Chapter 45 I Will Never Worship Anyone Finished Besides , the warehouse was only rented for seven days . After that , they would have to return it to the owner , and not just return it , but clean it thoroughly before handing it back . Inside , Joshua held a hose and carefully sprayed water over the bananas stacked high in the warehouse . He was worried the bananas might get too hot and ripen prematurely . If one ripened too soon , the others . would quickly follow , leading to devastating losses for them . Joshua ! Bananas are going up in price ! Theyre selling at 0.21 per 500 grams now ! Tom came rushing into the warehouse , his face alight with excitement as he shouted the news . Joshua glanced back at him . Arent you supposed to be in class ? What are you doing here ? Come on . How could I just sit through class at a time like this ? Tom grinned sheepishly . As soon as I realized I was free , I ran over to check things out ! His eyes sparkled as he took in the sight of the warehouse full of bananas . There were over 20,000 grams of bananas here , representing an investment of dollars . They were banking on the price rising so they could sell at double that amount , turning their initial investment into 40,000 dollars , which would be a significant profit . Joshua chuckled . 0.21 per 500 grams isnt the ceiling yet . Prices might go up to 0.28 , maybe even 0.35 . Do you think it could hit 0.42 per 500 grams ? Edith asked eagerly , his voice full of anticipation . Joshua shook his head , staying realistic . Getting to 0.35 would already be fantastic . The retail price is only 0.42 per 500 , after all . Plus , we need to sell these as soon as possible . Bananas cant be stored for too long . If we wait too long , theyll spoil . Even 0.35 per 500 grams would be great ! Tom exclaimed , his excitement bubbling over as he joined Joshua , taking another hose to help spray water over the bananas . The bananas needed to be watered every other day to keep them from ripening too quickly . Before long , Gwen and Edith arrived as well . Over the past few days , they had all been staying in this warehouse , unwilling to leave . Everything they owned that could bring fortune was stored here . Though the warehouse was far from comfortable , plagued with mosquitoes and lit by dim , flickering lamps , the four of them endured it without complaint . Sitting together to work on their assignments , it almost felt like they had returned to the days back at the orphanage . The simplicity of it brought an unexpected warmth . Gwen and Edith even took the time to prepare a proper meal . They managed to cook six dishes , and the four of them gathered around to eat . They had depended on each other for a very long time . Having grown up as orphans , they deeply understood the value of this bond , which was why none of them chose to leave . In a past life , after Joshua passed away , Tom , Gwen , and Edith continued to visit his grave regularly . The 1/3 3:20 am Chapter 45 I Will Never Worship Anyone Finished three of them had become like siblings , and they supported each other through thick and thin , offering encouragement and comfort . Even as they eventually built their own families and careers , they never drifted apart . Their relationship remained pure and untainted by ulterior motives . Joshua sighed as he watched Gwen and Edith scribbling away at their assignments with determined focus . From this moment on , he thought bitterly , I will never admire anyone again . I will never worship anyone ! He scoffed inwardly , his expression darkening . Its just a pretty face , nothing more . Who knows if it hides a heart as cold and cruel as a beast ? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts , he chose to drop the matter . He opened his own textbook and buried himself in his assignments . The next couple of days passed in a blur . Joshua rarely showed up for classes anymore . On the days he did attend , it was usually just for the morning lessons before he requested leave for the afternoon . It didnt take long for his frequent absences to catch the attention of Agnes , his homeroom teacher . Concerned , she sought him out to inquire about what was going on . In fact , at 27th Street High , he was regarded as a star pupil . He stood out as one of the schools brightest , a student whose academic performance ranked him among the top 200 in the entire Kepong . The school had always treated him as a high priority student , investing resources and attention into nurturing his potential . But over the past few days , problems kept cropping up , one after another , leaving Agnes deeply worried . Her concern led her to inform both Maggie and David about the recent issues . Agnes voice carried a mix of gravity and reassurance as she addressed Joshua in private . Joshua , if theres anything troubling you , anything at all that the school can help with , please dont hesitate to let us know . You mustnt overburden yourself ! Rest assured , as long as its not something illegal , the school will stand firmly by your side . And if theres something youre reluctant to speak about openly , you can always come to me in private . With the SATs right around the corner , nothing , absolutely nothing , should disrupt your studies . Joshua responded with a polite yet hurried tone . Thank you , Ms. Quinton ! I admit Ive been swamped with a lot of things lately , and its caused some trouble . The people who came yesterday werent family , nor were they relatives . Theyre my enemies . If they show up again , could the school help keep them away ? Agnes blinked in shock . Enemies ? Are they trying to harm you ? He nodded slightly as a faint smile played on his lips . It seems like it . But dont worry , Ms. They cant do much to me . Still , theyre not my family . Ive been an orphan my whole life , and I have no family . Id really appreciate it if the school could prevent them from entering next time . Agnes expression darkened with concern . She had already found David and Maggie suspicious during their visit , and now everything made sense . You should have told me sooner ! she exclaimed in a rush , her tone filled with frustration at herself for not acting earlier . If you had let me know earlier , I would never have allowed them into the school ! 2/3 3:20 am Promise to Punish My Ridiculous Family