At dusk, the office building of the School of Life Sciences at Jijing University.
After perusing the students’ daily experimental reports, Hu Haibo hastily shut down his computer, removed his glasses, and leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.
If he could live his life over again, he certainly would not choose biology.
Not just biology, it would be best to steer clear of the words "scientific research" altogether.
Even as an undergraduate, he knew the idea that sheer effort leads to success was nothing but hot air.
He just hadn’t realized that in the world of scientific research, this saying could be so utterly nonsensical.
In the field of biology, known to him, the world’s top talents were like a massive, blindly expanding fungus, but not a single fungus knew what environment they were in; they could only spread in all directions, thus extending countless colonies.
Some colonies, having hit a dead end, were finished—they didn’t have enough time in their short lives to change course.
Some colonies thought they had reached a fertile place, oblivious to the fact that it was toxic sustenance; the more they absorbed, the faster they died.
Some colonies fell into water.
Some colonies were burnt to death by fire.
Some colonies fell into madness, deluded into believing they were gods, aspiring to rise into the sky, but ultimately, they couldn’t avoid being scattered by the wind, plummeting into bottomless abysses.
But there were always lucky colonies that truly discovered a bountiful new land, thus flourishing and becoming illustrious in their lifetimes.
This is what scientific research is—a grand gamble that exhausts a lifetime’s energy, and frantic effort is just the admission ticket to this betting arena.
The irony is, those who are qualified for research are not gamblers at all; on the contrary, they are among the most intelligent, most averse to gambling.
Often, it’s only after 5 years, 10 years into their careers that they realize they are not in a laboratory.
But in a casino.
Looking around aimlessly.
Long having lost sight of the exit.
If he could live his life over again, he certainly would not become a gambler again.
Those with brains should have chosen something with a higher and more stable return. From this pragmatic point of view, a dream in research is not much wiser than a dream of stardom.
Hu Haibo often wanted to tell his students, "Don’t wait until it’s too late to consider a career change."
But he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to say it.
In that moment of hesitation, he finally understood the familiar hesitation his own teacher had shown one moment, seven or eight years ago.
If he could live his life over again, he certainly would not embrace dreams again.
Thump, thump, thump.
A series of knocks with an unfamiliar rhythm interrupted Hu Haibo’s sigh. He hurriedly put his glasses back on, nudged his chair forward, and spread out the just organized files again on the desk.
"Come in."
Click!
The doorknob turned, and the door swung open.
The most horrifying, most vigorous, most handsome super colony.
He was here—the man!
And he was brazen, a being who could punch out biology, overturn a casino, and shatter dreams with his bare hands.
"You..." Hu Haibo swallowed hard, "is there something else you need?"
"Yes," Li Zheng shut the door and walked to the desk, glancing at the chair, "May I sit, Teacher Hu?"
"Please," Hu Haibo made a gesture and then massaged his temples, forced to muster his spirit.
Li Zheng settled into the chair and was about to speak but hesitated, "Teacher Hu, I am, after all, just an ordinary student, and I should maintain full etiquette when speaking with you, but I see that you are quite tired as well. Wouldn’t it be better to cut to the chase? I do respect you, and if you find my frankness offensive, then I apologize in advance."
"It’s fine," Hu Haibo said as he pushed a bottle of water across the table to Li Zheng, "This morning’s meeting was indeed a bit chaotic. I had many thoughts I didn’t get a chance to express. Maybe I should start?"
"By all means,"
"I mainly wanted to clarify my motivations and intentions," Hu Haibo gesticulated, "Your project does have room for differentiated research, and I never had the intention to rush to publish anything first. On the contrary, if I were truly to take on this project, I would communicate with you and Dean Zhou at the earliest opportunity, focusing on directions outside of your areas of interest. To put it even more pragmatically, I am not insane enough to steal Dean Zhou’s results."
"Of course." Li Zheng nodded immediately.
