"Oh? Is that so? Maris, was it? Are you threatening me with your dad's power?" Arthur stood leisurely amidst the fallen bodies, his composed demeanor forming a stark contrast to the others' disheveled state. "You—!" Maris was once again infuriated by his infuriating attitude. "Your dad works for the city government, doesn’t he? From what I know, public officials are particularly concerned about their integrity. As his son, you're organizing people to beat me up here and even threatening that I won’t be able to leave Seacity. I wonder... how that might affect your dad’s reputation?" "You—!" Maris's anger faltered for a moment. Of course, it would have an impact. His dad had warned him more than once not to misuse his name outside, as it could jeopardize his future. If he hadn't been so enraged just now, he wouldn't have lashed out in front of so many people. Megan, however, had no such concerns. Arthur’s words had nearly driven her insane with rage. She screamed hysterically, "Arthur! Who the heck is beating up who?" Pointing at Arthur, she shouted, "Open your damn eyes and take a look! Mr. Maris and his friends have been beaten to a pulp by you! And you’re standing here without a scratch, yet you have the nerve to claim they were the ones attacking you?" Arthur spread his hands innocently. "There are so many witnesses here. He was the one who made the first move, and his people were the ones who ganged up on me. I was just defending myself. Or are you saying that because he’s the son of a city official and I’m just a regular citizen, I should stand there and take the beating without fighting back?" Hearing this, Maris was startled once again. He quickly grabbed Megan, signaling her to stop talking. This bastard is setting me up! Maris now realized that Arthur was not someone to be underestimated. He hadn't attacked them out of sheer impulsiveness—his father’s political career was his Achilles’ heel! With so many people watching, if word got out that he had deliberately attacked Arthur while abusing his status, his father wouldn’t let him off easily! Right now, Maris' father was in the middle of a crucial promotion battle. He couldn’t afford any missteps. If action had to be taken, it would have to be in the dark. As soon as Arthur finished speaking, whispers began to spread through the crowd. "Mr. Maris has been throwing his weight around for ages, but people are too afraid of his background to say anything. This kid, though—he’s not backing down. Looks like Maris finally ran into someone he can't bully." "It’s true that Mr. Maris and Ms. Megan were the ones who started the trouble. Maris threw the first punch. Even though he’s the one injured now, it doesn’t change the fact that he provoked the fight." "Megan just got famous recently. If this incident blows up, her public image will take a hit." "Mr. Kendrick values his reputation above all else. If he hears about this, Mr. Maris is in for a rough time." "You really think Mr. Maris is going to let this kid off the hook?" "Ha! No way. You know what kind of person he is." "Maris and Megan have been throwing their weight around for a long time. Maybe it’s about time they got what’s coming to them." "Shh! Be careful—they might hear you!" "This kid is something else. Look at how calm he is, like he’s not afraid of anything." "Or maybe he’s just a reckless idiot." The murmurs rose and fell, but many people had already started to see Arthur in a different light. They suddenly realized that Arthur wasn’t as simple as he seemed. Despite knowing Maris and Megan’s backgrounds, he still dared to go up against them. And even after injuring Maris and breaking his hand, he remained completely unfazed. Everyone here at the auction was either rich or powerful. The people Maris brought were all from wealthy families. And yet, Arthur had beaten them to a pulp without the slightest hint of fear. That kind of composure was not normal for a teenager. A boy his age, after breaking someone’s hand, should have at least shown some shock or fear. Listening to the murmurs, Megan, who had always been proud and arrogant, couldn’t hold back anymore. Unlike Maris, she didn’t think things through. She simply couldn’t swallow this humiliation! There were so many people here—surely Arthur wouldn’t dare hit a girl! Ignoring Maris’ attempts to stop her, she glared at Arthur viciously and spat, "You little punk, do you even know whose territory you’re standing on? If you dare lay a hand on them today, don’t even think about walking out of Seacity alive!"Maris closed his eyes in frustration. For the first time, he fully grasped just how idiotic Megan was. Even the crowd understood the situation, yet she was still blindly running her mouth, dragging him into even bigger trouble. Is she trying to get him killed?