"I don’t know, but I can certainly try."Joseph’s smile remained, offering no definitive answer."Mr. Wilson, I never realized you were such a braggart. I hadn’t noticed before."Fiona’s lips curled into a mocking smile.Joseph merely glanced at her, saying nothing."Why don’t you demonstrate for us, teacher? We’d love to see it.""Yes, teacher, you can’t just talk the talk!""Try it now, Mr. Wilson!""..."The students’ enthusiasm only grew."I can try, but please, everyone quiet down."Joseph agreed, and at once the room fell silent."Mr. Wilson, are you sure about this? Piercing a needle three centimeters into wood—that’s a lot of force. I’ve never seen anyone do it before.""Even if a needle has some rigidity, it’s hard to imagine it could be driven that deep into solid wood."Even Geoffrey Harris, who had been supportive of Joseph, now seemed skeptical."Those in the back, move forward a little; it’ll give you a better view.""Now, take a good look. These classroom desks are soli
But the moment he finished speaking, the room plunged into awkward silence. No one moved. After all, they had just witnessed how Joseph’s needles could shatter solid wood...For a long moment, no one stepped forward."What, no volunteers?""In that case, I’ll have to randomly select someone."At those words, the atmosphere in the room grew tense in an instant.What was Mr. Wilson thinking? Was he serious about risking someone’s life?"You there, come be my target. You seemed to be enjoying yourself earlier."Joseph’s gaze swept across the room before settling on a young man with a dark complexion.As soon as Joseph spoke, a wave of snickers rippled through the classroom.The young man’s face darkened even more at Joseph’s words. Already dark-skinned, he now looked as though he might burst into tears."Mr. Wilson, surely you’ve made a mistake! I wasn’t laughing!"The young man’s voice trembled with unease."Are you certain? The needles I’m holding aren’t limited to just three."Joseph
He turned to find a stranger approaching him."Why aren’t you in class? Is there something you need?"Geoffrey asked, puzzled."Mr. Harris, my name is Fiona. I’m a graduate student under Professor Sanchez, and I’m very confused right now."Fiona was slightly out of breath, clearly in a hurry."What’s troubling you? Perhaps I can help."Geoffrey nodded, indicating for her to continue."Mr. Harris, do you truly know who Joseph is?"Fiona’s expression was serious as she spoke."Are you suggesting you know Joseph better than I do?"Geoffrey raised an eyebrow, sensing something unusual in her words."Mr. Harris, I’m certain I know Joseph far better than you do."Fiona’s voice was resolute."Oh? And what makes you say that? If you truly know Joseph, then enlighten me—how well do you know Mr. Wilson?"Geoffrey’s curiosity was piqued. There seemed to be more to this than he had initially thought."Joseph is my husband. I know everything about him. Based on what I know, he has no qualification
Fiona stood there, momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond."Fiona, if you truly want to understand Mr. Wilson, I’ll leave you with this: for most teachers, being hired by Nova University is a great honor. But for Joseph Wilson to teach here, it is Nova University that is honored."Geoffrey Harris exhaled slowly before delivering his final, solemn statement.Fiona stood rooted in place, her mind reeling from the weight of his words, unable to fully process what she had just heard."Fiona Cooper, instead of standing here questioning a man you clearly don’t know, perhaps it would be better to set aside your preconceptions and return to class. Listen carefully to what Mr. Wilson has to teach. This lesson might be more important than you realize.""And if you open your mind, you might just discover a very different Joseph Wilson—someone who is charismatic, knowledgeable, and far more remarkable than you ever imagined. Engaging with him is like being refreshed by a gentle spring bree
"It’s a bit unfortunate that I won’t be teaching you permanently. If I were more than just a substitute, your courses would include not only theoretical lessons but also practical training.""As future doctors, you need to face patients and illnesses directly. Clinical experience is far more valuable than any theory."Joseph took a sip of water, speaking casually."Mr. Wilson, could you co-teach with Professor Sanchez? I feel like clinical training with you would be fascinating.""Yeah, yeah, talk to Professor Sanchez! We’d love to have you teach us more!""I really appreciate your unique way of thinking, Mr. Wilson. It’s always so refreshing...""..."The students eagerly expressed their hopes and wishes."Thank you for your kind words. However, the courses I’ll teach in the future will be determined by the school’s scheduling.""We’ve been at this for over an hour now. Let’s take a short break and resume afterward."Joseph checked the time and addressed the class.With that, he pick
Heidi sent two long messages in quick succession, but Joseph’s expression remained indifferent as he glanced through them."Is that so?"He responded with just three words."Brother-in-law, why are you so calm? Are you messing with me? You’re really teaching Leonard Sanchez’s class on your first day?"Heidi still found it hard to believe."Wait a minute—brother-in-law, my sister’s here today! Professor Sanchez is her graduate advisor. Are you teaching her right now?"Suddenly, Heidi seemed to realize something outrageous."Uh, yes, I saw her."Joseph didn’t hide the truth."Wow! What was her reaction? I can’t even imagine it—she’s always thought you were a complete failure."Heidi sounded rather amused."That was then. Things are different now. Back then, she was my wife; now, she’s just another student. Don’t worry, I won’t go out of my way to make things difficult for her.""Besides, I’m only substituting."Joseph chuckled softly."Brother-in-law, how about we grab lunch together?"
"It’s just a friend’s phone that I’m borrowing for now. Is there something you need, Fiona? If not, I should head back to class—it’s almost time."Joseph forced a polite smile, trying to keep the conversation brief."Joseph, seeing you here today—it’s unbelievable. You might have fooled everyone else, but you can’t fool me.""Come on, be honest. What underhanded methods did you use to sneak your way into Nova University?"Fiona’s eyes locked onto Joseph, her voice sharp as she demanded answers.Joseph could only smile helplessly at her words."And if I told you I got into Nova University through legitimate channels, would you believe me?"He asked, throwing the question back at her."Do you really think I could believe you?" Fiona shot back, her tone sharp."If you don’t believe me, then why bother asking? You’re free to think whatever you want.""But even if I did swindle my way in, it has nothing to do with you."Joseph found her persistence absurd. They were divorced, yet she seeme
"We’ll talk about it over lunch. I need to get back to class."Fiona had no interest in continuing the conversation and promptly ended the call.As the dial tone echoed in Heidi’s ear, she let out a frustrated sigh."What the heck? Hanging up just like that? What’s her problem?"Heidi grumbled to herself.By then, class had already resumed. Joseph’s second lecture was now in full swing, and this time, it was much more focused than the first. Nearly all the students were diligently taking notes, fully immersed in the lesson.Joseph, noticing the rapt attention in the room, couldn’t help but feel satisfied.Meanwhile, on the seventh floor of the administrative building, Geoffrey Harris stepped out of the elevator. With his hands clasped behind his back, he strolled leisurely toward the teaching surveillance room. His mood seemed quite good.As he approached the monitoring room, he ran into Christopher, the supervisor, who was just walking out."Ah, Christopher, perfect timing. I was jus