CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 120: THE START OF DEBATE 1

"Dear students, are you in the wrong section?" Olivia Mendoza asked as she stood there, visibly confused.

Jeff’s face twitched. Even his teacher could not recognize him.

"Did the system actually perform plastic surgery? Why can’t even my teacher tell it’s me?" he wondered.

"Umm, teacher, it’s me. Jeff, your student," he said with a small cough, raising his hand slightly.

Hearing his response, even Ms. Olivia Mendoza was stunned by the sudden transformation.

Her wide eyes and open mouth said it all. Some of the classmates burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the scene unfolding in front of them.

"What? You’re that student? When did you have plastic surgery!" she shouted in disbelief.

"Plastic surgery again? Can’t you people just call it a glow up?" Jeff growled silently in his mind.

"No, teacher. I haven’t," he replied calmly.

Olivia took a moment to process everything before finally calming down.

She nodded at Jeff’s response and moved on, beginning the lesson as usual.

As time passed, more and more classmates arrived, most of them late.

Each subject teacher came and gave their lessons, all focused on the key points for the upcoming exams.

Once all the lessons were done, it was finally the moment the boys had been waiting for.

With the rows of seats now split, the boys huddled together on one side.

Jeff was among them, along with Arven, Michael, Jian, and even Andre.

Andre sat quietly, cursing inwardly. Since he had nothing to argue about the upcoming battle and had no sharp remarks to throw.

"So, have you guys already finished your parts of the speech?" Arven asked, resting his printed paper casually on the student desk.

"Yep, I’m already done. What about you guys?" Jeff asked, glancing at the others.

"Done as well," Michael and Jian replied in unison.

Jeff and Arven had struggled to recruit those two. At first, Michael and Jian were hesitant, repeatedly saying they were not capable of handling the pressure.

But after plenty of persuasion and assurance, they finally gave in, which led to the current setup.

"Hey, can we really win?" Ryan asked, his voice low with uncertainty.

"Since twenty points is no joke."

Imagine not studying at all and only scoring 3 points on the exam, while the passing grade is 20 or higher.

But thanks to the plus 20 from winning the debate, you still pass.

That was the power of this opportunity, with less time to be buried in books and more time to play COD.

"Of course we can," Andre said confidently, his voice full of arrogance.

Seeing his sudden rise in energy, the rest of the group turned to him.

"Then did you prepare your part to say?" Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn’t," Andre replied without hesitation.

All of them went silent, unsure of what to do with Andre.

But since they were already in this situation, they could only continue.

Even if they lost, both Arven and Jeff were not too worried. They could still secure high scores on their own. But for them, this was no longer just about grades.

It was about pride.

They had to win. Because in their minds, the boys needed to prove themselves and show they were stronger, more dominant than the girls.

"Then we’re already doomed from the very start, I guess," Arven said with a heavy sigh.

"Then what should I do?" Andre asked, scratching the back of his head.

"You really are dumb. Haven’t we already told you to at least research a little? What have you been doing these past few days?" Jeff asked, clearly annoyed.

He had been reminding everyone in the group chat to prepare.

Being questioned now, Andre could not help but recall all the girls he had been with over the past few days.

And just like that, he remembered why he had forgotten this important thing.

"Studying," Andre replied with a straight face as he casually whistled.

Seeing him lie so blatantly, the others could not help but snicker one by one.

If he was going to lie, he could at least make it more believable.

Meanwhile, on the girls’ side, their conversation was much smoother and far more organized than the chaotic boys’ group.

"So, have all of you prepared your parts of the speech?" Celeste asked calmly, her eyes scanning each of them.

"Yes," the four girls answered in unison.

On the girls’ side, the team consisted of Celeste, Tala, Arianna, Kim, and Lyra.

Kim was Ryan’s girlfriend, and while she was known to be pretty sharp when it came to casual arguments, a structured debate that required facts and strong points was a different battlefield.

No one was certain if she could handle it.

