Revenge of the Abandoned Son

11. (Un)intentional Meeting

The next day, Kalix woke up very early in the morning. He planned to go to the library before his morning class. Unlike his expectations, as he sat in the corner of the library and slowly approached Eugene after several days of unintentional meetings, someone was following him.

From the moment he woke up until now, Luke had been following Kalix. As someone who was used to being followed wherever he went in his previous life, Kalix didn't feel bothered at all. Once inside the library, he walked to the computer science bookshelf and randomly picked a book.

"Are you sure you're going to read that? I don't think we've covered that lesson yet," Luke commented.

Kalix ignored him and chose a suitable seat. From the corner of his eye, he could see a girl deeply engrossed in her reading. According to the information provided by the system, Eugene often spent her mornings reading books in the library every Tuesday to Thursday. Eugene was smart, so it wasn't unusual for her to enjoy reading.

Kalix's table position could be considered strategic for approaching Eugene. Not too close, but not too far, saving Kalix from the title of 'intentionally approaching' Eugene. Even Luke didn't realize any other purpose of Kalix's presence in the library early in the morning.

"I wonder if all smart people always study in the morning?"

Hearing that, Kalix glanced at Luke as if questioning what he meant.

Luke leaned towards Kalix and whispered, "Eugene is here this morning, too. She's reading. Look at the table over there."

Following Luke's directions, Kalix glanced at Eugene.

"Eugene was the smartest in her class in high school. Oh, I heard you were the best in your town, too, right?"

Kalix neither agreed nor denied it. Even if he used to be the best, there were many lessons from the past that he had forgotten over time. His college days had ended six or seven years ago. Now, he might just be an ordinary student if not for the system.

Thinking about the system, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind. "I can give you a summary of the lessons, but I won't load all of it into your brain."

Without an immediate response, Kalix thought for a moment. "Give me all the summaries."

"All of it? From the first year to the last year?"

Kalix mumbled in agreement. He needed to study hard to participate in next year's competition. Not to win and represent the country in international competitions, but he wanted support from the Celeste family's company, whether in the form of investment or collaboration. It was a great opportunity for Kalix to restart his business.

In his previous life, Jaxson and his friends successfully secured a collaboration with the Celeste family's company. Although Jaxson wasn't from a computer science-related major, he had a team in this field intentionally developed by his mother. That's why Jaxson was also given the nickname 'genius' because, besides excelling in law, he was said to have insights into the business world.

This time, he had to possess all those added advantages. It was the first step in Kalix's revenge.

While Kalix was contemplating this, Eugene had already risen from her seat and left.

"Class will start in 15 minutes, let's go." Kalix stood up, returned the book to its place, and left.

Luke followed him and silently breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't really enjoy the quiet atmosphere in the library, which could make him stressed.

During those two weeks, Kalix diligently went to the library in the morning. He tried to create an impression of being a 'book lover' in the library. On Sunday, he decided to go to the downtown library, where Eugene usually read on weekends.

This time, there was no Luke following him, so Kalix had more freedom.

The downtown library was busier on weekends, with people from various backgrounds coming to read. Kalix chose a table that was somewhat hidden and quiet.

While reading a book with focus, someone suddenly sat in the chair in front of him. Without looking, Kalix knew it was Eugene. This table was Eugene's favorite spot in the downtown library, as per the information provided by the system.

Last week, Eugene didn't come to this library, so Kalix wasn't worried about being misunderstood as a stalker. Besides, the library was close to the university.

After a while of focused reading, Kalix stretched his muscles and raised his face from the book. His eyes widened slightly, showing surprise when he saw Eugene. However, he quickly returned to his calm expression.

"Stiff acting," commented the system.

Kalix ignored the system but asked, "Where do you think she'll go after reading?"

"The pet salon. This morning, she took her cat there."

Hearing that, Kalix sighed in regret. It would be too intentional if he went to the pet salon. That wouldn't be good for his plan.

"Is there an internship job opening at the pet salon?" Kalix asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Why do you still want to work, huh?" protested the system. "You already have a steady income, and there's also 10 million from Mason. Don't make me look bad as a system!"

"Heh," Kalix contemplated it. He didn't care about the system's protests, but it was indeed a hassle to look for a job again. He'd better focus on his revenge and self-improvement. Not to mention finding Nick.

"In that case, open a pet shop near the campus."

"Yes, that's a good idea," said the system before disappearing.

Kalix knew the system had disappeared to complete the task of finding a suitable place to open a pet shop and take care of everything. Not wanting to read anymore, Kalix returned the book and prepared to leave. Today was enough for him to appear in front of Eugene; maybe in a few days, he could introduce himself openly.

Walking out of the library, Kalix considered going to check the apartment the system had bought for him, but within a few steps, his phone rang. Kalix took his phone out of his pocket and checked who was calling. He was stunned when he found out it was a call from his mother.

It had been a long time since he had spoken to his mother. Not just one or two months but five years. He even forgot if in this life, his mother was still alive, and he had a chance to change the trajectory of his previous life.

Kalix took a deep breath and found a quiet place to answer the call.

"Hello~"

The gentle voice hadn't changed, still the same as in his memory. Kalix held his breath and slightly lowered his head. After a moment, he called, "Mom..."