Chapter 336

There were representatives from five universities visiting today, and every single
one was a top-tier school. Out of all the students in the school who scored above 680, only fifteen made the cut, and just five of them would actually get an interview. It was a huge deal. Everyone who got this far was ready to give it everything they had, determined to impress the admissions officers and snag one of those rare, precious spots.
In the hallway, Eleanor led the way, so nervous that she was practically sweating through her shirt. She kept giving them reminders as they walked.
“Usually, they just go with the top five scorers,” Eleanor said, trying to keep her voice steady. “But some of the other students have racked up a bunch of gold medals from national competitions
That kind of thing definitely set you apart.
“So you both need to do your absolute best, okay?”
“We know, Eleanor,” Shirley answered quickly, trying to sound confident, but inside she felt a little uneasy.
Sure, she’d won a gold medal in a physics competition before. But was her score enough to get chosen by someone as legendary as Mr. Lane? She honestly wasn’t
sure.
Eleanor didn’t hear anything from Charlotte and turned to look at her. Charlotte
walked with her lips pressed together, her face perfectly calm and pale. You’d never guess she was about to compete for something so important. She looked like none of this mattered to her at all.
“Charlotte, I know you’re ranked number one in the country, so you have a big advantage,” Eleanor said, her voice quiet with worry. “But you’ve never entered any national competitions. If one of the professors cares about your lower literature scores, they might not pick you
Charlotte gave a little smile, completely unfazed. “Then I just won’t go.”
“What?” Eleanor’s eyes widened.
Not go?
Eleanor was thrown by her casual attitude. This was the kind of opportunity most students could only dream about.
“You Eleanor tried to collect her thoughts, hoping to talk some sense into Charlotte But before she could get her words out Charlotte had already strolled past her, looking so coof and laid-back it was impossible to tell what she was really thinking.
Inside the conference room, all fifteen students chosen for the interview were gathered together. Up at the front were the university reps-deans, professors, plus Jim and Baldie.
“Where should we sit, Charlotte?” Shirley asked, looking around. Most of the students had picked seats close to the front, clearly hoping to catch the attention of the admissions folks.
“Anywhere,” Charlotte replied, barely glancing up. She wandered over to a seat by the window, settling in without a care.
“I’m sitting with you,” Shirley said, grinning as she hurried over and squeezed in right beside her.
“Charlotte, look at Olivia,” Shirley whispered, glancing across the room. “She brought every single award and medal she’s ever won. She’s really going all out, huh? I wonder what major she’s aiming for
The Cabinda University was famous for its economics and finance programs. Getting into those was no joke.
Charlotte didn’t respond. She leaned back in her seat, looking relaxed, but there was a chill in her eyes that made her seem a little distant.
After a few minutes, the interviews started. Each student got up to introduce themselves, rattling off their scores and every achievement
they could reeven the little awards they’d gotten back in back in kindergarten. The professors onstage didn’t show any reaction.
“Next, Olivia.”
Olivia’s name was called and she stood up, clearly nervous. Her dream was to get into the finance program at The Cabinda University-the best of the best. But there was only one spot for early admission this year.
Charlotte had the highest score in the room. If she decided to go for it, Olivia knew she could easily lose her chance.
Olivia pressed her lips together, then
put on a gentle smile. “Good
morning, professors. I’m Olivia, from Class A started entering competitions back in junior high She went through her long list of achievements, then finally wrapped it up. “I scored 714 on the recent exam, and my grades have always been really consistent. I hope you’ll give me this opportunity. Thank you.”