Chapter 4

"No need for it, thanks, Mr. Hopkins." Joshua said as he grabbed the recommendation letter, then swaggered over to me with a smirk. "William, you didn't have startup capital, and now you don't have a mentor's recommendation either. How exactly do you plan to compete with me? Or are you just waiting for a miracle to fall from the sky? Honestly, you're such a failure at life. What's even the point of you being here?" With that, Joshua and his crew strutted out of the office, leaving behind his smug words. I had no interest in engaging with him. Instead, I turned to Roger and asked, "Mr. Hopkins, you mentioned earlier that I have poor character. You heard what Joshua said to me just now. How would you judge that?" Roger barely glanced up from what he was doing, and his tone was icy. "William, if one person looks down on you, it might be their problem. But if everyone does, shouldn't you start reflecting on yourself?" He continued, "Why do you think Joshua singles you out? He doesn't treat anyone else this way. He seems to get along just fine with others." I laughed dryly. "So that's how you see it. Well, Mr. Hopkins, you certainly live up to the ripple of a teacher. I've learned a lot." Roger suddenly spun around and glared at me. "What do you mean by that? William, it's exactly because of your attitude that people find you annoying. Let me tell you—" Only an idiot would stick around and let Roger finish ranting. I walked out of the office, not bothering to listen to the clatter of whatever he was throwing in frustration behind me. On the way back, I got a message from Alan. "Mr. Wilson, I've gathered the information on Joshua. Would you like me to send it to you now? Interestingly, there's quite a connection between the two of you." A connection between us? I immediately replied to Alan's request to send it over. Finding a bench, I sat down to read, and what I saw left me completely stunned. It turned out Joshua was the one of the beneficiaries of a charitable foundation my dad had set up in my name. The foundation supported students, focusing on those with good grades and strong character and grooming them to join our family business and eventually become key figures. The ultimate goal was for these students to return to their rural communities and help boost the local economy by starting their own businesses. Joshua was one of the main beneficiaries. That was why his monthly allowance was higher than that of other students. But what neither Dad nor I could have ever imagined was that Joshua had been taking the money meant to support him, blowing it on parties and girls, and having a good time instead of focusing on his studies. I was speechless. Without hesitation, I messaged Alan. "Stop all of Dad's funding to him immediately. I'll explain everything to Dad." "Understood, sir," Alan replied. After that, I called Dad. "Hey, William! Did you run out of pocket money? No worries, business has been great this year. I'll wire you another five hundred." The "five hundred" that Dad meant was five hundred thousand dollars. Joshua overheard that exact statement at the beginning of the semester, triggering the nightmare my life had become ever since. I was speechless. "Money's not an issue, Dad. It's about Joshua. It turns out he's one of the students we've been supporting through the foundation. But his behavior's terrible, and I don't think we should keep funding him." "The foundation money's basically your allowance. If that's your decision, go ahead," Dad replied. "Thanks, Dad. By the way, I'm entering an entrepreneurship competition. I've figured out the project, but I need specialized technical help. Could you spare a couple of your team members for me?" I requested. Dad chuckled as he was clearly intrigued. "Starting a business in your first year of college? Alright, tell me about the project first. If it sounds solid, we'll take the next step." I explained the idea to Dad, and after hearing me out, he immediately sent over profiles of some of his top employees to choose from. I didn't hold back and picked three of the best. After a long day, I returned to the dorm, only to hear Johsua loudly boasting as soon as I walked in. "You guys have no idea! Lina's body is insane! I was shaking when I held her. I've never been with a girl that perfect before!" Joshua noticed me walking in, but instead of stopping, he got even more animated. "Do you know what the most shocking part is?" Joshua asked. Zack and Louis played along eagerly. "What is it? Spill!" "Yeah, don't keep us hanging, Joshua!" Zack added. Joshua smiled smugly. "The most shocking part is that Lina told me she was still a virgin." Zack gasped in disbelief. "No way! Haven't Lina and William been dating forever? Didn't they get together right when the semester started? And still, nothing happened between them?" "Maybe William just can't perform! Look at him, he always looks so drained and seems powerless!" "Lina probably doesn't even like him! I mean, with her looks, a cute face and a killer body; she's destined to be a social media star. There's no way she'd stick around with a poor guy whose family runs a fruit stand." I had already stopped caring about Lina, but they still thought using her to get under my skin was funny. I felt that they were so pathetic. I opened my laptop and continued working on my project plan. Just then, Joshua glanced over at me and casually said, "Oh, by the way, I've got something to share. I've officially secured an investment from Spring Harvest Agro-Tech. My startup's about to kick off." I froze momentarily. Spring Harvest Agro-Tech? Wasn't that Dad's company? I just spoke to Alan today about cutting off Joshua's funding. How could they possibly be investing in his startup? I looked at Joshua, speechless. The same guy who always accused me of putting on airs was clearly doing just that himself. Joshua shrugged at me. "What are you staring at? What, do you think I'm pulling strings? I can't help it! My dad is the owner of Spring Harvest Agro-Tech. I'd be a fool not to use my family's resources, right?" Zack and Louis looked at him with something close to admiration. "No way! Does your dad own Spring Harvest Agro-Tech? That's the biggest orchard company in the country!" Zack exclaimed. "Well, that explains why you're so loaded. Your family runs all those orchards!" Louis added. Meanwhile, I was speechless. Joshua was unbelievable. He'd gone and claimed John, my dad, was his dad. How could anyone behave like this? I couldn't wrap my head around it. Joshua walked over and knocked on my desk. "William, if you'd kept your head down at the beginning of the semester, I wouldn't have bothered with someone like you." "But no, you just had to show off in front of me and embarrass me in front of that senior. Now, you're getting what you deserve." The senior? A scene from the start of the semester flashed in my mind. A pretty senior helped us find our dorm. Once inside, both Joshua and I handed her a drink at the same time. Mine was more expensive, so she picked mine. After that, she was a bit nicer to me. But that was it. I looked at Joshua in shock. "So, you started all these rumors and sabotaged me, all because of a bottle of soda?" Joshua scoffed. "I just couldn't stand you showing off!" "Was it me showing off, or was it you?" I stood up, as I was tired of putting up with it. "I'm pretty sure that the owner of Spring Harvest has the last name 'White'. Are you sure he's your dad?"