2025-11-18 15:41:02The slap that landed on Professor Bernard’s face echoed like a gunshot across the courtyard. Students froze in disbelief as a red imprint immediately bloomed across the professor’s cheek. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Someone dropped their drink. Another student instinctively covered their mouth.
What on earth had they just witnessed?
This wasn’t some regular professor being scolded. This was Professor Bernard—the man who practically carried the entire ICT faculty on his back. In the last five years alone, he had singlehandedly made LAU graduates the most sought-after tech recruits in the state.
The man had connections in nearly every major tech corporation—Skyrun Inc., Hertz Cloud, Maxian Systems. Skyrun especially adored him. They had begged him multiple times to leave the university and work with their HR team, helping them identify and groom elite tech talent.
He was respected everywhere.
And yet here he stood, hand glued to his cheek, staring at Director Hill like a lost child.
Even Kirby, who had been so bold a moment ago, lost her mind.
“Director, why would you hit him like that?!” she screamed, stepping forward. “You can’t—”
SLAP!!!
The director’s hand connected with her face before she even finished speaking.
Kirby stumbled backward, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide and shaking. The crowd collectively recoiled. Today was turning out to be the strangest day in LAU history.
Director Hill’s voice boomed through the courtyard.
“QUIET!”
And quiet it became. Students held their breath. No one dared move.
The director inhaled sharply, then turned to Jared with a forced bow of respect.
“Mr. Stevens,” he began stiffly, “I want to sincerely apologize for unjustly expelling you yesterday. I acted rashly. I welcome you back to the university.”
Complete silence.
The director never apologized. Never retracted decisions. Never bowed. Never showed weakness.
Yet here he was, practically trembling.
The students didn’t know what to think.
Brad and Becky exchanged glances—wide-eyed, speechless.
Jared remained calm. It was his doing. But no one else needed to know that.
Director Hill’s voice softened further as he continued, “Also… regarding the matter involving your grandmother… I apologize deeply. I assure you, Rosaline Joackin’s family will pay for the surgery—ten times the cost.”
The crowd gasped.
“That’s—twenty-five million dollars,” someone whispered.
“Twenty-five million? For a fall?”
“No… something is going on. Something huge.”
Kirby’s heart nearly stopped.
She was the one who pushed Jared’s grandmother. She was the real culprit. Rosaline and Sammy Jo simply took the fall.And now she feared becoming part of the repayment plan.
Slowly, quietly, she began to edge backward—slipping between students, head down, praying the director didn’t remember her name or face. She managed to disappear behind a pillar while her friends—too eager to record the drama—kept their cameras up, oblivious to her escape.
If only she could run from her consequences as easily as she ran from the scene.
Meanwhile, Brad and Becky finally snapped out of their shock.
“Jared,” Becky whispered excitedly, “you’re back! And… you’re getting twenty-five million dollars?”
Brad gave him a playful punch. “Bro, you’re insane. How do you stay this calm?”
Jared only smirked. Their excitement amused him. ‘If only they knew how little $25 million was to me.’
Indeed, the sum was nothing to Jared ocean of wealth. He just enforced it as a punishment to the Joackins.
But his gaze shifted to Professor Bernard—still frozen, humiliated, palm on cheek.
Jared walked a step closer, mocking smile tugging at his lips.
“So, professor,” Jared said lightly, “I’m back to school… which means you have to keep your promise.”
Every student remembered the challenge from yesterday.
Either:
Transfer the Skyrun Inc. internship from Sammy Jo to Brad Trodman,
orRun around the campus stadium naked, yelling apologies to Jared… and lick his shoes.
Silence.
Then tiny giggles.
Then loud laughter.
Students clutched their stomachs, imagining the spectacle.
Even Becky covered her face, fighting laughter.
Professor Bernard’s entire body stiffened. He felt the humiliation crushing him. Cameras zoomed in. Phones rose higher. Livestreams multiplied.
“Look at his face!”
“He’s going to choose the naked run!”
“No way he can transfer that contract!”
“Oh, this is legendary!”
The professor swallowed, trembling. His lips parted but no sound came out.
Jared folded his arms, fully enjoying the moment.
“Professor Bernard?” he asked sweetly. “Your decision?”
The professor turned desperately to Director Hill. “Director… you cannot let this happen! Yesterday’s challenge was just a joke. A moment of anger. I didn’t mean it—”
Jared cut him off sharply. “I meant it.”
Students roared with laughter.
Director Hill shot Bernard a cold glare. “Do as you declared. Now.”
