Chapter 4The Year I Stopped Feeling Inferior

The college placed great importance on this competition. Eye-catching promotional posters were plastered on both sides of the lab building corridors.

The thirty thousand dollar prize money at the very bottom was specifically circled and highlighted.

After I came out of the lab, I stood under one of the posters and looked up.

My main reason for participating in this competition was for the thirty thousand dollars.

My parents passed away very early. In high school, my poor uncle and aunt took me in when I was orphaned and helpless.

Although their family was poor, they never mistreated me and always gave me the best.

Yesterday, I received a message from my aunt. My uncle needs a radical surgery for early-stage liver cancer.

They are still short twenty thousand dollars.

I had a total of ten thousand dollars to my name at the time, and I transferred it all to them.

If I could get this thirty thousand dollars, we wouldn't have to worry about my uncle's surgery fees.

But I never imagined I would be facing Arthur.

Arthur was simply too incredible. His resume showed that for his undergraduate degree, he studied at a top 3 QS-ranked university abroad. As an undergrad, he independently conducted experiments and published in top journals.

From his freshman year, he participated in competitions, winning first place in the MCM/ICM math modeling competition, first place in the national electronic design competition... the list of awards went on and on, his achievements so rich they left people speechless.

When Arthur returned from abroad, the dean of our college, who was preparing to retire and hadn't taken on any graduate students for years, made an exception and personally requested him as his student.

Facing an Arthur like this, I really had no confidence in winning.

I stood under the poster for a while, took out my phone, and opened iMessage.

I still had Arthur's number because he added me to tutor me in high school. Even after going abroad, he hadn't deleted me.

But the two of us hadn't spoken a word since graduating high school.

He had just been quietly sitting on my contact list.

I thought about it and sent him a message.

[Arthur, are you joining Mia's team?]

After sending it, I held my phone and waited for a long time.

The message showed as delivered, but he didn't reply to me.

I put the phone back in my pocket, turned around, and went back to the lab.