The next morning, in the hotel suite, the tension from yesterday’s interview still lingered in the air.
A well-dressed waiter approached silently and asked in a low voice, “Mr. Lin Yu? Tea or milk?”
“Either is fine,” Lin Yu replied somewhat distractedly, his attention completely occupied by the upcoming meeting.
With a soft *ding*, the door to the inner suite slid open.
Professor Corso’s tall figure emerged first, dressed in well-tailored dark leisurewear, carrying an aura of natural authority.
Christina and Clarence followed closely behind him, acting as the professor’s right and left hands.
The professor walked straight toward Lin Yu with steady steps and extended a broad palm.
“Hello, Lin Yu.”
“Hello… Professor Corso?”
Lin Yu had only seen photos of the professor on social media before; this was the first time he had met the man in person.
Lin Yu stood up to shake his hand.
The man’s palm was warm and powerful.
To his surprise, the elderly foreigner’s Chinese was not only fluent but carried an indescribable, ancient charm.
Skipping the small talk, Christina and Clarence spread a series of documents across the table—a gold-embossed copy of the university’s license, beautifully printed brochures, and a thick stack of agreements with complex clauses.
“Do I need to introduce the school again?”
Professor Corso smiled slightly, gesturing for Lin Yu to sit while he took a seat composedly.
Lin Yu nodded.
Although he had searched online as much as possible, information about Thanatos University was like a stone thrown into the deep sea—hardly a ripple could be found.
“Thanatos University is located in Cambridge, United Kingdom,” the professor said calmly, as if stating common knowledge.
“You might know very little about us, but you must have heard of the University of Cambridge.”
He used idioms naturally, with a proficiency that privately surprised Lin Yu.
“Our two schools are neighbors and often have some… social activities.”
“The school has branch campuses around the world, and China is naturally no exception…”
“You mean, I don’t need to go abroad?”
Lin Yu caught the information hidden in the words.
“No, no, no,” the professor waved his hand gently, his tone certain.
“Your qualifications are excellent. Without a doubt, you will enter the main campus directly.”
He placed special emphasis on “excellent” and “main campus.”
“Furthermore, given your talent, the school will provide you with a full international student scholarship, covering all tuition fees to support you in finishing your studies.”
“Excellent grades?”
Lin Yu’s brow furrowed.
He knew exactly what his transcript looked like; it was by no means enough to attract the favor of an unknown foreign school.
Professor Corso seemed to see through his thoughts, smiling reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. This is just an incentive the school offers to international students with outstanding potential.”
He paused, his gaze deepening slightly as he added, “Of course, this is also because of your parents. They… once provided some help to the school.”
“Where are they?”
Lin Yu suddenly stood up from his seat, his voice sounding abrupt due to his urgency.
This information was like a key, instantly touching a corner of his heart.
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
The three interviewers exchanged a look.
The smile on Professor Corso’s face faded slightly, and a hint of sympathy flashed in Christina’s eyes.
“…Sorry.”
Lin Yu immediately realized his loss of composure and slowly sat back down.
“It’s fine. We have some understanding of your situation,” Christina said softly, breaking the brief awkwardness.
Professor Corso cleared his throat and brought the conversation back on track.
“Now, let us discuss some of the necessary requirements for admission.”
His tone returned to its previous seriousness.
“First, Thanatos places extreme importance on practice. Performance in course practice is the primary standard for evaluating your academic record and determining whether you can graduate successfully.”
“Second, all agreements contain strict confidentiality clauses. Any information regarding the school’s course content, practical tasks, and so on is strictly prohibited from being leaked.”
“Third, your situation is somewhat unique. Some core information can only be disclosed to you after you have officially signed the agreement and enrolled.”
“Fourth, after signing the agreement, you must arrive at the school to report within two weeks.”
“Within two weeks?”
Lin Yu was surprised again.
“But it’s only May. The regular school season is several months away.”
“Yes,” the professor nodded in confirmation.
“Strictly speaking, Thanatos is not a traditional four-year university. From the moment you sign this agreement, your university career has officially begun. We implement a classic closed-management style; all students must live on campus. After completing your studies, you will receive an official degree certificate from our school. However, it must be stated that this certificate may not be used to apply for related majors at other universities. If you wish to continue further studies, you can only do so at our school.”
He emphasized again, “As I said before, practice is the key. A student who is excellent enough might graduate in two or three years.”
‘A special major? Graduating in two or three years?’
Lin Yu lowered his head, staring at the polished tabletop, his heart in turmoil.
