The school's little schemes (two chapters combined today)

After the tour ended, only the President, the Dean of the Law School, the Dean of the School of Finance, and the head of the Alumni Donation Affairs Office remained to continue chatting with Wang Xiuyuan.

The furniture in the luxury VIP reception room was arranged very simply.

[At this point, I hope readers remember our domain name. Looking for Taiwan novels is super convenient here.]

There were only a few clean and tidy but very old fabric sofas, plus a few coffee tables and side tables with cracked lacquer.

The surrounding walls had no paneling or wallpaper, nor any complex carved moldings; they were simply painted with a layer of white latex paint.

Wang Xiuyuan couldn't help but complain internally: 'These damn foreign devils really know how to cry poverty.'

Before their seats were even warm, the President of Yale University took the lead in flattering Wang Xiuyuan.

"Wang, you have truly surprised us. Who would have thought that a law student from the Tax Law Department could achieve such great results in the Wall Street financial market?

You've stunned all of us old fogies. When I saw your information, my first reaction was that those bastards had done their job carelessly and filled it out wrong.

After repeatedly confirming it, I realized they hadn't made a mistake. This is truly incredible."

With the President leading the charge, the others followed suit, providing supporting commentary around the President's rhetoric.

In the mouths of these people, Wang Xiuyuan was practically a born financial genius. One could search through all the graduate archives of Yale University and find no legend comparable to him.

Unfortunately, Wang Xiuyuan had long grown tired of this low-level flattery, especially since its frequency had peaked in the last month or two.

'Here it comes, here it comes, the familiar routine is starting again.

A group of people first flatters me for a while, holding me up high, and then they start complaining and crying poverty, trying to get some money out of me.

I've already anticipated your move, you dogs.'

Despite his internal complaints, his facial expression management was impeccable. He maintained a warm and genial smile at all times, making it impossible for these people to see any problem.

"The President and the school leaders are too kind.

I only happened to come into contact with knowledge related to the finance major after entering the Yale campus. Out of personal interest, I conducted in-depth research privately, and I spent most of my time studying finance-related knowledge.

For a law student, this is actually neglecting one's proper duties. Other students must never follow my example and mess around like this."

This extreme level of Versailles-style humblebragging made their teeth itch. As the managers of this top institution, they knew better than anyone the magnitude of the students' academic pressure.

[Study, socialize, sleep: you can only choose two.]

This single sentence accurately summarizes just how great the academic pressure is for students at top American universities.

In American campuses, academic performance, socializing, and adequate sleep are three equally important indicators. However, with only twenty-four hours in a day, time constraints dictate that the vast majority of students must sacrifice one to ensure excellence in the other two.

Asian students, influenced by Chinese culture and various external factors, mostly choose sleep and study by unspoken agreement.

The academic pressure in American universities is generally very high. In top institutions like Yale University, the four-year comprehensive on-time graduation rate for undergraduates is only fifty-nine percent, while the annual graduation rate for graduates is eighty-nine percent.

The former is the proportion of a hundred students who graduate on time after four years; forty-one percent of them will either be asked to withdraw for various reasons or fail to earn enough credits, requiring another year of study to meet graduation requirements.

The latter is the graduation rate for students who have been enrolled for more than four years. Those who have already dropped out or been expelled are not included in the data, meaning this eighty-nine percent figure is forcibly pulled up by students with delayed graduations.

This shows just how great the academic pressure is at top American universities.

These people had already seen Wang Xiuyuan's freshman major exam results, and they could certainly be described as excellent.

As a result, Wang Xiuyuan was now telling them that while other students were severely sleep-deprived, he was also privately studying and researching finance and achieving such dazzling results through practical operations. Who could stand that?

Compared to Wang Xiuyuan, other students really were like trash.

Only the Dean of the School of Finance was different; he truly loved a student like Wang Xiuyuan to death.

How could he not like a student who genuinely loved the finance industry and had already achieved massive success in the field? He had to get his hands on this student.

