Chapter 189: Good School, Goodbye Mary

Massachusetts State.

Located in the northern part of America, surrounded by states like Connecticut near New York State; though a state, its territory is small, requiring several states combined to match the size of a large one.

All due to proximity to New York State, the economic hub, schools and economies here have developed well, forming a belt encircling New York State.

Renowned institutions like MIT and Harvard University are all located in this region.

In this era, top schools have strict requirements; admission isn’t based solely on academic performance—they also conduct interviews to assess specific abilities.

Of course, if you have a recommendation letter, that’s another matter.

This is also a matter of social connections.

Harvard University.

Looking at this prestigious school, Louis sent Yulinka inside.

For these past few days, besides helping Yulinka and Haley find suitable housing, Louis had never entered Harvard before; the school looked impressive—its architecture’s grandeur lived up to its reputation, especially inside the lecture halls, where portraits of famous figures and their quotes radiated scholarly atmosphere.

These were all notable figures who had been at Harvard.

Politicians, scientists, economists, artists…

In every field, Harvard seemed to have achieved something, especially in mainstream research areas, where it stood as a leader.

This was the depth of a prestigious school.

For those from the lower classes, school had always been the greatest and broadest path upward; once you entered, even if your family background or finances were poor, it didn’t matter.

Because the people here had connections in politics, economics, and more—they were all descendants of America’s top figures in every industry, and part of their reason for coming was to build mutual networks.

Anyone who stepped inside naturally gained access to these connections.

Don’t be fooled by America’s claims of human rights, freedom, contractual spirit, and lack of social favoritism—in truth, everywhere is the same; without someone to guide you or the right key to open the door, you’ll never penetrate deeply into any industry—you’ll simply be silently targeted and crushed by its insiders.

Under these circumstances, the value of school alumni was obvious—it was a natural circle.

A good university truly could change one’s fate.

This was why Louis had insisted Yulinka enter here—using its resources, her future path would be far easier.

“Harvard has produced many political figures; the president is just one of several, but other congress members and key department heads—if you carefully reviewed the materials I gave you, you’d know most of them inherit their positions by family lineage.”

“Among them, these few families deserve attention…”

As Louis walked with Yulinka through the dormitory building, explaining to her, the time was still early—female dorms were still accessible. Even so, many female students kept glancing over.

Beside Louis and Yulinka was Haley; since they were close and Harvard’s enrollment began earlier, Louis had brought Yulinka first.

Yulinka listened intently.

She was deeply interested in this—her innate talent since childhood had always leaned this way.

But Louis still gave her a warning.

“Don’t be careless. School is a small society, but it’s still very different from the real world—what works here may not work outside.”

“Especially in politics—it’s an incredibly tangled circle of overlapping connections, Liyihuafen , blame-shifting, and scapegoating. One misstep and you’ll be sold out while still helping the other side count their money.”

Yulinka nodded seriously. Louis never spoke empty words; if he said this, the matter was crucial—she had to take it to heart.

But how did Louis know so much about this?

Isn’t he younger than me?

The thought flashed through Yulinka’s mind, then vanished as she refocused on Louis’s words.

Soon, they reached Yulinka’s dorm.

Yulinka hugged Louis. “Don’t forget our promise.”

Louis nodded.

After watching Yulinka walk inside, Louis turned to Haley.

“So, shall we check out the school first or go back?”

Haley paused to think. “Where are you planning to go?”

Her senses were sharp—Louis wouldn’t have come here just to drop them off; he must have another purpose.

Louis smiled. “I’ll probably head to New York—it’s a world-famous metropolis. I’ll visit Wall Street, Broadway, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square—all of them.”

“Oh, then I’ll go to the school first.”

Haley wasn’t interested in those places—she wanted to see if the new school had suitable lab environments.

Louis had taught her some fascinating things—mystical forces, mesmerizing and intoxicating. She was eager to try them out.

Louis had no objection.

He took Haley toward MIT, not far from here.

On the way, Louis told her about Mary, urging her to seek Mary’s guidance later.

Over the years, Louis and Mary had never lost contact—they often talked on the phone, and during holidays, Mary frequently returned. In that time, Mary had built upon the knowledge Louis taught her, developing a practical foundational theory.