Panic rippled through the professor’s face. The crowd erupted into chants.
“NA-KED RUN! NA-KED RUN!”
“Naked! Naked!”
“Oh my God, record this!”
Some girls cackled wickedly. “Let’s see what he’s been hiding under all those suits!”
Phones flashed. Screens recorded. The internet was already boiling—hashtags multiplying by the minute.
#ProfessorBernardChallenge
#NakedRunVSContract #LAULiveDramaDirector Hill turned to security. “If he runs, stop him. He’s not leaving this campus until he fulfils his vow.”
The security guards stepped forward, blocking every exit. Professor Bernard’s face fell into hopelessness. His heart pounded painfully.
Yesterday, he thought he and Director Hill were allies—partners under the Joackins’ influence. They were both swallowed by greed, both eager to obey the wealthy, both willing to bend rules. What changed?
Just one phone call… from Timothy Monrell.
Director Hill chose his own survival.
And Professor Bernard was nothing but a casualty.
He looked around helplessly. “I… I cannot transfer the Skyrun deal,” he whispered. “The Joackins would destroy me.”
“Then run naked,” someone shouted.
“Run!” another person echoed.
“No dignity left anyway!”
Professor Bernard’s eyes stung with tears. His pride choked him. His career—his future—everything was slipping through his fingers.
Director Hill frowned impatiently. “We are waiting, Bernard.”
Finally, the professor snapped.
“I’m not doing it!” he screamed, voice shaking. “I WON’T! I’ll quit my job! I’ll work somewhere else!”
A hush fell.
The students’ excited expressions dropped in disappointment.
Just like that? No naked run? No viral sensation?
Director Hill stepped forward menacingly. “Quitting is not an option.”
The professor stood firm. “I refuse. I… I’ll go to Skyrun Inc. They’ve been offering me a position for years. HR consultant. They want me. They value me. I’ll go there.”
The courtyard exploded in shocked murmurs.
“For real?”
“He’s going to Skyrun?”
“That’s a higher job…”
“Isn’t that… like leveling up?”
Just minutes ago, they mocked him mercilessly.
Now, suddenly, they regretted it.
Students quickly lowered their phones. Many scrambled to stop recordings. Several began deleting footage. Others posted new tweets praising Professor Bernard, desperate to fix their public image.
That’s how fast the crowd changed loyalty.
Brad groaned under his breath. “Man… I thought he would finally get punished. Now he’s going to end up more powerful.”
Jared only chuckled.
If only they knew.
Skyrun Inc. belonged to Blue Belt Group.
And Blue Belt Group belonged… to him.
He could fire Professor Bernard with a single phone call.
But no—why ruin the fun so soon?
He planned to visit Skyrun tomorrow. Maybe even surprise the professor in his new office—if the man survives long enough to officially start.
Director Hill sighed deeply. “Fine,” he said at last. “Mr. Stevens agrees to let you resign. Security—escort him out.”
Two guards grabbed the professor, who thrashed and cursed.
“You will all regret this!” he yelled. “I am going to Skyrun! They’ll pay me double what this useless school ever did! I’ll be ABOVE all of you!”
Students stared, stunned.
The professor’s voice echoed as he disappeared down the hallway, fighting against the guards dragging him away.
Once he was out of sight, silence fell again.
The chaos had ended.
