The beams and walls didn’t make any strange noises. That meant the person on the other side had probably fallen asleep. At that thought, Lucas couldn’t help but shake his head with a quiet chuckle. She really had nerves of steel to be able to fall asleep in a place like this. But it was good. At least she wasn’t as scared as before. It meant her attention had successfully been shifted. Lucas let out a breath of relief. Thinking back to their first encounter, he couldn’t help but smile. Even after all this time, he still liked to revisit that memory whenever he had the chance.
The only pity was that Aurora didn’t remember it at all. Still, it didn’t matter. There was a long road ahead. He would slowly get closer to her, step by step. While Aurora slept, the rescue workers outside were working tirelessly. Bit by bit, they dug through the rubble to reach the people trapped underneath. John was especially anxious, standing by and watching every move the rescue team made. His one and only favorite student—she couldn’t just disappear like this. She was still so young. How could fate be this cruel? At just sixteen or seventeen, nothing must happen to Aurora. The principal watched as John paced back and forth, muttering prayers and making all sorts of hopeful gestures, and finally lost his patience.
“Alright, will you settle down for a bit?” Watching John like this, the principal felt it was a bit embarrassing. Hearing that, John grew irritated.
“I’m not usually like this, but my student is trapped in there–how could I not be anxious?” John planted his hands on his hips and snapped back at the principal, “And what’s wrong with that? I’ve always worked hard and stayed dedicated. I only have this one student I truly care about. She’s obedient, driven, and incredibly smart. Is it a problem for me to be worried about her?”
The principal stared at John’s defiant stance. Saying all this in front of a crowd–he was completely undermining the principal’s authority. He was genuinely annoyed. Taking a step forward, he leaned in and threatened quietly, “Why are you speaking so loudly? Are you trying to lose your job?”
Hearing that, John was absolutely furious. What was that old man even talking about? There were so many people watching, and he still dared to threaten him? Clearly, the principal had no idea how serious the situation was. At that thought, John let out a cold laugh and raised his voice. “Yeah, that’s right. I don’t want this job anymore. If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and fire me.”
Everyone around them was stunned by John’s outburst. He really didn’t care about keeping his job. This principal might’ve looked friendly on the surface, but everyone knew he held grudges. Even the smallest offense would be magnified tenfold. And now, with all eyes on them, John hadn’t given the principal a shred of respect. The principal’s expression darkened with embarrassment. But before he could respond, a staff member interrupted.
“If you two want to argue, take it somewhere else. These structures are being moved–every bit has to be done carefully. We still don’t know what’s going on underneath. If the ground shifts and someone gets crushed, which one of you is going to take responsibility?”
At those words, John immediately fell silent. He shot the principal a glare, then quietly moved over to the rescue team.