Novel Squares
Chapter 73
“The person’s got something special about them, that’s what I was saying,” the Secretary–General mused, his gaze drifting to some distant thought.
The Chairman took a moment to ponder the comment before turning his attention to the stack of exam papers on his desk. He was particularly interested in the last question–the one John had crafted, a complex physics problem.
After a while, a look of admiration spread across the Chairman’s face. Leaning back in his chair, he let out an impressed sigh. “Indeed, this student’s not ordinary at all. Look at how elegantly he set up these equations, not a single superfluous step, and the method used is quite original–simpler than the solution John sent us.”
Although the Secretary–General wasn’t well–versed in physics, he could tell from the Chairman’s reaction that whoever had solved the problem had an incredible mind. The Secretary–General’s expression became slightly restrained and said, “John has been searching for a protégé with an exceptional gift in physics. Should we recommend this Parkside High School student who aced the test?”
The Chairman removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, giving himself a few seconds before replying. “Let’s not rush things. An initial test like this doesn’t show us much. After all this top scorer is a humanities student. For all we know, this student might have just lucked out on John’s question.”
The Secretary–General found it to be reasonable. “Alright then, we’ll wait and see how the student does in the city
preliminaries.”
“Agreed,” the Chairman said with a nod, placing the paper back on the table.
The Secretary–General’s gaze lingered on the exam for a moment longer before he suggested, “Should we take a photo of this physics solution and send it to John? I bet he’d be…
But the Chairman raised his hand to interrupt. “John taking the time to contribute a problem to our competition was already a huge honor for the Education Association. For him, this type of question is not worth mentioning at all. It’s just another approach. There’s really no need to make a fuss and present it before him as if it’s something extraordinary.”
The Secretary–General touched his nose in acknowledgment, “Alright, I get it. I’ll archive the test paper then.” With that, he picked up the papers.
“Go on,” the Chairman dismissed him.
However, just as the Secretary–General had taken a couple of steps, the Chairman seemed to recall something and called out to his retreating figure. “By the way, how did a student named Summer from Parkside High School do on the test?”
The Secretary–General stopped in his tracks. He remembered Summer because his own daughter was a fan of hers. Turning back, he reported. “One hundred thirty–eight points, sixth place. Not bad at all He paused before adding. “She’s somewhat of a campus celebrity, a science student, and quite talented to score like this.”
The Chairman tapped his fingers lightly on the desktop. “Alright, I’m aware. You can go.”
The Secretary–General glanced at the Chairman, wondering why he had suddenly inquired about Summer, but he didn’t ask further and simply left.
Saturday.
After finishing breakfast, Mirabella was practically dragged to the local supermarket by Delilah. They loaded up on groceries and an assortment of snacks.
Delilah turned to her daughter, who was laden with bags and looking utterly defeated, and couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
Trying to help carry some bags, she teased. “You shouldn’t be such a homebody, sweetie. It’s good to get out and about instead of becoming a bookworm.”
11: Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
Charter 73
Mirabella flatly refused her mother’s help and deadpanned. “You just need someone to carry your shopping.”
Delilah coughed sheepishly, realizing her daughter was strong enough to handle the load, and the dream of having a danly and delicate daughter was just that–a dream.
“Are we expecting company today?” Mirabella asked, glancing at the bag of groceries in her right hand.