Orion Crest, Series_1

Chapter 99: Alternative approach

　　One of Princeton's many campus cultures is the Eating Club, commonly referred to as the "cafeteria" located on both sides of Prospect Avenue.

　　Of course, that's just a colloquialism, and there's a big difference between these clubs and cafeterias. These clubs, especially those run by student groups, are often highly exclusive.

　　For example, the aristocratic scions of Boston usually won't allow a redneck from Texas to join their club unless that person is really good, or at least has to be accomplished in a certain field accordingly.

　　It is for this reason that you can even roughly surmise the class a person is in by where he eats.

　　The most famous of all the clubs were probably the Ivy Club and the Tiger Inn, and up until the court judgement came down in 1991, they didn't even admit women as members, selecting only what they considered to be the cream of the crop.

　　Orion didn't think much of it at the time, but he had heard that the food at the Ivy Club was so good that for $10,000 a year he could go in and eat whatever he wanted with unlimited coffee in the afternoons, so he signed up.

　　Then, after being told some things like dining etiquette, he somehow got through.

　　He had thought that he was going to have to fight for his membership through the traditional and ancient Princeton way, debating, just like everyone else.

　　Actually, when he thought about it, this activity was quite interesting, and he could exercise his eloquence.

　　But now it seems that this society is really not generally tolerant towards those who are capable.

　　At this moment, sitting across from him is one of the senior members of the Ivy Club - a PhD student in history whose name is David Lawrence.

　　Lawrence is a common surname in the United States, but in a place like Princeton, especially if the person is from Boston and white, the surname Lawrence brings to mind a certain family tied to a chariot with JFK ......

　　The reason why Orion got into the club so well was because of David Lawrence.

　　Orion had no prejudice against people of different nationalities and cultures, and with the unexpected compatibility of their personalities, they naturally became friends.

　　At the same time, this was also the first friend Orion made after coming to Princeton.

　　Two days had passed since he became Professor Deligne's doctoral student, and Orion was still deciding between the two options.

　　In the evening, after a lecture, he went to the Ivy Club for dinner.

　　David Lawrence was there and they sat down to eat together.

　　The two happened to chat about their plans after graduation, so David Lawrence smiled and said to him.

　　"When you graduate, are you interested in entering an investment bank? I can recommend a few good places for you if that's your intention."

　　Orion: "I'm not really interested in employment; I prefer doing research."

　　David smiled and said, "Is that so? But don't you think it's exciting to use your maths knowledge to call the shots in the financial market? And there's probably a chance of touching a Nobel Prize medal."

　　Orion smiled back and said in a casual tone, "I haven't studied financial maths, but if you're so interested in finance, why didn't you choose to major in finance instead of history?"