"Well, look who remembered my number," an old man chuckled over the crackling line. "The world must be ending."
Alan smiled faintly, resting his elbow on the table beside his scattered notes. "Just busy, as usual."
"Too busy to call an old man who taught you everything you know?" The professor's tone was filled with mock offense, but the warmth underneath it was impossible to miss. "What's the emergency this time?"
"I need a favor," Alan said, getting straight to the point. His voice carried a calm steadiness that always appeared when he made decisions that truly mattered. "I want you to teach some kids."
There was a pause, followed by a rough snort of disbelief. "You know I don't do that anymore," the professor replied. "Too many entitled brats with helicopter parents who think their precious angels are the next Einstein."
