"Tell me, can anybody else offer you this deal now? The earlier you join my side, the better position and influence you can have in the future."

Harvey stayed silent. His mind raced as he compared Mike's and Glottis' offers. On one hand, Glottis offered a lot of money, and now. It was the safest option to provide for his family.

On the other hand, Mike was a promising youth, the first to see his potential and believe him. Not only that, but the young charismatic man had a bright future ahead of him. Mike was a cultivator, and he would live far after Glottis died. He was a hard worker, something the young master in front of him was not renowned for.

"Thank you for your offer, Young Master, I need to think about it. I can't give you an answer right away..." Harvey said.

"I know that Mike is also after you. However, he is giving you empty promises. When will he be able to pay you enough? Five years? Ten years? Can you guarantee that your mother will be well in five years? Money is only useful when you can use it, not when it's too late. Tell me, what does Mike have that's better than what I have?"

Glottis was turning slightly angry at the fact that someone even considered Mike as appealing as himself.

"Young Master, he is a cultivator. I was hoping he would be able to make me one too, or at least teach some secret manuals to my children if I'm loyal."

"ME TOO!" Glottis raised his voice in anger and banged the table with his fist, breaking it in half. The plates all shattered on the ground, the food and lemonade spilled everywhere. "Do you truly think a Sonora can be a good-for-nothing? Do you believe the ill rumors spread about me?"

Even Glottis used to believe in them, but his mindset changed over the past few days. Now, he was a cultivator, he wasn't a waste. Nobody can take that away from him.

"No! no, Young Master, I'm sorry," Harvey jumped in fright. He believed in those rumors, and his mind had to digest the fact they might be wrong. Normal humans could not split tables in half with a punch.

Three waitresses approached to help clean but stopped when Glottis raised his hand, signing them to stay away. They could only watch from a distance until he allowed them to get nearer.

"So, what is it going to be, Harv? Do you want to live a dream life, or are you going to gamble on someone who might be successful one day?" Glottis pressured him.

"I need to think-"

"You don't have time to think. I don't need you as much as you need me, Harv. I can recruit a dozen hackers of your caliber in the wave of my hand. You don't get to make me wait for an answer. You have one minute to decide. Do you take my offer, or do you not?"

Harvey experienced a blackout. He had no idea what answer he could give in one minute. Glottis' words were true; the Sonora family would never need to beg someone to work under them, and if someone like that existed, Harvey knew he did not have such qualifications.

"Can I be rich if I work for you?" Harvey asked.

"You can."

"Can I become a cultivator?"

"You can."

"If I have a problem, will you help me?"

"If I can."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I... will work for you."

*Ding*

Glottis smiled triumphally as soon as he heard the ring he was waiting for. His expression eased and he signaled to the waiting waitresses to come and clean.

"Since today was a success, I will pay the bill. Here, take my card."

The two exited the restaurant, letting Gabriel and Duke stay to fool around with the girls they chose.

"Who is teaching the next lesson in your class?" Glottis asked as the two walked into the school building toward the end of the lunch break, hoping for a certain answer.

"Miss Rosemary. She teaches Math. Young Master, aren't you in the other class? Why are you coming with me?"

"I think to join your class just this once," he grinned, "I hope she uses the board a lot."

"Well... she needs it to write the equations..."

The two entered the classroom, and Glottis scrutinized the area to find the best seat. To his surprise, he found it quickly. "I will see you later, Harv," he ignored the boy's attempt at parting and walked straight to sit by the side of a beauty.

"Hey, Beauty, fancy meeting you here," he leaned to whisper in her ear.

"Are you stalking me?!" Sheela gritted her teeth in annoyance. She moved class because she did not want the troublesome young master to hit on her every day, so why did he move with her?

"No, it is fate. I had no idea you were here," Glottis wrapped his arm around her shoulders and sighed, "The heavens work in profound ways we do not always understand," he nodded at his words of wisdom.

"You had no idea?" Sheela eyed him suspiciously and slapped his arm away, "Heavens my ass, you are here for another reason then."

"Students, take your seats and be silent," Miss Rosemary entered the class before Glottis could answer, and Sheela, who still looked at the handsome young man by her side, noticed his eyes instinctively leave the teacher's face and roam... downward.

"You pig, I knew you were up to no good. I was searching for a beautiful student, but I got it wrong. You have the hots for the teacher herself!" she exclaimed in a quiet voice.

"Ahm, you are wrong. I only have eyes for you," Glottis shook his head in denial.

"Glottis Sonora, Sheela Petit, be quiet. Wait, actually, Glottis Sonora, why are you here?" the older woman squinted her eyes. The latter came to see her and asked to switch classes for private reasons, but the former never asked for permission.

"I followed my heart and ended up here, Miss Rosemary. I think what my heart seeks is right in this classroom," he answered without hesitation.

'Sleek tongue,' the two girls thought simultaneously, thinking he was referring to them.

"Fine, stay here, but if you cause trouble I will kick you out," Rosemary threatened, but a sweet smile crept on her face. Even if she wanted to stay completely professional, she couldn't forget they spent time together out of school, which added a personal layer to her treatment of Glottis.

"Did you hear that, Babe? Miss Rosemary gave us her blessing," Glottis whispered to his neighbor's ear. Sheela only gritted her teeth in annoyance and ignored the comment.

"Good morning, class! Today, we're going to dive into the fascinating world of quadratic equations. Now, I know some of you might be thinking, 'Quadratic equations? Why do we need to learn about those?' Well, let me tell you, they are more than just equations; they are the secret keys to unlocking mysteries in various real-world scenarios."

Rosemary loved teaching Math; she didn't do it only for money or keeping herself busy. Everyone in class noticed it easily, garnering her the respect and fondness of her students.

"Miss Rosemary, I just wanted to say I know why I need to learn about Quadratic equations."

"Yes, Glottis Sonora?"

"To spend more time with the woman I like," he said with a straight face.

"That's too cheesy," Rosemary cringed with a slight wrinkle of her nose, making some students laugh before quickly forcibly suppressing it as soon as he looked at them.

"Anyway, think of a quadratic equation like a puzzle. Each part of the equation represents a piece of that puzzle. When we solve for 'x,' it's like finding the missing piece that completes the picture. Whether it's calculating the trajectory of a soccer ball or figuring out the optimum profit for a business, these equations are everywhere," Rosemary continued.

"You should've found a better way to hit on her," Sheela gloated with a snort, "I don't take others' leftovers, so you might have to settle for Zoey from our class."

"What are you talking about? I was referring to you, Darling. I couldn't say it out loud, but I'm learning quadratic equations to solve your curves," Glottis leaned closer.

"No, you weren't," Sheela whispered back and slapped his hand away from her thigh. "Besides, don't you like her curves better? Solve them instead."

"Glottis Sonora, Sheela Petit, you two are making too much noise!" Rosemary frowned and berated them.

"Sorry, Miss Rosemary," Glottis apologized. "Sheela lacked confidence in her curves, so I told her they were great."

"You!" Sheela blushed and found no words to retort.

"Ok, that's enough. Both of you, out of my class."