Half of the class had already dispersed and couldn't hear what Prof Yu said. Only those who decided to dilly-dally today were still there, including Yingying and her group of friends.
"Her again? It's good to be the golden child, huh?" one person from the bunch said.
Since Alice was nearby, she heard what the girl said but chose to keep quiet instead. She did not want to start an argument now. Thus, she calmly made her way to Prof Yu. Mimi glanced at the bunch and smirked, knowing how much they loved seeking trouble.
Both of them arrived where Prof Yu was standing.
"Hey Alice, what are you doing this break? I'm looking for a temporary assistant if you're interested," Prof Yu offered.
Hearing that, Alice was shocked. What a great opportunity! Since she had let go of her part-time job during the day, she would be stupid to pass up the offer.
"I'm interested!" Alice said quickly.
"Prof, it's not fair! Why does only she get the best thing?" Yingying said as she and her group of friends purposely eavesdropped on the conversation.
"Yeah, Prof, why didn't you offer it to us too?"
Prof Yu sternly replied, "Well, I thought you guys were going to intern at Yingying's father's department. That's why I didn't offer it to any of you, plus I only need one assistant."
The girls were stumped.
Yingying's father is a chief judge at the provincial courthouse. The other girls' fathers in the group are all either lawyers or prosecutors. Hence, the group of girls had been interning at different departments every semester break.
Prof Yu gave the opportunity to Alice because she happened to come across her student profile and knew that she had no strong family background, plus the fact that she was a very capable student.
"Now go!" Prof Yu retorted.
Yingying and her friends scoffed while retorting within themselves. They still felt it was unfair treatment but had no choice but to keep quiet. Everyone knew not to mess with Prof Yu.
"So Alice, do you accept it? Or do you already have anything else planned?" Prof Yu pressured. She really hoped Alice would take the offer, as she felt that she could be nurtured into a very powerful lawyer.
The way she thinks and acts is already different, and she could see that Alice has got what it takes to succeed in this profession. If she's lucky, she might even be able to produce her mini-me in terms of capabilities.
"I agree!" said Alice hastily. She could feel the importance of the opportunity. Since a big offer was being given, it would be stupid to refuse. She knew this opportunity would help her in her career.
Hearing the words of affirmation, Prof Yu was delighted. She passed her business card right after.
"Come to the address on the first day of the semester break. We will go from there. In the meantime, you might want to enjoy your very few last moments of being free."
Alice nodded. She understood the weight of the words. She expected as much when she first heard. They were taught on their very first day in the course that this profession isn't as lucrative as people make it sound.
There is a lot of thinking and research that needs to be done, so a freshman would need to give most of their time to work.
The card reads: Ming & Han Associates, Vice Director. As expected of a renowned lawyer, even the card feels different, says Mimi in envy.
Alice laughed. Mimi never fails to make her laugh. She has this one superpower, where no matter how heavy the situation is, she can always find a way to make it lighter.
The way Mimi thinks was nurtured from her early age, where her grandfather always made her sit at every meeting he attended. Thus, she was used to serious settings and was able to control the situation in her favor.
She once told Alice that if she had not regulated her feelings that way, she might never be the bubbly girl she is now. The corporate world was so harsh she swears to never be involved in her family's business.
However, like every other story of an aristocratic family, no one would be able to live the way they wanted. Thus, her original plan to pursue literature was stopped, but she compromised by taking law instead of business studies.
She knew she would be bored to death in the business program. Although her heart was not in law studies at first, the challenges made her fall in love.