"Experintation is not a problem; we’ll be soaking in the lab all week," Zhang Tao said, seeing that Li Zheng had relaxed. Then he asked, "I saw on the application form that you’re from Lake Ying Middle School, right? Do you have a Physics Competition teacher at your school?"
Li Zheng answered truthfully, "At first we didn’t, but just because a classmate and I insisted, we ended up with one."
Zhang Tao didn’t understand.
The two of them locked eyes in silence.
In both of their lives, this conversation could probably rank high on the awkwardness leaderboard.
But Zhang Tao wasn’t afraid of awkwardness; if you’re excellent in physics, it doesn’t matter if you can’t make small talk.
Zhang Tao then plucked up his courage to ask, "What I an is, aside from the school teachers’ guidance, have you taken any other Physics Competition training?"
"No, mainly self-study."
"Hmm..." Zhang Tao didn’t entirely believe him and pressed on, "Then, have you participated in any other competitions before?"
"Just took part in the Chem Competitions," Li Zheng nodded honestly.
"Oh? How did you do?"
"That..." Li Zheng rubbed the back of his head even more innocently, "Second place, first and second..."
"What?"
"Second in the city, first in the nation, and second in the training camp..."
"?? You... Can you say that again???"
"Second in the city, first in the nation, and second in the training camp."
"Are we talking about the sa Chem Competitions?" Zhang Tao was completely flustered, gesturing wildly, "The one organized by the Chemical Society, the one that leads to the ICHo?"
"Yeah."
"That... one mont please..."
Zhang Tao wasn’t looking down on anyone.
But just randomly picking soone up who turns out to be a Chem Competitions champion, that’s just fucking ridiculous.
So she picked up her phone again, went to the official website of the Chinese Chemical Society. The news of the Chem Competitions final was right on the hopage.
After clicking in, a photo of Li Zheng with a gold dal and his innocent face popped up.
And the text below...
...Li Zheng from Jijing Ying Lake Middle School eventually won the final championship, with the second place being...
Zhang Tao looked at the young man in the photo, then at Li Zheng beside her.
It was indeed the sa person.
Even the leather jacket was the sa.
Old Zhou!
You’ve stuffed a deity in here!
But the mont Zhang Tao started to ponder, she panicked and asked anxiously, "Have you signed a contract yet?"
"No... I don’t really want to focus on chemistry..." Li Zheng replied truthfully.
"Good!" Zhang Tao suddenly got excited, grabbed Li Zheng’s shoulder, and said, "Co on, this year, you’ll be the first person signed by the Jinghua Physics Departnt!"
"Ah?" Li Zheng asked, puzzled, "But... there’s nothing, not even the preliminary competition has been taken."
"No, no, no need," Zhang Tao asserted, eyes wide, "That test you just took, our undergraduates average around 70 points, and that already says a lot."
"This... That’s because undergraduates have so many subjects to study for... their energy is more scattered," Li Zheng hurriedly tried to persuade, "Teacher Zhang, don’t be so hasty, I really don’t know any lab work."
Hasty, Zhang Tao?
No, no, not at all hasty.
National champion of the Chem Competitions, he could have been signed on the spot.
Even if this student doesn’t do as well in the Physics Competitions later, with that gold dal, a switch to the chemistry departnt would be a breeze, and the head of that departnt would probably co over thanking her profusely.
After all, it’s not her fault that the chemistry departnt didn’t have the ability to sign him.
"I’m not being hasty, really not hasty," Zhang Tao said as she opened her contact list, "Just wait a mont, I’ll call Admissions."
"Don’t, Teacher Zhang..." Li Zheng further advised, "The other students will have opinions on this."
"Let them co to ."
"Ah, but... this is a big responsibility, please think it over!"
"There’s no need to think it over, I trust my own judgnt."
"No, you don’t understand … I… I…" Li Zheng blurted out in a panic, grasping at his hair, "I seem to be very bad at my studies."
The preceding remarks were nonsense, but this statent was quite sensible.
Zhang Tao looked at Li Zheng’s appearance and fell silent once again.
He always felt sothing was off, the perspective seed wrong...
Why would a student who likes physics persuade the vice chair of the Jinghua Physics Departnt not to sign him?
This was incomprehensible.
Unless...
Zhang Tao’s face stiffened, "Did you sign with Ji University?"
"No."
"Then what’s there to consider?" Zhang Tao urged fiercely, "Our Jinghua is now extrely biased towards the College of Sciences, with the Departnt of Physics being the main focus, the funding is very generous. As long as you have the ability and the project, there’s as much money as you need."
Unlike other leaders who focused on teaching and recruitnt, Zhang Tao was completely devoted once he set his mind to sothing.
No beating around the bush, he straight away offered "research funding" as the most direct and critical competitive elent.
If it were soone who truly understood university research, they would probably agree and sign imdiately after asking a few figures.
But Li Zheng didn’t really understand it.
More importantly, he didn’t care at all about when to sign, nor did he actually care about the signing itself; wherever he wanted to go, he would go.
With the title of Chem Competitions champion, he could sign with any school in the country whenever he wanted.
As for Jinghua.
Indeed, it was a good school…
But his acquaintances were all at Ji University...
And there were…
So other less important factors.
For example, Master Ye hadn’t signed yet, and it was unknown where she would sign...
Although it wasn’t important, it was still a factor to consider, if only slightly.
Li Zheng could only refuse politely while bracing himself, "Teacher Zhang... I really don’t understand this area... Let’s wait until after the competition."
"Li Zheng, you really should have a clear understanding of your scientific research capabilities and not follow blindly," Zhang Tao wasn’t ready to let him go and tapped the table, "You know Academician Wang Zhenhua, right?"
That na was indeed renowned.
This Nobel laureate in Physics was unquestionably the Everest of the Chinese scientific community.
Zhang Tao didn’t hesitate to invoke such an academic idol for the sake of attracting students.
"Yes…" Li Zheng nodded, "Academician Wang is a professor at Jinghua University."
"That speaks volus, Li Zheng."
Feeling slightly awkward, Li Zheng asked, "But… Academician Wang, at his age, has long stopped supervising students, hasn’t he…"
"Hmm… occasionally he still gives lectures…" Zhang Tao seed to have been hit in a sore spot.
"So, Teacher Zhang, I really don’t quite understand," Li Zheng said politely as he stood up, "It’s not very appropriate for you to offer a contract this early. Let’s wait until the competition is over, shall we?"
Zhang Tao looked at Li Zheng, hesitating for a long ti.
Sigh...
Ji University, Ji University.
It really just sweeps people off their feet without trying.
"Fine, it’s not appropriate to force you." Zhang Tao also stood up, patted Li Zheng’s shoulder, "My door is always open to you. When you’re weighing your options, make sure not to just look at superficial information. Compare the amount of research investnt in Jingbei’s Departnt of Physics in recent years, the number of projects conducted, and the status of national-level scientific research awards. Consider comprehensively, and don’t follow blindly."
"Certainly." Li Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, nodded in acknowledgnt, "For the coming week, I will still need much guidance from Teacher Zhang."
"Hmm, you don’t need to worry about your theoretical level before the finals, put all your energy into the experint," Zhang Tao responded.
"Hmm!"
When Li Zheng returned to the classroom, the exam had just ended, and the two teachers were still collecting papers.
Perfect timing, he thought as he packed his bag and headed for the cafeteria for lunch.
Li Zheng hurried back to his desk and swiftly packed his belongings into his backpack.
At that mont, Duan Peipei moved a couple of steps and sat next to him, staring ahead with a sowhat dazed look in her eyes.
"What… what’s the matter with you… was there a need for that?"
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