Tony Snow's computer science paper didn't cause much of a stir in public forums. Though professionals in the field unanimously agreed it was a high-quality piece of work, the journal that published it wasn't well-known or internationally ranked, so there was no media frenzy or university-wide promotion.
After all, hype needed a hook—and the Journal of Intelligent Systems wasn't a global name, nor was it on any elite publication lists.
Still, the paper's impact on the academic AI community was undeniable. So much so that President Harris—seeing Tony's talents being wasted sitting in class—granted him full academic freedom.
Tony was told he no longer needed to attend lectures and could spend his time however he saw fit.
But that raised a different question—if he wasn't going to class, what would he do?
He didn't need to do experiments right now, nor was he actively working on another paper. Studying was part of his life at this point, but where he did it mattered. If he had to sit alone in the library every day, it would be boring. At least in the classroom, he could study alongside Shen.
On Wednesday, Tony finally succeeded in registering his company.
He also signed up for a Weibo account, completing his identity verification and linking his new company under his profile.
Not long after his account went live, several internet companies sent him offers for Artificial Intelligence research roles—some offering base salaries in the high six figures, with performance bonuses pushing the total near one million USD per year.
All of them reached out via private messages. The actual contracts would be discussed in person, but it was clear they'd read his AI paper and were impressed.
These weren't just idle recruiters. Even though the journal that published Tony's work wasn't prestigious, the content of his research had already circulated through AI and tech development circles. Internal discussions among senior engineers, CTOs, and department leads had made Tony's name impossible to ignore.
Companies that bothered to read the paper were stunned. Most teams had approached it casually—until they realized the author was Tony Snow, the same bioengineering student who'd published a math paper in Mathematical Advances just weeks before.
Once that connection was made, tech execs ordered immediate contact.
But not all companies were so alert. Some dismissed the journal outright and missed the significance entirely. Those firms didn't reach out.
As for the ones who did?
Tony thanked them politely—and rejected them all.
He explained that if they were serious about AI, they should simply follow the methodologies outlined in his paper. If they did, they'd be fine.
This response—a third-year undergrad declining multiple job offers worth nearly a million dollars—sparked a new wave of online discussion.
And when people looked into it more deeply, they realized: this was the Tony Snow. The same third-year student from Halewick University whose math paper had gone viral earlier.
A student from a bioengineering program… writing AI algorithms and getting headhunted by tech companies?
The general public had no idea what was happening anymore.
"Can someone explain what this guy actually studies?"
"Why is a biology major writing AI papers?"
"How is he turning down jobs that pay more than a CEO?"
"Does Tony Snow have a girlfriend?"
These were the kinds of questions flooding online forums. A Q&A post titled:
"Why are top tech companies offering a million-dollar salary to a third-year bioengineering student? Is this legit or just hype?"
was followed by others:
"Who exactly is Tony Snow?"
"Why was no one talking about him before this year?"
"Is he dating someone? Just asking for a friend."
In the comment threads, there were jokes, conspiracies, jealousy, admiration—and one particular user whose answers stood out.
A verified account under the name Zachary Leton (formerly Zhao Letian) started answering every Tony-related question. Claiming to be Tony's roommate, Zach posted elaborate stories and behind-the-scenes details, quickly gaining upvotes and followers.
Tony himself had no idea what Zach was doing online. When he got back to the dorm that night, his three roommates surrounded him, asking about the job offers.
He brushed off their questions, briefly explained the situation, and went to bed early.
Zach, however, immediately updated all his posts with the latest details.
Wednesday was the 15th.
The last time the Life Simulator had issued a task was the evening of March 16th. Tony had started on the 17th.
Now, exactly thirty days later, after finishing his daily 10-kilometer run, Tony received the task completion notification.
He found a quiet, isolated spot on campus and summoned the simulator.
[Do you want to use the Life Simulator?]
"Yes," Tony replied silently.
Lines of text scrolled across the screen:
[At twenty-two, your published papers began receiving recognition. Your reputation grew rapidly, and elite universities around the world began reaching out.]
[You founded your own company and graduated a year early.]
[You and your partner began a long-distance relationship as you entered graduate school.]
[At twenty-three, you published multiple papers in Nature, Science, and Cell. You received your Ph.D. early and were hired as a special research professor, earning titles such as graduate and doctoral advisor. You began leading major research projects.]
[Your girlfriend was accepted to a top-tier grad school. You married her during the fall holidays. Many industry leaders sent their congratulations.]
[At twenty-four, your company matured and became your main focus.]
[The team you led broke through multiple world-class problems and significantly advanced your country's bioengineering field. Your name became globally recognized. Foreign universities invited you to visit—each of which you declined.]
[At twenty-five, a speech by virologist Ralph Baric caught your attention.]
[At twenty-six, your company had already caught up with the world's leading bioengineering firms, and you were considered a scientific and business visionary.]
[During a morning run, you were assassinated by a so-called 'mentally ill' attacker.]
Tony stared at the ending, stunned.
Everything else had gone perfectly.
Years of smooth success, leadership, fame, even love and marriage—and then, killed by a mysterious psychiatric patient?
"Seriously? Not even abroad this time, and I still get taken out?" Tony grumbled.
He didn't believe it was random. It had to be a targeted hit. Someone must've leaked his identity.
Still, the simulation had delivered powerful intel.
For one, he had clearly prevented a previously impending disaster.
And even more importantly, he now had critical insight about Ralph Baric—and how future events could unfold.
As Tony digested this information, a new screen appeared before him:
[Select your simulation reward.]