164 Hit the Jackpo (1/2)

Iris' enrollment to Cross Academy was processed immediately. She met one more time with Professor Erwan Dupont and Giulia Moretti before they left the country to return to Switzerland. They told her that they would arrange for suitable instructors for her as soon as possible.

And they were true to their word.

By the following week, Iris welcomed her new instructors. There were two of them for now. Both were accomplished polyglots and Cross Academy alumni.

She was told that there was one more coming who would mentor her on business matters. However, she had no idea who this mentor was or when he or she would be coming.

The first instructor was Professor Kalisha Schwarz. The attractive half-German and half-Nigerian lady was a famous interpreter and translator with extensive experience working with the most notable figures in the world including multinational organizations and companies. Some of the most sought-after interpreters and translators in the world were trained by her. Her expertise lay in the major European and African languages.

The other instructor was Professor Hisakawa Akio who was currently one of the most celebrated authors in his home country of Japan. He frequently translated his own books to other languages for international release. He was assigned to train Iris in Asian languages.

Compared to European languages, Iris wasn't as proficient in other languages. Although this was the case, her proficiency level in these other languages were still leagues better than most regular people. However, as a Cross Academy student, this level was still not quite good enough. That was why she needed to study hard under the tutelage of her assigned instructors.

Professor Schwarz flew all the way from England where she had been living for the past decade. Professor Hisakawa was nearer, flying from Japan. The academy arranged separate accommodations for them a few minutes' drive away from Iris' condo building.

Before officially starting her studies, Iris invited the two instructors for dinner at her penthouse. She made sure to inform Jin Liwei in advance so that he could clear his schedule. She wanted him to meet her instructors because they were going to become a big part of her daily life from now on.

Iris and Jin Liwei welcomed the two instructors together at the penthouse.

Jin Liwei's eyes widened as he recognized the older woman.

”Madame Schwarz?” he blurted out even before the greetings.

The female professor took a few seconds before recognizing him. Then she replied in English with a posh British accent, a bit different from Iris' accent. ”Oh, aren't you CEO Jin? What a surprise to see you here.” Then she turned to Iris. ”Xiulan, my dear, is he your lover?”

Iris nodded, a smile on her face. ”Yes, Professor.”

”Oh my.” Professor Schwarz turned to Jin Liwei again. ”What a lucky man you are. Seems like you hit the jackpot.”

Iris giggled and looked at her man's astonished expression.

Of course Jin Liwei recognized Professor Schwarz. As the President-CEO of Jin Corporation, the number one company in the country, he often met up with other business leaders from other countries. During these meetings, they would often need the assistance of an interpreter and Professor Schwarz was one of the best in the world. As a result, he met the Professor a number of times in the past especially when he travelled to Europe for business meetings or conferences.

While he was still making sense of the situation, Iris formally greeted her instructors. She spoke in English. Both the professors could speak Mandarin, but Professor Schwarz wasn't quite as skilled in Asian languages. Her Mandarin sounded awkward.

”Professor Schwarz, Hisakawa-sensei, thank you very much for accepting me as your student. Both of you must be busy, so I appreciate that you flew all the way here to guide my education. I am looking forward to learning from both of you. I'll do my best.” Iris spoke these words with great respect and sincerity.

”Ah, don't worry about it, child,” Professor Hisakawa said, waving his hand. ”I was getting bored anyway holed up in my house after finishing my recent novel, so I'm glad that Professor Dupont asked for me. I've never had a Chinese student before so I'm excited. I'm very strict, so you better be ready.”

”Thank you, Sensei. I'll do my best.”