"Either you attend classes, or you’re switching majors next year," he said, turning to Edward. "I need to have a talk with the director of admissions. Perhaps the next ti we recruit a celebrity, we should just take the Yale School of Managent—"
"In that case," Li Wei said after a mont of thought, "why don’t we draw up a wager?"
The dean and Edward both turned back to look at him.
"Let’s each give a little." Li Wei held up a finger. "We’ll treat the first sester as a trial period. During this sester, you grant complete freedom from attendance requirents. I’ll do my best to make it back for mandatory exams and thesis defenses, but the school cannot penalize for my attendance."
He paused, observing their expressions before continuing, "In exchange, I promise that by the end of the first sester, I will have an A in every single one of my classes."
"If I lose," Li Wei said, holding his hands out, "I will voluntarily withdraw from the university. I’ll also issue a public statent claiming it was due to my own academic shortcomings, having nothing to do with the quality of Yale’s education. That way, the school’s high standards are upheld, and it saves you from this awkward situation."
’Are you kidding ? I only need another 0.1 attribute points to unlock the Phase Three reward, which will give my Spirit a direct 0.3 boost. By the ti exams roll around in a year, I’ll probably have maxed out my stats and be able to morize a whole book in a day. Why would I be afraid of a few asly tests?’
’Then I’ll really get to rub it in their faces.’
But for the two academics, the proposal was quite tempting. If Li Wei left of his own accord, the school wouldn’t have to shoulder the bla. Moreover, the Yale School of Managent, which had been reluctant to accept a celebrity in the first place, would be more than happy to see him go.
"Interesting." The look in the dean’s eyes finally shifted. "Straight A’s? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get an A at the Yale School of Managent? This isn’t like the child’s play you learned in your AP courses."
"That’s right, Mr. Li Wei," Edward chid in at the opportune mont. "In Yale’s economics and finance courses, you don’t get an A just by hitting a certain score. Grades are curved, so only the top ten percent of the class receives an A. That ans in a class of thirty, only three people will get one. And apart from you, basically all of those students have a background in the Math Olympiad or IMO. Many of them are aiming for Ph.D. programs in statistics or financial engineering."
"That’s my problem," Li Wei replied.
"Fine." The dean nodded. "Since you’re so confident in yourself, I accept your proposal."
"Wait."
Just as Edward was reaching for a pen to take notes, Li Wei spoke again.
"A deal goes both ways, Dean," he said. "What if I succeed in getting straight A’s in my first sester?"
The dean froze for a second. Clearly, he had never considered the possibility of Li Wei actually achieving straight A’s.
He sat back down across from Li Wei and thought for a mont before saying, "In that case, I will not interfere with your attendance in any way. I’ll allow you to complete your degree remotely, as long as you pass your exams."
"That’s not enough," Li Wei said, shaking his head. "I want a personal letter of recomndation from you."
’Just as the dean himself said, while he might not be one of those people, they were all part of his network. Having him owe a favor, or getting a letter of recomndation, could be incredibly useful at a critical mont.’
"Done," the dean said decisively. "If you can really pull off straight A’s, then I’ll be convinced your future holds much more than just being an athletic celebrity. I’m willing to personally endorse you."
The two shook hands across the table, each believing he would win the wager.
Once Li Wei and Coach Tony had left the admissions building and were again surrounded by the campus’s distinctive Gothic Revival architecture, Coach Tony couldn’t help but speak up.
"Kid, you were a little impulsive back there," he said. "It might not have any impact on your athletic career, but this won’t be good for public perception."
"Don’t worry," Li Wei replied, looking completely relaxed. He had total faith in the system. "I’m confident."
Coach Tony shook his head, then said as if suddenly rembering sothing, "Right, about your girlfriend. Do you need to help push things along with the board?"
He then rubbed his bald head, looking a little embarrassed. "Your girlfriend isn’t looking for this kind of ’special treatnt’ too, is she?"
"No need," Li Wei said, kicking a small pebble out of his path. "Anya said she wants to do a project to update her application portfolio so she can get her full acceptance in March. Otherwise, her dad would just donate a library to Yale, and all her problems would be solved."
"Alright then," Tony said, patting Li Wei’s shoulder guiltily. "Consider in your debt for this. If it looks like your girlfriend is running out of ti with her application, make sure to tell in advance."
Li Wei nodded, said goodbye to Tony, and headed toward the parking lot.
...
In Riverdale, Bronx, the massive cast-iron gates of the Horace Mann School completely sealed its campus off from the chaotic, noisy streets of the Bronx just a few blocks away.
As one of the top three private schools in the United States of Arica, its very air was thick with a certain anxiety and pretension that only money could buy. The annual tuition was a staggering 65,000 USD, and that didn’t even include the expensive equestrian lessons, fencing equipnt, or the cost of overseas "charity expeditions" during the winter and sumr breaks.
The security guards here were the elite of the elite, and all were legally licensed to carry various types of small arms.
Counterintuitively, there were no subway stations, bus stops, or fast-food chains like McDonald’s or KFC within a three-kiloter radius of the school. The density of police precincts in the area was 9.5 tis that of the South Bronx. In less than five minutes, over 200 police officers could be on the scene to haul away any vagrants who might threaten the safety of the United States of Arica’s future heirs—or simply offend their delicate sensibilities—before locking them up in a shelter or dumping them in another district.
User Comments
0 comments from readers