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Chapter 3: Ace Butchers

"Jules Meyers is my name, but you can call me Professor Meyers." The new professor instructed, after he mounted the high podium.

He faced his audience with a tight smile, a deep penetrating gaze, and had his hands clasped behind his back. He was a lean man with an average height and looked as though he was in his mid to late thirties. His hair was as black as kohl, the same colour of eyes he fixed on his students.

Unlike the others, Livingstone was the least intimidated by him. He had stumbled across the paths of high ranking officials who shared the same arrogance as Professor Meyers on several occasions. His cold aura was nothing new to him.

"As your new Governance and Policy lecturer for this semester, I expect nothing but the best from you all," Professor Meyers stated in a flat tone. An underlying hint of boredom laced his voice.

"Now, before the end of this semester, I will be granting one of you the privilege of lecturing alongside me as my teaching assistant," he paused, watching the audience that sat below him for any signs of enthusiasm. He continued when he found none. "Of course!" he raised his voice above an octave. "It would all depend on your continuous assessment for the semester, so I would urge you all to make hay whilst your suns are still shining."

Averting his gaze from them, he turned his attention to the device wrapped around his wrist. Eyes followed the movements of his index finger on the techno watch. It didn't take long for the full projection of his slide to pop up afterwards.

"Today, under Governance, we are going to delve into the four Units...which, was initially five but sadly... now down to four," he begun, showing little to no signs of emotions whatsoever. On the other side of the coin, the attentive nature of his students gave off the indication that they were ever ready to start the lesson with him.

"For starters, I will be stressing on who the various Head Ministers in charge of each Unit are, the main occupations found in such Units and of course the general policies governing them," he elaborated, "so, who's ready to begin with me!" He clapped his hands briefly as his baritone voice broke through the silence.

Livingstone lifted his wrist to his focus, keyed in his access code on his ontel, and gained entry seconds later. Tapping on the record button next, he slouched against his seat leisurely. His intention from the beginning was to simply upload all recordings from today's lectures and file them up together on his iMac as soon as he arrived home.

Distracting himself for a minute or two by looking out through the thin window which was stationed at the left side of the lecture hall, he felt the heat of a stare on him and locked eyes with piercing hazel ones. He complied to the first suggestion that crossed his mind, and that was to stare back. Suddenly feeling self-conscious of the heat of his eyes on her, the female quickly diverted her attention elsewhere. However, the cherry colour evident on her left cheek did not go unnoticed by him after she made a failed attempt at covering that side of her face with her short voluminous auburn hair.

Taking what happened as a mere coincidence, Livingstone shrugged and peered at the man who stood atop the podium.

"So, I would begin by touching on the first Unit to have been merged from countries in East Africa, South Asia and North America. I'm certain that I don't need to stress much on it because everyone here knows the Unit I'm referring to. I'm talking about the Unit we currently find ourselves in: the Central Unit," Professor Meyers proclaimed with an infectious wide grin. There was a subtle hint of pride underneath his tone as he spoke.

He went on with the lecture with the same demeanour as if he didn't just display his full set of teeth on show.

"Head Minister, Wynn Quixote is the head, leader, or as some would say, president of this Unit, but of course; he doesn't work alone. He works with other very competent individuals who are members of his Board." He continued when he was met with silence from their eand. "Every three years, civilians from the various districts in the Unit have the right to vote a Head Minister into or out of office. However, in the case of Head Minister Quixote, he has been voted into power on three consecutive occasions. This is what happens when people love and appreciate your influence."

He paused for a minute and changed the projected slide to another with his device.

"As we all know, the main occupation of most civilians, if not all in this Unit is with everything related to health, medicine, and chemistry. The more reason why we are called the Central Unit amongst all the other three. However, civilians who are well endowed with research are the only individuals from the Unit who have the permit to work in the Capital. All other professions work within the walls of the Unit. So, if you have it in your checklist to work in the Capital, then I suggest you start doing your homework very well," he stated with a tightknit voice as his lips quirked upward to form an eerie forced smile.

A couple of intimidated students swallowed their saliva the moment his words and unsubtle demeanour registered in their minds.

For being a member of the Board of Academia, he was clearly implying that if it was the ultimate wish of any of his students to work in the capital someday, then they had to level up their academics first.

"Moving on to the second Unit to have been merged from the continent of Australia, countries in Central Africa, and Western Europe, we have the Equinox Unit. This Unit is led by Head Minister, Ileane Bolts, and is technically the only Unit to have ever been led by a woman, and is still being led by one," he announced, moving a pointer to the prude, yet exquisite woman who graced the wide screen with her image and tight smile.

"The main occupation of civilians in her Unit has to do with mining," he said, then threw a glance at his audience.

Folding his arms against his torso, he continued. "For your information, all the minerals you've laid your eyes on are mined and processed before they are exported out of this Unit to the Northern Unit. The minerals are then refined and melted into the accessories and pieces of jewelry you all purchase once they are imported here," he disclosed, "however, on the part of—"

"Sir." A bold voice laced with an air of smugness cut in. Everyone began to turn around in search of who it belonged to. The evident scowl etched on Professor Meyers' face did not escape the eyes of many.

The source of the voice belonged to a spiky-haired guy. His hair was as white as snow, and a smirk marred his boyishly handsome face. Clearing his throat in an irritating fashion, he voiced. "What about the policies governing these Units?"

"And you are?" asked Professor Meyers.

With a quirked eyebrow, he clasped his hands in front of him and he took a step forward.

He could have saved them some time by catching the name of the guy on his device, but he chose to dismiss that option instead, since he wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth.

"Ace Butchers, sir," the guy answered.

"Alright, Ace Butchers. Which district are you from?" Professor Meyers inquired after drawling his name. The atmosphere slowly began to transpire into an uncomfortable one, as tension seeped through it.

"District B6, sir," Ace replied, and soon adjusted himself in his seat when he started having a bad feeling about where his questions were heading.

"So, tell me, Ace Butchers from District B6," Professor Meyers used the same monotonous voice he used from the beginning of his lecture to address him. "What do you think are the policies governing the two Units I touched on earlier?"

Professor Meyers smirked for the first time. It wasn't a good kind of smirk. It was a smirk which screamed, "you just got yourself into trouble."

He walked down the podium slowly, yet cautiously, and began to take up the steps in Ace's direction. A couple of students fidgeted in their seats, when he walked past them.

What is this? A movie? Livingstone fought the urge to roll his eyes.

Professor Meyers continued speaking with his eyes trained on Ace. "Because if you ask me, it seems you already have an idea about these policies, and you just can't wait to share it with your mates here. Hence, you even see the need to interrupt the class during an on-going lecture. Unless, you're practically now deaf and blind. Deaf, for not knowing that it isn't yet time to ask questions, until I give the go-ahead — and blind, for not realizing that not only am I still standing here, but I'm also still talking," he said in a loud cutthroat voice. "So, tell me, Ace Butchers from District B6, which do you prefer?" he stood by him now. "Would you prefer that I continue this lecture without any further interruptions from your end, or would you rather prefer to share with us your knowledge on the policies governing the two Units I touched on earlier? Because trust me, any of the two options would be fine with me."

Professor Meyers' face hardened.

"I prefer the former. My apologies, sir," Ace uttered in an apologetic voice.

He avoided Professor Meyers' gaze the entire time, and that was how Professor Meyers went on with his lectures without any further interruptions whatsoever from anyone.