Chapter 95: Be the evil capitalist
"Are you really as young as you say and proclaim?" Dr. Walter couldn’t help but ask Aric. He had read the papers Aric had sent, and the way he articulated ideas about gut biomes for a young teenager was mind-blowing. This might be common knowledge for a university student, but not for someone of his age.
"Dr. Walter, I’m sure you’ve done your research. There’s nothing to lie about here, and I don’t think I look older than the age on my ID," Aric replied, making sure to deliver it as a kind of joke.
"Ha... ha... ha..." Dr. Walter laughed awkwardly. "I’m sorry, your knowledge of agriculture blew our minds, and we’d like you to join our university. The government will even grant you citizenship in Switzerland if you want it in the future," Dr. Walter said. "No offense to India, but we really think you’ll be able to grow better in Switzerland, and our country will provide all the resources you need for further research. You’ve done a wonderful job here, but I feel your research can really change the world, and we’d like to help you more." Dr. Walter’s words felt rehearsed, like they had been practiced beforehand.
It was robotic, but Aric could also tell that Dr. Walter was speaking under instruction, probably from upper management or at least his boss. Aric didn’t immediately agree.
"Can I talk to my parents and get back to you on that? Give me a couple of days to make a decision."
"Yes, of course. Your parents’ opinions are very important in this life-changing matter. We’ll return at the same time the day after tomorrow. We’ll be staying at the Swaagat Hotel," Dr. Walter replied.
Aric nodded, but the conversation didn’t end there. As a scientist himself, Dr. Walter wanted to know how Aric had been able to progress so quickly in such an amazing field, while large companies, universities, and countries around the world had failed to do so. Aric had an answer ready from the start.
The answer was Mira.
She was the one with the knowledge, as Aric had fed her the library beforehand, and it was easy for her to provide the information while Aric simply repeated her words. Suffice it to say, the duo was impressed. Mathew was new to the field, but even he could tell that if he wrote a paper on any of the topics Aric discussed, he would quickly earn a PhD.