But Jared…
Jared was only getting started.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 10
Jared followed Angela into the elevator without saying another word. She kept glancing at him, waiting—hoping—for fear to show on his face, but all she found was that same expressionless confidence that was eating her alive. She jabbed the top-floor button with unnecessary force, nearly breaking her nail in the process.The elevator doors slid open into a luxurious hallway lined with polished marble and gold-trimmed wall lamps. This was the upper sanctum of the Fitness Directorate, a place only the elite members ever stepped foot into. Angela always felt important coming up here. Today, however, she felt something else—pressure. Something about Jared’s calmness irritated her beyond measure.They arrived at a glass office door with the name MS. BRIDGET HAMILTON — DIRECTOR OF FITNESS & PREMIUM AFFAIRS etched in silver lettering across it.Angela straightened her blouse, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.Inside, Ms. Bridget looked up from her monitor. She was a striking woman
Chapter 9
The moment the Ladies of Helen stormed out of the gym, the atmosphere twisted. Every head in the room tilted toward Jared with a blend of disbelief, annoyance, and outright confusion.Whispers started like sparks… then spread into a full wildfire.“Did he really reject Shelly?”“He must be crazy.”“Bro thinks he’s Invincible Man because of $25 million.”“Isn’t this the same guy whose girlfriend dumped him yesterday?”“And Lisa isn’t even half as pretty as Shelly. What the hell is wrong with him?”The murmurs thickened with judgment, jealousy, and mockery. Some people looked at Jared like he was mentally unstable. Some like he was arrogant. Others like he was simply too foolish to understand the blessing he had just spat on.But Jared didn’t care at all.He simply continued his workout, switching machines, his breaths steady, his posture calm. Sweat slid down his arms and neck, and he adjusted the weights without acknowledging a single person around him.The more silent he remained, th
Chapter 8
Jared spent the rest of the afternoon at the university gym, needing somewhere to burn off the steam boiling inside him. The chaos of the morning—the downfall of Professor Bernard, the shock of Director Hill’s surrender, the roaring crowd—had left a tension in his chest that only physical exertion could dissolve. He had once come here every day, not to train but to wipe equipment, scrub mats, and take whatever degrading tasks Angela could cook up just so he could earn enough to eat. But today, he was here for himself. No more scrubbing machines. No more dusting lockers. No more bowing his head.He was Jared Diamond again. Heir to trillions. Owner of holdings that stretched across states. A man who, with one phone call, could freeze or collapse almost any business in the city. Nobody on this campus knew it yet—but they would.He had been running on the treadmill for almost thirty-five minutes, drenched in sweat. His breathing was steady and relaxed. But from the moment he walked in ea
Chapter 7
The slap that landed on Professor Bernard’s face echoed like a gunshot across the courtyard. Students froze in disbelief as a red imprint immediately bloomed across the professor’s cheek. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Someone dropped their drink. Another student instinctively covered their mouth.What on earth had they just witnessed?This wasn’t some regular professor being scolded. This was Professor Bernard—the man who practically carried the entire ICT faculty on his back. In the last five years alone, he had singlehandedly made LAU graduates the most sought-after tech recruits in the state. The man had connections in nearly every major tech corporation—Skyrun Inc., Hertz Cloud, Maxian Systems. Skyrun especially adored him. They had begged him multiple times to leave the university and work with their HR team, helping them identify and groom elite tech talent.He was respected everywhere.And yet here he stood, hand glued to his cheek, staring at Director Hill like a lost chil
Chapter 6
Chaos was already brewing around the lunch lounge before Director Hill even arrived. Kirby, convinced that she was about to witness Jared’s final downfall, flicked her hair sharply and turned to her friends.“Start recording,” she ordered. “I want every moment caught on camera. When the director gets here, we will show him that this criminal snuck his way back into the school.”Her friends obeyed immediately, pulling out their phones like paparazzi waiting for a star’s meltdown. Professor Bernard, energized by the attention, puffed out his chest and raised his voice.“Everyone gather around!” he barked. “A student is about to face consequences for defying the rules of this university!”In seconds, hundreds of students flooded the space—whispers, gasps, and curious glances filling the room. Some came because they despised Jared, but many came because they felt something was wrong with the way he had been expelled. Still, nobody dared challenge the system openly.Brad and Becky watched
Chapter 5
Jared sat in the back seat of the taxi, his head lightly resting against the window as the city rolled by in soft blurs. It was unbelievable how fast life could shift. Just yesterday morning, he had been a broke, struggling student—counting pennies, praying Nana wouldn’t die before he could raise the money for her surgery. Yesterday evening, he had been tossed out of the university like filth. And now… a prince restored. The heir of the Diamond Empire. The rightful owner of fortunes larger than most nations’ GDPs.All because he finally agreed to return home.His fingers brushed against the sleek metal of his seven premium black cards—platinum, titanium, unlimited credit. Cards he hadn’t held for three years. Cards that could buy buildings, cities… or even the very institutions that had looked down on him.Each card had at least $250 billion for his lavish spending. More money than he could ever spend in seven lifetimes. A small smile tugged at his lips. ‘Brad and Becky are going to
You may also like
The Ultimate Husband
Skykissing Wolf7.7M viewsReturn of the Powerful Young Master
AFM3188.4K viewsSon-in-Law: A Commoner's Path to Revenge
Naughty Snail122.4K viewsThe Indestructible Alexander
Adam Aksara100.9K viewsRise Of The Unprecitrable Man
CABO23 viewsThe Trash Son-in-law Is A Hidden Billionaire
Mattimeo386 viewsDEAR CHEATED GIRLFRIEND, I AM TRILLIONAIRE HEIR
Allahamdullilah books8.2K viewsThe Healer of Hollow Street
Ibechi114 views