Everything about this was too unusual.
“There is no need to worry excessively,” the professor’s tone softened, sounding encouraging.
“Based on our current evaluation, you possess such potential.”
Lin Yu looked up, his gaze sharp.
“Then what about after graduation?”
“Are you worried about employment?”
Christina took over, her tone carrying a natural confidence.
“You don’t need to worry about that at all. The school assigns jobs.”
‘Even stranger.’
Was it a misunderstanding of English?
Her choice of words was “assign” rather than “recommend” or “assist.”
“Do you have any other questions?”
Professor Corso stood up, his tall figure bringing a hint of pressure.
Lin Yu was silent for a moment before asking a seemingly ordinary question.
“After I enroll, will I spend most of my time at the school?”
The elusive smile reappeared on the professor’s face.
“No, quite the opposite. For an excellent student like you, I believe you will spend far more time learning outside the school than inside it.”
Lin Yu’s gaze swept over the stack of heavy documents on the table.
The white paper was somewhat glaring under the lights.
He took a deep breath and met the professor’s eyes.
“Can I… consider it for a while longer?”
Professor Corso was not surprised at all.
He nodded and gave a clear, urgent deadline.
“Is one day enough?”
***
After Lin Yu left, the three people in the room looked at one another.
“Is it really okay to recruit him into the school without telling him anything?”
Christina lowered her head.
“Bringing an ordinary person who knows nothing into the school… he’ll probably just be driven mad,” Clarence added.
“He might just be an innocent person…”
Christina’s voice trembled slightly, and a faint sadness appeared on her face.
“Nothing is innocent in the face of disaster.”
The professor sighed.
“Besides, the moment his name appeared before us, his fate was already sealed…”
The room fell into silence once again.
***
Inside a cake shop in the Yuelu District of Changsha.
Li Meng, wearing her work uniform, was typing on her phone.
On the screen was a message from Lin Yu.
“The school is a bit strange. Do you think I should go?”
“Why are you asking me?”
On the other end, Lin Yu, still on the bus home, stared blankly at his phone.
‘Why?’
He didn’t know himself.
It was probably because he had no one else to ask, and no one would care whether he went to a foreign school or not.
But since he was going abroad, he still wanted to find someone to talk to.
At the cake shop, Li Meng used her cream-stained hand to manage a few words.
“Do you want to go?”
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
‘If I say I don’t want you to go, would you stay?’
The girl quickly typed out a line, then immediately deleted it.
She shook herself, reorganized her thoughts, and sent the message.
“I don’t understand anything about schools. Since it’s a major life decision, you should think it over carefully.”
She glanced at it; it was a normal and reasonable reply.
“Meng, don’t play with your phone while working. Be serious.”
It was her aunt’s voice.
“Oh, okay, Auntie.”
She rubbed her head sheepishly and put the phone away.
“Think it over carefully…”
Lin Yu muttered to himself on the bus.
He turned off his phone and leaned against the window, watching the world outside spinning busily.
Lin Yu held the railing expressionlessly.
He was on the top floor of the rental building, on a deserted rooftop.
A pile of broken boxes and furniture was stacked there.
He gazed at the city under the night sky through the gaps in the scrap material.
The entire city was lit up.
Thousands of homes were brightly illuminated.
From downstairs, the faint sound of parents scolding their children could be heard.
He didn’t know how long he had been standing there before he took out his phone and dialed a number.
“Lin Yu? Have you thought it over?”
Christina’s voice soon sounded from the other end.
“I’ve made my decision. I am applying for admission.”
“I see. Then tomorrow morning, at the same location, we will sign the agreement.”
“Okay.”
***
The next day, in the hotel room.
After signing the documents, Lin Yu returned the pen to Christina.
“Congratulations. You have officially joined us.”
As she spoke, she gave Lin Yu a Bluetooth earpiece.
“Put it on.”
Lin Yu put it in.
A mechanical female voice came from the earbud.
“**[New Student: Lin Yu. Date of Birth: December 14, 2004. Gender: Male. Student Evaluation: Grade A. Welcome to Thanatos. I am the school’s artificial intelligence, Vigus. It is a pleasure to serve you. Your plane ticket, passport, and visa will be delivered within five days. We look forward to your arrival.]**”
After the voice in the earbud stopped, he looked at Christina.
“Could you provide your address? We will pick you up in a few days to head to the airport together. Prepare yourself during these next few days,” Christina said.
Lin Yu nodded, provided his address, said his goodbyes to the group, and left the hotel.