When fate plays its hand

In chess, a stalemate would result in a draw. With the first two rounds taken into account, the two indeed ended with a tie.

Paul remarked, “Mr. Cooper, your chess skills are impressive.”

Sam replied, “You flatter me. However, praising me is just a roundabout way of praising. yourself. Who knew you were so narcissistic?”

With that, he stood up and headed to the dining room.

Paul said nothing.

Fiona let out a long sigh of relief. “It’s finally finished! Hurry up and get to the table. The food is almost cold! Mimi, Paul…”

“We’re coming!”

Aren stood rooted to the spot, seemingly a step behind. His gaze lingered on Sam’s figure as he furrowed his brow slightly.

Was Sam pushing himself too hard?

Normally, he never played chess. Yet, he joined in today and mastered it well. His style of playing was uncharacteristically aggressive and ruthless, as though he bore some deep grudge against Paul.

The more Aren thought about it, the more puzzled he became, until…

“Hey, why are you still standing there? The young ones are all at the table. None of them will start eating unless you come!” Fiona raised her voice and urged him, “Hurry up!”

“Oh, coming…”

After dinner, Paul stayed to chat with the elderly couple a while longer. He stood up to leave when the time seemed right.

Miranda also stood up. “I’ll go home with Dr. Jefferson.”

Paul nodded. “Sure, we’re headed in the same direction.”

Aren and Fiona walked them to the door.

Sam couldn’t help but sneer to himself, “What was the point of heading in the same. direction when they were both driving?”

Fiona turned her head just in time to catch a glimpse of mocking disdain and hostility in Sam’s eyes before he could hide it. She froze for a moment and said, “Sam…” novelbin

“Hmm? Grandma, what is it?”

+25 BONI

“Do you have some issue with Paul?”

Although she hadn’t watched the game earlier, Sam’s veiled suggestion that Paul should leave at lunch had been far too obvious. Fiona wasn’t foolish. She heard him loud and clear.

“I have no issue with him.” Sam denied it flatly.

“Then why are you targeting him?”

“Oh, I just find him annoying.”

Fiona grew curious. “I actually think Paul is a polite, sincere, and articulate man. He’s quite a nice person. What about him exactly annoys you?”

“Everything you just mentioned.”

Fiona was puzzled by his answer.

Sam said no more and walked upstairs with his hands behind his back.

“Hey? You… This child…” Fiona could only sigh helplessly.

The 321st issue of the “Academic Vision” came hot off the press at the end of May, publishing the “National Key Laboratory Rankings“.

The rankings were based on the previous year’s academic output, impact factor, and other related criteria on all laboratories within the country. The comprehensive score would determine their ranking on the list, which was released annually.

What caught everyone off guard this year was the inclusion of Infinity Lab on the list! Though it was ranked at 92nd place, it still made the cut.

After all, only 17 laboratories from the entirety of Bedford College’s six faculties, 49 departments, 128 undergraduate degrees, 285 master’s programs, and 262 doctoral programs managed to rank on the list.

More importantly, about half of these labs were led by research fellows and composed of teams of postdocs and doctoral students.

Infinity Lab only comprised four people, including Miranda, Madison, Sebastian, and now Joli, the final–year graduate student who had yet to graduate. They didn’t even have a single academician as their advisor. Attracting any attention was supposed to be out of the question for them.

Yes, they couldn’t even get noticed, let alone the chance of making it onto the rankings. That was how it was supposed to be, and this was precisely what puzzled the college administration.

Hendrix flipped through the “Academic Vision” in the chancellor’s office, his hands trembling slightly. After the number 92, the words “Infinity Lab” were printed in large

letters.

“How is this possible?” Beckett echoed the same question.