Celeste nodded slowly, her eyes drifting toward the boys’ group.

She watched as they bickered and played with each other more than preparing.

Seeing the lack of coordination, she could not help but purse her lips slightly.

In her mind, the victory already looked secure.

"They’re so loud. Looks like their leader, Andre, didn’t even do his research for his speech," Tala said, shaking her head.

"What do you expect from him? Once a brainless guy, always a brainless guy," Celeste replied coldly, her voice sharp like a knife.

The others glanced at each other, not surprised by how harsh her words were.

But no one spoke up to refute it, because at this moment, Andre really was acting dumb and careless.

Besides, arguing over it now would only ruin their team’s momentum.

"You’re right, their leader is useless and will be easy to bully later. But Jeff and Arven will be the tough ones. Especially Jeff since he’s really good at memorizing. He must have a lot of information in his head right now," Lyra voiced her thoughts.

"You’re right about that," Kim added.

"Arven and Jeff are definitely the hardest opponents in this battle. Michael and Jian are decent too, so we still need to be prepared for those two as well."

Celeste remained quiet, not arguing or brushing it off. She was also cautious about those two especially Jeff, who had been in the spotlight for some time now.

She knew better than to underestimate him.

Acting arrogant at this moment would only lead her to defeat.

Even though Celeste was good at belittling others, it did not mean she was so blinded by arrogance that she underestimated real threats.

"Who do you think will be the second speaker after the leader delivers their part of the speech?" Lyra asked, curious.

"Hmm, I don’t know either," Tala replied.

"So that’s why, no matter who our opponent is, let’s make sure to destroy them with everything we’ve got." She smiled filled with figthing spirits, her two dimples showing.

Arianna remained quiet, her focus locked entirely on Jeff from across the room.

She could not wait and silently hoped that luck would match her up against him.

She wanted to challenge him directly and measure just how wide the gap between them truly was.

She had always been a competitive person. Winning this debate would not only boost her self-esteem, it would also reignite her spirit.

Ever since she was young, whenever she found someone strong, she would do whatever it took to win. No matter what.

While the boys on the other side were busy brainstorming, they focused on creating a proper script for Andre.

As the team leader, he was expected to be the first to speak, introducing the members, stating their position, and laying a solid foundation for the rest of the debate.

It took a lot of time and effort, but they managed to piece it together. Just as they were finishing, teacher Annie entered the room.

Standing at the door, she paused for a moment. Seeing the lively energy and determination in the room, she could not help but smile.

She looked forward to the upcoming battle. Her heels echoed with sharp, confident steps, and the sound quickly caught the attention of everyone present.

"All of you seem to be in heat right now. This makes the battle more exciting, don’t you guys think?"

She said with a smile, clapping her hands together to gather everyone’s attention even more.

The boys responded with a loud cheer, their energy surging through the room, while the girls clapped with interest to show their enthusiasm as well.

Teacher Annie nodded with approval, pleased by the atmosphere, then continued speaking.

"Alright then, before we begin, there’s one more rule,"

Teacher Annie announced, "Each team can have its own research group, made up of five people. They can write scripts, do research, and pass written notes to the debater during the battle to support them."

"Remember, you cannot speak. The only way to communicate is by writing it on paper and handing it to the debater. After that, the rest is up to the debater to handle on their own. For how helpful and organized your support is will also affect your individual grade."

"Also, a debater is not allowed to help another debater once their turn is done. That part will be handled entirely by the researcher assigned to them. Now then, let’s begin." She finished with an excited tone, signaling the start of the match.

...

1st: Special thanks to ’Essos👑’ – the GOAT of the month, for both the rewarding gifts and golden tickets! Much love, brotha!

2nd: Big thanks to ’Pat_funding👑’ for the unwavering support since the very start of my journey and for the golden tickets and gifts!

3rd: Special shoutout to ’Devon1234👑’ – The same GOAT of this month, for all the amazing gifts! You’re absolutely RAD!