46 Deans 3

Hours later, Ci-ci strolled out of the board room with a casual smile on his face, leaving the astonished Deans behind.

Still, Frae's frown never faded. 'Could there really be someone who can rival Ci-ci in intelligence?'

She almost couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. No matter how corrupt these Deans were, they were still leaders in their field.

Although Grandbell hadn't been number one when they earned their places as Deans, it was still top ten. No normal individual could become the Dean of a top ten university.

Yet, 'Five' had toyed with them all from beginning to end. Despite not displaying knowledge past what an undergraduate should know, he showed a mastery over the topics that was akin to a high school valedictorian taking a first grader's test.

Maybe the most impressive part was that he didn't mind saying that he didn't know the answers to some questions without showing any visible signs of his ego being hit. It was as though he had utmost confidence in the fact that any questions he couldn't answer, he shouldn't be able to answer.

'Ci-ci is hiding something from me?' Frae's heartbeat sped up as a discomfort spread through her chest.

Why would Ci-ci not tell her about this student?

**

Later that night, after laying in bed beside Milana for a bit, Ci-ci headed toward his home gym. Soon, his fists were slamming against the punching bag, forcing more than a ton of weight back with smooth, formless strikes.

'Step three went a lot smoother than I thought it would…'

The black oxygen-deprivation mask continued to restrict Ci-ci's breathing as his toned torso flexed. Not even an ounce of power was wasted.

In truth, how could Ci-ci need Lily to remind him about the ranking competition?

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Ci-ci realized early on that there was a flaw with his plan.

First, he and his father disappear, then suddenly a genius named Ci-ci Bell appears matching the age and description of the supposedly dead Lucius Grandbell Jr.? Even worse, this child just so happened to be an orphan with an unclear history? What a joke. If those founding families didn't suspect him, their namesake would be completely empty.

However, Ci-ci had been young. His father's mental state had already rapidly deteriorated and he was left all alone. An immature child who knew nothing of the world was guaranteed to make mistakes along the way and Ci-ci's first mistake was placing himself in the public eye far too soon and far too quickly.

At this point, Ci-ci could say with an almost 100% certainty that those family heads knew that he was Lucius Grandbell. As for why they hadn't acted on this information? Ci-ci knew that it wasn't out of the kindness of their hearts, nor was it mercy for the young child that he was. There was only one explanation: self-preservation.

After the founding families destroyed Ci-ci's Grandbell family, it became clear to them all that any one of them could be next. Killing a high-profile young savant like Ci-ci just a short time after eradicating the Grandbell family could leave them exposed to a righteous counterattack levied by the other families.

Secondly, why would they be worried about Ci-ci? He was just one man whose system of power completely relied on them.

Ci-ci was a researcher of Grandbell University. All of his inventions were owned by them. All of his patents were owned by them. His salary was given by them. Should they want it, they could take everything he had in the blink of an eye.

Thirdly, they weren't 100% certain. No matter how the circumstances looked and seemed, they was no way they could be.

However, the fourth point was one that Ci-ci had only thought of recently. One that would seal the deal for him and make all of this flawless: His mother.

Ci-ci didn't know exactly why his family was turned on… Why the founding families would risk public outrage by destroying the most loved family on the continent… But, what he did know was that it was heavily tied with his mother.

In the end, the combination of Ci-ci being harmless and controllable was the reason he was alive today. But, he knew that if he wanted to accomplish anything, he had to flip everything on its head… His first step? Anger the world.

Fine. They wanted to keep a spotlight on him? He'd make the spotlight so bright that they'd be blinded to everything else.

BOOM!

Ci-ci's fist slammed against the swinging punching bag with an added vigor.

They suspected him of being Lucius Grandbell Jr? Fine. He'd reject the Grandbell award and warn them that he was coming so that they'd be absolutely certain of who he was.

BOOM!

A left hook dented the stone pillar, cracking the chain that held it to the ceiling.

Then, while they believed that he was a fool… That he was an arrogant young man who didn't know how high the skies were… He'd carefully lay his plans.

BOOM!

A right straight pierced the pillar so fiercely that it slammed into the ceiling, causing it to rebound back at blinding speeds.

He'd make the media dance on the palm of his hands. He'd develop his own lawyer's firm, building a clientele of the strongest corporations and businesses West Continent had to offer. He'd stake his claim on The Ghettos, controlling the underworld crime bosses like dogs on a leash. He'd even infiltrate Grandbell University once again, right under their noses… All while they thought he was making a fool of himself.

A growl escaped Ci-ci's lips as a fierce kick snaked out from his hips like a snapping whip.

BOOM!

The chain shattered, sending the two-ton punching back into the wall.

In the darkness, Ci-ci's eyes glowed with a ferocious light as anger he tempered time and time again for more than 15 years raged within him.

The coarse concrete beneath his feet subtly cracked, splintering outward like a spider's web.

At that moment, the faint outline of a golden tattoo could be seen across his chest and back for but an instant before it disappeared. If one paid really close attention, you could even hear the faint roar of a Lion coming from its intricate lines…