And this was all done in her spare time; most of her energy still went to her studies—otherwise, her achievements would have been even more astonishing.

Beside Louis, Mary’s comprehension was the most terrifying—even Louis himself felt inferior. With her current knowledge in pharmacology and alchemy, teaching Haley, a beginner, was more than enough.

Mary? Haley of course knew her—they had escaped together as children. But it seemed Mary had already reconnected with Louis?

Curious, Haley asked many questions about Mary.

She learned that Mary had already reunited with Louis years ago and had maintained contact ever since, following him closely. She was an undeniable genius, but due to family circumstances and personal reasons, she had left home—hence Haley had never met her there.

As Louis spoke, Haley’s mood grew serious. She could tell Louis’s attitude toward Mary differed greatly from how his family treated her.

There was even a hint of fondness.

It was simply unbelievable!

In this time, Haley had come to understand Louis better—he was, in some ways, a good person, but emotionally reserved, mostly appearing cold; even toward relatives, he showed only slight warmth.

He’d never displayed such obvious affection.

Perhaps Mary had changed over the years.

With this thought, Haley met Mary.

How to put it? As she’d guessed—but also different.

MIT.

As a world-famous school equal to Harvard, its environment bore a striking resemblance—perhaps this was the common trait of elite institutions?

At the school gate, a beautiful girl with golden hair stood holding books, waiting.

Dressed in a black uniform, her golden hair flowed softly; her facial features were defined yet softened, her figure curvaceous but concealed by the conservative uniform. Her black eyes were bright, full of spirit.

Seeing Louis, she happily ran over.

Louis smiled and caught her as she rushed into his arms. “Hey, you’ve gotten heavier.”

“No way—I’m just growing.”

Mary hugged Louis, beaming, then suddenly kissed his cheek.

Around them, muffled gasps erupted.

Many students near the gate had noticed—inevitable, since Mary was famous on campus; famous people naturally drew attention.

Louis spun Mary around once, then set her down, pinching her nose. “How have you been lately?”

“Fine. Same as before.”

Mary shrugged. “Study, research, write papers, publish, win awards, repeat.”

“I’ve recently shifted my focus to what you taught me. That qi cultivation doesn’t follow scientific principles at all, and it lacks the traceable patterns of alchemy or pharmacology. I need your guidance.”

“Don’t worry—I’ll teach you. With your comprehension, you’ll learn quickly.”

“By the way, you might need to teach someone else too.” Louis remembered Haley, who had been forgotten beside them.

?

Mary looked puzzled.

Louis turned to Haley. Mary followed his gaze and finally noticed the other person.

Looking at Haley, Mary felt she looked familiar but couldn’t place her. “Who are you?”

Haley studied Mary—the once-tiny, spoiled brat had become a stunning beauty. Hard to believe.

“Haley. Emilyia Estate.”

The keywords were spoken.

Mary’s expression changed instantly.

For her, the experience at Emilyia Estate was an unforgettable, profound memory. Combined with the name Haley, it immediately revealed the identity before her.

“Haley-sis?”

Mary smiled and stepped closer.

After a brief reintroduction, Mary led Louis and Haley into the school, giving them a tour.

Along the way, they chatted about their experiences over the years.

One: a custody battle. The other: punishing a pedophile, which triggered the liposuction worm incident.

“….”

“So that’s why you came here?”

“Yes. The other side of the world isn’t safe—you need power to protect yourself.”

“Don’t worry—I’ll teach you well.”

“Good. I’ll treat you to dinner.”

With their childhood bond, their conversation flowed smoothly. Watching them, Louis relaxed and began observing his surroundings.

Soon.

They arrived at the school cafeteria.

It’s about mealtime now, so Mary got a few portions of food.

Steak, vegetable salad, and milk.

It’s quite simple.

“Louis, how many days are you staying this time?” Mary asked.

“Hard to say. I’ll probably go back to New York for a few days and won’t stay here long.”

“Ah?” Mary’s disappointment was plainly visible.

“Once you graduate, you can return to Orlando. By the way, where’s your uncle?”

Mary took a hard bite of the steak; juice spilled everywhere in her mouth.

(End of chapter)