Chapter 159
Chapter 160 I’m Sorry, Joanna
Joanna listened in silence, her brows slowly drawing together.
She set her teacup down.
“I will not fight side by side with people who spread lies about me,” Joanna said calmly. “And I don’t need to protect any classmate bond with people who clearly hate me. We never had that bond to begin with. Also, Professor Houle-was that last sentence meant to threaten me p>
Beside her, Helen put on a look of surprise. She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and gave Webster a long, thoughtful look.
“Professor Houle, so you’re here to play mediator?” Helen said. “I heard about what happened yesterday. I even reviewed it afterward. Wasn’t all of this the result of the rules themselves? A sparring match has winners and losers. If you choose to fight, you must accept the outcome.
“In Paranormal Dungeon Studies, we care most about cause and effect. You reap what you sow.
“So, Garfield, maybe you should think carefully. What cause led to this result?
“Do some self-reflection. Write a 2,000-word essay about it and explain what you learned p>
Garfield’s face flushed red.
This professor was young, but she spoke like an old-school lecturer. It instantly brought back his fear of academic classes from before he became a professional.
Worse still, her words felt exactly like the call he had with his mother the night before. She had scolded him nonstop.
“You little brat,” his mother had shouted. “Your grandfather being powerful is his business, not yours. He had 1,329 recorded sons, and only three had SSS-rank talent and had real authority. You think your dad is all that? If he hadn’t married me, would he be anything at all?
“Your grandfather has tens of thousands of grandsons. Only 23 have SSS-rank talent. You and Arron are competitors, and you still stood up for him. Are you out of your mind?
“I already told you to keep a low profile at school. Every single one of them is a top talent. You are nothing special there. If you offend the wrong person, you won’t even know how you get yourself killed. And what did you do? On your very first day, you bullied a female classmate.
“If you failed, you need to reflect on your own actions. Why didn’t anyone else have trouble with her? Only you did?
“All you know is how to stir things up. I have to use favors, trade resources, and beg people just to get your skill back. You never give me a single day of peace p>
The Lowes truly was enormous. They had influence even on the Divine Demonic Planet.
Garfield’s grandfather, Walter Lowe, was a level-92 dimensional merchant. He built his business empire in a way many other high-level elites looked down on.
Marriage alliances.
Walter had 152 wives. He also partnered with many business families without marriage at all—providing his sperm while the other side supplied surrogate mothers. All of it was for one goal: producing top-tier offspring.
He spread his genes widely, building a massive family just to select the strongest children.
This approach fit perfectly with the Space Alliance’s breeding philosophy.
The strong should have more children.
Following his example, Walter’s children also married strategically. Each daughter- in-law was powerful but had no background of her own.
Garfield’s mother was one of them-an SS-rank talent, now level 80, and a core force within the Space Alliance.
Garfield had wanted his mother to suppress Joanna for him. Instead, he was the one
who got lectured.
“You went to the academy with the chance to find an SSS-rank girlfriend or wife,” his mother continued. “Now look at you. You offended a classmate the moment you arrived. What do you think other SSS-rank women will think of you?
“For the next four years, you’ve basically lost your right to choose a partner. Those women can choose men who respect strength, not someone arrogant, proud, and useless.
“Your reputation is ruined.
“Sure, you can still choose an SS-rank or S-rank partner. But how much help will she bring you in the future?
“You’re already 18. When will you grow up? At your age, I was already fighting my way upward with everything I had.
“The gap between you and Joanna isn’t power. It’s mindset.
“You’ve just lived too comfortably p>
Garfield felt suffocated and wronged.
His mother didn’t help him get revenge. She tore him down instead.
He thought about going to his father, but his father was only level 60, managing a small company in a minor plane, and had plenty of illegitimate children.
Sometimes, Garfield wondered if he really belonged to the Lowes or if he was only his mother’s child.
After returning, he even felt relieved that his mother had only him.
If there were more children in the family, and he lost his SSS-rank talent, he would be nothing. Just another worker in the family corporation. A lifetime spent grinding away.
His talent had to be taken back.
That was the only leverage he had.
Even if it meant his mother giving up all her savings from these past years to compensate Joanna.
Garfield felt humiliated, as if an invisible hand were pressing his head down.
“Joanna,” he said at last, his voice low. “I’m sorry. This was my fault. I hope you can return my talent to me p>
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