Beyond Calculation
The camera swiveled toward the blackboard, and the audience fell into stunned silence.
Arielle’s announcement of the correct answer was no less shocking, yet the audience found
themselves floored after learning how she had solved the question.
“Damn! How the heck did she think of solving the question like this in such a short time?”
Terry was near tears as he cried, “Arielle’s not just a top student; she’s a freaking genius! Ah, I am
humbled to witness her prowess! I should be bowing to Boss in gratitude for blessing our class with her
presence!”
Smirking, Trisha teased, “Aren’t you overreacting?”
Terry shook his head vigorously and exclaimed, “Of course not! In fact, I’m not going to call Arielle Boss
anymore. She’s Master Arielle to me from now on. Oh, Master Arielle, please accept my humble
devotion!”
With that, he turned to face the stage and bowed deeply.
Everyone around Terry was tickled pink by his antics, except Wendy.
Her face twisted with anger and jealousy. Eventually, Wendy could no longer pretend to be calm about
the turn of events. Hence, she ran out of the auditorium doors.
I’m going to go mad if I don’t vent my anger!
Cecilia, who was sitting amongst the other parents, wore an equally sour expression on her face.
Arielle’s little math show was an unwelcome revelation to Cecelia, who realized how grossly she had
underestimated Arielle’s talents.
Still, Cecelia struggled to wrap her head around the idea that a country bumpkin like Arielle could
mentally solve Donovan’s question under immense scrutiny and pressure.
What if Susanne kicks Wendy aside in favor of that bumpkin? It’s not impossible anymore.
Cecilia was about to gauge Susanne’s feelings on the matter when she spied Wendy running out of the
auditorium.
“Wendy?” Shocked, Cecilia ran after her daughter.
Susanne watched the two and shook her head, an indecipherable expression on her face.
One can only surrender in the face of a stronger opponent. Thankfully, Arielle didn’t disappoint me.
Otherwise, I might be the one stomping out of this place in fury. That lucky coin I gave her earlier came
in handy after all.
Just then, she overheard a conversation between two students seated in front of her. “Next time, we
need to ask for Arielle’s blessings before our exams. She’s not some Goddess of Study anymore.
Anything short of genius would be an insult to her intelligence!”
Susanne immediately tapped the shoulder of the student who had spoken and asked, “Pardon me, but
I heard the two of you talking about how the two earlier questions on quantum mechanics were the
most difficult questions today. Why do you seem more stunned than before by Arielle’s solution to the
third question?”
The student answered excitedly, “You see, Ma’am, while the third question isn’t as difficult as the first
two, even a math major like me couldn’t have thought of solving it using the second method Arielle had
proposed. She even gave three solutions, for God’s sake! I could never do that in a million years!
That’s why we’re awestruck.”
Having left her knowledge of further mathematics far behind her, Susanne asked in confusion, “Is it
difficult to solve this question with three different methods?”
“Of course! I swear, even our further mathematics teacher wouldn’t have thought of the third method.
Arielle used elementary mathematics functions to solve a further mathematics question. She’s
practically a mathematician at this point.”
A mathematician?
Susanne swallowed hard as an unexplainable sense of excitement filled her heart.
Her phone rang suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts.
When she saw the caller ID, Susanne grew puzzled.
Why is Vin calling me?
Despite her confusion, she accepted the call. “Hello?”
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