Chapter 192
A few days later, the Wipere Villa's living room was filled with a rare sense of celebration.
Gemma sat on the sofa, gripping her phone. The score inquiry page was still lit up on the screen.
"98 points!"
Her voice rose several notches as she turned to Preston beside her. "Did you see that? 98 points! Out of a total of 120! Our Allegra scored 98!"
Preston took the phone, stared at the screen for several seconds, then nodded heavily. Finally, a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
He hadn't looked like this in a long time.
Recently, the Wipere Group's cash flow had collapsed, partners had pulled out, and banks were demanding repayment. He'd felt completely drained.
But now, looking at that number on the screen, a faint glimmer of hope finally stirred in his parched heart. "Excellent. Very excellent."
Allegra sat on the single-seater sofa nearby, holding a cup of tea, her posture perfectly composed.
She didn't leap to her feet in excitement like her mother. She just smiled faintly, the smugness in her eyes carefully controlled.
98 points out of 120. That score placed her in the top 5% of all test-takers.
Her foundation from placing first in the county on the college entrance exam was still there. All those years of practice problems and memorized formulas had come in handy during the test.
She set down her teacup, picked up her phone, and scrolled to Marshall's number.
She hadn't reached out to him in a long time.
The last message she'd sent was half a month ago. It still showed as "read," but he'd never replied.
She stared at the chat window, her finger hovering over the screen for a moment, then typed out a line and sent it.
[Marshall, I checked my research exam results today. 98 points. Several research institutes have already contacted me about potential collaborations. I did it.]
After sending the message, she set down her phone, picked up her teacup, took another sip, and gazed out the window.
About two or three minutes later, her phone lit up.
She picked it up and her eyes brightened instantly.
Marshall had replied.
Just one line, but it was far better than all those previous messages that had sunk without a trace.
[Congratulations. I knew you were still exceptional.]
Allegra looked at the message, and the curve of her lips finally couldn't be suppressed.
She replied: [My family's preparing dinner. Will you come?]
This time, he didn't make her wait long: [Okay.]
Allegra set down her phone, stood up, and said to Gemma, "Mom, Marshall said he's coming over for dinner tonight."
Gemma's eyes lit up. She nodded repeatedly. "Good, good, good. I'll have the kitchen prepare a few more dishes."
She paused, then leaned in and lowered her voice. "Allegra, you need to seize this opportunity. If Marshall's willing to come, it means he still has feelings for you. Be softer when you talk later. Don't put on airs, okay?"
Allegra nodded, but the smile on her lips wouldn't go away.
That evening, Marshall arrived.
The three members of the Wipere family stood at the door to greet him. Gemma warmly invited him in, and even Preston managed to force out a smile.
Marshall stepped into the living room, his gaze sweeping around before landing on Allegra's face. He paused slightly, and his lips curved into a shallow arc. "Nice score. I saw the list. Your score ranks near the top."
Allegra lowered her head shyly. "Thank you."
Gemma waved her hands repeatedly from the side. "Oh, she's only got this much talent. It's nothing, really, nothing at all."
Despite saying that, the smile in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
The group had just sat down at the dining table when the doorbell rang.
Gemma quickly set down her utensils. "I'll get it. It's probably the experts from those research institutes."
She hurried to the door and pulled it open. Outside stood several formally dressed researchers, each exuding an air of distinction.
Allegra recognized the man at the front.
Liam Orsini, a senior researcher at the National Academy of Sciences of Astoria's Biomaterials Research Institute. He was a heavyweight in the domestic research community.
She'd read his published papers repeatedly. One of them still held the citation record in its field.
And someone like that had come to her door in person.
Allegra's breathing quickened slightly, but she maintained a composed smile on her face. She stood up and gave a slight nod. "Mr. Orsini, hello. Thank you all for coming such a long way. Please, have a seat."
Gemma had already warmly ushered the group to sit down and was busily pouring tea. "Our Allegra has been smart and studious since she was little. She scored 98 points this time—such an excellent result. She really didn't let us down. For all of you to come in person to discuss collaboration, it's truly an honor for our family."
The researchers exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat peculiar.
Preston had already stood up from the sofa, straightened his collar, and stepped forward with an outstretched hand. "Mr. Orsini, it's an honor. I'm Allegra's father. Her mother has already prepared tea. Please, everyone, sit."
Liam nodded slightly and shook his hand.
He took a seat on the sofa, a smile at the corners of his mouth. "Mr. Wipere, we came here today to discuss your daughter's performance in the research selection exam in person. She's very talented. She ranked near the top in this exam. Her future is limitless."
Gemma nodded repeatedly from the side, her smile barely contained. She couldn't help but chime in. "This child has been smart and studious since she was little. Back in the county, there weren't many good educational resources, so she figured everything out on her own. After she came back to the Wipere family, she studied and did practice problems every day. Never gave us any trouble—"
Before she could finish, Liam tilted his head slightly, his gaze landing on her face as if he'd caught a key piece of information. "You're saying… Ms. Wipere grew up in the county?"
Gemma froze for a moment, then quickly nodded. "Yes, she grew up in the county when she was little. We brought her back later."
Liam's brow twitched slightly. He turned his head and exchanged a glance with the short-haired woman beside him. His tone became more subtle. "That's strange. I was under the impression that she'd grown up in the Wipere family all along."
The air suddenly went still.
Allegra's fingers, holding the teacup, paused. The smile on her lips remained, but the light in her eyes flickered.
Gemma's expression shifted as well. She instinctively glanced at Preston.
Preston set down his teacup and cleared his throat. "What… do you mean by that?"
The short-haired woman looked up, her tone businesslike. "The information we received indicates that the candidate who placed first nationwide in this research selection exam has a historical address matching your Wipere Villa. We assumed it was the same person, so we came to discuss collaboration."
"First… nationwide?" Gemma's voice wavered.
Liam nodded and pulled a printed score sheet from his briefcase, placing it on the coffee table.
He pressed his finger lightly on the paper, his tone more serious than before. "Yes. First nationwide. A perfect score of 120. It's the most flawless answer sheet we've ever seen. Every single question's solution was impeccable. We made a special trip here to meet that candidate in person. May I ask—is she here?"