Mr. Atticus beamed, "This time, our medical delegation had the pleasure of visiting the University of Maple Grove and experiencing the grace of its students firsthand. As the premier institution in Austenberg, it truly stands out."


    Mr. Richard and Jules remained silent. It would be a rare day indeed to hear Mr. Atticus offer genuine praise.


    Sure enough, Mr. Atticus continued, "The group I''ve brought along are our organization''s underachievers, always ranking at the bottom. They rarely get the chance to spar with others. Now, with the opportunity to face equally matched opponents at the University of Maple Grove, why not have a friendlypetition with your medical students?"


    He smiled at Mr. Richard, "What do you think, Mr. Richard?"


    What did he think? He wanted to kick him out!


    It was clear Mr. Atticus had ulterior motives. Mr. Richard scoffed internally. iming his group was the bottom of the barrel but then suggesting they were on par with Maple Grove''s students? It was a thinly veiled insult.


    "We don''t need apetition," Mr. Richard replied coldly. "Your delegation has traveled far, and for us topete on our own turf, even if we win, it wouldn''t be something to boast about."


    "Ah, don''t worry about that. It''s just a friendly exchange," Mr. Atticusughed, adding with a teasing tone, "If Mr. Richard refuses, I might start to think the University of Maple Grove is afraid." He was pushing hard, insisting on apetition. Mr. Richard''s brows knitted together as he held back his anger.


    Jules, who had been silent until now, chuckled, "Our students at Maple Grove are very busy. If just anyone could challenge them, wouldn''t that wear them out?"


    He lifted his chin, "Right, Mr. Atticus?"


    Mr. Atticus''s face darkened, about to retort, when Jules interjected, "Apetition could be good, actually. Our students have been working hard; a little fun might help them rx."


    The smile vanished from Mr. Atticus''s face, reced by a grim expression as he red at Jules.


    Ha. Slick talking won''t save you, he thought. He wanted to see if Jules could keep that attitude after Maple Grove was thoroughly defeated. He was determined to crush them this time making up for the


    embarrassment he had caused the medical organization before.


    Jules watched Mr. Atticus''s triumphant demeanor with a cold smirk. If this were the past, Maple Grove might have faced certain defeat. But with Flora on their side now their opponents might as well wait for their next life to win.


    We''ll see who''s crying in the end, Jules thought.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    "Let''s set the date for ten days from now," Mr. Atticus said quickly, fearing Jules might change his mind. He nned to invite all media for a live broadcast, letting the whole world witness the medical organization''s prowess.


    Once Mr. Atticus left, Mr. Richard''s


    face fell. The medical organization hade prepared and looked


    formidable; the University of Mapte Grove might not stand a chance. They feared they would be


    ΛΟ


    humiliated in front of the entire world.


    The University of Maple Grove represented Austenberg''s overall medical prowess. A loss wouldn''t just be their disgrace; it would tarnish all of Austenberg.


    "Don''t worry," Jules patted his shoulder, "We''re going to win this one."


    So confident? Mr. Richard couldn''t help but take a closer look at him, "Do you have an ace up your sleeve?"


    Jules smiled knowingly, "This ace is someone you know well, Flora. With Flora on our side, we won''t lose."