Chapter 34
Office Director Zhu Ren was in Yan Anjin's office, trying to persuade him: "Old Yan, why are you being so stubborn? Write it down quickly!" As he spoke, he turned to the page on "Student Awards for Guidance and Training".
Yan Anjin reached out and closed her hand again: "I didn't guide Ji Zhixing and his team to win the first prize in the CUPT competition. I only gave Ji Zhixing some pointers on how to understand the Navier-Stokes equations. I didn't even know how he applied them in the project. How could I presume to be the instructor?"
After saying that, he emphasized again: "Their winning the award is purely due to their own efforts, and has nothing to do with me."
"Ugh!" Zhu Ren slammed his fist on the table, exasperated by Yan Anjin's stubbornness. "They wrote you in the mentor section, which means they genuinely consider you their mentor. The success of their project hinges on the Navier-Stokes equations, so how can it have nothing to do with you? Besides, what harm could your writing this on the evaluation form possibly do to Ji Zhixing and the others? Right?"
Yan Anjin stubbornly shook her head: "Old Zhu, you know what happened ten years ago. In short, I can't steal other people's hard work, whether it's real or nominal. Take the evaluation form away! I already submitted it, and you still insist on returning it to me."
"How is that stealing! Is it really that serious? You're really something, I'm going to be driven crazy by you sooner or later!" Zhu Ren really wanted to crack open Yan Anjin's head to see what kind of hard stuff was inside. She was so stubborn about something as important as the assessment form.
The Teacher Evaluation Form is a form that all teachers at Guangling University must fill out at the end of each semester. The form has three main sections: a summary of the regular teaching work for the semester, professional and technical achievements, and awards received by students supervised and mentored.
The "Summary of Regular Teaching Work" is an overview of the teaching situation and student performance this semester. The "Professional and Technical Achievements" includes books, papers and research results. Yan Anjin has already filled in both of these sections. Only the "Awards for Guiding and Training Students" section is still blank.
In fact, Yan Anjin has left this section blank when filling out performance evaluation forms over the years.
For university teachers, guiding students to win awards generally falls into two categories: first, guiding undergraduate students to participate in various competitions and achieve rankings; and second, guiding graduate and doctoral students to publish papers or make scientific research achievements.
Yan Anjin is unlikely to fall into either of these categories.
He was renowned among students, who feared him like the plague and avoided him at all costs. Considering the students' wishes, the university was unlikely to appoint him as a competition instructor. Graduate students, fearing his reputation for having the highest rate of delayed graduation, were also rarely willing to choose him as their advisor.
Therefore, over the years, when Yan Anjin filled out the evaluation form at the end of each semester, there was nothing to write in the "Student Awards Under His Guidance" section. He didn't care and remained indifferent.
However, Zhu Ren, his old classmate and friend, was very worried about him. This was because the points awarded through this evaluation form directly affected the teacher's personal interests.
In the past, professors at Guangling University had caused quite a few embarrassing incidents by vying for school funding and research projects. After consulting with various parties, the then-president introduced this system. It uses an evaluation form to quantify each teacher's semester achievements, calculates individual points, and uses the points to determine the amount of funding to apply for, the allocation of research projects, and so on.
Simply put, a higher score means you can apply for more research funding and are more likely to secure top-tier projects.
While such a system certainly has significant limitations and drawbacks, it is relatively fair, just, and transparent, and to a certain extent, it has curbed unhealthy practices such as back-door deals and open and covert struggles. Therefore, it has been used at Guangling University for many years.
In fact, according to regulations, the points system for applying for research funding is not very strict. As long as there is something to fill in on all three aspects of the basic assessment form, you can meet the minimum funding application standard.
However, Yan Anjin just couldn't reach that level; the "student awards he mentored" criterion was a major obstacle for him. He was also inflexible and unwilling to take shortcuts, so his overall grades were often at the bottom each semester, sometimes even lower than many young associate professors.
Over the years, Yan Anjin has basically been ineligible to apply for school research funding, and many research projects have not been awarded to him. The graduate students he supervises have also been limited to theoretical physics.
