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Chapter_278
Yvette slipped her hands into her pockets, a half-smile playing on her lips, and a mischievous glint in her eyes. Tilting her head slightly, she lazily replied, “No need. I already know the result. There won’t be a second one.”
Jay’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t argue with that. The confidence Yvette exuded left him genuinely in awe.
As Yvette walked out, hands still in her pockets, the crowd instinctively parted, creating a clear path for her. They swore it was involuntary, unplanned. It was as if everyone moved back in unison, and all they could do was watch as she left.
Spencer stared at Yvette’s back, then turned to James and asked, “Mr. Owens, isn’t Ms. Zeller staying to wait for the result?”
James glanced at him and shook his head. “No need. There won’t be any surprises.”
The crowd was left speechless, their curiosity piqued as they wondered where James’s unshakable confidence was coming from.
Half an hour later, the group in the lab stood in stunned silence, their faces frozen in disbelief. They stared at the screen, which now displayed the results that James and three senior professors had just finished grading.
All twenty questions had been answered correctly.
What shocked them even more was that Yvette had used two different methods to solve the final problem—the one Spencer had submitted. It wasn’t that Yvette had rushed through the test. She had simply taken her time, carefully solving the problem with two distinct approaches.
The students in the outer lab couldn’t hide their emotions. They understood why Yvette had left without waiting for the results. It wasn’t arrogance—it was simply because she knew she had it in the bag.
They began to wonder where James had found such a genius, and how they were supposed to keep up with someone like her.
They now saw Yvette as a master of all trades. Reflecting on how they had intentionally created difficult questions, hoping to trip her up, they couldn’t help but feel completely embarrassed.
Ryan, standing amid the group, stared at the screen without moving. Then, suddenly, he walked out. But no one noticed, except for Marcus, who barely gave it any thought.
James, noticing the dispirited expressions on everyone’s faces, said seriously, “I gave you all an opportunity to learn, but you wasted it. The issue here is your pride. You refused to believe that Yvette was better than you. Yes, you were all top students back in your hometowns, but entering this lab is just the beginning of your journey, not the end. You should know that there’s always someone better out there. Take some time to reflect on that.”
With those words, he walked into his office without looking back. His figure seemed frail and lonely as he disappeared inside.
This man, who had shouldered the responsibilities of the National Physics Lab for years, was getting old.
The crowd remained silent, regret clearly written on their faces. They finally understood James’s well-meaning efforts. Many of them began to reflect on whether they had lost sight of their original goals and their sense of self. Today’s event had served as a wake-up call.
Jay and Marcus watched the disheartened group. Marcus’s expression was complicated as he said, “Don’t think you’re that special. There are people far more talented than you, yet they remain humble.”
Everyone knew exactly who he was talking about.
After saying that, Marcus pulled Jay along and headed toward the door. But halfway through, Jay stopped, turned back, and spread his hands, saying, “15,000 dollars. Don’t forget. Make sure Mr. Owens gets it, alright?”
The others’ faces flushed with embarrassment.
Spencer stepped forward. “Don’t worry, Maxwell. We’ll get the money to Mr. Owens by tomorrow.”
Marcus’s lips twitched. He thought, This guy always knows how to ruin the moment. Even now, he’s worried about the 15,000 dollars for Siren. I really don’t know what to say about him.
After leaving the lab, Ryan wandered aimlessly until he reached a gazebo. Hesitating for a moment, he pulled out his phone and dialed Simon.
The call connected within seconds.
“Ryan? Why are you calling at this time? Isn’t the lab keeping you busy?” Simon asked. They kept in touch regularly.
Ryan took a deep breath, his voice shaking slightly as he asked, “Mr. Sunderland, when you said I might run into a familiar face in the lab someday, were you talking about Yvette?”
There was a brief silence on the other end before Simon replied, “Yes. You met her?”
Hearing the answer he had expected, Ryan found it hard to describe his feelings. He recounted today’s events to Simon.
Simon sounded unsurprised. “That’s normal. You’ll get used to it.”
Ryan really wanted to ask, How is any of this normal?
Back at Argrol University, rumors had spread about Yvette—that she was only good at drawing and knew nothing about physics because she frequently skipped exams. Ryan couldn’t help but think, If that were true, then what was all this today? Was it just a dream?
Before ending the call, Simon reminded Ryan, “Don’t mess with her. Understand?”
Ryan put his phone away and stood still, lost in thought. Everyone always called me the genius of the physics department at Argrol University, the future hope of the field. I believed it too. But now? It seems laughable.
Meanwhile, in the Jeep, Jeremiah was driving while Yvette sat in the passenger seat, legs curled up, a thin blanket draped over her. She looked completely relaxed, sipping a banana milkshake, her face as effortlessly beautiful as ever.
Jeremiah glanced at her and asked, “How was the tour today?”
Yvette took a sip of her milkshake. It was exactly how she liked it. Glancing at Jeremiah, who was casually driving with one hand, she replied, “It was interesting, and I made 15,000 dollars.”
Just two minutes ago, James had transferred the money to her, even adding an extra zero for spending money.
Jeremiah’s hand briefly paused on the wheel, his bright eyes filled with amusement. He thought, She won money at the physics lab? Someone must’ve been foolish enough to mess with her again.
He asked, “15,000 dollars? That made you happy?”
Yvette sat cross-legged under the blanket, her head the only part of her visible, looking far more obedient than usual. She nodded slightly. “Kind of.”
Money didn’t mean much to her; she’d never lacked it. For years, she’d measured wealth in billions.
As they headed back to Skyland, Jeremiah’s phone rang. The voice on the other end sounded incredibly respectful. “Jeremiah, we all know you’re back and gathering. Are you free to join us? We’re already at Sky Nimbus.”
Sky Nimbus, the largest and most luxurious leisure club in Betrico, was at least ten times better decorated than the one in Seacrity. Naturally, the cost of the décor was several times higher as well.
Jeremiah said, “Hold on.” Then he looked at Yvette and asked, “Do you want to go? It’s nearby. If you don’t feel like it, we can head back to Skyland.”
Yvette lowered her clear, bright eyes slightly. Her voice remained calm as she said, “Sure.”
Earlier, there had been some noise at the other end of the phone, but now it was completely silent.
At Sky Nimbus, a man suddenly pushed open the door to the room and strode inside. In an easygoing manner, he said, “Did you call Jeremiah? Samantha’s already at the door.”
Then he noticed everyone in the room staring at him in shock.
They had just heard Jeremiah’s voice on the phone, along with a girl’s voice. It was clear to them that it must have been Jeremiah’s girlfriend from Seacrity, the one who had been causing a stir lately.
4o
