On Sunday, Tony Snow returned to the Sharp residence for another tutoring session. Unlike Saturday, the afternoon passed without any unexpected twists.
During the two hours, Lina Sharp quietly focused on her homework, occasionally asking Tony questions before returning to her assignments.
This time, Mr. Sharp returned home before Tony left. Seeing that Tony was still there, he invited both his daughter and Tony out for dinner once again.
"Mr. Sharp," Tony began casually during the car ride, "what kind of roles does your company usually recruit for? If someone like me—just an average undergrad—were to apply after graduation, what sort of salary could I expect?"
Mr. Sharp smiled at the question but didn't seem surprised. "Well, that depends on a few things—your school, your resume, your personal strengths. For graduates from standard universities without any standout achievements, the salary usually starts around $530 a month after the internship period ends."
He glanced at Tony in the rearview mirror, then continued. "If you're still from a regular school but have some impressive achievements—say, competition wins, published research, or experience with real lab work—then we might start you at $600 instead."
Tony nodded thoughtfully. These numbers were consistent with what he'd seen on various job boards, but he wanted clarity on what "impressive achievements" actually meant.
"So what do you consider an impressive achievement? Do you have an actual standard, or is it just subjective?"
Mr. Sharp didn't hesitate. "There's a distinction between ability and achievement, but for fresh graduates, those two things are usually one and the same. Let's say someone helped a professor with a real research project or competed in national-level biotech contests and won something significant—those are achievements. More importantly, they prove the person's skill."
Tony listened closely. Mr. Sharp's words struck a chord with him—because what he described as a weak, unfocused graduate? That had been him, before the life simulator changed everything.
"Then what about students from elite universities?" Tony asked.
Mr. Sharp replied with practiced ease. "If you're from a top-tier school—say, one of the Ivy-level programs—the base starts at $600 even with no other highlights. If you come with accolades, we might bump that up to $670 or so. Naturally, if you've got a Master's or even a PhD, the pay scale adjusts accordingly."
He then glanced back at Tony. "Aren't you prepping for grad school? Why are you suddenly curious about salaries? If you're thinking of working instead, you're welcome to apply at my company. For someone like you, we'd offer the highest starting tier—$670 a month."
Tony smiled but didn't respond right away.
Mr. Sharp continued, as if reading Tony's silence. "Of course, that's just the starting salary. If you're truly capable and show results after joining, the growth can be significant—and fast."
Tony appreciated the optimism, but he wasn't one to be easily swayed by rosy promises.
"What about the work hours?" he asked bluntly.
"Our official hours are nine to five with a one-hour lunch break. There's occasional overtime, but it's always optional and compensated generously. That said…" Mr. Sharp paused, "Biotech is a competitive industry. No serious company survives without some overtime. But we don't overwork people for free."
Tony nodded again, then turned to look out the car window. So far, what Mr. Sharp says matches what I've read online, he thought.
"And what about postgrads—Master's-level hires? How do they compare?"
"Entry-level for Master's grads from regular schools is about $760," Mr. Sharp said. "For those from top-tier universities, it's closer to $810."
As they wrapped up the conversation, the car pulled up outside a modest but well-reviewed restaurant. Mr. Sharp ordered a few dishes and chatted with his daughter about her weekend.
Later that evening, just like last time, Mr. Sharp dropped Tony off near the subway entrance. As Tony rode the train back to campus, his phone buzzed.
It was a WeChat transfer—from Mr. Sharp again.
$1,200.
Tony stared at the notification, then transferred $500 to his mom. The rest? Time to browse.
What's the point of earning money if you're not going to spend it? he thought.
He scrolled through a shopping app and bought Clara Quinn a pair of gray, wide-legged casual sweatpants. He thought they looked great on the model, and Clara was more beautiful than any of them. She'd look even better, he figured.
He also considered buying something for himself—maybe a new phone or laptop—but he didn't have quite enough yet. Still, it was nice to browse.
A message popped up from his mom. She didn't ask about the money this time. She just left a voice note: "Keep it for yourself, okay? No need to keep sending money back home."
Tony smiled. He was wearing his headphones on the subway, so he barely finished listening to her message before another notification popped up:
$500 received.
They sent it back again, Tony thought, shaking his head with a soft laugh.
He typed a reply:
"Mom, you and Dad don't need to send me money anymore. I'm earning more in one week than you send me in a month. Keep it and spend it on yourselves."
His mom replied with another voice note:
"Alright. With this tutoring job, you'll be saving up in no time. I'll stop sending monthly support. I'll put the money aside for your future wedding. But if you're ever in trouble, just ask. Also—don't let your part-time job get in the way of your studies!"
Back at school, after the library closed for the night, Tony and Clara walked back together as usual, chatting about what they'd each learned that day. The topic drifted to future job opportunities for students in their major—Bioengineering.