บท 13: Professor Anderson
As the door gaped open, a mysterious elder appeared amongst it. He looked well dressed in the suit.
"If you like that nonsense, you should recognize who this is," his father presented.
"Professor Anderson!" Bernard shouted in excitement.
The elderly individual was revealed to be Professor Anderson. He was a renowned archaeologist and even a paleontology professor at a top university.
He would never expect the person coming from the door to be him. His heart raced, but then he thought to himself.
"But why would he be brought here?" he monologed.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir," Bernard greeted him, his voice filled with respect, but his eyes were filled with doubt.
Professor Anderson shook his hand in return. He looked at Bernard with warm eyes and a hint of curiosity.
"I've heard quite a bit about you," said Professor Anderson as he continued to shake Bernard's hand.
"From whom?" asked Bernard.
"Those gentlemen over there," said Professor Anderson, his gaze pointed at his father and the secretary.
"Oh," said Bernard in disdain.
"Come sit down," Bernard continued.
He guided Professor Bernard from the front of the office, towards the middle. Where an oak desk was laid out.
The secretary handed them their tea, and the two hit it off. His father then coughed, and Professor Anderson changed his tone.
"Well then, shall we begin?" said Professor Anderson as he closed his palms.
"Sorry, begin what?" asked Bernard.
"Your test!" Professor Anderson exclaimed.
His uneasiness from before revealed itself. Why would his father bring in someone whom his son revered more than him.
Suddenly, Professor Anderson laid out a thick book out of nowhere. He kept flipping the pages until he stopped at one.
"Here's an easy one," said Professor Anderson.
"Can you tell me about the recent discovery?" asked Professor Anderson.
"Baby Yinglang. It's a dinosaur embryo that was discovered in the east," answered Bernard.
"Impressive. Go on," said Professor Anderson as he stroked his beard.
"The embryo itself provides insights into dinosaur development and hatching behaviors," Bernard continued.
"You're up to date. Onto the next one," said Professor Anderson while clapping his hands.
"What are trace fossils?" Professor Anderson asked a slightly more difficult question.
"They are indirect evidence revealing the organisms' behavior and ecosystems," Bernard explained.
"Excellent. Now to a hard one," said Professor Anderson.
"What is the significance of the K-T boundary in paleontology?" asked Professor Anderson.
"Uh," Bernard froze in place.
"Ha! I guess you weren't as good as you thought you'd be," his father said mockingly from his seat.
The secretary, on the other hand, had expected more from Bernard. They showed a gaze of discontent as they witnessed Bernard's inability.
"I… I'm sorry," Bernard stammered, his mind clouded with loss.
The secretary chimed in, his tone filled with regret. "This was a ghastly performance from you, Bernard. You were meant to show greatness by nailing every question."
"How do you expect to continue down this path with such shallow knowledge?" he added.
Frustration and disappointment emanated from the two at the desk. The high expectations of him were the cause of the current atmosphere.
He felt like he had failed himself, along with the two of them. Tears began forming at the base of his eyes. The imposing figure of his father pushed him to the brink.
"Go back, Bernard," said his father while pointing at the door.
"We'll discuss this matter another time,"
Dejected, Bernard slowly rose from his seat and walked himself out of the office. But on his way out, Professor Anderson intercepted him and gave him a card.
"Call me," said Professor Anderson with a wink.
He turned his back toward the office and waited for the elevator to come up. When he arrived, he quickly entered and pressed the lobby button.
When he exited the elevator, his fiancée, Sarah, approached him with a wide smile smeared across her face.
"Bernie~!" she shouted and hugged him.
"Sarah," answered Bernard.
"How'd the meeting go?" she asked while looking up at Bernard.
He looked down at her and answered in a sorrowful tone, "Not well, Sarah."
"Tch!" said Sarah as she looked away from Bernard.
"Hm?" his face turned toward the elevator.
"What about brunch?" asked Sarah.
"Sorry, I need some time alone," answered Bernard.
He brushed her off and began his walk back to his apartment. Bernard's steps felt heavy as he trudged back to his apartment, the weight of his failure pressing down on him.
Keys clicked, and he entered his apartment. He took his shoes off and turned on the light switch.
He looked at the familiar surroundings of his apartment, the only place that provided him solace.
He couldn't help that the one familiar room felt like a prison for his shattered ambitions.
Disappointed by his lack of knowledge, he knew that he had to face the grim reality and deal with the consequences.
Dejected, he threw himself on the couch and let the couch absorb him. With his mind full of negative emotions, the day went by.
As the sun sank, the room was painted in hues of orange and gold. Their shadow cast and stretched across the wooden floor.
The evening breeze whispered through the window, "You can't give up now, Alexander."
"You're right! I can't give up!" exclaimed Alexander as he got up from the couch.
Without questioning where the voice came from, he headed to his desk. Each shelf was filled with literature mentioning paleontology.
He grabbed a book the size of a boulder from the side. He put the book on the desk and settled into his chair.
When he read the book, he could feel the intake of knowledge his book was receiving.
However, as he turned the pages over and over, nothing stayed. It entered one ear and emerged from the other.
With a weary smile, he closed the book and gazed at the city. He gazed at the street below as it began to stir with the hustle and bustle of another rowdy night.
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