As long as Wang Xiuyuan studied at the School of Finance and obtained a degree, he would certainly become the gold-lettered signboard for their school.

"Wang, since you love researching finance so much, why don't you transfer to the School of Finance? You can pick any major you want.

If you're willing, you can minor in multiple majors simultaneously.

Don't worry about studying or exams. Your current results have already proven everything. We can even issue your diploma directly after this year ends."

The School of Finance Dean's blatant attempt to poach the student pissed off the Dean of the Law School sitting next to him.

In the two hundred plus years since the founding of America, the number of students who have graduated from the law departments of various schools is beyond counting.

These law graduates will certainly have very decent jobs and incomes; some may even have their own private law firms, and some excellent graduates will become respected Justices and lawyers in the future.

But among so many law graduates, there has never been a super-rich multi-billionaire.

Now, their Law School had finally produced a 'wild' super-rich individual, and the School of Finance wanted to steal him.

How could the Law School Dean sit still? If he didn't act now, this golden potato would be dug up by someone else. Where would their Law School find such a wealthy alumnus then?

"Holt, you don't need to worry about these things. Student Wang Xiuyuan's grades are excellent, and his rankings in various major exams have remained stable in the top three percent of his year.

Our Law School will not give such an excellent student to your School of Finance.

Furthermore, he applied for the Law School when he enrolled. Law is his favorite subject; finance is just a temporary interest and a means to make money quickly.

Student Wang Xiuyuan is a person of noble character. He will never give up his ideal of upholding justice through the law."

In the Law School Dean's mouth, Wang Xiuyuan—this greedy, lecherous, and mercenary fellow—suddenly transformed into a noble-minded model youth dedicated to justice.

Well, perhaps the original host really was such a person.

According to the memories he had received and integrated, the original host really had said such things to many interviewers during his admission interview. He hadn't expected the Law School Dean to use them today to shut him and others up.

For a moment, he really didn't know what to say and could only watch the two white-haired old men argue. To Wang Xiuyuan's surprise, the President just sat by and watched, having no intention of stepping in to mediate.

Perhaps in the President's view, no matter which school Wang Xiuyuan attended, it wouldn't change the fact that he was a Yale student. As long as the meat stayed in Yale's pot, it was fine.

The President could sit by and watch, but he couldn't let these two old men continue to argue.

He had come back today to donate to the school. If the two old men had a big fight over this, uninformed people might think it was because his donation wasn't enough, leading to a physical brawl between the two deans.

That old geezer of a President is quite devious!

"Both Deans, please calm down. There's absolutely no need to argue over such a meaningless issue.

Currently, I am on a leave of absence, and there are many important things waiting for me to do. What is certain is that I definitely won't have time to return to school for classes.

If I can't find the time to come back and finish my studies, I might consider dropping out."

"No!"

"No!"

"No!"

The voices were in unison; everyone subconsciously blocked Wang Xiuyuan's idea.

Every student who graduates from the school, especially the social elites among them, is the school's most precious intangible asset. Wang Xiuyuan, with a net worth of nearly ten billion dollars, was currently one of the most valuable intangible assets among them.

Perhaps the vast majority of graduates wouldn't donate much to their alma mater, but as long as their status as an alumnus remained, the school would have an excuse to seek their help when needed.

If Wang Xiuyuan dropped out, his status would only be one thing: a Yale dropout, not a Yale graduate.

Given the relationship between Wang Xiuyuan and Yale University, even if the school asked him for help later, outsiders wouldn't be able to find fault if he refused, since he had never received any scholarships or stipends.

So, to ensure they would still have a chance to speak with Wang Xiuyuan in the future, Yale University would never allow him to drop out.

Wang Xiuyuan's situation was completely different from Bill Gates'. Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft with his good friend Paul Allen in 1975 and dropped out of Harvard University that same year.

Microsoft only truly grew large and dominant in the market in 1985, and it didn't successfully list on the Nasdaq until 1986.

Bill Gates making his fortune was eleven years after he dropped out; he wasn't some big tycoon when he left Harvard University.

