Chapter 408
Chapter 408:
Hanging up, Corbett turned to Yelena and Erica. “Oh, by the way, let me take you to Professor Hoffman p>
In truth, Corbett’s mind was already racing. This was perfect. Once they met Roland and Erica’s name was added to the list, she’d be locked in. Sure, it technically counted as joining the team, but in Corbett’s mind, it meant having someone work for him—for free.
Of course, he had to play it cool. He couldn’t let on how convenient this arrangement was for him.
These two girls were not unpaid interns. They were… team members. At least, that was what he’d keep telling himself.
Yelena caught every subtle shift in Corbett’s expression, the corners of her lips curling into a faint smile. He was amusingly transparent, his thoughts practically written on his face. For someone so clever, he was surprisingly easy to read.
The trio soon reached the door to Roland’s office.
Corbett knocked briskly, his voice calm. “Professor Hoffman p>
From inside came a sharp, clipped response. “Come in p>
Erica wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at Yelena, pulling a playful face, as if to mock Roland for sounding grumpy.
Yelena patted Erica’s shoulder reassuringly, her touch steady and confident. Without words, her message was clear—A strict professor was a sign of success. No need to be afraid.
Erica took a deep breath, forcing herself to follow Yelena through the door.
Inside, they finally met Roland. Just as Corbett had described, Roland was young, likely in his late thirties. He had a sharp, scholarly air about him, with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and an aura of authority that filled the room. His eyes, however, were what stood out—sharp, calculating, and commanding.
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Erica dared a brief glance at him before quickly looking away, her confidence wavering.
Corbett gestured to the girls with a formal tone. “Professor Hoffman, these are the two students who signed up for your mentorship program—Yelena Roberts and Erica Dury p>
Roland’s gaze swept over them, flat and unreadable. But then something shifted. His eyes darkened slightly as he took them in. He hadn’t expected two girls, both striking in appearance, to sign up for his group.
For a moment, a flicker of recognition seemed to cross his face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Straightening, Roland’s tone turned stern, cutting through the air like a knife.
“Although you’ve signed up for my mentorship program, your academic backgrounds are not where they should be. In my eyes, you have a long way to go.” His gaze sharpened, flicking between the two. “You’ll need to prove yourselves here. If your performance meets my standards, you can stay. If not, I’ll remove you from my research group without hesitation p>
Roland made it clear that this was not a place for slacking off or skating by.
Initially, Erica had viewed the mentorship program as an easy way to rack up a few credits without breaking a sweat. But deep down, she knew that wasn’t her real goal. She wanted to grow, to improve herself, even if it meant working harder than ever.
Though she wasn’t as academically gifted as her classmates Yelena and Jason, she wasn’t far behind either. She had already earned enough credits to qualify for a merit-based scholarship. True, it was only third place, but she had been proud nonetheless.
People like Yelena and Jason, of course, operated in a different league. They always secured the top scholarships, a fact Erica admired more than she envied.
Oops. Her mind had wandered. Roland’s sharp tone jolted her back to reality. “Alright, we’ve met. If there’s nothing else, you can leave now p>
Dismissive as swatting a fly, his words left no room for argument.
Corbett, ever diplomatic, replied smoothly. “Understood, Professor Hoffman. We’ll leave now p>