Kapitel 13: Chapter 13 Dating! conflict!

"I see. That guy just doesn't know what he's getting into. Mess with me, and I'll show him what cruelty really means!" Mark thought calmly, devising a good plan.

To deal with bullies, you have to fight back in their way and convince them with virtues. Yes, convince them with virtues (and a gun)!

"If that doesn't work, I'll just tell my dad and your sister. They're both cops, so maybe they can help," Ollie considered, realizing they needed reinforcements since they couldn't win on their own.

Mark shook his head. Though he knew he had a sister, he hadn't seen her in ages. Since he was reborn, he hadn't been home in over a month, so there were no sentimental attachments. And Ollie's dad, Brad, was always busy, rarely coming home since he worked on the Serious Crimes Unit tracking down drug dealers.

"No, I've got a plan. It's just a little Roca; no need to worry. I've got this!" Mark reassured Ollie, fingering the gun accessories in his backpack. No matter how tough that guy was, he didn't have an assault rifle. Everyone lies down after a bullet, no matter how tough they are!

Ollie, a hefty classmate weighing over 100 pounds, relaxed at Mark's confidence and turned his attention to demolishing the oversized Big Mac burger he'd ordered. The combination of eggs, beef, bread, and secret sauces hit the spot.

That afternoon, Mark went to the teachers' office. The American-style workspace was a large shared room with several desks, resembling a corporate office for white-collar workers. He glanced around, spotting only Ms. Dana in the room. Her golden, wavy hair was tied in a lady-like bun, exposing her graceful neck and flawless skin, a sight that would turn any man's head.

"What brings you here, Mark?" Dana asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice, possibly recalling the announcement about marrying her student. While such things weren't unusual in the States, it still felt a bit odd.

"Ms. Dana, are you free tonight? I'd like to take you out for dinner," Mark asked with a disarming smile, feigning innocence to minimize any resistance from her.

"Wh-why? You should focus on your studies and be proud of getting into MIT. There's still a long road ahead!" Dana stammered, regaining her composure as she tried to redirect him back to his academic pursuits.

"It's just that MIT is a two-day drive away, and I wanted to have a meal with you before leaving. We may not get many chances to meet in the future. Can't you give me just this one evening?" Mark pleaded, sounding like they'd never meet again.

Dana hesitated but finally relented. "Alright, just dinner. Don't read too much into it."

"Great! Let's meet at Hank's Woods Restaurant on Siwei Street after school," Mark suggested, revealing the location. To him, this dinner was already a date.

"That place? It's quite expensive," Dana replied, uncertain about the costly restaurant, knowing that Mark was still a student without much money.

Mark waved her concerns away. "Don't worry, Ms. Dana. I have money—I'm actually a shareholder in Stark Industries. I got a reward recently, and a few thousand dollars is more than enough. This might be the only chance we get, so please, just come."

Ms. Dana finally nodded, suppressing her doubts but growing curious about Mark's sudden change. He had once been a shy homebody who rarely spoke, buried in books and experiments. Since his last accident, though, he'd become much more outgoing!

Back in the classroom, Mark sensed two menacing presences to his left. Without turning, he knew it was the fat bully, Roca. Mark thought to himself, "He's tough, but is he tougher than an AK-47? I doubt it!"

The afternoon passed quickly as Mark jotted down firearm improvement notes and skimmed through books on mechanical engineering. But the textbooks were too generic, lacking any practical data. When the final bell rang, a few girls invited him to hang out, typical of American youth—bold and carefree. Talking about dating at their age wasn't unusual; in fact, parents even encouraged kids to learn about contraception openly.

Suddenly, Roca approached with his sidekicks, his thick arms bulging menacingly. "Hey, Mark, you think you're pretty great, don't you? I don't think you realize how pissed I am right now."

Ollie immediately stepped forward. "Back off!"

Mark put a hand on Ollie's shoulder. "Let me handle this." Seeing his friend standing up for him was touching. A good friend would do anything to help.

"Whether you're pissed off or not doesn't matter to me, fat man. I know your dad's backing you, but do you think he'd be happy if he knew his job was on the line because of his lousy son?" Mark sneered at Roca. Once upon a time, he would have avoided this confrontation, but now, with resources, he could finally fight back.

As Captain America once said, "Stay down, fight on, and you'll always have a chance. But once you back down, you'll always make it a habit."