As Neil closed his eyes to focus on his thoughts and block out any distractions, the black guy who had witnessed the terror was so terrified to speak that he could only ask Neil for help with a sweaty face.

Despite the black guy's urgent call, Neil remains completely concentrated on his brainstorming. In his mind, he's considering every possibility, from one that could kill everyone to one that would only require one person's sacrifice. However, he cannot avoid casualties and the chance of losing his life in any scenario. The moment Neil reopened his eyes, they were bright and sharp.

The black guy saw in Neil's eyes determination and bravery to do anything to save his students and innocent people, but he knows whatever Neil tries to do, it won't be good. Neil looks at the surroundings and spots a balcony above.

"Woah Woah what are you think you're doing?" The black guy inquired when he saw Neil smile sinisterly.

Neil dragged him back into the corridor and handed him the AK rifle he was carrying.

"Listen, this is our plan: I will try to distract them and you go up there and aim at one of those guys, then wait for my signal, OK?"

"No, no man, that's too dangerous! You see how many of them are there, I don't want to die, man! And I don't want to kill anyone!"

Neil clicked his tongue: "Do you want to change places with me?"

"But..."

Then he takes a deep breath and, with both hands and sympathetic eyes, strokes the black man's shoulders: "What's your name?"

"Mike, Mike Dameron."

"Ok, listen up Mike! These guys are holding other people as hostages, innocent and good people. Besides, they are terrorists, they won't care whether we live or not, and if we don't do anything, many people will die you understand? It's them or us!"

Mike is frowning and hesitatingly looking at Neil, he still can't work against his conscience, so Neil draws closer.

"I know you have to make hard decisions, Mike. But sometimes, with the right choices, you can save more people than the ones you've killed!"

Finally, Mike agreed with a shake of his head and began running upstairs while still thinking it was a bad idea. Apart from the pistol that Neil seized from the man in the restroom, he is left unarmed. But even if he did, he can't just bring it out and confront them; it would be suicide, and they could even kill hostages to get him to give up.

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As a result, he decided to hide the pistol in his pocket until he had the chance to use it. Neil leaned against the wall, inhaled deeply, and made a slow, deliberate step outside, both hands raised up: "Hello?"

In the room, he saw the hostages sitting on the ground with their hands in the air, Selena on the leader's lap with his hand on her thigh, and Chad still clutching his writhing stomach. All of the attention is turned to him, and the two guards with the AKs aim at him with safe mode off. He has to say something without offending them or he will meet his grandparents 50 years sooner.

"Sorry, I was actually finding the toilet but I think I was lost."

"You. Come here."

"Ok..." Neil hesitantly answers.

"Do you know who we are?"

Neil gave everyone a quick glance before turning around to respond to him.

"I don't know who you are, and why you are here but it's not cool to capture people as hostages and bully a girl."

"Oh her? No, we were not bullying her, we are just having fun, it's all her own will."

However, Neil saw in Selena's eyes a plea for help and sadness, showing that everything is of her 'own will'.

"Well, her face doesn't seem like that."

The leader is wondering who this weirdo is and seems not to be afraid of anything and even goes up to ask him as if they were acquaintances.

"Who are you?"

"Neil. Neil Phildom."

"Neil, huh?"

He gets out of his chair and pushes Selena aside, then gently approaches Neil, who is still unsure what he's going to do. The leader put his left hand on Neil's shoulder and looked at him lovingly before punching his abdomen with his right fist.

Neil immediately fell to his knees and writhed, the pain making him queasy, and it was becoming worse by the second.

"Neil, the first rule in this place is not to talk to me when you are not allowed."

Then the leader walks behind Neil and uses his right leg to kick his back, forcing him to lie on the ground. People are horrified, and some of them cover their faces to avoid watching the torture happening in front of them; they can only bow their heads in dread and do nothing.

"Second, you can not stand up or run nor walk without my permission."

The leader grabs Neil's collar and drags him all the way to the front so that everyone can see him, then kicks the backs of his knees, causing him to kneel.

"And finally, do not resist my orders."

He signals his guards to bring Chad here by shaking his head in Chad's direction. Chad was set to kneel next to Neil, and for the first time, both teacher and student all thought the same thing in "class time", anxiety and the fear of death.

"Mr...Neil...I'm...Sorry..." Chad says with a hoarse voice, indicating that he hasn't fully recovered from his injury.

"Don't! It's not your fault." In this hopeless circumstance, Neil tries to placate Chad, and those words surely reassure him.

They both put their hands on their naps and kneel still, showing that they won't do anything foolish.

"Can I execute them?" One of his guards asked.

Even though the guard knows what he has to do next but still waits for the leader's permission.

"You? With the gun? No way that's too inhumane!"

Neil was perplexed by the leader's words; he thought he would be shot in the head and die right away without suffering, but instead, the leader brought something even more brutal and somewhat "benevolent". Neil has the feeling of being a fish on the cutting board waiting to be slaughtered.