Chapter 42: Should I Tell You I Have a Cheat?

The other reporters at the scene were itching to take William home and interrogate him slowly. Everything that happened today was incredibly newsworthy, finally solidifying William Devonshire's reputation as a genius. Tomorrow's newspapers would be filled with his news again, as they had been for days.

Many students raised their hands, wanting to ask William questions.

Following the professors' cue, William selected a girl with big eyes who looked a bit cute.

"William, I want to ask why you learn so quickly and have such a broad knowledge base. Can you also share some of your learning methods with us?" the cute girl asked.

In his heart, William thought, "Girl, if you had a system like mine, you could be as impressive as I am. You might even do better with it. A life with cheats is indeed awesome."

But he wouldn't say that. After thinking for a moment, William replied, "I think it's because of my interest and thirst for knowledge. I have a pretty good memory, almost photographic. The more I remember, the more questions arise in my mind, which drives me to learn more. Over time, it just accumulated."

"FUCK," many people swore. This was simply unfair. They might need a whole day to memorize something that William could remember in an hour. How could they compete with that? It wasn't about a lack of effort; it was that their opponent wasn't human.

A reporter heckled, "William, show us your photographic memory. Give us a live demonstration."

"Yes, yes," the crowd echoed.

Even Professor Royce, with a smile, crossed his arms and watched the commotion.

A student pulled out a deck of cards and shouted, "William, William, look here."

Everyone turned to see the student holding the cards, laughing.

William sighed, "Alright, come up here."

Once the student joined him, William addressed the crowd, "I will have this student shuffle the deck, then I'll look at the cards for one minute and recite each one. Is that okay?"

"OK."

"No problem."

William took the shuffled deck, looked at each card one by one while someone timed him. He finished in less than 30 seconds, signaling that he was done.

The timer announced, "28 seconds," and the room buzzed with chatter. No one expected him to finish in less than half a minute and doubted if he remembered correctly.

William handed the deck back to the student, indicating he should reveal the cards.

"Seven of Diamonds, Three of Hearts, Ten of Clubs," William called out each card as the student revealed them, never making a mistake.

Everyone stood up, clapping, while the reporters' cameras clicked incessantly.

Afterward, they tested William with a book, and he memorized 1,000 English words in less than two minutes, astonishing everyone again.

Finally, with the congratulations of his classmates and the school, William received his diploma. Wearing the bachelor's gown provided by the school, he took photos with many of his classmates. Several girls hugged William's arm, kissing his cheek for the photos.

With his degree and diploma in hand, William breathed a sigh of relief. The school clearly valued him as an alumnus, granting him numerous privileges throughout the day.

Exhausted from the afternoon's activities, even with his superhuman stamina, William went home, took a shower, and went straight to bed.

While William slept, unaware, news of his achievements spread like wildfire. The BBC obtained a recording of his graduation defense and aired a special program at 8 PM titled "England's Super Genius William Devonshire."

The program began with William's card memorization, astonishing the English public who found it hard to believe.

Viewers were left in awe, exclaiming, "This is impossible, this is impossible."

As the BBC aired some of William's impressive answers from his defense, most viewers, though not fully understanding, were amazed by his brilliance.

When Professor Royce announced William's successful defense and another professor mentioned that William's knowledge exceeded that of a doctoral candidate, viewers were left stunned. All of England now believed William was a genius.

William's goal was achieved. Any future inventions or discoveries from him wouldn't be seen as surprising.

The program also highlighted how William had earned over 100 million pounds from selling a game and mentioned his invention of a new MP3 player, predicting he would soon become England's youngest billionaire. This news made William an idol among English women, even more popular than the football superstar David Beckham.

Middle-aged and elderly people also praised William's efforts and intelligence, seeing him as a self-made millionaire.

William was now England's national idol, and this fame was spreading to Europe and the USA. Many international news outlets reported on William Devonshire, making him more popular outside of England.

In the USA, NBC interviewed women on the streets, and 100% of them said they wanted to marry William.

The Chinese Daily called him the "most talented billionaire of the new century."

The Los Angeles Times wrote, "America's Most Desired Date: William Devonshire. He is a global icon, England's darling, and a role model for the youth of the new century."

Unaware of all the outside news, William slept well. The next morning, his phone rang.

Still groggy, William reached for his bedside table. "Hello…"

Gareth's voice came through the phone. "Hey, William."

"Mmm," William responded, not fully awake.

"William, are you there?"

"Mmm."

Gareth checked his watch, which read 9:55, and said, "It's almost ten. Are you still asleep? Did you party with some beauties last night?"

William rolled over, lying on his stomach. "Do you need something, Gareth? If not, I'm hanging up."

"Okay, do you have time this afternoon? I've arranged a meet-up with a few people. Come and get to know everyone."

"Alright, where?"

"I'll text you the address. It's at 3 PM. Don't forget."

"OK, see you."

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