Chapter 12:

"Good morning Sir", Ace smiled and shook hands with the stern man staring back at him, he researched him and found out he was in his late forties, but he most definitely did not look that age, he was fit, showing he maintained a regular training schedule, and the close-cropped black hair barely had any streaks of grey in it. Ace had found out that the man had been in the Navy most of his life, graduating with a business degree while on leave, after disaster struck in his squad, he seemed to always be doing something to better himself, and his office was an extension of that, he had various completed puzzles displayed across the walls, but apart of that and a bookcase that was mostly filled with books on military tactics, there was nothing much. It was sparse but spoke greatly of the man that owned the office, he believed business to be just like war, and was still deeply in love with the army, Ace wondered what made him leave, it seemed strange, that a man like him would choose to be the Headmaster of a school full of bratty kids.

"Goodmorning mister Goldsign, Mrs Goldsign.", he looked at both of them, a trace of respect clear when looking at his grandmother, he probably appreciated her way of doing business, Ace surmised. "It is my understanding that you wish fro Ace to bee accepted into the Institute.", he paused, as if waiting for them to nod, yet both Ace and his grandmother stood still, no change to their calm stares and practised smiles. "Yes, hmmm… I understand your position but I am unable to allow Ace into the school with his lack of previous school records, nevertheless, I can recommend you a tutor that could…."

"Enough", his grandmother said, cutting short his speech, most definitely prepared beforehand, "I understand you like doing things by the rules, and I appreciate that, however, I assure you, that Ace would not come here on my heed if he was going to make a mock of himself, and about his previous records, the mere fact that you think you would be able to access them baffles me.", that was a bluff, Ace had never gone to school a day in his life, but by combining preexistent fear with renewed shock, his grandmother was able to weave a convincing lie that scared the Headmaster shitless.

"Yes, I am sorry, I meant no disrespect, I assume then that you have a way to prove his ability?", the headmaster asked his voice not wavering, as if to prove he was not scared, nevertheless, his pale face and oscillating pupils said otherwise.

"Of course, simply ask Leilah, a senior in Class A, I believe, how Ace did in his tests, I assure you, she will convince you.", his grandmother stared him, as challenging him to say otherwise

"Yes, yes. Of course, if there is anything that you need, do not hesitate to contact me."

"Yes of course, and Mr Elvis, do not mistake my grandson's silence for lack of ability, I am sure he will surprise you, he took even me by surprise.", with that, she headed out, not looking once to see if Ace was following her, sure he was.

"Thanks Samantha, that was nice of you."

"It's fine, you know you deserve it, and it's not like you will prove me wrong…", the last part sounded more like a threat than an assurance but Ace took it in stride, knowing it was her way of putting trust in him, teaching him to be responsible for his own actions.

They then had the chauffeur drive them to a restaurant, it was a large place, that had more waiters than clients, and as soon as they saw the car plate, two men and a women came out to greet them. One of the men was a valet, who took the keys after opening the door for them and drove the car expertly into the parking zone. Then, the woman smiled at Samantha, "Good morning madam, I hope you have had a successful day", "Good enough I suppose.", his grandmother smiled at the woman. The woman smiled back and said, "The head chef will recommend you the dishes for today, and I will go set up your table."

The chef smiled, happy with himself for some reason or another, "As the madam has said before, I have some fresh molluscs and crustaceans ready for you, any specifics madam?".

"No, whatever you make I am sure it will be wonderful.", Samantha smiled at him, pleased with his actions.

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They had an uneventful lunch, the food was as good as expected, and the manager attempted to free them of the check, even if his grandmother was having none of it.

Ace was dropped off home and his grandmother went back to the office to ensure everything was running smoothly. Ace sat in front of his laptop, reading through articles that reviewed the best streaming sites. He had been playing CSGO for some time now and he believed he was good enough to begin streaming, he had read a few guides on how to start up and he believed it was simple enough, as long as you had a computer good enough to handle the game and the streaming process. He had already created an account and all he had to do now was find a good time when he could begin streaming…

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"How was he, Johnson?"

"His grandmother seemed deadset on having him join the school, there was nothing much I could do, apart from having her use one of her Sponsored, even if it was one we knew she already had."

"Hmmm, that is quite interesting, I wonder what the reason was for her to insist on him joining the Institute, she should now better than that, unless…. Are you sure he was afflicted with chronic pain and only recently recovered?"

"Yes sir, only about less than three months had passed, while he was above average, it was our understanding that he was nothing too impressive, in fact, the kid seemed only interested in reading psychology books, from what we found in his search history and logs."

"Psychology? That seems odd for a kid his age to be so interested in a subject that is not girls or those games they play. Do we know why?"

"No sir, however, our specialists suggested that it could be that he was looking for a way to reduce the pain he felt, psychologically anyway."

"Ok, keep int ouch and watch the boy, try and find anything weird about him."

"Yes sir, I will do that, have a good day.", with that, Johnson bowed and left the room...