Even so, Harvard University still awarded Bill Gates an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2007.

Why did Harvard University do that? Wasn't it for the sake of a legacy connection?

Wang Xiuyuan, this super-rich man, was still an enrolled student. Although he was on a leave of absence, the fact that he had already made his fortune was right before their eyes.

If they let such a multi-billionaire break ties with the school, these school leaders might as well find a tree and turn themselves into 'sunny dolls.'

Wang Xiuyuan saw the reactions of these school leaders. Of course, he wasn't really going to drop out; otherwise, he wouldn't have come back to donate today.

The reason he said those things was because he was worried the school would open their mouths like lions. The inherent arrogance of white people is often incomprehensible to outsiders; at least, using the thinking of yellow people, the idiotic behavior of white people is incomprehensible most of the time.

"Everyone, rest assured, I certainly won't drop out for now. That's a matter for the future."

Wang Xiuyuan's explanation was interrupted by the Law School Dean before he could finish.

"You don't need to worry about academic issues. It wasn't easy for our Law School to produce a talent like you.

Among our Yale University graduates, there have been many great lawyers, prosecutors, and even Federal Court Justices.

But you are the only super-rich individual in all the years since the Yale Law School was founded.

You don't need to worry; the answers to every semester's exam papers will be sent directly to you. You just need to memorize them and come back for the exams.

If you don't have time to come back for exams, the papers and answers will be sent to you together, and you can just copy them directly.

When the time comes—no, I can let you graduate a year early.

You must graduate successfully. Even if God himself comes, he cannot stop you from graduating from the Law School."

Wang Xiuyuan blinked dazed and cute at the Law School Dean's excited appearance; this was a bit different from what he had imagined.

Before coming, he was very sure the school would definitely issue him a diploma in the future, but he hadn't expected the Dean to handle this matter so beautifully for him.

He hadn't even said how much he was going to donate yet.

Since the Dean was so straightforward, Wang Xiuyuan couldn't hold things back either; he had to make sure others had nothing to say.

"Thank you, Dean, for your understanding and tolerance of my personal situation. There's absolutely no need to make this exception specifically for me; if this were to get out, it would be bad for the school's reputation.

The reason I came back to school today is mainly because I heard the school is having difficulties with funding. It just so happens that I've recently made some small money trading futures, so I plan to make a contribution within my power for my alma mater."

These words echoed in the luxury VIP reception room like heavenly music. The academic air and elite personas that the President and Deans usually maintained were thrown who-knows-where, as they directly transformed into hype men to echo Wang Xiuyuan.

"That is truly wonderful."

"Our school needs excellent students like you."

"Yale University is proud of you."

Seeing these academic big shots being so cooperative, Wang Xiuyuan simply stopped beating around the bush.

"I have decided to provide ten million dollars to build an academic building for the school, and I will have heating facilities and air conditioning installed in this building so that students can focus on their studies in a better environment.

They won't be shivering in the winter, and the classrooms won't stink to high heaven in the summer.

In addition, I will provide a monthly living allowance of two hundred dollars for students from impoverished backgrounds. There will be two thousand slots every year, continuing for three years.

I wonder what you gentlemen think of this idea?"

Yale University receives fifty to sixty thousand enrollment applications every year, but only admits about twelve to thirteen hundred students, with an acceptance rate of only two to three percent.

The total number of all undergraduate and graduate students at Yale University fluctuates between eleven thousand and twelve thousand.

Wang Xiuyuan's two thousand slots for impoverished student subsidies could encompass almost all the poor students. How could these poor students supported by Wang Xiuyuan not be grateful for his kindness? It was only a matter of time before Wang Xiuyuan's fame spread across Yale.

More importantly, among these students, a portion would always become top social elites after graduation; perhaps some would even become high-ranking officials somewhere.

Education is always the industry with the highest return on investment. The things the Chinese ancestors taught will definitely not be wrong; if you find that what the ancestors taught is wrong, then it must be that your method of execution is faulty.

Without a doubt, Wang Xiuyuan made a killing with this investment.