Henry peeked cautiously into the office. "Can we... talk inside?" he asked. Arthur raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips curving in the faintest trace of amusement. He stepped aside. "Come in," he said casually. Without hurry, he returned to his desk, settling naturally into the chair behind. The group trailing behind Henry filed into the office. In an instant, the spacious room felt cramped, the air subtly stifling. Arthur crossed his legs lazily, his cool gaze sweeping over the crowd before him. For a fleeting moment, the scene was almost comical, like a company CEO surveying a group of subordinate employees, waiting for them to report. And in terms of presence, Henry and his group were already at a disadvantage, clearly a level lower. Yet despite so many eyes staring directly at him, Arthur remained utterly unruffled. His tone was calm, indifferent. "Well? What do you want?" That unbothered attitude shattered Henry's initial plan. He thought numbers would lend him momentum, that overwhelming Arthur with sheer presence might work. But sitting there, Arthur exuded a quiet dominance that was impossible to imitate. This was not something learned. It came from standing at the top for too long. Henry gritted his teeth and cut to the chase. "Arthur, all of us here... we're students from low-income backgrounds." He paused, glancing back at the group. As if on cue, everyone lowered their heads, feigning embarrassment. Henry continued, "We're sorry, Arthur. We really don't have any other choice." But after two sentences, he still hadn't gotten to the point. Arthur's brow creased ever so slightly. His patience was thinning. "What exactly are you trying to say?" His voice, though calm, carried the weight of authority, like a boss finally growing impatient with a dithering employee. Henry's heart skipped a beat. But remembering Finley's instructions, he forced himself to straighten his back. No more circling around."We don't have the money to continue our studies," Henry said directly. "Arthur, you're the CEO of Cloudia Corporation, and the company is publicly listed; its market value isn't small either... So we were hoping you might lend us some money, enough for living expenses and tuition for the next semester." But as he spoke, facing Arthur's sharp, oppressive gaze, even Henry found himself instinctively looking away. He was unable to meet those calm, dark eyes head-on. That gaze was suffocating. It was not loud or aggressive. On the contrary, it was because of that effortless calm that the pressure became unbearable. It felt as though Arthur was born to sit above others. That natural aura of command utterly crushed any youthful bravado the students might have had. By the time Henry finished speaking, the rest of the group had unconsciously bowed their heads, no longer daring to meet his eyes either. "Heh." A soft, mocking chuckle slipped from Arthur's lips. "Lending money?" That single, disdainful question made everyone's faces burn with embarrassment. Their heads lowered even further. Truthfully, what they had wanted to say was not 'lend. What they really wanted was for Arthur to give them money. After all, while Arthur might not be as powerful as the Tremo family, to them, he was still someone far beyond their reach. If he truly wanted to help, it would not be difficult for him at all. But staring into those cold, oppressive eyes just now, Henry had completely lost the courage to speak such shameless words. So, it became 'lending.' Though whether they would ever repay the money? Well, that was another matter entirely. In his heart, Henry had already planned it out. If the money came into their hands, who knew when, or if, it would ever be returned? But just as he was indulging in that thought, Arthur's sneer sent a chill down his spine. Facing this man's pressure, Henry faltered. Arthur's gaze swept lazily over the group. "All of you came here for the same reason?" His voice was so calm, so steady, as though asking if they had already eaten lunch. Yet in the ears of everyone present, that simple question carried crushing force. No one dared speak. No one dared look up. Seeing the hesitation, Henry grew anxious.This task had been personally assigned to him by Finley. If he failed, he would not be able to bear the consequences. The thought of Finley's methods sent another shiver down his spine. He coughed heavily. At the sound, the group of students stiffened. They knew better than anyone that standing behind Henry was Finley. Under the weight of his implied threat, the students reluctantly nodded. Watching this pitiful scene, Arthur slowly rose from his seat. He looked each person in the eye. "Why, exactly," he asked, his voice quiet yet sharp, "do you think I would lend you money?" "Because you're the Student Council President!" Henry blurted. "It's your responsibility to take care of us!" "Heh." Arthur's laugh was low, almost pitying. "Who told you that being Student Council President means I'm responsible for taking care of you?"