Xo Novel
Chapter 63
Chapter 63
At 10 am sharp, Hanley checked his score. 234 pointer
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“That’s a killer score! Definitely top ten in the stater
Hanley breathed a sigh of relief.
Lately, he had been burning the midnight oil to catch up with Cordelia, hitting the books every night until half–past twelve, and getting up at the crack of dawn at 5:30 am. His hard work had paid off, and the score was pretty darn good!
Yet, a tinge of regret lingered.
He had wanted to go head–to–head with Cordelia to show her he was every bit her equal. But Cordelia had lost half an hour. Even if her score was lower, his victory felt somewhat hollow.
“If only I had done like Keen and waited for her half an hour,” he thought.
With that on his mind, Hanley opened the Math Forum, where speculation about everyone’s scores was already going wild.
“OMG, Keen got first place!”
“Does that mean Cordelia isn’t number one?”
“How did this happen? I was waiting for our study queen to crush it, but it turns out even prodigies are
normal…”
“Missing half an hour and not getting first is pretty normal, I’d say.”
“Keen waited half an hour too, to be fair! But Keen’s a legend, so first place is no big surprise!”
“I wanted to see Cordelia snag that top spot.”
“I hope so.”
Merry saw the comments in the thread. Looking at Cordelia full of frustration and defiance, she asked, “Lia, people on the forum are saying that the state math committee called Lakeshore High. Keen took the top spot! How many points did you get?”
After speaking, she glanced at Cordelia’s phone screen and her eyes stuck to it, unable to look away. 298 points? And yet, it wasn’t first place?
While Merry was still in shock, Latham strolled in, light on his feet and brimming with excitement, “Great news, folks! Awesome news!”
As soon as Latham spoke, the crowd around Hanley burst out, “Hey Mr. Latham, did you hear? Hanley scored
234!”
Hanley just smiled modestly, “It’s not the top score. What’s there to brag about?”
Latham’s grin grew wider, “That’s the spirit! Top ten in the state, easy!”
The classroom erupted into applause and congratulations for Hanley. Amidst this, some curious eyes turned to Cordelia, “Cordelia, how many points did you get?”
How many points?
Merry swallowed hard and cursed, “Keen’s not human!”
With such a high score, and Keen’s still first? That was beyond belief! Did he get a perfect score or what?!
Merry’s words led to some confusion. Some comforted Cordelia, while others, who didn’t like seeing her
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succeed and were in cahoots with Juliana, mocked, “Yeah, he waited half an hour and still got first place. Definitely not human, but a god! Unlike some people… seems like the facade is crumbling, huh?”
Right after that, Latham’s voice thundered with excitement, “What? Cordelia got first in the state! And if I’m not mistaken, she’ll be first in the nation too! She scored 298 points!”
The room was a sea of shock and disbelief.
Hanley stammered, “But, the forum says Keen is first!”
Latham kept smiling, “Yes, they tied for first! Both got 298 points! Then Latham turned to Cordelia, continuing, “I got calls from several colleges‘ admissions offices wanting to offer you direct admission agreements. I wrote down their names. Want to consider any?”
Cordelia asked slowly, “Is Superiority College on the list?”
Latham was taken aback, shaking his head, “Superiority College and Top Crest Academy don’t make such offers based on National League results. The best they could do is give you a preferred agreement.”
Cordelia looked slightly disappointed, “Oh, then reject them all.”
Her sights had always been set on one goal, that was, Superiority College!
Her words sparked fresh fodder for her critics, “The scores from the National League can only get you into average universities. Dreaming of Superiority College and Top Crest Academy? How delusional!”
Cordelia ignored them, as her phone buzzed. Lowering her gaze, she saw a message from Mathster, ‘Lia, how many points?’
She replied, ‘298‘
In Ontoky City, at Superiority College.
The head of the Math Department, Frankie, chuckled at the score, “Lia plays it like a game as usual. That score’s got to be the national top, right?”
Ever since Cordelia had proven Batra’s Conjecture, Frankie had taken to calling her like that.
He was an old man, a renowned math expert. Calling a young girl “Boss Cordelia” didn’t seem appropriate. Lia sounded good.
His graduate student helping with the paper looked up, “Professor, you should call admissions right away. Get them to reach out to Lia and recruit this gem to our campus!”
Superiority College and Top–Crest Academy don’t offer direct admissions based on National League results.
But exceptions are made for exceptional cases.
298, a near–perfect score, was exceptional. If a heavyweight professor requested, it could prompt these elite schools to make an exception!
Frankie sighed, “Our school might not be big enough for Lía.”
The graduate student paused, then exhaled ruefully.
In the academic echelons, there were names that resounded with prestige and honor. At the pinnacle of these institutions stood Superiority College, a titan among universities with a global reputation that soared high above the rest. Yet, even among giants, there were legends, and the Mathematics Department of Top Crest Academy was nothing short of legendary within the national borders.
Year after year, the top contenders from the Mathematics Olympiad found their way into the hallowed halls of Top Crest Academy, drawn by the promise of unparalleled excellence. A prodigy like Lia was no exception. Whispers of her prowess had already begun to reach even the most esteemed of academia.
Frankie, a seasoned scout for Superiority College with an eye for talent, recognized a gem when he saw one. With a sense of urgency, he reached for his phone and dialed Professor Farrar of Top Crest Academy. His
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voice was earnest as he spoke, “Hey Farrar, I’ve got a hot prospect for you. Trust me, she’s a game–changer! How about breaking the mold and offering her a scholarship on the spot?”
Professor Farrar, renowned for his discerning taste, was hardly moved by the usual fanfare of the National League. “Come on Frankie, since when are you chasing after kids‘ scores? We’re talking about scholars, not high school medalists.”
But Frankie was dead serious. “We should both extend our hand to Cordelia. She deserves our respect. And I’ve got a proposition for you. What do you say we collaborate on nurturing this talent?”
Farrar was taken aback. “Are you joking? She isn’t some long–lost family of yours, is she?”
Frankie took a deep breath, steadying himself. “Farrar, just trust me on this. She’s proven Batra’s Conjecture. Her work’s getting published in Inventiones Mathematicae within the next seven days!”
Farrar’s skepticism was palpable. “Frankie, are you spinning yarns now? What is she, your secret love child? Look, Top Crest Academy doesn’t just bend rules for any National League winner. If she’s as good as you claim, let her compete at the Mathematics Olympiad. If she lands in the top 100, considering our friendship, we’ll talk about that scholarship.”
Frustrated, Frankie retorted, “If you won’t make a move, I will!”
In his heart, Frankie knew Cordelia was a rare find, a talent worth bending every rule in the academic playbook.