Chapter 126

Leonardo still smiled and said, "If you ever have the time, come back to the village to visit."

Summer and Logan nodded and replied, "Sure, if we ever have the time, we'll definitely come back to visit them, and you, and Secretary Anthony."

Such sentimental words were enough when said a few times; saying more would be overly emotional.

Leonardo stood up from his chair and said, "Alright then, hurry back and fill out the application forms and hand them in to me." He also needed to go home for lunch.

Summer and Logan naturally didn't delay Leonardo any further.

The two walked with Leonardo to the yard, and Leonardo left first. Logan handed the application form to Summer, then went to the well to fetch some water, and returned to the dormitory with Summer.

The two returned from the office without any particular display of emotion. However, as soon as they entered the kitchen, Summer couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed, covering her face with the application form.

Logan wasn't as outwardly emotional as her.

He poured the water from the bucket into the tank and said calmly, "Stop giggling and hurry up and make lunch."

After saying this, he picked up two empty buckets and went out to fetch more water.

Summer covered her face with the application form and laughed for a while before stopping.

Then she looked at the application form again and said, "Looks like I was overthinking it."

With that, she took the application form back to the dormitory, carefully placed it on the table, and weighed it down with a book.

Returning to the kitchen, Summer happily scooped water to cook.

Logan fetched water while she cooked. When Logan had filled the water tank, she had also finished cooking.

They sat down to eat.

Summer, eating, looked at Logan and said, "How can you stay so calm about this? We'll be able to go home soon. Aren't you happy?"

Logan replied, "It was expected."

Summer said, "Even if it was expected, I'm still happy."

In recent days, Summer had become quite bold.

She looked at Logan and asked, "Do you think we'll see each other again after we return to the city?"

Logan lifted his gaze at these words.

He looked at Summer and asked in return, "After we return to the city, do you still plan to cling to me like this?"

In truth, she didn't want to.

Summer smiled at Logan without answering the question.

Logan watched her for a while but didn't press further.

He lowered his gaze and continued eating, thinking to himself—Is she reluctant to part with me?

***

In front of Logan, Summer didn't hide her happiness and eagerness.

After finishing their meal, she handed Logan his application form and immediately returned to the dormitory to sit down and carefully fill out her own application form with a pen.

After filling it out, she placed it carefully between the pages of a book.

In the afternoon, during class time, she brought the book containing the application form to school, left it in the office drawer for the afternoon, and then in the evening after school, delivered it to Leonardo.

Leonardo accepted the application forms.

Summer and Logan naturally just waited after that.

The approval process after filling out the application form was actually just a formality.

The slots were given from the top down, and who specifically got them was decided by the office. Whoever the office gave the application forms to would be the ones going back to the city.

Summer and Logan were just waiting for the entire process to be completed, for the office to give them a definite date for returning to the city, so they could pack their things and transfer their residence back.

And waiting like them were Henry and Sophia.

However, they were waiting for something different.

After receiving a telegram from Rachel, Henry was waiting for someone from the office to come to him and tell him about the city return quota, handing him the application form.

Although Rachel and her father were far from the Tams Creek office, if the matter were handled via phone, it could still be done quickly.

But after waiting for days, nothing happened.

After waiting for three or four days, Henry and Sophia were getting impatient. So, in the evening after work, they went together to find Leonardo and ask about the situation.

Leonardo, hearing them ask about the city return quota, directly laughed and said, "What does this have to do with you?"

The tone was naturally unpleasant to hear.

But Henry didn't show it, only responding, "Captain Leonardo, this is about the city return quota for educated youths, and we are educated youths. How could it not have anything to do with us?"

Leonardo looked at Henry and, after laughing for a while, his face turned cold and he said sternly, "There are twelve educated youths, and the higher-ups gave us two quotas. Do I need to explain your performance since you came here from the beginning? Let me tell you this, even if there were ten quotas, they wouldn't go to you two."

Hearing this, Henry's face immediately fell.

Sophia, standing beside him, also instantly stiffened, looking nervously and anxiously at Henry.

Henry had assured her that this was settled and there would be no surprises. How could it turn out like this?

Henry was also somewhat bewildered, slowly furrowing his brow.

He looked at Leonardo for a moment and then insinuated, "Didn't the higher-ups give any instructions on who to give the quotas to?"

Leonardo didn't know what he meant, and responded firmly, "The higher-ups' instructions were clear and straightforward—whoever performs well, contributes the most, and gets the most praise will get the opportunity!"

Henry asked, "So, the two slots have already been given out?"

Leonardo replied, "What do you think? Not only have they been given out, but the approval has also gone through!"

The approval had already gone through??

Henry instantly felt a blockage in his chest.

Sophia, standing next to him, was even more stunned.

Her heart raced as she thought—

How could this be?

This is impossible.

Absolutely impossible!

Henry had told her she would definitely return to the city.

She had dreamed of it so many times, each time the scene of Henry handing her the application form became more real, the city return quota should include her!

She didn't believe it and couldn't give up.

Unable to hold back, she looked at Leonardo and asked, "Who got the quotas?"

Leonardo, speaking more irritably, said, "Why are you asking the obvious? Who else could have gotten them? It's clear as day. Apart from Logan and Summer, who among you ten could deserve these two slots?"

Upon hearing this, Sophia's eyes instantly filled with tears.

She blinked, and tears began to fall in streams.

She still didn't believe it, shaking her head and muttering, "Impossible."

The quota was supposed to be hers. She had hoped for so long, expected for so long, it couldn't possibly have gone to Summer!!