Chapter 529: Chapter 32: A Single Tree Cannot Support_3
“Welcome to your arrival, President of Central United University, our city’s former acting agent, and head of the Siluoke family, Mr. Onowell Slorock.” Aorus greeted him with a bow, “Now, our meeting can officially begin.”
“Could you please introduce the participants of this meeting for me?” Onowell said.
“It would be my honor, Mr. Onowell.” Aorus introduced each member present, “John Garcia, leader of the Wing of Death, the biggest gang leader in the city. Cao Xin, representing the acting president of the Mutual Assistance Association Chi Zijing, to voice the common people’s grievances. Doctor, Kaldesia Spencer, a powerful independent superpower user. Joanna, representing Reena Cecil, the leading scientific research team in the city. And leaders of various small organizations, representatives of independent groups; if interested, I can introduce each one to you.”
“The introductions at the start are full of errors; I hold a pessimistic view of the outcome of this meeting,” Onowell said disdainfully.
“Why do you say that, Mr. President?”
Onowell’s gaze swept across the room, and many superpower users felt a tightness in their chests. His look was commanding and intimidating, reminding the young ones of the anger of elders at home during their childhood.
“Gangs? Common people? Elites? Organizations, groups… all nonsensical. Look at these attendees you have summoned, their minds are not yet mature, having suffered hardships from a young age, their views on the world and life not even formed; they are just children! What can they represent?” Onowell’s voice boomed, “Children should be going to school and playing, not here masquerading as societal figures and posturing!”
Aorus clapped his hands, “Perhaps you have forgotten, they are superpower users.”
“Even if a young person holds a button that could destroy a nation, he is still an immature youngster!” Onowell thundered, “Since arriving in this city, I have done everything I can to allow children to have a normal life. Now that I am about to step down, I am curious to see what kind of future the new leaders will bring, and this is your response? Pulling the children from their daily lives to step into a turmoil of malice and vested interests?”
He pointed at each young person’s face, “You all should not be here forming cliques; you should not be participating in meetings. You should be learning, resting, playing, living peaceful days, spending time leisurely—that is the right of you young people! When you are mature, whether to do good or evil is your own choice, but right now you are children, you ought to listen to the advice of your elders!”
Onowell’s speech left many feeling intimidated, but soon, a scoffing laugh rang out.
“All high and mighty, Mr. President. Could you kindly enlighten this poor student of yours, who dragged us from our homes into this Big Prison?”
The speaker was a punk-dressed youth from Zero Island, who walked up to Onowell, hanging about indifferently.
“Wasn’t it the adults?” the young man sharply said, “Isn’t it the self-righteous old men who created this situation? Now that we are trying to solve problems on our own, you come to talk about, ah, the rights of the young?”
He fiercely pushed against Onowell’s chest.
“Save it, baldy! Go back to your school and teach kids; you have no say here!”
One of the old teachers grabbed his wrist, surprising the punk youth as he increased his grip.
“Look at your behavior, child. It is precisely because you lack basic education and a normal childhood that you have turned into this pitiful state!” Onowell shouted angrily, “You have a long life ahead of you! Do you want to continue mixing in the streets being a thug, relying on your superpower to scrape a living as a mercenary? But if you had proper education, you would at least learn polite speech, acquire the logic to deal with affairs, possess possibilities beyond living in obscurity!”
The punk youth was stunned, at a loss for words for a moment. Onowell straightened his collar and pushed the child to one side.
He looked at the entire hall of people and felt a deep pain in his heart. It was such a sad sight to see children with power being pushed to the forefront by despicable adults, being manipulated with naive tactics!
“The containment system of the Sky City is decided by the entire human society and cannot be shaken by one or two people’s opinions. But we can at least make it better for the children here, instead of further depriving them of their rights! I hope you can listen to me, temporarily extinguish your impulses, and think rationally about your situation, think about what you truly want!”
A buzz of whispering filled the venue, and the eyes of many small organizations and lone individuals gleamed. Aorus clapped his hands and drew everyone’s attention just as the public opinion was about to surge.
With just one sentence, he overturned Onowell’s painstaking efforts.
Aorus said with a smile, “It’s precisely because you failed that we are here discussing the future.”
He had hit Onowell’s weak spot. It was because he, the former agent, couldn’t hold his ground that today’s situation had arisen. The teenagers, swayed by the principal’s speech, once again firmed up their determination. They looked indifferently at this educator, utterly disregarding him.
“Get lost, old man.” “Go back to your school and play games with the kids.” “You have no right to speak here!”
Laughter erupted in the hall, and the doctor looked on coldly from the side, understanding the purpose of this play. Aorus had targeted the principal’s temper, aiming to humiliate him here and crush the little dignity left of the former agent, making him a stepping stone for the new ones in power.
Powerless, Onowell had no influence in Sky City, and this had been an execution from the very start.
Onowell, unafraid, glared fiercely: “I can’t smell the scent of a meeting here. I don’t see a host who genuinely wants to solve problems, only a self-important young master, who uses his schemes to buy the favor of naive youths, with childish tactics, waving a hypocritical banner, wanting to incite a rebellion harmful to everyone!”
Thud! The sound of a blunt object hitting the floor rang out, and Budman stepped out from the crowd, shrugging his shoulders.
“Nobody gives a damn about your nonsense, old man.” Budman spat contemptuously, “Get lost!”
Kaldesia couldn’t help but get angry: “Budman! Is this how Wing of Death behaves, bullying a good old man?!”
“Calm down, my friends, calm down,” Aorus stepped into the middle of the crowd. “Thank you, Mr. Onowell, for your speech, and I assure you that your opinions will be considered during the meeting…”
He smiled at the old principal and made a gesture.
Onowell vanished from the spot, nowhere to be seen.
“…when Mr. Onowell finds his way back here.”
The hall erupted in laughter, and the old principal became a complete laughingstock. All of Onowell’s efforts and persuasions became utterly pale at that moment, in front of these children wielding great power, he never had any platform to speak.
He didn’t even possess superpowers.