Chapter 65: Tutoring invitation

Professor Singh only comes every weekend to tutor Atlas. If he couldn’t make it with his schedule, he would send Atlas some notes to study and work on. So since it was Saturday, the children were expecting him to come.

Walking into the library, Atlas paused by the door when he saw Penny and Slater already studying inside.

Atlas glanced at the wall clock. ’They’re early.’

"Did I get it correct?" Slater asked Penny quietly. His voice was laced with nervousness while waiting for Penny to respond.

’How strange when he’s a grade ahead of her.’ Atlas didn’t dwell on the thought as he joined his siblings at the table. While Atlas was taking a seat, Slater glanced up at him, but said nothing. Penny, on the other hand, didn’t bother casting him a look.

"Did you really answer this?" she snapped her eyes up at Slater. The dead look in her eyes made him wonder if the truth would bring trouble.

For a moment, Slater assessed how she was raising her brow. "I got it wrong, did I?" he sighed dejectedly. "I can try again —"

"It’s correct."

"Huh?" His eyes lit up and watched her check his answer and write on the side; one over ten.

Slater only got one correct answer, but this made him happy. He finally got one thing right. His satisfaction, however, was short-lived when he shifted his eyes to Penny again.

’Why am I happy for getting one correct answer out of ten?’ he frowned, thinking Penny wasn’t happy with it.

"Third brother, look here," Penny remarked and moved the paper between them, casually telling him how he got it correctly and where he did wrong in the other questions.

Watching this peaceful scenario unfold, Atlas was pleased. He didn’t bother them anymore and quietly prepared his study materials.

For the next hour, the three of them shared a peaceful space they never thought they would.

In Penny’s first lifetime, she studied so much all her life just to be close to Atlas. However, her eldest brother didn’t see the effort she was making to create a bridge between them. Whenever she would come to the library or wherever he was studying, he would leave a few minutes later.

After some time, they heard the door creak quietly. Because of the silence with only the sound of their pens writing on the papers resonating, they quickly detected the noise. Lifting their eyes to the door, their faces showed relief when their gaze landed on the respectable Professor Singh.

"Good morning," Professor Singh greeted and joined them. When his eyes landed on Slater, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Third young master, I didn’t know you were joining us today."

Slater smiled awkwardly. "Hehe." — he didn’t know he would ever join them too until yesterday.

"It’s good that you’re focusing on your studies now," Professor Singh was pleased, but then Atlas spoke.

"He had to study well unless he wanted to be someone’s slave."

"Slave?" Confusion flickered in the professor’s eyes as he needed more than that to understand.

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Atlas magnanimously shared it with Professor Singh. The latter’s mouth formed an o-shape before he asked,

"Summit Academy allows that bet?"

’I know, right?’ Penny mentally shrugged.

"They don’t know about that part of the bet," Atlas honestly confessed.

Penny studied her brother with her lips twitching. She knew Atlas and Professor Singh had a good relationship. Even when Atlas had grown into a fine adult, he would always show support to Professor Singh and would still visit him.

’But isn’t he being too honest? Does he know Professor Singh can be quite a monster?’

"That bet is a little..." intense. Professor Singh couldn’t help but look at Atlas and then at Slater. ’Is Atlas that determined to enter the star section now? No wonder I received a few tutoring invitations from other families of the star section.’

Professor Singh was well aware of the star section of the academy — who hadn’t heard of that special section? He already met a few of the students in that section under different circumstances. The difference between those children and other students of the school wasn’t just their academic prowess.

Those children in that star section were also talented in other areas such as sports and arts, and they were also very involved in their family businesses. Most of them also came from the wealthiest or most influential families. They were very gifted; some even call them perfection. Therefore, only brave or foolish would challenge anyone in the star section. Even the last place of the star section shouldn’t be underestimated because the 10th spot was often assumed an easy target.

Professor Singh smiled in satisfaction when he grasped the big picture.

’If Atlas declared this war and on the same day, I get multiple offers from those families, it only means they acknowledge his capabilities.’ As Atlas’s professor, Professor Singh was very proud of Atlas. "Very well. Then, I guess we have to step up our game."

Atlas smiled and nodded. "Here is my answer from our last lesson," he said and slid a note in front of Professor Singh.

But unlike the usual routine, Professor Singh handed Atlas just one piece of paper.

"Professor?"

"Atlas, I want you to answer this problem for me first," said Professor Singh with a smile. "This is a problem I sent as a response to the students of the star section when they sent me a tutoring invitation yesterday."

Tutoring invitation?

Atlas furrowed his brows, but instead of asking further questions, he took this as a challenge. He grabbed the paper and looked at the problem closely. For him, this was Professor Singh’s test of whether he would stay as his tutor or tutor another one from the star section.

He wouldn’t let that happen. This was the first challenge he had to win against the star section, and he took it bravely.

Seeing that Atlas had already started working on the problem, Professor Singh was satisfied. Although it was true that the problem was his only response to the tutoring invitation, he didn’t have plans to leave Atlas, no matter how much others would pay him.

’Though I’m sure he can do it. Atlas is not only smart and a quick learner, but he’s also hardworking.’

Since Atlas had already started working on the problem, Professor Singh raised his brows. His eyes inevitably landed on Slater and then on Penny, who was beside him. When his eyes locked with Penny, Professor Singh’s eyes lit up.

Penny slightly flinched at the light beam that Professor Singh was suddenly shooting at her. ’What — what now?’ she panicked. ’Don’t tell me he already knew I started the betting pool?! I’m not trying to be a bad influence!’