When fate plays its hand

Chapter 0802

+25 BONUS

“I… I’m not unhappy, just… it’s so sudden. I can hardly believe it,” Joli stammered, struggling to process how such good fortune could come his way.

Madison leaned forward eagerly. “So you’re saying yes?”

Still hesitant, Joli asked again, “Are you sure this is really okay?”

Miranda nodded reassuringly. “Absolutely. Dr. Young saw your story online and contacted me immediately. She even made a special trip back to the country just for you.”

Christine’s exact words had been, “Joli has been through so much. I want to help him.‘

Tears shimmered in Joli’s eyes. “I… I’m willing. Please thank Dr. Young for me.”

“Tomorrow afternoon, Dr. Young has invited you to her home for a meal,” Miranda added.

Joli looked uneasy. “I… Is that appropriate?”

His experience with such invitations was far from pleasant. Sophie had invited him to meals before, but they were always at restaurants.

When she’d asked him to her home, it was usually to fetch packages or clean. Only later, when he became a productive contributor to her research, did she stop making him do

chores.

Madison, however, waved his concerns away. “What’s so inappropriate about it? I’ve been to her house plenty of times, and so has Seb. Her housekeeper makes incredible food- especially the lamb stew and pasta ripiena. Gosh, you’ll see for yourself once you try it.”

“Alright,” Joli replied quietly.

Miranda continued, “Dr. Young’s plan is for you to stick with your current research and focus on finishing your thesis. The goal is to make sure you graduate and get your degree in June without any delays. After that, if you’re interested in pursuing a PhD, you can discuss it with her.

“Although she previously told the college she wouldn’t take on any more graduate students, direct admissions are an exception. Transferring to her now means that if you decide to continue into a PhD program, you’ll be considered a direct admission.

“If you’d rather work instead of pursuing further studies, she’ll support you in that decision too. The choice is entirely yours.”

Christine had thought through every possible path for Joli’s future and laid the groundwork for him.

Joli’s voice choked with emotion. “Please… thank her for me. Thank you so much.”

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Chapter 0802

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Miranda then pressed on, wanting to cover everything in one go. “There’s one more thing, I spent the past few days reviewing your published papers as well as the ones Sophie plagiarized from you. I came to an undeniable conclusion.”

Joli blinked, confused. “What is it?”

“You’re incredible,” Miranda said seriously.

Joli’s journey was remarkable. Coming from a rural village without any connections or resources, he’d relied on sheer determination to earn his place at Bedford College.

In just two or three years, he had grown into someone capable of independently publishing papers, designing his own research projects, and managing an entire lab team.

It was akin to mastering martial arts from a second–hand, over–the–top manual sold on the street and still becoming a top–tier fighter.

His achievement was not just a testament to his hard work but also to his extraordinary talent. There was a saying that held true in academia. “Effort sets your baseline, but talent determines your ceiling.”

Joli looked bewildered, unsure why Miranda was telling him this. But then her expression turned serious.

“So, Joli,” she said firmly, “would you like to join Infinity Lab?”

His eyes widened in shock. For a moment, he wondered if he’d misheard.

Madison was visibly tense, watching him closely. Miranda, too, waited for his response.

After what felt like an eternity, Joli took a deep breath, lifted his gaze, and met theirs. “But our research focuses are different,” he said cautiously.

Miranda nodded. “That’s true, but they’re all within the realm of bioinformatics.”

“You’ve read my papers. You know my work leans heavily toward genetics.”

“I do,” Miranda replied evenly. “But from the start, Infinity Lab was designed to be a multidisciplinary biology lab.”

Multidisciplinary. The word carried weight. It represented inclusion, collaboration, and a spirit of openness.