"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
"Indeed, this Wilson is quite the rising star.""Seems like Sanchez is eager to mentor him. If you hadn’t spoken up first, I would’ve tried to claim Joseph for myself."The room buzzed with conversation."Jimenez, stop with your passive-aggressive remarks. You say you aren’t competing, but you're just trying to pressure the principal into giving Joseph to you."Professor Jimenez scratched his head awkwardly with an embarrassed grin as Sanchez shot him a displeased look."Hahahaha..."Geoffrey Harris couldn't help but laugh heartily at the banter."Principal, what are you laughing at?"Everyone was puzzled."I’m afraid none of your plans will work out!"Geoffrey Harris said, his face full of mystery."What do you mean?""Principal, are you thinking of mentoring Joseph yourself?""Now that would be favoritism, Principal."The professors were clearly unsettled."You misunderstand. This Wilson—he’s no ordinary teacher. Despite all our years of academic achievements, I doubt any of us here
In Room 302 of the second teaching building, Joseph was in the middle of an impassioned lecture, captivating his students with every word. Though the subject wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, his approach and perspective were refreshing, and the students hung on to his every word."Now that we’ve covered the relationship between medicine and dietary health, I hope you all have a better understanding of how important nutrition is. After all, eating is something we do every day.""After this class, I encourage you to try adjusting your family’s diet. Who knows, over time, you might solve some of the minor health issues among your loved ones.""The reason I’m suggesting this is simple: everything I’ve taught you so far is theoretical, but I believe theory must be paired with practice. Without practical application, theory is nothing but empty talk.""What we’re learning is knowledge, and knowledge must be transformed into productivity."Joseph’s words resonated deeply with the students
"Then what else do I need to do to learn the technique?" the student pressed."You need discipline. You need to conserve your energy, fortify your core, strengthen your tendons and bones, and, above all, cultivate a man’s inner strength," Joseph replied.At this, the entire class burst into laughter."Thank you, sir! I’ll definitely remember your advice," the student said, scratching his head with an embarrassed grin."If anyone is interested in learning this technique, feel free to approach me after class. I can share some training methods with you," Joseph said, glancing around the room."Um... sir, did you forget about me? Could you please remove these needles?" The student, who had now been needled nine times, was on the verge of tears."Don’t worry, I haven't forgotten you. I never needle someone without a reason—there’s always a purpose," Joseph said, smiling as he looked at the student."W-what’s the reason?" the student asked, his voice filled with dread."The reason is simple
"I’d like to highlight this individual in particular," Harris said, gesturing to a man standing next to him. "This is my former student, Brady Rogers. He’s an expert in acupuncture and massage therapy and is responsible for teaching those courses here. Among us older folks, he’s the youngest at thirty-five. Since you’re both skilled in acupuncture, I imagine you’ll have much to discuss."The man Harris indicated appeared to be in his thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses. His stern expression and serious demeanor gave off a slightly cold and aloof air."Mr. Wilson, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to learning from you in the future," Brady Rogers said as he extended his hand.Joseph smiled and shook his hand. "Not learning—I’d say exchanging ideas.""Mr. Wilson, you’re too humble. We watched your entire lecture from the monitoring room, and I must say, it was absolutely extraordinary. Even someone like me, with decades of teaching experience, couldn’t help but be impressed
"Mr. Harris, why not have him teach all of them? Limiting him to just one subject feels like such a waste of talent," Leonard Sanchez suggested.Joseph nearly stumbled at the suggestion."Old Sanchez, have you gone soft in the head? If he teaches every subject, even if he worked 24 hours a day without sleep, he wouldn’t have enough time. Mr. Wilson may be young, but you can’t run him into the ground like that!" Geoffrey Harris shook his head in disbelief."Well, I know it’s impractical—I was just expressing my wishful thinking," Sanchez replied, caught off guard by Harris’s bluntness."It seems we’ll need to deliberate a bit more on Mr. Wilson’s workload," Geoffrey Harris mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully."Yes, we want to maximize your impact, Mr. Wilson, so as many students as possible can benefit from your expertise," Sanchez agreed with a nod."How about this? By tomorrow, we’ll have a work plan ready for you," Harris proposed. "As for this afternoon, you don’t have any more cl
Those eyes belonged to Fiona.She stood on the third floor of the first teaching building, where her vantage point provided a clear view of Joseph and Alice’s interaction below.As she watched Alice link arms with Joseph, Fiona’s hands reflexively clenched, her fingers curling tightly. It felt as if something precious had been taken from her.That gnawing sense of loss, the feeling of something slipping away, began to consume her."Hey, sis! I’m here! Why are you all the way up here?" Heidi’s voice came from behind, breathless and winded as she finally caught up."You’re late—and you look like a mess. What happened to you?" Fiona asked, snapping out of her reverie as she glanced at her younger sister."Don’t even get me started. It’s all Charles Martin’s fault. He’s driving me crazy!" Heidi fumed, clearly exasperated."What did Charles Martin do this time?" Fiona asked, her brows furrowing."He keeps pestering me, saying he needs to meet you. I think he might be seriously ill," Heidi