"Heh." Arthur almost laughed. "Your most respected sister?" "Of course!" Zac declared proudly, sneaking a glance at Julie. Arthur didn’t hesitate to fire back. "If you respect her so much, then why did you just publicly point out something that made her look bad? Why humiliate her even more?" Zac still thought he could guilt-trip Arthur like before? Arthur had long abandoned any illusions of morality when it came to them. Family? He didn’t need it. "I wasn’t—I didn’t mean—" Zac scrambled to explain, but the accusing stares of the crowd had already turned on him. Even Julie. People had already sensed something off about Zac’s words, but none of them expected him—a grown man—to resort to this kind of manipulative talk. Arthur’s blunt callout made everything crystal clear. Arthur had had enough of their harassment. Wasting time on them was nothing but a disgrace to his own life. As the tension hung thick in the air, a heavyset figure suddenly appeared at the door. "Step aside, step aside!" A round-bellied man pushed his way through the crowded doorway and stopped beside Arthur. He looked Arthur over and asked, "You’re Arthur, right?" Arthur turned to him in confusion. He had never seen this man before, but still, he answered, "Yes." The man nodded and softened his tone. "I’m the new principal. My name is Mr. Lane. Don’t be afraid. As long as you’re a student here, my staff and I will protect you." Arthur’s eyes flickered with surprise. A new principal? Detective James really worked fast. When Arthur had reported the bullying, Detective James had only mentioned reporting it to the education bureau. But in just two days, a new principal had already taken office? The previous principal had been weak and spineless. He had known about Arthur’s bullying but never dared to intervene, afraid of crossing the powerful Gray family. But this Mr. Lane… seemed different. Mr. Lane then turned to Julie, his round face suddenly serious. "Ms. Gray, this is a school—an institution for education. Please do not disrupt our students’ learning environment." Julie was just as taken aback. The school actually changed principals? Was it because of Arthur? Could it be that the rumors were true—that Zac really had bullied Arthur? Otherwise, why would the previous principal, who had been in office since her school days, suddenly be dismissed? As the Gray family’s eldest daughter, she had received plenty of preferential treatment back then. Now, she couldn’t help but feel suspicious. Still, she knew better than to cause more trouble. She put on a polite smile. "Apologies, Mr. Lane. I’ll be leaving now." Zac, flustered, still wanted to say something, but with Julie backing off, he had no choice but to bite his tongue. Before she left, Julie lowered her voice and said to Arthur, "I’ll come find you tonight." Arthur ignored her. Julie could only leave in awkward silence. The moment she was gone, Mr. Lane turned to the remaining students still holding up their phones. "What do you all think you’re doing? This is a school—a place for learning, not your personal livestream studio!" The students hurriedly put their phones away. The crowd outside the classroom quickly dispersed. Tia bit her lip but didn’t dare linger any longer. She slipped out of the room in silence. Just then, the class bell rang.At the same time, a white-clad figure strode into the room, making her way directly to the podium. No one had seen her before, but her composed, elegant presence commanded immediate respect. Seizing the moment, Mr. Lane stepped up beside her. "Good morning, students! I am the new principal of this school. I’m Jacob Lane, but you can call me Mr. Lane." A wave of applause erupted in the classroom. Regardless of their personal thoughts, it was best to clap first and ask questions later. Mr. Lane gestured for silence before introducing the woman beside him. "This is your new homeroom teacher, Ruby York. You may call her Ms. Ruby." The second he finished speaking, the applause grew even louder. A new homeroom teacher?! Their previous teacher had been a rigid old man, obsessed with grades and a complete suck-up to wealthy families. Rumors had already spread that he had been fired, his teaching credentials revoked for life. And everyone knew why. It had to be because of Arthur’s long-term bullying. That old man had known about it—but to curry favor with Zac, he had turned a blind eye. Now, karma had finally caught up to him.