The old white Ambassador car sputtered through the congested streets of Patna, a metal relic against the year 2000's nascent technological future. Arjun sat in the passenger seat, his mind calculating logistics and future stock market moves, while Shraddha expertly navigated the traffic. She was wearing a crisp cotton salwar kameez, her expression a mix of skepticism and grudging respect. She had resigned from the bank that morning, staking her secure future on Arjun's sudden, manic confidence.
"So, 'Principal'," Shraddha began, adjusting the rearview mirror. "We have ₹8.8 lakhs left. You need to hire a reputable professor and find ten students who are willing to pay our tuition fee—which, by the way, we haven't set yet. Instead, we're chasing a boy who, according to the local newspaper, is an academic failure."
"Rajesh Kumar," Arjun supplied, looking out at the passing street vendors and telephone wires. "Failed his Intermediate Science exam. Twice. His father is a small shopkeeper, deeply disappointed. The community has written him off as lazy."
"And you think he's our foundation?" Shraddha asked incredulously.
Arjun turned to her, a genuine smile replacing his usual intense expression. "His failure is his greatest asset, Shraddha. He is precisely the type of mind the old system misses. In five years, Rajesh would be the co-founder of India's most successful educational software company. He single-handedly solved a systemic problem that baffled IIT graduates a decade from now. His aptitude isn't in memorizing rote science concepts; it's in building." He paused. "The problem isn't the student; the problem is the system that judges him." And I have the better system, he thought.
Arjun closed his eyes for a second, silently reviewing his plan. The [First Step] Quest required students, but more importantly, it was testing his ability to find and nurture talent. The [Aptitude Scanner] was his key, a window into the true worth of a human mind, hidden beneath layers of cultural judgment and bad luck. He needed to use the Aptitude Voucher perfectly. He focused his mind, and the system interface appeared.
[Inventory]:
System Funds: ₹8,80,000
1x Aptitude Voucher (F-to-D): Use on any individual to guarantee minimum D-Rank Aptitude in a selected area.
Skill Mastery Package (Basic Law & Accounting): Used.
"We're looking for a small grocery shop near the railway line," Arjun directed, pointing down a dusty lane. "He's likely there, either helping his father or avoiding him."
They found the shop, a cramped little place selling biscuits and tea. Rajesh was sitting on an overturned crate outside, his posture broadcasting total defeat. He looked eighteen, thin, with dark circles under his eyes, holding a torn, well-read copy of an obscure electronics magazine. His father, a stern, older man, was inside, ringing up a customer.
Arjun stepped out of the Ambassador. The humidity hit him hard, but he walked with purpose toward Rajesh. Before speaking, Arjun subtly activated his golden finger, directing the invisible gaze of the [Aptitude Scanner] toward the boy.
[System]: "[Aptitude Scanner] activated. Scanning subject: Rajesh Kumar."
A familiar blue data panel flashed only in Arjun's vision.
Name: Rajesh Kumar
Age: 18
Aptitude - Academics (Rote Learning): F-
Aptitude - Programming (Hardware/Logic): S (Hidden Potential)
Aptitude - Mathematics: C
Status: "High S-Rank Programming aptitude is severely bottlenecked by F-Rank Rote Learning block and extreme lack of confidence. Potential for world-class engineer is high."
Arjun's heart pounded. An S-Rank! His future knowledge was accurate. He almost laughed out loud. The world had labeled an S-Rank genius an F-Rank failure. This was the exact kind of high-risk, high-reward talent Nalanda University was going to be built upon.
Arjun sat down on the crate next to Rajesh. The boy didn't even look up.
"Rajesh Kumar," Arjun said softly.
Rajesh flinched, recognizing the voice of an outsider—someone who likely knew his shame. "Sir, I don't need any… pity. I know I failed."
"You failed a system that rewards monkeys for climbing trees," Arjun countered, his voice steady and low. "You're a bird, Rajesh. Why should you be judged on how well you climb a tree?"
Rajesh finally looked up, confusion mixing with despair. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about this," Arjun said, gently touching the electronics magazine Rajesh held. "You're reading about optimizing semiconductor cooling systems. Your father wants you to be a clerk. Your teachers want you to memorize the date of the Battle of Plassey. You failed the exam because you spent every night drawing diagrams of circuits you couldn't build. Is that accurate?"
Rajesh blinked rapidly, a flicker of hope, or maybe just shock, in his eyes. "How... how do you know that?"
"I know that because I run a university that is looking for your kind of failure," Arjun stated. "My name is Arjun Singh. I am the Principal of Nalanda University."
Rajesh's father, hearing the word 'university,' emerged from the shop, dusting his hands on his apron. He recognized Arjun's father's son. "Principal Singh," he said, his voice flat with respect and embarrassment. "I apologize for my son. He is a burden. He will never be a good student. He has no future."
