First, they dropped Jack off at NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn.
The black Audi A4 slowly stopped at the intersection near the campus gates.
Ahead was a continuous flow of traffic, mixed with excited freshmen, busy parents, and sweaty student volunteers.
The sounds of honking horns and shouting voices blended together, the air filled with heat and the hustle and bustle of move-in day.
"Alright, this traffic jam—you're not getting out of this in less than half an hour."
Ethan looked at the nearly frozen traffic ahead, decisively turned on his signal, and parked the car smoothly in a legal spot on the roadside. "Jack, time to prove yourself. Carry your own stuff—the revolutionary road is right ahead!"
He pointed to the magnificent entrance of NYU Tandon not far away, and the clear, unobstructed path between the gate and the check-in point.
Jack looked at the scorching sunlight outside the car window, then at his heavy suitcase, and almost coughed up blood.
He pulled open the door, and the heat wave instantly poured into the car.
"Ethan! You're doing this on purpose!" He complained miserably and indignantly.
But looking at the endless line of cars ahead, he had to admit Ethan's choice was rational—sitting in traffic would be truly stupid.
Taylor poked her head out from the passenger seat and waved at him with a smile: "Bye Jack! Good luck! Remember to share interesting stuff about your school in the group chat, especially the hot upperclassmen!"
She winked playfully.
Ashley in the back seat also turned slightly, nodded to Jack through the car window, his cool voice carrying an imperceptible smile: "Hope check-in goes smoothly."
Ethan glanced at him: "Son, study hard, make us proud, take the first step for your old man!"
After saying that, without waiting for Jack to fight back, he hit the gas and the car smoothly merged into the slightly less congested lane next to them.
Only Jack was left jumping and cursing at the departing car: "Ethan, you bastard! Taking advantage of me again! You just wait!"
NYU Tandon wasn't far from the main NYU campus in a straight line, but road conditions during move-in season were a disaster.
What should've been a quick drive took over half an hour of crawling.
Although the AC was on, the long standstill and the engine heat were still a bit irritating.
Ethan remained calm, his fingers gently tapping a beat on the steering wheel.
Taylor couldn't stand the silence, turned around and leaned on the back of her seat, saying to Ashley: "Ashley, look outside—so many parents look more nervous than we are."
Ashley followed her gaze to the crowded scene outside the window and said softly: "Yeah, parents are like that."
Ethan glanced at them through the rearview mirror and said with a smile: "Don't worry, our campus won't make you two haul your boxes around all embarrassingly."
Taylor immediately perked up: "Ethan, do you know your way around? Where are you gonna park?"
Ethan smiled mysteriously: "I've got my ways."
Ethan actually hadn't brought much—just a backpack on his back, that's it.
Finally arriving at the NYU Washington Square campus gates, it was also bustling with traffic and crowds.
A senior girl with a sweet smile stopped a slightly nervous but handsome guy: "Hey there, freshman! I'm a sophomore—I'll take you to check-in!"
Another senior was eagerly trying to help a girl carry her suitcase: "Hey, need help with that luggage? Let me... uh, hello sir! Wow, you're strong! You got it!"
There was also a bold senior girl flirting directly with a handsome freshman: "Oh my God! You're so hot! Follow me and I'll take you through the fastest route!"
At the NYU gates, countless upperclassmen were welcoming students under the scorching sun.
Above the entrance, two bright red banners were particularly eye-catching:
The first was conventional: "Welcome New Students—Embrace Your Future".
The second dropped a bombshell in the crowd:
"Warmly Welcome National Perfect SAT Scorer Ethan Miller to NYU!"
The first banner was nothing special—basically every school had something similar—but the second one was different.
For a moment, Ethan's name caused quite a stir, and many parents dropping off their kids saw this banner and felt reassured their children had chosen NYU.
The sophomores, juniors, and seniors all knew the name of Ethan Miller, the perfect SAT scorer.
As for the freshmen, they all knew Ethan had been courted by Harvard.
The perfect SAT scorer didn't go to an Ivy League, but actually came to apply to the same university as their group of mere mortals.
And the freshmen, who were also freshmen, were shocked and inexplicably had a wonderful sense of "honor"—they were classmates with a perfect scorer?
Rounding up, that basically made them geniuses too!
Michael Chen, head of the admissions office, had been "camping out" in the shade next to the security booth for two days, the water bottle in his hand pinched and deformed.
Ethan, this VIP, was on the last day of check-in today, and Michael was afraid of disturbing him by calling, but anxious if he didn't call.
Seeing it was almost two o'clock, he pulled out his phone, his finger hovering over Ethan's number, about to dial.
At that moment, a black Audi A4 stopped in front of the campus gate barrier.
The security guard stepped forward as usual: "Sorry, vehicles dropping off new students can't enter campus these days. Please park in the designated lot up ahead."
The car window slowly lowered, revealing a young and handsome face.
Ethan smiled and said, "Sir, I'm not a parent dropping off a student—I am a student. Ethan Miller, here to check in."
"Oh!"
The security guard was stunned.
These days, the rule was not to allow vehicles dropping off new students onto campus, otherwise there'd be too many cars causing chaos.
But Ethan drove himself?
Should he let this through or not? The security guard was in a bind for a moment.
"Ethan Miller?"
When Michael heard the name Ethan Miller, he looked up suddenly as if electrocuted—the young man in the car was definitely the perfect scorer from the photo!
He immediately rushed over in three quick strides, his face instantly filled with a relieved smile: "Mr. Miller! We've been waiting for you!"
Seeing Ethan's slightly confused expression, Michael introduced himself: "I called you during the summer—Michael Chen from the admissions office."
Ethan immediately remembered after the introduction—no wonder the voice was so familiar.
So he quickly got out of the car, proactively extended his hand, attitude humble: "Hello, Mr. Chen! Thanks for your hard work, waiting for me out here in this heat."
Michael held Ethan's hand and looked him up and down, eyes full of appreciation: "You're even more impressive in person! Ethan really has presence and talent!"
The more he looked, the more satisfied he became: top grades, humble and polite in dealing with others, neither arrogant nor complacent—truly a rare outstanding student!
Ethan also responded with a smile: "Mr. Chen, you're too kind. I think you're the one with great energy and vision—a real strategic thinker!"
"Haha."
Michael was amused and laughed, his shoulders relaxing considerably.
There are 120 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439