This situation had persisted for many years, and Zhu Ren was deeply concerned.
But this year is different. Ji Zhixing, Lin Lang, and Xu Dongyang actually won the first prize in the CUPT competition, and Yan Anjin's name was listed as their instructor.
Normally, schools wouldn't assign instructors to students who form their own teams for competitions. Of course, students could contact instructors themselves. But Zhu Ren hadn't expected Ji Zhixing to approach Yan Anjin.
When he saw Yan Anjin's name listed as the supervising teacher on the award certificate, he was overjoyed for his old friend. With this award, Yan Anjin would be able to apply for research funding.
But to his surprise, this person was so stubborn. Zhu Ren couldn't persuade him no matter what, so he changed his approach and continued to try to persuade him.
"Old Yan, even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about the school and the country."
Yan Anjin glared at him; he didn't like this kind of rhetoric that involved using someone else's name to exaggerate or make unfounded claims.
If it were an ordinary student, they would have been silenced by Yan Anjin's glare, but Zhu Rencai was not afraid of him and insisted on speaking despite his unfriendly gaze.
"You know about the Fan family's situation. There was nothing we could do before; according to the rules, their points were just higher, and they got all the top projects. But look at all the research funding they've spent over the years—how many results have they actually produced?"
To say there were absolutely no results wouldn't be accurate, but compared to the enormous research funding spent, the cost-effectiveness was simply too low. Anyone with a discerning eye understands what happened, but Fan Chuanshuo is always cautious, delegating any shady dealings to his graduate students and never getting involved himself. Therefore, even though his graduate students filed a formal complaint against him with the relevant authorities last year, the matter ultimately fizzled out due to a lack of concrete evidence.
On the other hand, Fan Chuanshuo had considerable connections in the capital and was often able to secure key national projects, so the principal was somewhat lenient with him.
Seeing that Fan Chuanshuo was gradually gaining dominance at Guangling University, the president was not without worry. The emergence of an academic clique was not beneficial to the school's long-term development. Among the professors, Yan Anjin was undoubtedly the most capable of competing with Fan Chuanshuo, but unfortunately, he was always stuck at the points threshold.
Therefore, with such a good opportunity, Zhu Ren had been secretly planning for this for a long time. This was a perfect chance to support Yan Anjin in establishing his own power base to compete with Fan Chuanshuo.
Yan Anjin was initially too lazy to listen to Zhu Ren's nonsense, but as she listened, she couldn't help but think of the graduate student who was almost driven to suicide last year, and her originally stubborn heart gradually wavered.
Seeing the situation, Zhu Ren intensified his persuasion efforts. Finally, Yan Anjin spoke up: "How about this, I'll talk to Ji Zhixing and see if he has any objections."
"He already wrote your name on his own initiative, what other objections could he have!" Seeing Yan Anjin's insistence, Zhu Ren had no choice but to say, "Alright, alright, he's on vacation and hasn't gone home, he's at school. Why don't you give him a call and ask him to come over? It's best to talk to him in person."
So Yan Anjin made a phone call to Ji Zhixing. After hanging up, he looked at the teacher evaluation form on the table, feeling a mix of emotions.
Over the years, it wasn't that he didn't want to apply for funding for projects, but firstly, he didn't have enough credits, and secondly, he didn't have anyone to rely on. He certainly knew where the problem lay, but he was unwilling to lower his standards for students because of it.
This opportunity was indeed a good chance for change, but he felt unworthy of it. After all, his guidance to Ji Zhixing hadn't touched on how to apply it specifically to their competition project. He thought to himself that if Ji Zhixing didn't have any objections, he should at least give back in some way.
When Ji Zhixing was on his way to Professor Yan's office after receiving a phone call, he received another call from the principal, asking him to go to the principal's office.
Ji Zhixing was secretly puzzled. Why did everyone have something to ask him today? He made a phone call to Professor Yan to explain the situation and inquire about the order of things. Professor Yan then told him to go see the principal first.
