As soon as Queenie dropped her bombshell, a hush fell over the group.
Cordelia had walked in with her three roommates. Among them, Daisy, known for her straightforwardness, was itching to confront Queenie: “That’s way out of line! Why is she sticking her nose in other people’s business?”
Before she could march over, another roommate grabbed her arm.
This roommate, hailing from Ontoky City, was privy to more insider information. She whispered, “Around here, at the Autumn Gold Academic Bootcamp, it’s best not to cross Queenie.”
Daisy blinked in confusion, “Why not?”
“Her uncle’s one of the instructors at the camp. Why would you want to stir trouble with her? If she’s got a few words to say, let her talk.”
That revelation stopped Daisy in her tracks, “An instructor?”
To them, instructors were akin to direct superiors, the immediate authority figures.
Hearing the word “instructor,” Cordelia wasn’t naive enough to assume they were all like Mr. Latham. With a nod, she adopted a keep-your-head-down approach, and the four of them found a place to sit.
Queenie was surrounded by a crowd, all eager to learn about the day’s diagnostic test.
She scoffed, “Today’s test results will be noted. Those who perform poorly, if they don’t show improvement, might as well pack their bags. They won’t need to stick around for the 21-day boot camp. After all, the material’s only going to get tougher, and there’s no point in staying if you can’t keep up.”
At her words, everyone hastily returned to their books, worried about flunking the test.
When Keen walked in, the room fell silent for a moment, all eyes on him. Tall and lean, with a casual yet striking appearance.
As he entered, people greeted him, “Hey, genius, good to see you!”
Keen, though acknowledging them with a nod, kept his distance, choosing a quiet corner before his gaze wandered over to Cordelia. Unfortunately, she was too engrossed in her book to notice.
At the sight of Keen, Queenie’s eyes lit up, waving him over, “Keen!”
He spared her a glance, offering a slight nod before his attention returned to Cordelia, hoping she’d look up. She didn’t, and Keen reluctantly looked away, a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by Queenie, who bit her lip in frustration.
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The Autumn Gold Academic Bootcamp, known for its rigorous math training, had gathered its instructors for a meeting to discuss the year’s curriculum.
“Cordelia’s joining the Autumn Gold Academic Bootcamp? But I thought she was already accepted into Superiority College,” one instructor remarked.
Lucille frowned at the mention, recalling a call from her niece the day before, “That student is overly proud. Sure, she’s talented, but she’s too full of herself. We’re here to train talents for the national team, but arrogance like hers needs to be curbed!”
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