Preston York spoke breezily, as if he truly had a broad mind and was considering everyone's best interests.

  "Although Grandmaster Muse is formidable, Senior Lysander Thorne has also accumulated a lot of connections and resources through his efforts over the years. If you join the Student Council and follow Senior Lysander Thorne, the treatment you receive may not necessarily be worse than that of Grandmaster Muse's personal disciples," Lance Wolfe, standing aside, chimed in.

  His move served two purposes: first, to echo Preston York's words; second, to display the power of the Student Council. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

  Moreover, he wasn't just paying lip service.

  Nowadays, Lysander Thorne was at the height of his power at Harford University, ostensibly forming a faction of his own.

  As long as these rising stars rode Lysander Thorne's coattails firmly—when Lysander Thorne ate meat, they would follow behind and enjoy the trickle-down benefits. Sooner or later, they too would rise to prominence.

  They were people with a backup plan. Becoming Grandmaster Muse's personal disciple would only be the icing on the cake, raising their upper limit; it wasn't something they absolutely had to achieve.

  "Lysander Thorne again." Genevieve walked over slowly from a distance, a look of anger on her face.

  Genevieve was currently the number three freshman at Star City High, so naturally, she was also on the invitation list for the art exhibition. However, the scale of this exhibition was quite large, and there were many participants. Although everyone was in the art museum, they hadn't bumped into each other for a long time. It was only now, when Preston York's sudden self-introduction made this area the center of attention, that she could smoothly find Fly in the crowded art museum.

  Preston York glanced at Genevieve, smiled slightly, and didn't get angry. He said calmly, "So it is our 'Genius Girl' Genevieve. I've heard so much about you. If anyone from the Student Council has offended you before, I, as the Student Council President, am willing to apologize to you on their behalf."

  He paused for a moment, seeing that Genevieve had no intention of flaring up, before continuing, "Fly, Valerius, Genevieve, you are all the leaders of our school's Grade 10 class. You will definitely achieve great things in the future."

  "There is something I really must explain to you."

  "In this world, there is no right or wrong, only what is suitable; there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests."

  "Especially in this era where martial prowess is everything."

  "Connections, resources, money—these are the things that allow a Beast Warrior to go further."

  "So, I hope we can bury the hatchet, let go of past grievances, and join the Student Council together to create a better future. Wouldn't that be better?"

  "These are my humble and honest words. If there is any offense, please forgive me."

  Preston York spoke with sincerity.

  These words made even Leo, who was standing aside, feel somewhat tempted.

  This was a humble invitation from the Student Council President! If it were him, he would definitely accept it with tears of gratitude without saying a word, and from then on, be at the beck and call of the Student Council and President Preston York, to repay the debt of gratitude for recognizing his talent.

  But Fly and the other two were not Leo, after all.

  Especially Genevieve, who had a blood feud with Lysander Thorne. Given such a barrier, how could it be hastily resolved by just a few words from Preston York?

  "I appreciate President York's kindness. However, regarding the invitation to join the Student Council, I absolutely cannot accept." As she spoke, Genevieve took two steps forward, shielding Fly like a human shield, blocking the offensive from Preston York and Lance Wolfe against Fly.

  "Oh? Then what does Student Fly think?" Preston York bypassed Genevieve and asked Fly directly. The meaning was also obvious: If you don't join, fine, but what gives you the right to make decisions for Fly?

  Preston York also knew that Fly and Genevieve had a deep friendship. If Fly's answer was ambiguous, it could very likely create a rift between the two. Then he could drive a wedge between them and thoroughly alienate their relationship. Who knows, he might even be able to win one of them over to the Student Council. Even if that didn't work, the two of them would no longer be able to form a joint force to oppose the Student Council. The pressure of resistance faced by the Student Council would be greatly reduced.

  Genevieve wasn't worried about this. She smiled slightly and turned to look at Fly, her eyes full of trust.

  Fly saw her look and immediately understood. He smiled instantly and said, "Thank you for President York's kindness. I am here to attend the art exhibition today. We can talk about other things later."

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Hearing this, Preston York just smiled helplessly. He knew very well in his heart that in this kind of situation, not giving a clear answer meant rejection, so he didn't pester them anymore.

  "In that case, let's talk about this later."

  "However, we are all students of Star City High after all, and I am your senior."

  "As a senior, naturally, I have to look out for my juniors."

  "Let me share the intel I know with you."

  Preston York lowered his voice and said.

  Although Fly and the other two were unwilling to join the Student Council and faintly seemed to be forming a stance to rival the Student Council, no matter what, this was an internal contradiction within Star City High. As the saying goes: keep the benefits within the family. Once encountering this kind of thing, they still had to unite and face the outside world together.

  After all, if Grandmaster Muse chose a student from another school as a disciple, for him, the Student Council President of Star City High, there would only be disadvantages and no benefits.

  "Intel?" Hearing this, Fly's eyes flickered involuntarily. Even the students gathered nearby to watch couldn't help but focus their attention and listen carefully.

  "Hmm, if you want to know, come with me. Lance Wolfe, you block the others." Saying this, Preston York walked towards a secluded corner in the exhibition hall, while Lance Wolfe stood not far behind him, like a city wall, keeping irrelevant people outside.