Upon arriving at the principal's office, Ji Zhixing saw an unexpected person—Fan Yongjie's father, Fan Chuanshuo.
His heart skipped a beat. Could this be a trap?
Although Fan Yongjie's imprisonment was entirely his own fault—he hadn't done anything wrong—he could be considered a catalyst. He had also heard bits and pieces about Fan Chuanshuo's character and deeds from Zhao Yi and Sun Er. He feared that Fan Chuanshuo already held a grudge against him.
However, Fan Chuanshuo's performance was completely different from what Ji Zhixing had imagined.
Upon seeing Ji Zhixing, Fan Chuanshuo stood up from the sofa and bowed slightly to Ji Zhixing: "I'm sorry. I've been in the capital for a while and never expected Yongjie to make such a big mistake. This is my dereliction of duty as a father, and I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Seeing Fan Chuanshuo's earnest and apologetic expression, Ji Zhixing felt a chill creep up his spine—as a father, Fan Chuanshuo's behavior was far too calm and rational.
No matter what, Fan Yongjie was Fan Chuanshuo's only son, someone he had placed so much hope in and carefully nurtured. Even if he had committed a heinous crime, could Fan Chuanshuo, as a father, truly and calmly sever his ties with his son and apologize for his mistakes? Based on his understanding, Fan Chuanshuo was clearly not such a magnanimous, rational, and broad-minded person.
Ji Zhixing didn't understand what he was trying to do, so he kept making polite conversation while observing Fan Chuanshuo's expression. The more flawless he couldn't see any clues, the more he felt that this man was terrifyingly cunning.
After expressing his guilt and apology, Fan Chuanshuo finally revealed the purpose of his trip: "In order to make up for the harm you have suffered, I implore you to join my laboratory."
Ji Zhixing was startled. Wasn't this sending a lamb to the slaughter?
Fan Chuanshuo continued to entice him, "My current independent research project is 'Research on Novel Ferroelectric Materials and Magnetoelectric Coupling Physics,' and it's almost ready to produce results. Joining the lab now would only benefit you, and when the paper is published, you could be listed as the third, fourth, or even second author. This way, you can quickly accumulate enough credits to formally begin your graduate studies."
Ji Zhixing declined, saying, "Actually, I quite enjoyed my undergraduate life and I'm not in a hurry to pursue a master's degree."
Seeing that Ji Zhixing didn't seem interested, Fan Chuanshuo added, "Our project has ample research funding, so the benefits for researchers are quite substantial. Moreover, with the experience you've gained in conducting experiments and research, and with published papers to back you up, it will be easier to get a good supervisor if you want to pursue graduate studies at Peking University or Tsinghua University."
Hearing this, the principal, who had been quietly observing, cleared his throat. Although he wouldn't hinder Ji Zhixing's ambition, he secretly hoped that Ji Zhixing could stay at Guangling University, which was the main reason he supported Fan Chuanshuo taking Ji Zhixing under his wing at this stage. Unexpectedly, Fan Chuanshuo's words went against his original intention, which made him somewhat unhappy, fearing that Ji Zhixing might really use this as a stepping stone to escape the "fishpond" of Guangling University.
However, Fan Chuanshuo's words held no appeal for Ji Zhixing. If someone else had said those words, he might have been tempted. But the same words coming from Fan Chuanshuo were like poison coated in honey; no matter how sweet they smelled, they couldn't move him in the slightest.
Ji Zhixing politely declined, saying, "I'm sorry, Professor Fan. My friends and I have already made plans to start a business together, specifically the zero-gravity seat project, so I have to decline your offer."
Upon hearing this, Fan Chuanshuo showed approval: "Whether you're starting a business or not, the most valuable thing is to have a clear plan for your future. However, researching the zero-gravity seat project must be quite expensive, just renting a laboratory is a huge expense. How about this, it's okay if you don't join my project, just register your name in my laboratory, and then I can legally lend you the laboratory free of charge."
