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Novel Catalog
Chapter 67
Nicole didn’t care about the murmurs and stares from her classmates as she calmly addressed Austin.
“You’ve seen it too.
I can handle this situation by myself, so I don’t need to be your boss.
Don’t come to me again.”
The entire class went silent in shock.
Everyone knew that Nicole was the only one who could speak to Austin in such a manner without facing his wrath.
Everyone expected Austin to be angry, but to their surprise, he simply laughed and scratched his head.
“How could you say that, Boss? Once I choose my boss, it’s forever.
You’ll always be my boss no matter what!” His followers nodded in agreement, eagerly expressing their wish to have Nicole as their boss.
At first, Austin had only approached Nicole because he thought she was pretty.
Then, he had wanted her to be his boss because his father insisted.
However, over time, Austin had come to admire Nicole genuinely.
Word had spread about her reputation after a fight where she had taken down ten people single-handedly.
Her strength was legendary, and Austin had come to realize there was no downside to having someone like her as his boss.
Nicole could see that Austin wasn’t joking, and his words seemed sincere.
She sighed, thinking for a moment before speaking.
“I’ll be your boss, but I have one condition.
I’m not sure if you’ll accept it.”
The class stared at her in disbelief.
Everyone had expected Nicole to either reject Austin or accept him without any further conditions.
But this? This was something else entirely.
Austin’s eyes lit up as he eagerly replied, “Of course, Boss! Whatever your condition is, I’ll accept it! Just say it, and I’ll do it!”
Nicole met his gaze and then, with a calm, almost indifferent tone, stated, “I want you and your followers to get into the top 20 for this month’s exam.”
The entire room fell silent.
The air grew heavy, and the students struggled to contain their laughter.
Austin’s crew had always been known for their poor academic performance.
Top 20? It seemed completely impossible for them.
Some of the students, particularly those like Vivian who consistently placed in the top 10, rolled their eyes at the audacity of the request.
To them, it was nothing short of an insult to those who truly belonged in the top ranks.
Gary, who was standing behind Nicole, couldn’t help but feel a bit bewildered.
‘Top 20? That’s insane!’ He thought, his confusion clear on his face.
Everyone expected Austin to storm off, rejecting such an absurd request.
But to their surprise, Austin’s expression became more serious as he leaned toward Nicole and quietly said, “Boss, could we change the condition? We’ve always been at the bottom of the rankings.
It’s really hard for us to break into the top 20.
We’re not the type to study hard…”
Nicole’s expression didn’t change.
She looked at him flatly and replied, “This is the condition, and it won’t change.
If you can’t accept it, then forget about it.”
Austin could see she wasn’t joking.
He let out a deep sigh, clearly not wanting to back out of the deal.
After a few seconds, he pulled a long face and said, “Alright, alright! I promise you, Boss.
If we make it to the top 20 for the next exam, you’ll be our boss, deal?”
Nicole looked at him for a long moment, her gaze unwavering.
Finally, she nodded once, her voice cold yet reassuring.
“Deal.”
Austin’s followers, who had been anxiously waiting for the exchange to end, let out a collective sigh of relief.
They had been dreading the possibility of their leader losing this deal with Nicole.
Austin, though, seemed to be in a daze for a moment, his eyes fixed on Nicole as if he was absorbing the impact of her words.
The look in Nicole’s eyes when she agreed to the deal, as cold and calculating as it was, made him feel something he hadn’t anticipated—an admiration he hadn’t expected to develop.
Nicole’s calm demeanor and gentle agreement had thrown him off balance.
He had never expected her to actually agree to become his boss under such a condition.
“I have to study hard now,” Austin muttered to himself, his voice filled with newfound determination.
“If I want her to be my boss, I have to show her I’m worthy.”
Behind them, Gary clenched his fists in frustration.
He had always prided himself on being one of the top students, and now seeing Austin, who was notorious for being a troublemaker, making a deal with Nicole, made him feel slighted.
Why was she being so kind to him? What made Austin so special? He couldn’t help but feel a flare of jealousy rise within him.
“I’ll show her that I’m better than Austin,” he thought bitterly, the spark of competition igniting in his chest.
Nicole, who had already started turning back to her seat, noticed the tension in Gary’s posture but chose not to address it.
She wasn’t interested in petty rivalries, but she could see that Gary’s pride had been hurt.
It was a pity he couldn’t see the bigger picture like Austin had.
Nicole was interested in results, not popularity.
As the class resumed, the students continued to gossip about what had just happened.
Austin’s promise to get into the top 20 seemed almost impossible, and many were eager to see how he would try to meet such a challenge.
Some whispered that it was just a bluff, while others wondered if Nicole had truly pushed Austin into a corner.
Either way, the next exam was going to be interesting.
Meanwhile, Austin’s followers were already beginning to feel the weight of the challenge.
They had always relied on their strength to get by, but now they would have to rely on their brains.
No matter how much they dreaded studying, they couldn’t back out.
They had promised Nicole, and they knew they had to follow through.
They couldn’t afford to disappoint her, not when their reputation as her subordinates was on the line.
As Austin and his gang left, Nicole looked after them thoughtfully.
She didn’t believe in impossible tasks, but she also knew that if they wanted to earn their place in the top 20, they would have to fight for it.
And that was something Austin and his followers didn’t know how to do yet.
Nicole wasn’t going to make it easy for them, but she was willing to give them the chance to prove themselves.
As the day came to a close, Nicole felt a sense of unease.
She had dealt with Austin, but there was something off about the entire situation.
She knew someone had been pulling the strings behind the scenes, trying to manipulate events to get under her skin.
Who was it? And what did they want? Nicole had no intention of being anyone’s pawn, and she would find out soon enough who was trying to mess with her.
But for now, she had a deal to fulfill, and she was curious to see if Austin and his followers could live up to their promises.
Gary, on the other hand, had no intention of letting Nicole’s favor fall on someone else.
He was determined to prove his worth and show Nicole he could be just as capable.
The quiet rivalry that had begun to form between him and Austin was only just starting.