Chapter 1

At 8:00 a.m., the largest farmers market in Lumberville was already bustling.

“Mr. Sutton! Fish today?”

“Yes. Do you have any sea bass?” Lionel Sutton asked.

“Of course! I’ve saved some for you,” said Mary Zimmer, the fishmonger. She cleaned a cut for him. “Here you go!”

Lionel pulled out his phone. “How much is this?”

“Oh, it’s free. Consider it a gift! You’ve helped my son, Flynn, so much at school…”

“That won’t do. You’re running a business; you must accept payment,” Lionel said, immediately transferring $30. That should more than cover it.

Mary was astonished. “Hey, you didn’t have to…” The notification appeared on her phone.

Lionel replied, “I’d feel guilty otherwise. See you next time! I’m going to buy some onions now.”

“Oh, Mr. Sutton, wait a minute…”

“Is there something I can help you with?”

“It’s like this,” Mary said, nervously straightening her apron. “I heard Earnest High has several spots in the Physics Olympiad. The international gold medalist is guaranteed admission to places like Bedford College and Queenstone College!”

Lionel nodded. “Earnest High has a few reserved spots, yes.”

“Do you think Flynn can get one?”

Lionel paused. “Mrs. Waterson, you need to understand that these Olympiads require exceptional knowledge—beyond what’s taught in books—to compete successfully. The questions are far more challenging than those students typically encounter in class or on exams. While we reserve a few spots for Earnest High in each subject, we select only exceptionally brilliant students with strong learning abilities and competitive thinking.”

Mary looked anxious. “But Flynn’s a good student! He’s always in the top 20 in his year. Isn’t that considered brilliant?”

Lionel explained patiently, “First, top scorers generally perform well across all subjects. However, only students with exceptional results in that specific subject are chosen. Second, the school has already finalized the Olympiad roster; there’s nothing more I can do.”

“Is that so… Never mind,” Mary said, forcing a smile. “See you around. I’m going to another store.”

“Alright. Come back next time!”

As soon as Lionel left, Mary’s smile vanished. She spat on the ground. “What’s with this ‘good in just one subject’ nonsense? Flynn excels in all his subjects! That idiot’s blind! How could he say the school’s already decided? What a phony…”

Another vendor approached. “Mrs. Waterson? Talking to the fish? What’s wrong? I saw Mr. Sutton go that way. I was thinking of asking him about my daughter’s studies, Millie.”

“Forget it. He thinks Flynn’s studies are terrible. Why would he even consider your daughter, who’s always at the bottom of her class?”

“What’s wrong?”

Mary’s lips tightened. “He said Flynn didn’t qualify for the Physics Olympiad. The whole city knows his daughter participated in every Olympiad last year—Physics, Chemistry, Computing… How could he say that about my son? He’s the kind of person who won’t help anyone else get into a good college just to ensure his daughter’s success! ”

“Mrs. Waterson, you should watch your words. Mr. Sutton isn’t like that!”

“I don’t care! He doesn’t want my son to succeed because he doesn't want anyone better than his daughter! So what if she went to Bedford College? She’s never come home for years; I bet she’s forgotten about her parents! I heard she quit her master's degree after graduation and refuses to work!”