<b>Chapter </b><b>524 </b>


    Johnny had been knee–deep in municipal tender documentstely, so his memory of thepanies on the bid list was sharp. Strolling over to Owen, he said, “Gilbert Corporation threw their hat in the ring for the bid.”


    “Did they?” Owen nced at Johnny, his expression as tranquil as a still pond, then looked away and remarked coolly, “Let’s take a closer look at them then.”


    Johnny nodded in agreement, “Got it.”


    Owen flung back the covers and slowly got out of bed, standing up in his baggy pajamas, which hung loosely over his lean frame. As he dressed, he added, “Don’t roll out the red carpet for them. If they make the grade, they stay.”


    “Understood,” Johnny responded softly.


    Owen’s rise to his current position at such a young age was due in no small part to his reputation for impartiality, refusing to let nepotism creep in anywhere.


    The fact that he’d even mentioned giving Gilbert Corporation a closer inspection was a rare move. Offering them an opportunity was a nod to Ms. Mirabe’s influence. Whether Gilbert Corporation had the chops to seize it was another matter entirely.


    1


    Mirabe nced at the text from an unknown number on her phone. It was brief, with no name attached, just a simple “Thank you.” Resting her forehead in her hand, she didn’t bother to inquire who sent it, dismissing the message like junk mail and deleting it.


    Her friend Jenna, who’d been on the brink of a breakdown from the relentless math drills, lifted her weary head only to catch the sight of Mirabe, the picture of rxation, idly scrolling through her phone.


    Theparison stoked Jenna’s frustration, and she mmed her pen down, exasperated, “Babe, could you please show a little sympathy for thisb rat you’ve trapped!”


    “Hmm?” Mirabe arched an eyebrow, casting a sideways nce at Jenna, but set her phone aside.


    “Finished with the quizes?”


    Jenna just stared back, her hands practically aching at the thought of more math.


    Straightening up, Mirabe reached for Jenna’s paper and, after a few minutes, gave a nod. “Not bad, you’re getting there. Looks like the grind is paying off.”


    Jenna’s eyes still carried a hint of grievance. After all the papers she’d gone through, how could it not pay


    off?


    Ignoring Jenna’s puppy–dog eyes, Mirabe continued, “I’ve been assessing your hold on the materialtely, and you should be able to handle the first–roundpetition problems just fine. But the second round’s number theory andbinatorics are your Achilles‘ heel…”


    Ah, the ssic overachiever–once they started talking academics, there was no stopping them.


    Jenna, feeling force–fed with knowledge, interrupted with a defeated tone, “Can I just drop out?”


    Mirabe paused, her gaze yful yet piercing. After a nerve–wracking five seconds, Jenna picked up her pen again, pulling out a new test from under the table, <b>“</b>I’ll just keep grinding. The grind brings me joy. I


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    09:48


    love it.”


    Having tackled a couple of fill–in–the–nks, Jenna suddenly looked up, remembering something. “Hey, Mira, you’re the talk of the town again. Did you know?”


    Mirabe looked puzzled.


    “Remember that sportswear ad you did? It’s all over video sites and entertainment tforms. The outfit you wore? Total sellout. You can’t even buy it with a fistful of dors.”


    Jenna nibbled on her pen, her words free of exaggeration. After a brief pause, she added, “And ever since you mentioned Parkside High School during your stream, the biggest buzz around campus has been about tracking you down.”


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