"Additionally," let this be my sharing of some experience and industry rules with you, "Ideas themselves are not protected. The industry also does not consider it taboo to work on someone else’s idea. On the contrary, many great scientific researches stem from scientists borrowing ideas from each other. Regarding the return to the electron microscope matter, since you have publicly submitted the topic at Yingpei, and Yingpei then shared that topic with me, all of this is legitimate. What I’ve said serves both as my self-defense and as a way to inform you of the industry rules."
"I completely understand." Li Zheng nodded again.
"Lastly, I personally very, very much admire your research and have even sent a congratulatory message to Dean Zhou Yi. I admit, in my anticipation, your paper indeed would have a long publication cycle, and I hoped to use my informational advantage as a fellow at Ji University to dig out some content you may have missed before your peers do. To put it crudely, it is like picking up scraps of meat you’ve dropped and piecing them together. There certainly is self-interest involved, and if it bothers you, I am willing to apologize."
"I don’t mind at all."
"Then allow me to apologize for any potential offense, I am sorry." After saying that, Hu Haibo took a deep breath, relaxed a bit, and then gestured indifferently with his hand, "I’ve said my piece, your turn."
"Teacher Hu, I appreciate your explanations, but from the beginning, I have had no objections to the aforementioned issues. You should also remember that I only cared about one thing at the meeting—" Li Zheng paused, then said word by word, "Did you read our paper?"
Thump!
The ease that had just returned to Hu Haibo’s demeanor instantly tensed up again, and his posture visibly stiffened.
"Absolutely not, I wouldn’t look at a paper unpublished by a colleague unless it’s from someone very close to me asking for my guidance. I wouldn’t look at it even if it were placed in front of me, absolutely not!" Hu Haibo, as if insulted, vehemently waved his hand, "If you insist on believing that, then go ahead and report it to the academic affairs department. When I say no, it means no."
"I understand your anger." Li Zheng continued calmly, spreading his hands, "But don’t you think it’s hard to explain this? If you haven’t read it, how could you easily identify the focus of our research?"
"I heard about it, Li Zheng, I heard it," Hu Haibo raised his hand and pressed down hard, "There are many people in your group, and many in the Chemical Institute as well. I happened to hear bits and pieces of it. Do I have to confess like a criminal under interrogation?"
"Yes." Li Zheng tapped the table and looked gravely at Hu Haibo, "Specifically concerning this matter, you need to tell me everything."
"It’s meaningless, I refuse." Hu Haibo rose from his seat and with a wave of his hand towards the door added, "I’ve explained all my motives and mental processes to you already. If you still insist that I am tainted, go to the academic affairs department. There’s no need to talk with me anymore."
"Teacher Hu, if going to the academic affairs department could solve this, why would I even come here." Li Zheng, out of respect, also rose to his feet and softly gestured with his hand, "Teacher Hu, please sit down first."
"Li Zheng, I know you have a bright future ahead of you, and I don’t want to press you with my professor’s status, but I am also human, and I don’t want to hear anything more from you that would affect my emotions," Hu Haibo said before gesturing towards the door again, "Let’s keep it dignified. You too, and me as well."
"No, no, no, once outside, I will no longer be dignified. Here is where the last bit of dignity lies." Li Zheng pursed his lips and shook his head slightly, "The academic affairs department won’t handle it without any substantial evidence. I could ask for help from my mentor, the dean, even my family, but I don’t want to cause trouble for others, so I have to choose to come by myself."
As Li Zheng spoke, he slowly leaned forward, gradually slowing down his speech.
"Tomorrow, I have interviews with two media outlets."
"So far, four media outlets have asked me to start a column, two of which are international academic platforms you often visit."
"Of course, the most influential of which is actually a domestic website for answering questions."
"You know as well that it’s just the beginning, and these exposés will only increase over time."
"If you can’t give me an explanation now."
"Then all I can do is reveal to the media the part that I know."
"Tirelessly, over and over."
"Wherever the name Li Zheng appears, the name Hu Haibo will appear as well."
