He also handed over a black fountain pen, its cap already removed.
Chen Zhuo took the letter of intent and walked over to a round glass table in the lobby’s seating area.
He spread the document out.
Instead of flipping straight to the last page to sign, he first read through the terms, word by word.
He confirmed that the privileges Fang Yuanming had just mentioned were all written in black and white in the supplementary agreement.
Once he finished reading,
he flipped to the last page.
In the student signature field, he steadily wrote his name, Chen Zhuo.
He capped the pen and handed the document and the pen back to Fang Yuanming.
Fang Yuanming took the document and carefully examined the signature on it.
Then he gingerly placed the document back into his briefcase and zipped it shut.
The whole process was methodical.
"You’ve signed it."
Fang Yuanming looked at Chen Zhuo, his tone becoming serious and professional.
"But this is just a letter of intent. You’re only ten years old. From legal procedures to transferring your student records, the process can’t be completed without your legal guardian’s signature."
Chen Zhuo nodded. This was standard procedure.
"Your flight back to the Provincial City is at 11:30 this morning, right?"
Fang Yuanming turned to Coach Xu and asked.
Coach Xu nodded subconsciously.
"That’s right. From Hongqiao."
Fang Yuanming tucked the briefcase under his arm.
"I bought a ticket for the same flight as you yesterday."
At these words,
Coach Xu was stunned once again.
Fang Yuanming pushed up his glasses, his tone perfectly natural.
"Going to university is no small matter. I have to make a trip to Zeyang myself."
He looked at Chen Zhuo.
"I need to meet with your parents, give them the rundown on the youth program’s accommodations, living arrangements, and your development plan to put their minds at ease. I’ll get the guardian’s signature while I’m at it."
There was no trace of a high-and-mighty attitude in Fang Yuanming’s words.
Only the rigor and dependability of an old-school educator.
For the sake of an unparalleled talent, and to reassure the parents, he didn’t mind personally tagging along with this group of middle schoolers to make the trip himself.
"Let’s go. It’s about time. We should head to the airport."
Fang Yuanming glanced at the wall clock in the lobby and called out amiably.
Only then did Coach Xu snap out of it.
He quickly nodded and called to the other students who were still staring blankly.
"Grab your luggage. Let’s get on the bus."
The bus was parked at the hotel entrance.
Everyone boarded one after another.
Zhang Bai and Li Nanbai walked behind Chen Zhuo.
Li Nanbai tapped Chen Zhuo’s arm and lowered his voice.
"Brother Zhuo, you’re really going to university now?"
His voice was filled with disbelief, as well as a sense of a sudden, vast gap opening between them.
Chen Zhuo, shouldering his bag, stepped onto the bus.
"It’s just two years earlier than you guys. It’s the same thing,"
he replied casually, his tone as placid as ever.
The bus started up and headed toward Hongqiao Airport.
「Airport Terminal.」
The space was open and the air conditioning was strong.
Flight information announcements looped over the PA system. After checking their baggage and getting their boarding passes,
everyone went to the waiting area and sat down on the rows of metal seats.
Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, they could see white passenger jets lined up on the tarmac outside.
Fang Yuanming sat next to Coach Xu, and the two chatted idly about the situation in the Provincial City over the past couple of years.
Chen Zhuo sat by the window, watching the ground crew zip back and forth in baggage carts.
"Attention passengers traveling to Provincial City Airport. Your flight is now boarding..."
The announcement echoed through the departure lounge.
They walked through the jet bridge, entered the aircraft cabin, and found their seats.
Chen Zhuo had a window seat. Fang Yuanming was seated diagonally in front of him.
Before long, the plane landed smoothly at the Provincial City Airport.
「Provincial City Airport.」
The automatic glass doors of the domestic arrivals exit slid open and closed.
Old Zhao and Old Zhou were leaning against the metal railing at the arrivals gate.
Old Zhao was holding a plastic bag full of ice-cold mineral water.
Old Zhou glanced at the electronic flight information screen hanging in the center of the hall.
"It’s been half an hour since they landed. Why aren’t they out yet?"
Old Zhao stood on his tiptoes, peering down the arrivals corridor.
"They have to wait in line for their checked baggage," Old Zhou said calmly.
Old Zhao turned back, looking at Old Zhou with a serious expression.
"Old Zhou, let me be clear with you."
"When school starts, Chen Zhuo will be in his second year of middle school. I’ve already prepared all the past papers for the junior high math league and the advanced placement materials for high school algebra. It’s two huge stacks. This semester, you’d better not waste his time with all that scrap metal from your physics lab."
Old Zhou scoffed and turned his head.
"What do you mean, scrap metal?"
Old Zhou retorted righteously.
"Physics class starts in the second year. With Chen Zhuo’s hands-on skills, it’d be a criminal waste of talent if he doesn’t join the lab. He could solve those crappy math problems of yours with his eyes closed, just by scribbling a few lines on a draft paper.
"The rest of his free time belongs to me. This isn’t up for discussion. I’ve even requested the high school electromagnetism kit for him."
The two middle-aged men, whose ages combined were nearly a hundred, were arguing their cases forcefully at the arrivals gate over the ’ownership’ of a ten-year-old student.
They had even planned out Chen Zhuo’s curriculum for all three years of high school.
In their eyes, City No.1 Middle School’s dominance in science competitions for the next few years was already firmly in their grasp.
The glass doors slid open again.
A wave of travelers pushing luggage carts emerged.
Old Zhao’s eyes lit up.
"They’re out!"
Coach Xu was at the front, followed by several middle school students in school uniforms and backpacks.
The group was straggling, with everyone looking around, searching for the people who had come to pick them up.

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