Chapter 291

The ton sečak orientation had wrapped up, though Shermaine had barely participated thanks to professors pulling her into labs, sparing her the tedium. That morning, a professor intercepted her on her way to the chemistry destination. "Shermaine, Kylie is hosting a public lecture here. You don’t mind, right?"

"Kylie," often known as Dolcie Chapman after the Tech Conference, had become a tech darling.

Shermaine smiled, “Why would I?”

“Good,” the professor sighed. “Frankly, if I could, I’d push the school to promote you straight to a professor. You’d probably do a better job teaching students than most of us.”

“No rush.”

“How’s the lithium battery issue coming?”

“Almost solved.”

“So soon?”

“Yeah.”

Shermaine’s nod left the professor awestruck. Where she went, impossible problems crumbled. It hadn’t even been that long, yet she had already found a solution.

“Actually…” The professor hesitated. “Shermaine, would you mind doing me a favor?”

“Sure,” Shermaine said. “Go ahead.”

“Well,” the professor began, “I’ve been working on the twin prime conjecture for a while now. I’m scheduled to present my work at the math conference in Ustrana this October, hoping to bring some honor to our country’s mathematical community. But honestly, I don’t think I’ll be able to solve it on my own. I was wondering if you might want to give it a shot.”

The October summit was prestigious, and cracking this millennium-old problem could clinch the Fields Medal, math’s highest honor.

Shermaine hadn’t tackled world-class proofs in years. Back when she studied abroad, she had once been completely absorbed in mathematics, regularly publishing in journals and winning numerous awards. She had even held a respected position within the International Federation of Mathematics.

But back then, she had always kept a low profile. Her achievements were never publicized. Although she had earned them as a citizen of Wallington, none of the credit went to her homeland. Instead, Pouton University quietly claimed them under its name.

After graduation, Pouton University’s leaders had tried hard to keep her on as a professor, but she had refused. They had even suggested she consider changing her nationality—something she absolutely refused to entertain.

She was born and raised in Wallington, and no matter where she went, she would never forget where she came from. Most people didn’t even know she was a true-blue Wallingtonian.

“Alright,” Shermaine agreed.

The professor gaped. “Just like that?”

Shermaine gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

“That’s great!” The professor looked thrilled. “I’ll get together everything I’ve worked on so far and send it over. Maybe it’ll spark some ideas for you.”

Kyle’s public lecture on physics drew crowds. Students were eager to see if the young professor lived up to the hype.

Kyle’s basic theories offered nothing new. Shermaine sat in the audience. Her desk was buried in scratch paper, which was covered in equations for the twin prime conjecture. Time flew when she dove into math. She didn’t even notice class had ended until a classmate nudged her.

Kylie, basking in post-lecture admiration, played the relatable scholar by joining students for cafeteria lunch.

In the cafeteria, the moment Lorenzo entered, he caused an instant stir.

Shermaine took a moment to place him. He was the substitute math professor from her first Basterel University visit, the one whose problem Wendelyn had panicked over until Shermaine solved it.

“Professor asked me to deliver these,” Lorenzo said, handing her a folder.

Shermaine took it and said, “Thanks.”

He studied her. “You don’t remember me?”

Shermaine blinked. “Should I?”

Lorenzo sighed, “Six years ago, you competed in the International Mathematical Tournament. You came in first place, and I was second.”

Even with her usually sharp memory, Shermaine had no recollection of him. She simply apologized again.

Across the cafeteria, Kylie watched Shermaine chat with the handsome man. They looked awfully close.

Kylie thought, ‘Just like my grandmother said, Shermaine is a shameless flirt. Joshua is blind to overlook her for this, never even glancing my way.’

Kylie wasn’t the faithful type, but she at least waited until after a breakup to eye new men.

Shermaine had blocked Kylie more than once, and now, watching them interact, a cold edge returned to Kylie’s bright blue eyes.

Later that evening, Shermaine stayed in the library until nearly closing time. Her stack of scratch paper was almost gone, so she packed up her things and headed back to her dorm.

On her way, she talked on the phone with Joshua. A breeze blew through the trees, rustling their leaves softly. For part of the path, the streetlights were broken, leaving the area dark and shadowy. Occasionally, a stray cat cried out in the night.

Just as she reached the dorm building, someone suddenly called her name. Shermaine stopped and turned around.

At that exact moment, someone on the rooftop calculated the timing perfectly and pushed a potted plant off the edge.