"As for what other labels might be attached to your name, that will be a matter for the netizens to decide."
"Previously, I detested such interviews and exposures."
"In the future, I might come to love them."
"So," Li Zheng said and gestured again toward the seat behind Hu Haibo, "Teacher Hu, could you please take a seat first?"
"......."
The tension in Hu Haibo’s face was visibly increasing, almost to the point of cramping.
"Li Zheng, are you sure you want to fan the flames with your star aura?"
"If you insist, I will."
"What am I insisting on?"
"Teacher Hu..." Li Zheng sighed, "I really can’t stand smart people playing dumb. Didn’t we agree to get to the point? Do I really have to force you to ask the same question a third time?"
"......."
Thud!
Finally, Hu Haibo sat back down in his chair.
Only then did Li Zheng manage to take his seat as well.
"Is there any point..." Hu Haibo, with his head lowered, started to sway absently, "Your insistence on getting to the bottom of it brings no good to anyone, no one will be better off... Not me, not that person, nor you."
"So this is why no one picks up trash, leaving it to pile up like mountains, stinking to high heaven?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh... never mind, just talking to myself." Li Zheng shook his head with a smile, "I’m not like you, Teacher Hu. I don’t calculate or intend to explain when I do things. I either don’t do it at all or I go all the way. There’s no need to understand me, and I don’t need anyone else to understand."
Hu Haibo gave a defeated smile: "That’s probably what they call being arrogant because of one’s talent."
"That’s not a term of praise, but I’ll accept it."
Having said that, Li Zheng spread his hands and fell silent, waiting for an answer.
"Sigh." Hu Haibo let out a sigh, "Liu Yuwei."
Li Zheng remained motionless.
Hu Haibo, of course, knew that this Fungi King couldn’t be easily tricked, so he related what happened after their meeting that day.
According to his description, after Zhang Shandong and Wu Yue left, Liu Yuwei insisted on asking some biology questions alone. However, in reality, the questions she asked were highly relevant to the professional issues of Li Zheng’s group’s research project, as if she had personally operated an electron microscope, her level of expertise moved even Hu Haibo.
Therefore, Hu Haibo tentatively asked her a few simpler biology questions, but Liu Yuwei was repeatedly at a loss for answers.
Harboring suspicions, Hu Haibo thus inquired how Liu Yuwei came up with those questions. Liu Yuwei answered that the information came from her roommate, a girl who was also a member of Li Zheng’s group. She would talk about some of the experimental progress every day; it was all public content.
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
Considering that this was a group of freshmen who had recently achieved some results, it was no surprise they were showing off a bit. Hu Haibo did not harbor more suspicion at that time; he only thought about how to make a differentiation and piece together the scraps that had fallen off.
By the time Hu Haibo finished recounting these events, the sun had already set in the west.
"That’s it." Hu Haibo sighed again, relaxing once more, "I think it must’ve been one of your group members who wasn’t tight-lipped. There’s no need to dig any deeper."
"Wait a moment." Li Zheng immediately slammed the phone onto the table and dialed out.
"Hello, hello, hello~~~" A little girl’s voice floated out quickly, "Did you think of how to spend the reward money~~"
"Where are you?" Li Zheng asked gravely.
"Eating skewers with Sister Keqing."
"Good, I want to ask you, have you ever revealed our experimental content to anyone outside of us?"
"Nope, haven’t I already said there was none?"
"Liu Yuwei says you did."
"?!?!?! She’s lying!!!"
"Moming, making a mistake is not a big deal; learn from it, make amends, and you’ll be fine—after being teased a little bit more. But you must know, what we are doing now concerns someone’s entire future. Tell me the truth, however it works, I just need the facts."
"Li Zheng!!!!" The girl on the phone became agitated, "You would rather believe that... that... bitch instead of me?! Fine!! Now I see, you just want to push me out!! You don’t need to—I’ll leave by myself!!!!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than she suddenly started making muffled noises.