This offer was even more tempting, but Ji Zhixing wasn't foolish enough to make a mistake. The more Fan Chuanshuo tried to get him to join the lab, the more vigilant he had to be.
It would be unwise to break ties with such a scheming hypocrite; it would only invite more direct retaliation. Just as Ji Zhixing was thinking about how to politely refuse, there was a knock on the principal's office door.
Ji Zhixing turned around and saw that the people who came were Professor Yan and the office director.
Yan Anjin had come specifically because she heard that Fan Chuanshuo had also gone to the principal's office and sensed something was wrong. As soon as she arrived at the door, she heard Fan Chuanshuo trying to persuade Ji Zhixing to join his laboratory.
He knew, of course, that Fan Chuanshuo couldn't possibly be ungrateful to Ji Zhixing. The various favorable conditions he was offering now were merely a prelude to his revenge against Ji Zhixing.
Yan Anjin was unsure of Ji Zhixing's thoughts, and she couldn't directly accuse him of harboring ill intentions in front of Fan Chuanshuo. After all, Fan Chuanshuo was still willing to wear a mask of hypocrisy, and if his mask were to be torn off on the spot, he might simply retaliate against Ji Zhixing without any regard for consequences.
After thinking for a moment, Yan Anjin said to Ji Zhixing, "Zhixing, I called you earlier to invite you to join my lab. I wonder if you're still interested in the application of the Navier-Stokes equations." He knew that Ji Zhixing hadn't completely abandoned the Navier-Stokes equations after the competition, so he must still be interested.
“Interested!” Although Ji Zhixing could tell that Professor Yan was just trying to help him out, he couldn’t help but light up. He did intend to continue studying the Navier-Stokes equations during the winter break, but due to limited resources, he could only keep it at the theoretical level. It would be great if there was a real opportunity to extend it to practical applications.
Seeing Ji Zhixing's reaction, Fan Chuanshuo's eyes darkened: "Professor Yan, as far as I know, your personal laboratory has not had any projects for several years."
"It will be available soon," Yan Anjin replied succinctly.
Fan Chuanshuo glanced at Yan Anjin, then at Zhu Ren, and said meaningfully, "I believe that the school's rules and regulations are not just for show."
When directly accused of favoritism, Zhu Ren immediately retorted: "Of course it's not just for show. When Ji Zhixing and his classmates participated in the CUPT competition, Professor Yan's name was listed as their advisor. So his grades this semester have met the requirements, which is enough to apply for research funding."
Yan Anjin opened her mouth, but still didn't discuss the matter of the mentorship title with Ji Zhixing in front of Fan Chuanshuo.
Fan Chuanshuo frowned: "Even if the project is approved, you don't have anyone available. Wouldn't that be delaying Ji Zhixing's progress?"
Yan Anjin retorted expressionlessly: "In fact, Zhao Yi and Sun Er, seniors in the School of Physics, have already contacted me, hoping to become my graduate students after passing the re-examination, and I have already agreed. Including Yan Jiusheng and Ji Zhixing, four or five people are more than enough to work on a small project."
Fan Chuanshuo couldn't find a point to refute for a moment, so he looked at the principal.
The principal doesn't care. As long as the meat can stay in the pot, that's fine. As long as Ji Zhixing can stay at Guangling University, he can work with whichever professor he wants.
Fan Chuanshuo didn't press the matter further. He had also heard that Ji Zhixing and Yan Anjin had become quite close this semester. Moreover, judging from Ji Zhixing's behavior just now, he clearly had no interest in his suggestion.
Although he couldn't get Ji Zhixing to join his lab as he wished, Fan Chuanshuo didn't intend to break ties with Ji Zhixing at this point, otherwise it would be even more difficult to deal with him later.
Everyone maintained a facade of harmony, and Ji Zhixing left the principal's office with Yan Anjin in this strange atmosphere.
As soon as they stepped out of the administration building, Yan Anjin looked at Ji Zhixing: "Zhixing, I hope you don't think I'm hindering your progress..."
