Xilin High-speed Railway East Station.
Zhuo Wenyu was bored out of his mind, standing at the exit gate, watching Xu Dajiang, Dean of the Xilin University of Technology School of Mathematics, chat with the students holding a banner not far away.
It wasn't that he wanted to welco Qiao Ze; he was simply drafted for the task.
Here's what happened.
Zhuo Wenyu had just forwarded the video clips Yu Chenggong sent to the Dean of the School of Mathematics, after which the Dean imdiately beca restless.
He called Li Jiangao to confirm he would bring Qiao Ze back to campus, and once he found out their returning ti, he annoyingly insisted Zhuo co along to receive them, in a gesture of the School of Mathematics' high regard for the young man.
Zhuo Wenyu actually understood Xu Dajiang's position.
Lots of people didn't realize it's tough to be the Dean of a second-tier science and technology departnt at a university that's not a dominant discipline—and this doesn't take arts subjects into account.
Most professors with even a slight academic ambition avoid the role like the plague.
After all, a Dean is part of the administrative hierarchy, which ans an endless schedule of etings and no ti to focus on academic research.
What's more frustrating is that the Dean also has to fight for resources for their departnt.
Advantaged disciplines are pretty straightforward since they usually aren't short of research funding. A Dean could also leverage their authority to steer funds towards projects they prefer or are involved in.
But for disadvantaged disciplines, the funding provided by the university is already limited, making allocation all the more problematic.
Professors have never been easy to manage.
A slightly more capable professor wouldn't bother with the tight research funding of the college; if their own project lacked funds, they'd boldly confront the Dean's office and bang on the desk. If it so happened that the Dean favored another project that got funded but didn't yield results, the scene would beco even more lively...
In short, if the college is short on money, that's the Dean's problem—what's it got to do with my project?
At least, from Zhuo Wenyu's perspective, Xu Dajiang's life as the Dean of the School of Mathematics was even less comfortable than his own as the ostracized Director of the Admissions Office.
It had only been two years since he sat in the Dean's chair, and his hair had already begun to turn white at an alarming pace.
What to do then?
If you want more resources, you need results; only then can you pound the table with confidence when the university divides the pie.
But to get results, you first need resources.
In reality, many things are like exploiting bugs!
If Qiao Ze truly possessed the talent to match what was in those recruitnt conditions, perhaps he could be the turning point for the rise of the Xilin University of Technology School of Mathematics.
Thinking like that, it's not too much for a Dean of the School of Mathematics to pull along the Director of Admissions to welco soone at the train station.
Isn't it common to see an honorary Associate Dean from Jiang University School of Mathematics skipping academic conferences to go recruit?
...
The high-speed train compartnt finally quietened down.
The three Xilin University of Technology fresh graduates across had lost all interest in conversation.
Quietly taking out their phones, they began the act of restless waiting, feeling like the ti was dragging on forever.
Thankfully, the speed of Huaxia's high-speed trains was reliable.
It arrived on ti at Xilin City High-speed Railway East Station.
The three students also hurriedly gathered their luggage early and slipped to the front to queue up.
Qiao Ze, Li Jiangao, and Yu Chenggong, of course, weren't in such a rush, sitting calmly in their seats until they saw the train enter the platform, then picked up their luggage to start queuing.
At this mont, the few people at the exit gate, the Dean and students, also saw the ssage of the train's arrival.
Xu Dajiang also put on a Dean's authority, issuing orders to the student council mbers who'd been rounded up: "Alright, quickly raise the banner, hold it up high."
Soon, the two-ter-long red banner raised at the eastern exit started attracting frequent glances. It was too eye-catching to ignore.
"Warmly welco Qiao Ze to choose Xilin University of Technology School of Mathematics for his studies!"
Huh?
Is it not even the start of the welcoming season?
What the heck?!
...
The three senior students from Xilin University who had been waiting in line hurried to the exit almost at the speed of race-walking.
They had no choice; the pressure of having offended a professor was too great, and what was more terrifying was that they had to sit opposite that professor the entire way.
Once they could get off, they instinctively wanted to flee as far as possible.
All along the way, the male student was being complained at, "It's all because of you, if you want to speak, just speak, why did you have to point out that clueless guy?"
The male student replied with aggrieved tone, "How was I supposed to know that the person sitting across from us was a professor from our school?"
"Forget it, forget it. Anyway, we're graduating soon, but during this period, I really hope I don't run into Professor Li! He looked so scary when he was angry. The School of Mathematics is at the main campus, isn't it?"
As they chatted like this, they quickly reached the exit and were then captivated by the familiar nas on the huge banner.
Whether it's the nas of people or the university, they all sounded sowhat familiar.
"Is this... Is the School of Mathematics recruiting in May?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, the college entrance exams haven't even happened yet, what recruitnt?"
"Isn't this too exaggerated? I rember when we ca to pick up people in our freshman year, the welco banner for Xilin University of Technology was over at Dongguang Square, but now they've pushed it to the exit."
"Hey... Look at the man standing under the banner, I know him, he's Zhuo, the head of the admissions office. I t him when I was in the student council and was called to help out in admissions."
"The head of admissions is personally coming to et soone? And that other guy, tall and lanky, he couldn't be the dean of the School of Mathematics, could he?"
"That's actually him. Don't you rember? We just saw a photo of this old guy on the official website of the School of Mathematics, the tall and lanky one."
"This is just too... who the hell is Qiao Ze?!"
"Hey, stop talking nonsense, let's just hurry up and go."
...
The three seniors scurried away with apprehension.
Their good mood from returning to school was unconsciously shrouded in a layer of gloom.
Would that mathematics professor really go through the trouble of finding them?
A classic case of scaring oneself.
After Li Jian Gao's unseasonable irritation had dissipated, he couldn't be bothered to deal with them any further.
Whether these young people would learn the aning of respect from this incident didn't concern him.
The lessons that the university had failed to teach these kids would be imparted indefinitely by society through its unique and varied educational thods, allowing them to understand more deeply.
At the mont, Li Jian Gao, who had just arrived at the exit with Qiao Ze, was also in a state of bewildernt.
The dean ca in person to et soone?
I hadn't heard of this!
"Dean Xu, why didn't you give a heads-up that you'd co in person?"
"Ha ha, we wanted to give the kid a surprise. If you knew in advance and told the child, then it wouldn't have been aningful, right, Qiao Ze?"
A surprise, huh?
Qiao Ze, staring blankly at the huge banner, and then at the white-haired uncle in front of him, felt an indescribable sense of confusion.
It wasn't touching...
There was no feeling of gratitude for being esteed either.
If one had to sum up Qiao Ze's thoughts at this mont, it would probably be that this dean uncle did seem quite approachable, but also a bit boring.
So, the dean must have a lot of free ti on his hands, right?
But rembering Li's emphasis on respect, Qiao Ze still nodded, and responded with a tone that was extrely plain yet not at all perfunctory, and very seriously said, "Surprise!"
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