's crowd-sourced ratings weren't reliable. After all, photos could never fully capture a person's presence.
There are 50 chapters ahead in my Patreon, with 2 daily chapters. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439