The Mistake
Copyright© 2026 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 2
Kim had rented a storage unit for their furniture, her personal items in her office, and items they couldn’t bring to England. They were staying at a hotel the last week of the semester. A notice to vacate the house was served after Kim submitted her resignation. The staff and fellow professors gave Kim a going-away party, but neither the board of regents nor the chancellor attended.
A week after arriving in England, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee announced the finalists across all categories, and Kim Lee was named a finalist in the Chemistry category. Oxford was ecstatic to have a Nobel Peace Prize finalist teaching at its university. Their old university was pissed because they knew nothing about Kim’s work and looked like idiots. Then the reason Kim Lee left the university was revealed, which made matters worse.
The university tried to sue Kim Lee to obtain recognition of her work and a share of the prize if she won. Kim hired a lawyer and counter-sued for emotional distress, harassment, providing a hostile working environment, and claiming false enrichment. When the press found out, they crucified the university, and they settled quietly for two million. The Chancellor and the Board of Regents resigned, and new leadership took over to right the ship.
They settled in a tiny two-bedroom apartment by the university. It was within walking distance, so they didn’t have to purchase a vehicle or learn to drive on the wrong side of the road. The cost of living was also higher than at home. Mom said,” Let’s see how it works out here, and if we like it, we’ll lease a house and get a vehicle.
Li finished his master’s studies, and Kim continued his biannual injections. He arranged with the apartment manager to set up a heavy bag in the basement to practice his martial arts. They decided to delay his doctorate until they decided whether to stay or move back to the US at the end of the term. Li was still auditing classes, tested out of computer programming, and received a bachelor’s degree.
Kim won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and offers rolled in from around the world. Universities and corporations sent her employment offers, and the benefits were shocking. They evaluated the offers and decided to check out the one in La Jolla, California. Scripps Research Institute offered Kim a moving allowance, a salary of 400k, and reduced-rate housing. The cost of living was higher than where they lived before, but California didn’t have anti-Asian prejudice.
At the end of the term, Kim and Li flew to San Diego, met with the recruiter Jan Wallace at Scripps, and toured the facility. Then they met with the CEO and the Vice President of Research they made a ten-year employment offer. It was too good to pass up, and Kim accepted it. Harold Brock, the CEO, inquired about Li’s education, and they were shocked to learn he had a master’s degree in genetics and a bachelor’s in computer programming. George Whittingham, the VP of research, offered Li assistance with his doctoral studies at the University of California, San Diego, and also offered him employment.
After signing the contract, Jan took them to look at houses. The first one was a former professor who passed away. It was a Spanish hacienda style with a tile roof, four bedrooms, three baths, and a pool. It was at the end of a cul-de-sac that backed up to a hillside. They loved it, but it was too large for their needs. When Jan quoted them the price, they couldn’t refuse and agreed to purchase it. Jan told them it came with the furniture, and all the professors’ personal belongings had been removed.
Kim signed the purchase agreement, and there were no realtor fees because Scripps handled the sale. Returning to the hotel, they were excited about their new home and work. They ordered room service and discussed everything that needed to be done. Kim told Li they would return to London and that she would notify Oxford of her resignation. The move should be easy because they didn’t have any furniture, just clothes and personal belongings.
Li asked about a vehicle and the furniture in the house. Kim said they would get a vehicle when they returned, then they would tackle the house needs. She asked Li about attending the University of San Diego for his doctoral degree. He said it’s the most convenient, but they needed to take a tour and meet the administration. Kim agreed and said we’ll ensure they don’t try to exploit you for personal gain. After dinner, they said goodnight and went to bed.
The next day, they returned to England, and Kim notified Oxford University that she was leaving. They were sad to see her leave but wished her good luck in her new job. They packed what was immediately needed and shipped the rest. A week later, they were back in La Jolla, California, finalizing the purchase of the house. When that was done, they went car shopping. Kim bought a 2-year-old Toyota 4Runner 4WD. The salesman was glad to see them leave after Li got done with him.
Li read his mind and got the lowest price they would accept. The poor salesman made a commission, but not what he expected. Then they closed on the house and began moving in. Kim hired a moving company to ship their things from the storage, and they began inspecting the house. Kim took the master suite, and Li took the mother-in-law bedroom. They were almost the same size, but Kim’s had a nicer bathroom and a bigger closet. Li’s had a mini kitchen and a nice walk-in closet.
One bedroom was already set up as an office, so Kim claimed it. That left one bedroom for guests they didn’t plan to have. Li discovered the house had a basement, but the door was locked. They called a locksmith to rekey the house, and he opened the basement door. There were years of crap: the previous owner, a deceased professor, had stored it in boxes and on shelves. Li volunteered to clean it out and make it a gym.
The garage was locked too, and the locksmith opened it and reprogrammed the openers. To their surprise, there was a Ford F150 4x4 and a Harley lowboy parked inside. Li said they were his, and Kim laughed. She said you’re only fourteen and can’t drive yet. Li told her not to sweat the details, as if there’s a will, there’s a way, and they laughed. The garage also had a riding mower and all the lawn-maintenance tools.
There was a workbench and a tool chest so they could perform maintenance on anything. There were also the pool tools, and Kim told Li he needed to learn how to maintain the pool. Luckily, it was a three-car garage, so there was room for Kim’s 4Runner. She also told him the lawn was his responsibility, too. He said it seemed like he got the short end of the stick, and they laughed. Then they checked out the backyard and hillside behind it.
Li said he’d check out the trail and see what’s on the other side. There was a fence along the sides and back, but a gate in the rear. The driveway also had a gate with an electric opener, so the grounds were secure.
