Jackson Wafford also went to the Imperial Hotel for lunch at noon; how could he not have heard about the little tricks Caryn pulled off before Nathalie Quinlan’s university celebration banquet? Seeing Shawn Norton’s reaction, he wasn’t surprised at all, but as an outsider, it wasn’t his place to criticize, so he continued, "The Chinese dicine departnt hasn’t submitted nas yet; who are they planning to select this year? If the Chinese dicine departnt doesn’t send anyone again, it would be the fourth year..."
Not having soone participate in such an important dical competition for four years really is indefensible!
However, Jackson Wafford was well aware of the Chinese dicine departnt’s situation. It wasn’t that Winston Sullivan and the others were unwilling to send students, but rather that there wasn’t a single candidate suitable to represent them!
Sending soone would only make it easier to embarrass themselves!
About this, Jackson Wafford as the university president felt helpless too. With no good students in the Chinese dicine departnt, he was anxious, but you can’t forcefully make soone choose the Chinese dicine major, right?
Shawn Norton understood what was up from the popular science explanation and wrinkled his brow, speaking with a sowhat surprised tone, "This year the Chinese dicine departnt isn’t thinking of having Nathalie Quinlan compete, are they?"
"Nathalie Quinlan?" Jackson Wafford was also taken aback.
His first response was disbelief, feeling it was ludicrous.
But then another thought crossed his mind, and amidst the absurdity, he actually felt that the possibility Shawn Norton raised was quite likely: "It seems there’s no rule that specifically requires upperclassn to participate... It’s just that Nathalie Quinlan hasn’t even enrolled yet, and if she directly enters such an important competition, what if..."
What if she ends up in last place... The title of valedictorian on the national exam would be ruined!
Shawn Norton couldn’t sit still any longer, stood up and said, "I’ll give her a phone call to ask."
Nearby, Zayn Fisher had been listening to their conversation all along. Hearing that the Chinese dicine departnt might let Nathalie Quinlan participate in the competition, he reflexively frowned. After hearing Shawn Norton deciding to make a phone call, his heart was more or less set; it seed like the Chinese dicine departnt couldn’t find anyone else and really turned to Nathalie Quinlan!
He didn’t know whether Nathalie Quinlan would agree to join!
Zayn Fisher’s fingers tightened, his feelings were complicated, not being able to say whether he hoped Nathalie Quinlan would go or not...
*
In the Rhine apartnt, Nathalie Quinlan had just finished showering and received Shawn Norton’s phone call; he asked right away about the dical competition.
She didn’t hide anything and succinctly said, "Ah, I’ve already agreed to Mr. Sullivan to go."
On the other end, Shawn Norton anxiously asked if she was prepared.
While she walked towards her desk, she tilted her head to trap the phone between her neck and shoulder, reached for her single shoulder bag’s zipper, and took out her laptop.
With a calm deanor, she replied, "Unprepared."
She casually powered on her laptop and said to Shawn Norton, "But Mr. Avalon has already sent the books that will be used in the competition; there’s still a week left, so I should have ti to look them over..."
"Are you saying you plan to cram and go into the competition at the last minute?"
On the other end of the phone, Shawn Norton didn’t know in what tone to speak anymore. He wanted to talk to her, but Nathalie Quinlan appeared so nonchalant, and if he didn’t say anything... could such an important competition really be sothing one could prepare for at the last mont???
What if she ssed it up! How does she plan to handle it!
That’s what he thought, and that’s what he asked.
Nathalie Quinlan had already tossed her single shoulder bag aside, and taking the phone, switched it to amplification mode and put it next to her, while speaking to him, she entered the book titles Mr. Avalon sent her into her computer to search, her eyebrows lifted, eyes revealing surprise: "The Chinese dicine departnt told the worst outco would be last place. I thought about it and I don’t think I should co last."
Shawn Norton: "..."
That’s not the point, isn’t the real issue that you’ve just been the national exam’s top scorer, and the top for Tsinghua University’s Joint Entrance Exam, that if you don’t place in the top three in such an important competition, you’d be the butt of the joke within the community?
Striving not to be last, what kind of a goal is that?
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