Arjun stood up and faced the father, a difficult act of cultural rebellion in 2000s India. "Mr. Kumar, your son is not a failure. He is a genius. A future leader in a technology that hasn't even fully arrived in this country yet. He just needs a proper foundation and belief."
Rajesh's father scoffed. "Belief? I believed in him for two years, sir! Two failures! What foundation can you give him? Your university is just a single building on a dusty road. Everyone knows you're bankrupt!"
"I know what the world says," Arjun conceded. "But I also know that Nalanda University is the only place in Bihar that will teach your son the difference between Java and JavaScript this year. We will give him a computer, a dedicated curriculum focused on logic and practical application, not rote memorization. We will fund his circuit prototypes. He will never touch a history book unless he chooses to."
He pulled out the only physical evidence he had—a glossy, full-color printout (made using system funds the night before) showing a mock-up of the Nalanda University logo (a stylized Swastik, representing continuous education and prosperity) and a small, bold promise: "We don't create employees. We create innovators."
Rajesh's eyes were fixed on the printout, not the logo, but the words: circuit prototypes.
"I can't afford it," Rajesh whispered, the shame returning. "My family is already in debt."
Arjun smiled. "You don't need to afford it. You're my first recruit, Rajesh. You will be on a full, permanent scholarship. Your job is to study hard and prove everyone wrong. The moment you step into Nalanda, your past failures are irrelevant. We only care about your potential."
He put a hand on Rajesh's shoulder, using the physical contact to trigger the final action. This is it. The irreversible step.
[System]: "Aptitude Voucher (F-to-D) used on Rajesh Kumar. Target Aptitude: Academics (Rote Learning)."
Arjun felt a faint, warm energy flow through his hand, invisible to everyone else.
[System]: "Aptitude increased. Rajesh Kumar's Academics (Rote Learning) has been successfully stabilized from F- to D-Rank."
Rajesh gasped, but not from the touch. His eyes widened, and he suddenly felt lighter, clearer. The crushing mental block, the sheer difficulty he always felt when trying to recall facts or focus on non-logical tasks, had eased. It wasn't genius, but it was no longer crippling. The F-Rank mental ceiling that had smothered his S-Rank logic was gone. For the first time in his life, he felt capable of learning anything.
(Paragraph 4: The Acceptance and Progress - 850 words)
"What... what just happened?" Rajesh stammered, staring at his hands.
"You just decided your future, Rajesh," Arjun said, withdrawing his hand. "The decision is yours. A safe, predictable failure, or a terrifyingly difficult chance at being a pioneer."
Rajesh looked at the printout, then at Arjun, then back at his worn electronics magazine. He thought of the two years of public scorn, the wasted tuition money, and the dark path ahead. Arjun was offering him not just a scholarship, but validation for the very thing his family punished him for.
"I… I will come, Principal Singh," Rajesh said, standing up with new resolve.
His father rushed forward. "Rajesh! Don't be a fool! This is suicide! That university is a joke!"
"No, Baba," Rajesh said, looking his father in the eye for the first time in months. "The joke was me trying to be something I'm not. Principal Singh says he needs a pioneer. I am going to build. If I fail again, at least I will fail doing what I love."
Arjun gave a respectful nod to Mr. Kumar, who was now speechless, before leading Rajesh back toward the Ambassador. Shraddha, watching the entire exchange, looked utterly bewildered. She saw a defeated boy transform into a determined young man in under five minutes. She hadn't seen the system interface, but she saw the results. She felt a shiver of excitement.
"Shraddha, meet our first student, Rajesh," Arjun said, opening the back door for the boy.
Shraddha, recovering quickly, offered a professional smile. "Welcome, Rajesh. Your first lesson is that Principal Singh hates tardiness. Let's get back to the university to sign your forms."
As the Ambassador pulled away, Arjun silently checked the system status.
[System]: "[First Step] Quest Progress: Students (1/10). Faculty (0/1)."
[System]: "New Passive Ability: [100x Feedback] applied to Rajesh Kumar's Programming Aptitude. Due to the host's teaching action, all knowledge imparted to Rajesh regarding programming will be processed with 100 times efficiency and speed."
Arjun's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that. The [100x Feedback] didn't just work on him; it amplified the learning of anyone he personally taught a skill to! The genius he was about to unleash was going to be amplified 100 times over. It was the ultimate multiplier effect.
This changes everything, Arjun realized, a surge of adrenaline hitting him. He didn't just have a system for himself; he had a system to create geniuses. The world would soon realize that the new Nalanda University was not just back—it was accelerating into the future at an impossible rate. He had 29 days left to find nine more students and a professor. The journey had truly begun.