It sounded like she was being manhandled by someone.
After that, Chang Keqing’s voice came through.
"What happened? You’ve reduced the child to tears."
"It’s nothing now... apologize for me." Li Zheng’s presence withered substantially. He mumbled a few evasive words and then hastily hung up the call.
The previously dead-serious atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.
Although Hu Haibo was rationally very clear about what had just taken place, he couldn’t help but ask instinctively, "Is that... your kid... from your family?"
"Cough..." Li Zheng coughed deeply, "This is our group member Lin Moming, the roommate of Liu Yuwei mentioned earlier."
"I know, but she sounded like your child..."
"Thanks."
"Then… perhaps you should go back and console the child sooner?" Hu Haibo suggested.
"Yes." Li Zheng could feel that his assertiveness was irrevocably gone, and he awkwardly got to his feet, saying, "About what we discussed, if there’s an official school investigation, I hope you can state the facts accurately."
"Give me time to consider." Hu Haibo stood to see him out, "As you said, it concerns someone’s entire future. I need time to carefully recall and analyze again. I will give you an answer tomorrow."
"Mhm..."
I don’t know why, but after that scene, everything seemed to change, turning into a heart-to-heart conversation between two men.
After leaving the office, Li Zheng didn’t dare to linger and cycled straight to the usual noodle restaurant.
Lin Moming was still sobbing in the same spot, thankfully being comforted in Chang Keqing’s arms the whole time.
The expressions of the people around them were quite strange.
Because judging by the expressions... the manner... the way she cried...
This young girl looked like she had just been through a breakup...
Who on earth could have the heart to dump...
No, no.
Who on earth could commit such a heinous crime!!
It’s a shame I don’t know his name, or I would’ve definitely called the police.
It was in such an atmosphere that Li Zheng approached timidly.
"Moming... it’s my fault..."
"Get away from me!!" Lin Moming cried even harder upon seeing Li Zheng, wailing and beating Chang Keqing’s chest, "He’d rather believe that bitch than believe me... wuwuwu..."
"I... I..." Li Zheng felt extremely guilty and scratched his head, trying to explain, "We haven’t known each other for that long... I wouldn’t say we know each other very well..."
"Wah!!!" Lin Moming burst into tears, as though wanting to roll around in Chang Keqing’s arms, "Sister, listen to him, listen to him, is this something a human would say wuwuwu! I put in the money, did the work... more than ten hours a day... and in the end, it’s... not knowing each other very well? wuwuwu..."
"..."
Inside the restaurant.
The crowd was already riled up.
Is this guy even human?! Such an enormous sinner, so shameless and brazen!
Not even sure what crime to report to the police.
Fortunately, before they could make the call, Li Zheng shook his head and turned back around.
"It’s about the paper, I just wanted to confirm the situation, I never intended to blame you, but if you keep this up, I won’t comfort you anymore."
"!!!" Lin Moming panicked and quickly reached out to grab him, "Just comfort me a little more, please!!"
"Just a little bit."
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Then..." Li Zheng lowered his head like a man, "I shouldn’t have doubted you... Without enough trust... I’m not worthy of being your partner..."
"Ugh..." Chang Keqing felt nauseous.
Li Zheng felt like he was going to vomit himself.
Damn it, I never even coddled Jingjing like this...
"Hmph!" Lin Moming quickly wiped the corner of her eyes, glanced at the noodle restaurant, posed with hands on hips and eyes closed, "That’s it? Not even a large intestine skewer?"
"Pfft..." Li Zheng scoffed and muttered, "So if I get a large intestine skewer, we’re good?"
"I misspoke... Two skewers!!"
"Can you even eat that much?"
"I could eat five."
"Fine, fine, fine, five it is then." Li Zheng flashed the QR code and started walking towards the restaurant, "You show me, not a single drop of oil or you repeat the meal."
"Ah, this..." Lin Moming began to panic.
Anyway, after that night.
Lin Moming never wanted to eat barbecue again.