Kim started work at Scripps Research Institute, and Li was hired as an assistant researcher. George Whittingham, the VP of research, set up a meeting for them at the University of California, San Diego, for his doctoral studies. They met with the University Chancellor Ben White. Apparently, George Whittingham gave him a thorough report on Kim Lee and her son Li. Chancellor White said he was privileged to meet a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry.
He quizzed Li on his goals and said the university would offer him a scholarship for his doctoral studies. Kim told Chancellor White that Li didn’t want any undue attention, and Chancellor White assured them that it wouldn’t happen. Then he escorted them to the admissions building, where they met the Director of Admissions, Robert Reed. Also, there were the Dean of Chemistry, Elisabeth Conroe, and the Dean of Computer Sciences, David Brown.
They offered Kim and Li the scholarship covering their doctoral studies and his master’s in computer programming. Kim gave it to Li, shocking the group, and Li read it, then marked several items off. He said these are unacceptable, as I will not allow the university to market my name, image, and likeness. Otherwise, it’s an acceptable offer, and Robert Reed said that’s not acceptable to us. Li told them they would pay sports players and give them a free education.
But you want to make money off my attendance, pay me nothing, and offer some classes. Now add a few million dollars to the offer, and I would consider it. But as it stands, it’s a one-way agreement, so I will respectfully decline your offer and pursue my doctorate elsewhere. They were shocked and asked Kim Lee what she thought of the offer. Kim said Li makes his own decisions, and I agree. They got up and left the conference room.
They made it outside when Kim’s phone rang; it was Chancellor White, calling to ask them to return. They returned, and the university agreed to their terms. Li warned them to please honor the agreement, as he’d hate to seek a remedy that wouldn’t be pleasant for the university. While Kim signed the revised scholarship agreement, Li read their minds. He knew what they planned and would take preventive measures foil their plans.
He tagged their phones with an app he developed that would send a worm to their emails. Soon, he’d have access to the university’s computer and their personal computers, too. When the paperwork was done, they gave Li a welcome packet. It contained his student ID, a credit card for the bookstore, and food at the cafeterias. They shook hands goodbye, and on the way home, Kim asked Li what he thought. He said they would violate the agreement.
Kim asked what he would do, and he said not attend. It’s the start of the semester, and everyone has already selected their classes and is attending them. So, he’ll get the e-books for the courses I want to take, then test out of the courses. There’s also the issue of working with you at Scripps. Technically, anything I do, they could want credit. Kim said shit she didn’t think about that and will talk to George Whittingham, the VP of research.
Li said, “Let’s be honest. I could pass any test on genetics or computer programming.” But to get my doctorate, I need to take their courses, submit a project, and defend it in front of them. I’m going to research getting a doctorate degree online and skip the bullshit. They returned home, and Kim made dinner. While they ate, she told Li not to make any rushed decisions until they had all the information. Li agreed, and when they finished dinner, they said goodnight.
When Li reached his room, he went online and checked his cloud account. He had access to the University of California, San Diego’s computer. He also had the personal computers of Chancellor Ben White, Director of Admissions Robert Reed, the Dean of Chemistry Elisabeth Conroe, and the Dean of Computer Sciences David Brown. Li checked Robert Reed’s computer first, and as he suspected, he was emailing Elisabeth and David about him.
Robert told them we need to get Li attending classes, then we can capitalize on his attending our university. Elisabeth responded that it’s risky given our agreement. David replied that we have him over a barrel. Everything he does, we can claim a piece of if he doesn’t cooperate. Li logged off the computer and would need to figure out a way to make them pay discreetly. He turned off the computer and went to bed.
The next day, Kim went to work, and Li tackled the basement. The previous owner, Professor Martin Blake, was a chemistry professor, and all his files were stored in the basement. Li was amazed that Martin Blake worked for the government on projects on the side. It was no wonder that the basement was locked. That raised the question of why his files were down here, and his office was upstairs. Li spent the day sorting through the files and junk, filling 20 trash bags.
Once there was an order to the room, he saw that it didn’t look right. It wasn’t the full length of the house, and he knew something was wrong. Li found a secret door behind the shelving and was shocked to discover a fully equipped lab and office. He quickly moved the files into the lab and stacked them against a wall. He would need to spend some time in the secret room. After closing the door, resetting the shelving, Li carried the trash bags outside.
Kim arrived home with pizza, and while they ate, she told Li about her meeting with George Whittingham. She said George was concerned about what you said about the university taking credit for your work at Scripps. George said he would call Chancellor Ben White in the morning and get a letter of understanding. All your work done off campus isn’t the university’s property. He also said he would make some calls concerning your doctorate.
Li thanked Mom for the information and told her what he accomplished today. She said that’s good, and we can go shopping for your gym supplies this weekend. Mom asked Li to come to work with her tomorrow, and he reluctantly agreed. He wanted to scope out the lab and Professor Martin Blake’s computer. Kim also had information on the F150 and Harley in the garage. Since we bought the house as is, they were included, so we’ll have to have the titles changed. They finished dinner and went to bed.
When they arrived at Scripps, Li was taken to get his ID. His thumbprint was also taken along with an iris scan. Then Kim showed him her lab and office. His office was across the hall and suitably sized for an assistant. Li helped Kim in her lab the rest of the morning, and they went to the cafeteria for lunch. While they were eating, George Whittingham came by and asked Li if he played baseball or golf. Li said no, he only practices martial arts.
George said we have a company baseball and golf team that needs more talent. He said I’ll arrange some training for you, and with martial arts skills, you’ll pick it up in no time. He left, and Li said he was being set up, and they laughed. After lunch, there was a network issue, and Li helped troubleshoot and fix it. On the way home, Li said he had no interest in baseball or golf. Mom told him to give it a try, and if it doesn’t work out, then you’re off the hook.