Chapter 41: Early Graduation
Yesterday, William accompanied his mother, Lina, to watch a ball game until 10 o'clock. Afterwards, they chatted for a while. They talked about the coffee shop she had opened. Lina had named it 'German Hill Coffee Shop,' which William thought was a rather straightforward, time-saving choice.
People in the West often use their surnames to name companies, manors, and so on. William reflected that he had done much the same, naming his company Devinshire Industries. He was clearly influenced by Stark Industries. He smiled at the thought.
It was almost midnight before Lina finally let William go to bed.
The next day, William didn't get up until after 10 o'clock. With little else to do, he considered going to the university to apply for early graduation. He had no desire to attend classes anymore. Before he had money, he was focused on his studies, but now his mind had already flown far from the campus.
Having made up his mind, William picked up the phone and called his professor, Roy.
After a few rings, the call connected. "Hello, good morning, Professor Roy. This is William Devinshire," William said.
"Hello, William. Good morning. What can I do for you?" Professor Roy asked.
"Well, professor, I'd like to apply for early graduation," William said. "Is it possible for the university to arrange a graduation defense for me? If not, I'd at least like to take a leave of absence. As you know, I don't have much time to spend at the university these days. I believe the knowledge I've mastered is already sufficient for an undergraduate degree, so I'd like to formally apply to graduate."
Professor Roy replied from the other end, "Alright, William. Your situation is certainly unique, and your recent performance has convinced me of your grasp of the material. I can submit the application to the university on your behalf. You should have an answer by this afternoon. Just wait for my call."
"Thank you, professor, thank you very much," William said gratefully. "I'll wait for your call then."
"Of course. I'll notify you as soon as I have news. Goodbye, William."
"Okay, professor, goodbye."
After the call, Professor Roy hung up. William got up and washed. He sat alone on the sofa on the first floor, eating the breakfast Lina had left for him, and began to think about what he would say for his graduation defense.
William reviewed the knowledge stored in the system in his mind. Considering the current state of computer technology, he decided to talk about cloud storage. In reality, the concept had existed for a long time, but back then it was simply called a 'web disk.' He needed a catchier, more easily understood name.
Something that would be commonplace in a decade was still an emerging concept now, and it would be easy to attract venture capital with it. He made his decision.
Aside from a quick takeaway lunch, William spent the rest of his time writing on his computer. He was careful not to include anything too advanced; that would just be asking for trouble. Everything he wrote represented potential money.
He didn't want to end up like Tesla, a contemporary of Edison, whose genius inventions earned him jealousy and resentment, causing him to be treated like a monster. It was better to stay just one step ahead of the curve. For him, that was simple enough. This was nothing like his previous life, where the struggle had made him want to die.
At two in the afternoon, William received a call from Professor Roy. He was asked to come to the university's computer department at 3 p.m. The department was arranging for three professors to conduct his defense that afternoon.
William got dressed, jumped into his Porsche 911, and sped towards the university. Pushing the speed limit, he arrived before 2:30.
Word had already spread throughout the campus that William was coming for his graduation defense that afternoon. The venue arranged by the university was a large media classroom.
At 3 p.m., the professors entered the classroom. Once everyone was seated, William, who had been waiting in the wings, walked onto the stage and greeted the three professors. The back of the classroom was packed with students. William even spotted about a dozen reporters with cameras.
Surprised to see them, William quietly asked the event coordinator about their presence.
The coordinator explained in a whisper, "Given the unusual circumstances of your graduation defense, we've relaxed some of the rules. The university was concerned about potential negative press, so we allowed them in. Several of today's reporters are from scientific magazines. If your defense is successful, their presence will help prevent a lot of unnecessary trouble."
William understood. The university didn't want its current 'golden boy' to look like a dropout simply because he lacked time for classes. A public graduation defense would allow him to graduate smoothly, and the support of wealthy alumni who had donated to the university would help silence any public criticism.
Once William and the professors were ready, Professor Roy said, "Alright, William. Let's begin."
William's defense lasted for more than three hours. First, the three professors questioned him. Towards the end, even the editors from the scientific magazines began asking questions. Fortunately, William had the system to help him. The knowledge he had learned through it was committed to memory, making it easy to recall and explain. It was a once-in-a-lifetime ability.
The defense took so long not because William struggled to answer, but because he had to be careful. He couldn't risk revealing technical knowledge from more than a decade in the future.
He could talk about future prospects, but if he revealed specific technologies, the surprised expressions on the professors' and editors' faces would turn into looks of suspicion, as if they were staring at a monster.
In the end, the professors and editors seemed satisfied. William breathed a sigh of relief.
Professor Roy, who sat in the center, conferred with the other two professors. He then stood up to have a brief discussion with the editors-in-chief from the scientific magazines. After their deliberations, Professor Roy returned to his seat and addressed William.
"William Devinshire, the two professors, the editors-in-chief, and I have decided that your application for graduation has been approved. Congratulations, William."
The room erupted in warm applause. Everyone was impressed by William's performance, and many of the doctoral students present felt his knowledge surpassed their own.
William hurriedly nodded and bowed to everyone. "Thank you. Thank you to the three professors and the editors. Thank you, everyone."
The professor sitting next to Professor Roy spoke up. "No, William, you don't need to thank us. Based on your performance today, I believe you could qualify for a doctorate. William, have you considered continuing your studies for a PhD? With your current level of knowledge, I think you could defend a doctoral thesis after just one more year at the university."
A gasp went through the classroom. Everyone was shocked to hear the professor's suggestion. *William Devinshire, you're on another level! We're still struggling with our undergraduate studies, and you could already graduate with a doctorate? Is the gap between a genius and an ordinary person really this big?* And this was the University of London; everyone admitted was already a top student.
An editor-in-chief from one of the scientific magazines stood up and said, "I agree with the professor. William, the knowledge you possess is beyond what an ordinary doctoral student has mastered. I'd even say you could apply for an associate professor position here. We asked you about many cutting-edge technologies, and many of your answers contained groundbreaking ideas. I now officially admit it: you are a genius. Congratulations, William."
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