Chapter 259: The Wild One
That day, Sierra witnessed firsthand the true meaning of a ruthless roasting—and finally understood her seniors' fear of Professor Martin. For an entire hour, he unleashed a barrage of criticism—sharp, brutal, and relentlessly original. Autumn and the others seemed on the verge of despair, while Professor Martin remained energetic and undeterred.
When Sierra saw her turn approaching, she instinctively took a few steps back. Professor Martin noticed. His brows shot up. “What are you backing up for? Let me see what you’ve been working on.”
Sierra presented her research and analysis from the past few days, bracing herself for the worst. She expected to be torn apart like everyone else. But after scanning her work, the old man glanced up at her. Sierra pressed her lips together, steeling herself.
Then, the old man said, “Not bad. Way better than the piles of crap they handed me.”
Autumn and the others were speechless. Seriously? That was some next-level double standard. Erwin was clearly unhappy. Professor Martin, seeing this, didn't hold back. He called Erwin over and slammed the data in front of him.
“Not convinced? Look at her work. Now look at yours. You still think you have the right to complain? She’s only been here a few days. How long have you been under me? She didn’t even have a proper foundation when she started. And you? How many years have you been at this?”
Sierra thought, Is he trying to get me publicly executed? Her relationship with this cold senior had just begun to thaw. Now, it seemed they were about to hit the reset button.
But surprisingly, Erwin, though arrogant, wasn't deaf to reason. He carefully reviewed Sierra's analysis. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. By the time he finished, his indignation had vanished. To be fair, he couldn't have produced this quality of work in such a short time—not even working around the clock. And Sierra? She'd been leaving work on time those first few days.
So this is the difference between a genius and a top student, he thought. He glanced at Sierra again. There was envy in his eyes, but no jealousy.
After a moment, he muttered, “Hmph. Don’t get too cocky. I’ll beat you next time.”
He had barely finished speaking when Professor Martin smacked him on the head. “You want to talk tough? Then you’d better have the skills to back it up! The rest of you, get over here.”
Autumn and the others gathered around. Professor Martin began dissecting their mistakes and flawed thinking. Sierra stood to the side, listening intently and absorbing it all.
This is the difference a real mentor makes. Before, when her seniors pointed out flaws, she'd sense something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint it. Now, listening to the professor, everything clicked.
Professor Martin’s temper was fierce, but no one dared speak. Sierra was about to leave, but the professor called her back. “Tell me your thought process.”
Sierra explained her step-by-step approach. When she finished, she felt nervous—her methods were unorthodox and all over the place. But the professor didn't criticize her. He said nothing negative. Instead, he said, “Everything comes from practice. You’re different from them. You’ve been forging your own path from the start, so stick with it. I’ve got too many rules around here—might end up boxing you in.”