?Chapter 333:


    She then turned to Ethan and said, “Go ahead and introduce yourself.”


    Ethan bowed his head slightly, his voice shaky as he spoke. “Hello, everyone. I’m Ethan Watson. I hope we can all get along.”


    His voice was quiet, and his tone stiff, clearly showing that he felt ufortable speaking in front of so many people.


    Loraine gave a nod and pointed to an empty seat at the back near the window. “Sit there for now. Get used to the surroundings. ss will start soon.”


    Ethan gave a formal nod and quickly made his way to the seat. He unpacked his books carefully, lining them up neatly on the desk before diving into one of them.


    Loraine had a teaching seminar to attendter, so after giving a few quick instructions, she left the room.


    As soon as Loraine left, whispers spread through the room.


    “Is there suddenly a new student? Wasn’t our ss already full?”


    “Who knows? But… doesn’t he look a little in?”


    “Yeah, his clothes aren’t designer, and his watch is so ordinary. Could he be… amoner?”


    “No way! This ss is for Wront’s elite. How could someone like him—”


    At that moment, a young man stood up and swaggered over to Ethan’s desk, looking down at him with a smug grin. “Hey, kid, where do youe from?”


    Ethan blinked, puzzled. He came from home, of course — what kind of question was that? He stayed quiet, but hisck of response was quickly noticed by the others.


    They thought he was in but acting overly proud.


    “Too good to answer, huh?” the young man sneered. “Alright, let me ask again. Which family do youe from? What business does your family run?”


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    Ethan’s confusion grew, and he just shook his head.


    The man frowned, clearly frustrated by the answer. “What? Then how did you even get in? Our ss spots are limited. Who did you know to get in here?”


    The man’s curiosity was piqued, though a hint of doubt remained — after all, the ss list had been closed for a while.


    Ethan shook his head again.


    A young woman nearby gave Ethan a scornful look and sneered, “He’s probably just some poor schrship student who found a way in.”


    “Exactly! This ss is for people like us. What gives him the right to take a spot here?”


    “Just look at him, he has no style, no presence. He doesn’t belong here!”


    The whispers grew louder, and the ridicule spread like wildfire throughout the room.


    Ethan balled his fists. He didn’t know how to respond, nor could he figure out why they were making fun of him. What was so funny? Unable to make sense of it, Ethan decided to stay silent. If he had nothing to say, he wouldn’t say anything at all.


    He buried his face in his book. He was here to study, not to get into arguments. He couldn’t afford to disappoint Maia.


    “Huh, so now he’s acting all mysterious and silent?”


    “Yeah, right. Maybe he’s some kind of genius, born with all the brains. Just wait — he’ll breeze through the exams and show us all how smart he is. I’m already quaking in my boots!”


    “Come on, you’re the top student here. No one’s buying that. If he ever beats you, I’ll eat my hat!”


    The mockingughter went on, but Ethan shut it out, his attention fixed on his book.


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