"Based on an absolute evaluation of system maturity, commercial readiness, and raw live performance... the panel officially declares that the winner is Gavin Brown’s team!" the head judge announced, shattering the tense silence in the hall.A deafening roar of applause erupted through the convention center. Gavin Brown let out a triumphant shout, high-fiving Vance and Erik before leaping onto the center stage to hoist the golden trophy with a smug, insufferable grin.Though they had missed out on the top spot, Clara and Leo weren't bitter. They shared a genuine smile and locked hands. "It’s okay, guys. We took second place nationally. That is more than enough for a fresh start," Clara said, her eyes glistening with proud tears.But Dylan wasn't celebrating. Something fe

 Inside the getaway car leaving the convention center, Gavin Brown, Vance Hale, and Erik frantically scrolled through their phones. The second they opened their news apps, their stomachs dropped. Their own faces were plastered across the front pages, branded as violent, criminal bullies."Damn it! This video already has five million views in under thirty minutes!" Vance roared, slamming his fist against the dashboard so hard the plastic cracked. "How did that little bitch get it online so fast?!"Gavin gripped his head as a blinding migraine set in, his chest heaving with a volatile mix of rage and absolute terror. "Holy shit... it was a setup. Th

"It’s not going to be that easy, you dumbass!" Gavin snapped, his voice tight with frustration. "You didn't see the look in his eyes when my house was getting torn down a few days ago. The guy is ruthless. What if he just uses this as an opportunity to string us along and tortures us? He could make us crawl across campus, drag our names through the mud, and then still refuse to accept our apology!" "But what other choice do we have right now?!" Vance cut in, glaring at him. "If we escalate this, or try to get dirty and hire outside muscle, Dylan will just use Pacific Maritime’s legal and financial war chest to erase us from this city instantly! None of our families have the kind of leverage to go toe-to-toe with a sovereign conglomerate like that. Unless another major dynasty steps up to back us—which isn't happening—we're completely outmatched." Gavin slammed his fist on the table, his teeth grin

 Dylan smiled with cold satisfaction as he watched the four campus apex predators groveling helplessly at his feet."Perfect. I’m glad to see you boys can learn some discipline when your trust funds are on the line." Dylan took a calculated step back, looking down at the four of them as they kept their eyes glued to the marble floor."Listen closely. I have a few baseline ground rules, and they are completely non-negotiable if you want your fathers' companies to survive the night," Dylan continued, his voice dangerously level. "Rule number one: by this afternoon, the four of you will draft a formal, comprehensive written confession and record a joint public apology video. You will blast it across every university channel—the campus bulletin boards, the student group chats, and straight to the Dean's desk. You will expli

The next morning, the campus corridors exploded into absolute chaos. Almost every student's phone buzzed in unison, displaying notifications of a formal, written confession and a public apology video blasted directly onto the university's digital bulletin boards, class group chats, and straight to the Dean's portal.Crowds of students gathered around the electronic displays, staring in absolute disbelief. Sharp whispers instantly filled the air."Holy shit! They were ruthlessly hazing Dylan this entire time!" one student exclaimed, holding up his phone."This is insane! Look at the details—they literally forced Dylan to do all their coursework for three consecutive semesters!" a girl next to him added, a look of pure disgust on her face."Check out this bullet point! Even that brutal beatdown Leo took a while back... that was entirely orchestrated and ordered by Gavin!" A guy shook his head in disbelief. "Just because they’re trust-fund