Well, at least there was Shin.
I opened my eyes within my EO room and began my routine for rousing myself from the game. My recovery time had gotten smaller as my body synced with the system.
“Good day, Hana. How are you feeling?” Elendil said cheerfully.
“I’m groggy but good,” I replied, rubbing my eyes with my knuckles.
Elendil responded immediately. “Should I summon a coffee for you?”
“I’m meeting with Shin in a few minutes. We’re gonna have some tea, so I’m good. A shower will do more at the moment.”
I blasted the soreness from my body with a scorching shower, groaning much more than was appropriate. A friend of mine used to say, “showers are better than sex,” and though I didn’t have the experience to back up the claim, I had the suspicion that it was true. A proper shower at least.
I changed into fresh clothes and called out to Elendil, “How are the remaining auctions doing? Any other profits?”
“I am so relieved you asked me, Hana. I’ve been chomping at the bit to tell you. And if you do not know, that is a popular idiom the refers to a racehorse who is excited to get on the track and race its heart out. Do you understand the reference in association to me wanting to tell you good news?” Elendil was talking a mile a minute, and the thought of the AI comparing himself to a horse was delightful.
I prodded, “I do. But what is the good news?”
“Well, the items have all sold, and interestingly, to a single buyer. It would seem that there is an ambitious crafter in your realm who is trying to power-level his skills.” I couldn’t help but be infected with his enthusiasm. “Needless to say, the items sold for a total of 14,350 gold dragons! You are, as they say my friend, rich as a king’s ransom!”
I giggled and chose not to correct his second attempt at an idiom. The worst thing that could happen is he could make the mistake again. Fine by me.
“That is great news, Elendil. Please send a third of the money to Madi’s account with a note explaining our good fortune.” I finished lacing my shoes and stood up to leave my room. “Oh, and take my third and transfer that over to YD and place it in my account. Thanks! I’ll make sure to save some time to chat before I log back in. See you soon!”
As I walked down the hall, I marveled at how quickly Elendil had become like a parent to me. I’d just given him a very classic “I’ll be home later” teenager speech. Thinking of my dad threatened to pull down my mood again, so I pushed away the thoughts. It would always be there, so why not wait?
When I emerged into the common room, Shin was already waiting, tapping his toes near the beverage machine, his arms crossed with impatience.
“About time! I’ve been waiting for almost an hour.” His smile undermined his complaining.
I crushed my friend in a hug then gave his shoulder a push. “Hey, where’s my Mate Latte?”
“It’s coming. Just a moment of your precious time, princess.” He punched in the code for the drink. Soon enough, the machine hummed and hissed, and my new favorite beverage was ready.
We took our teas and moved to sit at a nearby table. Shin just shook his head and waved me over to the corner of the room. There was a nook that we’d used to play our eight-bit adventures on. It offered greater privacy.
He informed me in a snobby accent, “What I have to show you is not for the eyes of the general public.”
I had to admit, I was curious. “Spit it out already. Did you contact your sister yet?”
He shook his head slightly and produced a bundle of papers from his pocket. “This. Just this.” He handed me an envelope.
I opened it and gasped. But as I read the letter, I couldn’t help but grow confused.
Dear Mae Seong,
Congratulations! You have been offered a scholarship to attend Stanford University. Considering your many academic achievements and the important nature of your studies in the field of Nanobiology, Stanford University is prepared to offer you a generous stipend as well as cover any costs of attendance.
For further information regarding the nature of this opportunity, please contact Professor Renkontu Min in the Student Success and Matriculation Office, located in the Cielo-Ponto building.
The letter ended soon after listing a few contact numbers. A second and third page were attached that gave information on Stanford’s award-winning Nanotechnology Department.
I handed the papers back to Shin. “I don’t get it. Your sister got accepted to Stanford? That’s great news, but how does that help you contact her?”
He whispered, with sparks of mischief dancing in his eyes, “The letter is a forgery. She applied to several top colleges, and though she did apply to Stanford, she doesn’t actually want to go there. She had her sights set on MIT or Harvard Medical. She’s a freaking genius, so her getting offered a full ride to any of these schools makes sense.” I nodded and gestured with my hand to hurry up and get around to explaining what he was planning. “My parents will get this and be happy, then hand the letter to Mae. Stanford’s response isn’t due for another week or two, but that should be enough time for me to get through to her. The letter cost me an arm and a leg. Had to hire the best forgery expert in LA. Found the dude on the black web. Ridiculous what I did for this. I bought a laptop, got a false ID, transferred YD into bitcoin, then hired this dude. Burned it all when I got it this morning. Nuts, right? I’m freaking Bond!”
He was obviously pumped up, but I still had no idea why he would buy a fake Stanford acceptance
