October 31, 2029
TG Tower – TG Foundation Office
9:05 AM
The shortlist was no longer just names on a screen.
Printed copies lay stacked on the table. Each sheet held a student's name, school, contact numbers, guardian, and location. A second column listed notes: high priority, remote area, no internet, difficult signal.
Adrian stood at the front of the room. He held the top page and looked at his small team.
"We start calling today," he said. "No mass email. No automated message. One by one."
Hana sat at the end of the table with her laptop open. She would observe for most of the day, step in if needed. She had insisted on this method. No public announcement before students knew. No social media list before families heard it from them directly.
Five people sat with phones and headsets: Maria, Jerome, and three new hires with school outreach experience.
Adrian looked at them.
