Chapter 8

On the ground stood Broc and his defeated gang, their bodies covered in blood as Ren had inflicted injuries on them. Ren made sure they would be hospitalized for at least a month. He wanted to teach them a lesson they would never forget and ensure they never crossed his path again.

Ren squatted in front of Broc and whispered in his ear, "You can use the $1000 and treat yourself. You can keep the change." Broc felt the urge to stab Ren, but he was powerless.

Kyle was shocked. He never expected Ren to overpower them. He had feared Ren would be the one getting hurt, but it turned out differently.

"Isn't that Ren? I thought he was weak... How did he defeat the number one?" The crowd was surprised and curious.

Ren gazed at the bewildered crowd and shouted, "Pizza is on me!" Instead of being frightened, the crowd cheered and exclaimed, "Yeah!"

Ren wasn't afraid of the consequences the school authorities might impose on him because he had recorded everything that had happened. He had acted in self-defense.

**********

Ren returned home and took a shower. Afterward, he sat cross-legged on his bed, contemplating his physical condition.

"Hmm... The flow of energy in my body has increased slightly. I believe practicing the immortal body technique for longer helps open more channels in my meridian."

He closed his eyes, his mind focused, and began to sense the subtle energy flowing within him. The meridians, like a network of rivers, carried the life force throughout his body. Ren visualized the channels, picturing them expanding and becoming more vibrant with each breath.

"The energy within me is becoming purer and more refined," Ren reflected.

Then suddenly, Ren's mind was flooded with flowing stock charts. He could see the readings vividly, and a wave of joy washed over him. He hurriedly rushed to his laptop and opened it, eager to capitalize on this newfound knowledge.

"Hmmm... My money keeps rising, now reaching a million dollars. At least I won't go broke for a long while," Ren chuckled as he beheld the staggering figure. "I should buy more..." A wicked smirk crept across his face as he fixed his gaze on the stock exchange site, proceeding to purchase additional shares.

************

At the hospital...

Broc lay unconscious on a hospital bed, his legs and hands bandaged from the injuries he sustained. Suddenly, the door swung open, and his father, Lionel Cross, stormed into the room. Lionel, a corrupt tax official responsible for overseeing the state's tax revenue, had just been called back from the states. Ren was aware of Lionel's future arrest for bribery and embezzlement, which was why he had coerced Broc into revealing some of his father's secrets during the recording.

Seeing his son in such a condition, Lionel's anger flared as he confronted his secretary. "Who dared to do this to my son? They will surely pay... I want you to gather the boys and make that kid's life a living hell."

The secretary, feeling a tinge of anxiety, cautiously replied, "Sir, I'm afraid that would be nearly impossible. The media has their eyes on us, and the boy who left Broc in this state possesses a video recording of your son... a recording that reveals certain information about us. If we take any action, it will only further jeopardize our position."

"Damn it! This kid must pay," Lionel seethed, his fury intensifying.

*******

The next morning, Ren went to school as usual, knowing that it was exam day. He sat quietly, waiting for the exam papers to be distributed. Although Ren had gained a reputation for his intelligence fifteen years ago, his high school years had been marked by mediocrity. However, armed with knowledge of the future, Ren was determined to make a difference. He aimed for a perfect score.

The question paorrs were passed to them and

Ren glanced at the questions and was pleasantly surprised at how easy they seemed. After all, one of the techniques he had learned from the celestial being had granted him an advanced mind unlike any other. "Easy peasy!" Ren smiled as he perused his exam sheets.

********

Five minutes later, Ren was done and confidently walked up to submit his papers. The teacher, taken aback by Ren's swift completion, asked, "Ren, are you sure you wrote it well?" It was a math exam, and given its two-hour duration, it was quite astonishing to see Ren, who was typically lackluster in school, finish so quickly.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted from the class. "He must have decided to submit since he ran out of ideas in his empty brain."

"Sir, I perfectly answered everything correctly, you can check for yourself" Ren said as gestured for the teacher to look at his papers.

Kyle, who was struggling to answer his own questions, was astonished to see that Ren had already finished his exam. "Damn, this new Ren is something else," he mused, beginning to entertain the idea that this might be an imposter who had taken on Ren's appearance.

"So, Ren, did you cheat?" the teacher questioned him, as he felt something suspicious was going on.

"Absolutely not, sir," Ren responded confidently. "You can give me an interview and ask completely different questions, and I assure you that the outcome will still be the same." Ren knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would pass.

"Ren, come with me to the principal's office," the teacher said, his lack of confidence in Ren's words prompting him to seek clarification. He wanted to dispel any doubts about Ren possibly cheating.

"Okay, sir," Ren replied nonchalantly, choosing not to argue because he already knew what the outcome would be.