Ji Zhixing quickly stated, "Professor, I know you were just trying to help me out of a difficult situation, there's no misunderstanding. And I have no interest in Professor Fan's suggestion whatsoever."
Yan Anjin felt relieved. He had always been ostracized by his students, and Ji Zhixing was one of the few who actively approached him, and one who was so diligent and eager to learn. The teacher-student relationship between them was precious, and he didn't want Ji Zhixing to misunderstand him because of this.
As for the matter of the supervising teacher, there's no point in discussing it now. Instead of dwelling on this title, we should use it to help Ji Zhixing get rid of Fan Chuanshuo's entanglement.
Professor Yan warned Ji Zhixing not to be deceived. Fan Chuanshuo's safe return to Guangling University meant he had undoubtedly shifted the blame for leaking the key password onto Fan Yongjie. While his self-preservation was genuine, so was his desire for revenge for his only son. Human nature is complex, and such people are all the more terrifying.
"Actually, he was right about one thing: having experience in experiments and scientific research, and having published papers, will make it much easier for you to pursue graduate studies at Yenching University or Tsinghua University. So, Zhixing, although my project has not yet been established, I sincerely invite you to join it. You can consider it."
"I am very happy to have this opportunity, Professor Yan," Ji Zhixing said happily. He couldn't have asked for such a practical opportunity to do scientific research, so how could he possibly refuse?
I originally thought that I would have to wait until the start of the next semester to officially join Professor Yan's lab. Unexpectedly, Professor Yan summoned me to the lab just a few days later.
When Ji Zhixing arrived at the laboratory, he found that Professor Yan had not yet arrived; only Yan Jiusheng had come early to open the door and clean the room.
He greeted Yan Jiusheng: "Senior Brother Yan, please guide me in the future."
Yan Jiusheng waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, let's make progress together!" He had heard about Ji Zhixing's outstanding achievements in the final exams, and even though he was now a graduate student, he couldn't achieve the same score. Therefore, he felt very embarrassed to put on airs as a senior in front of Ji Zhixing.
Moreover, Yan Jiusheng was really looking forward to the arrival of his fellow students, including Ji Zhixing. For three years, he had been all alone. He usually spent his time in Professor Yan's office doing theoretical research, with no one to chat with. Now, suddenly, he had three more classmates, all of whom seemed easy to get along with. Yan Jiusheng began to feel a little hopeful about his year-long extension of graduation. Yes, he had been extended because he still hadn't written a thesis that would satisfy Professor Yan.
He originally thought that his experience of being delayed in graduating would add another chapter to Professor Yan's terrifying legend, causing the "Hall of the King of Hell" to become even more deserted. Unexpectedly, his luck turned around, and the "Hall of the King of Hell" was about to become lively again.
Not long after, Zhao Yi and Sun Er also arrived and joined the cleaning team.
Ji Zhixing returned with a new bucket of water and, upon seeing the two, first offered his congratulations: "Congratulations! I didn't know you two had been admitted to graduate school."
Zhao Yi and Sun Er spent so much time on the competition, yet they were still able to prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam and pass the preliminary test smoothly in just half a month. Even if they already had a good foundation and high level of skill, they must have put in a lot of effort, which is truly remarkable.
Zhao Yi smiled modestly: "Actually, I only passed the preliminary test. There will be a retest in March."
That's what they say, but Professor Yan has already agreed to be their mentor, so as long as they don't mess up in the re-examination, they're basically guaranteed to pass.
The group of people cleaned together in a cheerful atmosphere. After a while, Professor Yan arrived.
He stood at the door, looking at the laboratory he hadn't set foot in for many years, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He set up this laboratory himself when he first arrived at Guangling University, and the equipment inside was all brought from Yenching University.
Over the years, he had become disheartened by some past events and had become reluctant to manage the laboratory. Now, taking advantage of this opportunity, he has the intention to regroup and naturally wants to tidy it up properly.
Despite the biting winter wind, this once desolate corner of Guangling University is gradually coming into springtime.
A note from the author:
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