When fate plays its hand

Miranda’s eyes gleamed with admiration and awe, with a yearning to achieve more. She couldn’t help but wonder when she would rise to such a height, where her skills would lead to discussions and even stir some envy, all earned by her own merit.

She sighed and realized that she still wasn’t putting in enough effort.

Paul presented his research approach–new quantum entanglement sources, quantum light interference in free–space channels, and three–dimensional quantum imaging–for the next decade on the stage. His speech was calm and measured, with a deep and soothing voice.

Despite the highly technical nature of the content, he expressed it in plain language so that people from other fields could understand it. At that moment, he had a magnetic presence with a powerful charm that left everyone in awe

Miranda was sitting in the audience seat. Her pre–prepared notebook finally came in handy as she listened attentively and took notes. She was fully absorbed in what was being

said.

Elizabeth sat not far away, and her eyes were glued to Paul, who looked impeccable in his tailored suit and polished shoes.

As she listened to him speak with confidence and clarity, she was utterly spellbound. But as she stared at his handsome face, the content of his words escaped her entirely.

His voice became a distant murmur, and his words drifted past her like water through her fingers–heard but slipping away without leaving a trace.

Elizabeth couldn’t take her eyes off him and lost track of the fact that she was at an academic conference. Only in moments like this could she let her guard down. She could watch him, think of him, and let her true feelings show.

After each presentation, there was a 30–minute Q&A session–a highlight of the entire conference and often the most entertaining part, mainly because arguments were almost guaranteed to break out.

Take this moment, for instance. The one raising the question was Granton Duke, an expert and scholar in interdisciplinary studies of biology and physics from the National Defense University.

He asked, “…According to your logic, if physics is a specialized field, then research must also be specialized. Are you implying that interdisciplinary fields are inherently meaningless? Then, does that mean there’s no need to hold this interdisciplinary academic conference?”

Miranda couldn’t help but think Granton’s approach to criticizing was odd. Instead of

attacking the technical details, he focused on a subtle flaw in Paul’s phrasing. It felt, to her at least, like he was just nitpicking for the sake of it. That was how she saw it.

Paul had expected a heavy–hitting argument but got a trivial one instead.

Still, Granton had set the stage well and created the right atmosphere. To leave it hanging would’ve been a disservice to the audience.

Paul raised an eyebrow. He leaned into the microphone and said, “Since you’re a leading figure in biology and physics, while I, in your view, am a ‘purist‘ of specialized research, any answer I give will surely be unconvincing. So, why don’t we…”

He paused briefly and smirked. “Why don’t I invite a student majoring in biology to answer your question instead? Let’s see if, from the perspective of an ordinary student, the ‘ specialized research‘ I’m talking about is really the same as your ‘rejection of interdisciplinary studies.‘?”

Paul’s gaze swept across the audience, and his eyes settled on one person. “Miranda Sutton, if you may.” novelbin

Miranda froze for a second, then quickly composed herself. She put down her pen and notebook, took a deep breath, and calmly stood up to accept the microphone from the host.

“In my opinion, Dr. Jefferson’s emphasis on ‘specialization‘ is correct, and Dr. Duke’s. advocacy for interdisciplinary studies is also valid. Since neither side is wrong, why did we end up in such a debate?”

Paul raised an eyebrow. “Can you elaborate on that?”

“It’s simple,” she responded. “The disagreement stems from different understandings of the two concepts, shaped by personal perception. After all, perception is inherently subjective, varying from person to person…”

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