My friend Ryan Cooper had talked me into applying to the Elite Founders Club, the university's entrepreneurship club, which claimed to accept "only the elite." The moment I reached the recruitment booth, the club president, Madison Blake, blocked me with a tablet in her arms. "Hold it. This is an exclusive circle for exceptional people. We use a strict four-part screening system, and anyone who falls short is out." She looked me up and down with open disdain. "Average-looking, with no standout features. You fail the looks requirement. No luxury watch, and not a single designer logo on your suit. You fail the style requirement. You came from an ordinary public high school instead of an exclusive prep school abroad. You fail the education requirement. And your voice isn't deep. You don't even use vocal fry. You sound weak, so that's another fail." She closed her tablet and delivered her verdict without a trace of courtesy. "Sorry. You didn't make the cut." Then she shoved me aside and beamed at Tyler Brooks, who wore a limited-edition watch. "Tyler's family invested eight figures in his project. A perfect score. Come right in!" The freshmen nearby snickered. Ryan started to defend me, but I raised a hand to stop him and adjusted my cuff. Madison had no idea that my unbranded suit had been made by a master tailor. I had stayed close to home because my family's current project was here. As for Tyler's proposal, it had reached my family's investment division the previous week. It hadn't even passed the preliminary review. Madison loved shutting people out, and that suited me just fine. I would show her who really had the power to shut someone out.