"The evening of the 3rd? Don't you have class on the 4th? Will you make it? You don't have to stay that late," Mr. Winters asked over chat, puzzled by Tony's offer to speak during the evening study session.
"It's fine. I don't have any more classes," Tony replied casually. In fact, he hadn't had any classes scheduled in April or May. And come June, he would have already graduated—with his thesis defense scheduled and his diploma on the way.
Mr. Winters nodded understandingly and the conversation wrapped up after a few more polite exchanges.
Before signing off, he asked, "Want me to add you back into the class group chat?"
Tony declined.
That same afternoon, Clara received an email notification confirming that her online application for the Northwood Institute of Life Sciences' Summer Research Camp had passed the preliminary review.
She and Tony had already prepared her documents in advance: transcript, recommendation letters, test scores, and supplementary certifications. They immediately mailed everything that afternoon.
Now, all they could do was wait. If her submission passed the second review, she'd be listed as an official Summer Camp participant. If not, she could still attend—but she'd need to cover her own travel and housing costs.
In the library.
"Finished your papers?" Tony messaged a small group chat he'd created months ago.
It had just three members—himself, Gwen Shaw, and Greg Xu. They had all helped him conduct an experiment, and Tony had created the group to keep in touch.
A reply came quickly.
"Ugh. Even with the experimental data and Professor Yi's help, writing this paper is killing me. So many words. So many sections. I'm drowning!!!" —Greg Xu
Tony smiled at the triple exclamation marks. Greg was always expressive.
"You thinking about a PhD afterward, or heading straight into the workforce?" Tony asked.
"Honestly… leaning toward a PhD. But if I hadn't gotten my master's thesis done early thanks to Professor Yi—and you—I wouldn't even be considering it. Not sure I can handle a doctorate."
Tony appreciated the honesty. Greg had a decent work ethic but never overestimated himself. Still, he reminded Tony of Liu, one of his old dormmates—someone just trying to keep up, rather than aiming for the stars.
"Planning to stay at Westbridge University?" Tony asked.
"Yeah. I did undergrad here too. Not the flashiest path, but I'm comfortable here. Was gonna head straight into industry, but the early graduation changed things."
Then Gwen chimed in.
"UGH. This paper is BRUTAL. It's WAY harder than the one I did for undergrad. I'm editing as I go. I want to scream 😭."
Tony chuckled. Like Greg, Gwen had been pulled into the experiment with him and Professor Yi Huaqing—and like Greg, she benefited from that association.
"Planning to pursue a PhD too?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, but I still have coursework left. I've got no chance of graduating before December. Earliest I can finish is probably January next year. The prof says there's no precedent for a two-year master's, so I'm not pushing it."
"I'm hoping to apply up North. Haven't picked a school yet. Got any recommendations, master?" she added with a joking reverence.
Tony didn't mind the "master" thing—it was more endearing than formal.
"Since you've still got time, take it easy. Work on your paper in small chunks after class. You'll finish before you know it."
"You've had such a smooth ride!" Greg added, clearly envious of Gwen's timeline.
"As for schools," Tony replied, "I'd recommend Stanford or MIT if you can make the cut."
Of course, Tony wasn't applying to those places himself—not because they weren't good, but because he didn't need them.
Soon enough, it would be elite universities hoping to associate themselves with his name.
But Gwen wasn't Tony. For someone like her, if she had a shot at a top-tier program, she should go for it.
"Ha! Master, you think too highly of me. I wouldn't survive MIT. The only reason I'm even on track to graduate early is because of you. I'm aiming for a strong research university though—something on the level of Carnegie Mellon or Northwestern. Any other ideas?"
"Actually," Tony replied, "my girlfriend's heading to Northwood Institute next year. You could consider that—it's solid for biosciences, and you'd have a familiar face nearby."
"Wait—where are you going to study?" Greg chimed in.
"Yeah, master! Overseas? Harvard? Berkeley?" Gwen asked.
"Not going abroad," Tony replied flatly.
Then, before they could ask more questions, he changed the subject.
"Actually, I reached out today for a reason. I've got a job offer. Wondering if you're interested."
"Ooooh? What kind of job?" Gwen asked.
"As long as it's something we can do, we're in," Greg added.
"I've just registered a new company and I'm looking for lab assistants. If you're willing, you can join on a part-time basis."
"MASTER. You've already started a company?! We're still burning brain cells trying to finish a paper, and you're out here launching startups!"
"I'm in."
"Me too."
Their replies were immediate and enthusiastic.
"Don't worry, I'll pay you well," Tony added. "And I'm planning to bring Professor Yi onto the team as well. If he joins, you can continue your research under him—just at my company's lab instead of the university's. Greg, that might even be your PhD thesis project."
"You serious?"
"Dead serious."
The chat briefly went silent.
Then Greg sent one more message:
"You're like Iron Man, you know that? Everyone else is still doing homework, and you're building a tech empire."
Tony smirked at the screen, then shut his laptop.
Everything was falling into place.
Soon, he'd have a company, a product, a team—and two of the best tools a visionary could ask for: trust and talent.