  Genevieve said, "Fly, what do you think?"

  Fly looked at Genevieve, then at Preston York who was already standing in the corner, and said, "It's fine. Let's go over and hear what he has to say. This is a public place, and it's Grandmaster Muse's territory. Security is tight; I bet he wouldn't dare to pull any tricks."

  'Emperor' Valerius also nodded in agreement. Seeing the three of them like this, Leo inevitably wanted to join in the fun. So, the group of four came to the corner where Preston York was.

  "Speak. What's your intel?" Fly was the first to speak.

  "Well," Preston York nodded, "It is said that among the paintings Grandmaster Muse brought back to Star City, one is the latest scientific research product of Helios Warrior Corp."

  "It can be used to test the upper limit of a Beast Warrior's aptitude."

  "It is generally used to discover those Beast Warriors who have high potential but are often overlooked."

  "So, in this art exhibition, it's not just geniuses who have a chance to be selected by Grandmaster Muse."

  "After all, many so-called 'geniuses' are just people who have obtained better resources than others."

  When saying this sentence, Preston York's eyes swept over Genevieve and 'Emperor' Valerius's faces, seemingly unintentionally.

  That expression seemed to say: Whether it's your so-called halos or achievements, they stem more from the advantages of your family backgrounds and don't represent that you are truly outstanding geniuses. If everyone stood on the same starting line, compared to some obscure nobodies, it's hard to say who would win.

  Facing such judgment, Genevieve shrugged indifferently; 'Emperor' Valerius, on the other hand, glared back with ill intentions.

  Although Valerius came from a famous family, he had always wanted to get rid of the Tarantino halo in his heart, hoping to prove himself with his own strength. So Preston York's move made him quite annoyed.

  Preston York didn't care about their reactions at all and continued, "So, in this art exhibition, it is very likely that no one will be selected."

  "Huh?" Leo, who came along to listen to the story, couldn't help but cry out.

  He didn't think he had a chance to be selected from the beginning, so his mindset was quite peaceful—eating what he should eat, drinking what he should drink, gossiping about who might be selected, and taking a look at his idol, Grandmaster Muse, while he was at it. After hearing Preston York say that possibly no one would be selected, his gossiping heart shattered, so he couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

  One had to know...

  This art exhibition had invited all the geniuses and leaders of Star City.

  Preston York, Lance Wolfe, Fly, 'Emperor' Valerius, and Genevieve from Star City High went without saying.

  Hugh from Merit Academy, Gideon King, Skaar, Hank, and Lucas Law from Ironpeak Academy—these were all big stars in Leo's eyes!

  Facing such a lineup, Preston York actually said that possibly no one would be selected. How could this not surprise him?

  Leo turned his head to look at the other students blocked in the distance by Lance Wolfe, his mind blank.

  If even Preston York said so, wouldn't the intentions of those other students who came to the art exhibition with hearts full of joy all be in vain?

  Could this art exhibition be a complete farce from beginning to end?

  "Leo, don't listen to him," Fly tugged at Leo's sleeve and said softly.

  In Fly's view, Preston York was just using the excuse of sharing intel to strike a blow at their confidence.

  This way, he could eliminate several potential competitors at once. This plan could not be called un-shrewd.

  But Fly had lived two lives; how could such a petty trick deceive him?

  He immediately smiled and said, "President York, I heard that 'to train the body, one must first train the mind.' Only a strong mind can achieve the supreme Martial Art."

  "Yet President York is saying such disheartening words at this critical moment when the art exhibition is about to start. Whether you have ulterior motives is unknown."

  "But President York is benevolent and kind-hearted, so presumably, you wouldn't do such dirty tricks, right? I'll tentatively take it as President York showing mercy and sharing intel with us out of good intentions."

  "Haha, haha, naturally." Preston York gave a few laughs with a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes. Of course, he heard the sarcasm in the words, but Fly's language was polite, so he couldn't flare up. Although he was annoyed in his heart, he could only laugh awkwardly to smooth it over.

  "Since Junior Fly is so confident, I was worrying too much. I hope you juniors can perform well later and win glory for our Star City High!"

  Just then, the crowd in the distance began to stir. The sound of discussions came from far to near, getting louder and clearer.

  Lance Wolfe walked closer to Preston York and whispered, "President, the art exhibition seems to be starting."

  "I know," Preston York nodded, then said to Fly and the others, "Junior Fly, the art exhibition is about to start, I'll head over first."

  After speaking, without waiting for Fly's reply, Preston York and Lance Wolfe walked towards the direction where the commotion was coming from.

  "That Fly... is truly not simple," Preston York whispered to Lance Wolfe after walking a certain distance. This was his first time engaging with Fly. He hadn't expected that all his schemes would be seen through, leaving him feeling quite uncomfortable and resentful in his heart.

  "I told you long ago..." Lance Wolfe muttered in a low voice. However, the volume was indeed too low, so it was unknown whether it was a reply to Preston York or just talking to himself.

  Thank you for your reading!

  Next update: This Friday!