For a heartbeat after Mr. James finished speaking, the crowd was frozen in total shock.Then, everything broke at once.Voices exploded in a mix of confusion and anger. Chairs scraped loudly across the floor as people jumped to their feet. Students began pointing and shouting, arguing with anyone standing near them. Hundreds of phones shot into the air, the cameras shaking as everyone tried to capture a moment that felt like history. The room suddenly felt much too small for the massive noise inside it.“This is a lie!” someone screamed.“Why him?!” another yelled.“That makes no sense at all!”Near the stage, the security guards shifted uncomfortably. They were already realizing that they had lost control of the situation.Jackson stood firmly on the stage. He squared his shoulders and locked his jaw tight, trying to look like he was still in charge. His fingers curled slowly into a tight fist at his side. He stared straight ahead, breathing heavily through his nose, forcing his

The line began to form almost as soon as Marcus sat down.Students moved toward the stage in small, nervous clusters. They were careful and excited, like people approaching a holy altar. Their voices were low, and their faces were full of hope. Even some of the students who had spent the whole night making fun of Marcus now presented fake, polite smiles, desperately practicing their important questions in their heads.Marcus stayed in his seat.He didn't smile at them. He didn't wave like a politician in power. He didn't even acknowledge that the line was forming. He looked perfectly calm and relaxed. The purple velvet seat beneath him felt heavier now, as if it carried the weight of every judging eye in the room.Then, Baron stepped forward.The sound of his expensive shoes hitting the floor was steady, confident, and intentionally loud. He didn't rush to join the back of the line like everyone else. He didn't wait for a turn. He walked straight out of the VIP section, cutting acro

The silence that Marcus left behind didn’t stay for long. It cracked, like glass under too much pressure.At first, it was just a few scattered arguments at the entrance. But then the noise got louder. Voices began to overlap. The students weren't just disappointed; they were looking for someone to blame.“He embarrassed every single one of us," one student hissed, kicking at the dirt.“No," another snapped back, “you embarrassed yourself. You were the one practically begging him for a job!”“At least I tried! You just stood there like a statue!”The red taillights of the black van were gone now. The big chance they had all dreamed of had driven right out of the gates. And without Marcus standing in front of them to soak up their attention, the crowd’s anger had nowhere to go. It was like a loaded gun with no target.So, the anger began to turn inward.Some students stood perfectly still, their faces lit by the glow of their phones as they replayed the videos they had uploaded to the

Rejoice stepped down from the stage without glancing backward.The spotlight followed her for a moment before slowly dying out. The audience applauded her for a few seconds, then the applause faded slowly and whispers started.The students were still trying to process the drama, but the chaos from earlier was finally gone.Suddenly, the lights in the hall flickered to life.Dozens of bright white lights shone over the crowd, taking away the darkness.Mr. James walked toward the microphone, straightening his suit jacket and forcing a professional, “everything is fine” smile onto his face.“Well,” he started, his voice echoing through the hall, “we’ve certainly had enough drama for one night, haven’t we?”A few students let out nervous laughs.“But that isn’t why we’re here.” He clapped his hands once. “Tonight is about power. It’s about design. It’s about the finest engineering money can buy!”He paused, letting the anticipation build until it was almost painful.“And now… it is time f

Every single person in the room was leaning forward, their eyes were glued to the massive runway doors. Mr. James raised his microphone, and his lips formed a wide grin.“And now…” He paused, letting the silence stretch until it was almost painful. “Please welcome our final scheduled contestant. Baron Thorn!”The crowd's response was like a bomb going off.Students screamed his name and cheered at the top of their lungs. Others clapped so hard in unity that the sound echoed off the high ceiling. Some people even started stomping their feet on the floor, creating a rhythm that shook the room.“BARON!”“THIS IS IT!”“HE’S ALREADY WON!”A deep, guttural engine growl came into the hall before the car even appeared. It was a heavy, expensive growl that commanded respect. Then, the car came into view.An Aston Martin Vantage GT3.It was low, wide bodied, and looked absolutely mean. This wasn't a car meant for a trip to the store, it looked like it had been snatched directly off a professi