Chapter 43
The fact that Xue Hua, a senior in the School of Chemistry, withdrew from the Zero Gravity Seat Research Club and started a new Nanoelectrode Materials Research Club has become a hot topic among students at Guangling University.
Everyone is discussing his conflict with the Zero Gravity Society, analyzing the prospects of the nanoelectrode material project, and the 10% equity incentive.
Opinions are divided on the future of this new organization.
On the day of recruitment, long lines of people came to register. Although it couldn't compare to the grand occasion of Zero Gravity Club's recruitment, it was still much more lively than other clubs.
Xue Hua peeked out through the crack in the activity room door and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
His roommate, She You, asked him, "What's the procedure later?"
"If someone is promising, we should decide to keep them on the spot. Don't do what Ji Zhixing and his group did, making people wait so long for the next day to release the list of selected members." Xue Hua is now determined to surpass the Zero Gravity Club in every aspect.
She You was a little worried: "What if too many people end up staying behind?"
Xue Hua didn't take it seriously: "What's there to worry about? If it doesn't work out after a while, we can just kick it out."
"What about equity incentives..." This was She You's biggest worry. Xue Hua promised equity in the recruitment post, but what about the equity of those who were kicked out? They couldn't just pay to redeem it, could they?
Xue Hua then realized this and regretted being too hasty. However, the recruitment notice had already been sent out, and people had already signed up. If he were to change it at the last minute, it would be a case of "dying before the mission is accomplished," because many people were only there for the equity incentive.
"How about this?" Xue Hua had a sudden inspiration and came up with a good idea. "Let's just sign an intention contract first, and say that we'll sign the formal contract when the company is ready. There will be at least a few months in between, and by then, any useless people will have been kicked out. We can decide exactly what to do."
She You thought to herself, "What's the fundamental difference between this approach and the Zero Gravity Club?" Xue Hua was resentful because she couldn't get equity incentives in the short term, and often cursed Ji Zhixing and the other two as capitalists in the dormitory. But after she became the club president, she did things that were not much different from capitalists. It really shows that one's position determines one's perspective.
The interviews for the Nanotechnology Society lasted all morning, and the accepted students were required to stay and wait in the empty classroom next door. The longest wait was three or four hours, and the shortest was thirty minutes. Even though the interviews had already ended, Xue Hua still hadn't appeared, leaving everyone waiting.
It was already 12:30 pm. Most people had emptied their stomachs, and gurgling sounds could be heard faintly, along with grumbling voices.
After a while, Xue Hua came in carrying a stack of papers: "I apologize for keeping everyone waiting so long, it took some time to prepare the contracts. Since we promised that joining the company would grant shares, we'll keep our word and sign the contracts now!"
That 10% equity incentive is arguably their biggest advantage. Delivering on that promise immediately demonstrates his leadership as president and makes it easier to win people over. That's why he specifically asked everyone to stay and sign the contract together before leaving.
After signing the equity incentive agreement, Wu Da walked back to his dormitory, feeling somewhat disappointed. It was just an intention agreement, and it didn't specify the equity ratio or the actual vesting time, which wasn't what he had expected.
However, at least they were willing to make a promise, Wu Da comforted himself with this thought.
He's already a junior in college, and there's only a little over a month left in the semester. He's already starting to think about his future after graduation. He has no interest in taking the postgraduate entrance exam, and the civil service exam is too difficult, with thousands of applicants vying for limited positions.
However, finding a good company to work for is easier said than done. The range of career options for physics majors is too narrow, and his own professional skills are not very competitive.
At the beginning of the semester, the Zero Gravity Club's recruitment showed him an opportunity for advancement, but he was rejected. The emergence of the Nano Club, however, gave him new hope. Anyway, there was still a year until graduation; he might as well give it a shot—a bicycle might just turn into a motorcycle!
My stomach has been rumbling since earlier, and I need to go back to the dorm to get my meal card.
As soon as Wu Da arrived at the dormitory entrance, he smelled a faint aroma of food, making his mouth water. Damn! Which takeout company did he order from?!
Pushing open the door, I saw my roommate Yi Deng enjoying a hearty meal, while the other two roommates were gathered around, stealing vegetables from each other's virtual farms.
Wu Da asked, "Yi Deng, which takeout did you order?" He wanted to order from them too; the aroma made him forget about eating in the cafeteria.
Yi Deng swallowed the Dongpo pork in his mouth with relish and said, "Shiyueju."
Wu Da exclaimed in surprise, "Shiyueju?! Really?!" He couldn't afford to eat there!
Shiyueju is a restaurant near Guangling University, but it is not positioned as an affordable restaurant targeting university students.
It is said that the owner was the head chef of Dongting Banquet in his early years. After accumulating enough capital, he returned to his hometown and opened this restaurant. In just one or two years, he has accumulated a group of regular customers, and diners from other places often drive long distances just to enjoy his food.
It is said that the ingredients used at Shiyueju are either carefully cultivated on their own farms or air-freighted from various famous production areas. These carefully selected ingredients are transformed into exquisite dishes in the chef's skillful hands. Naturally, their value also increases dozens of times.
It is said that once, the principal specially arranged a banquet at Shiyueju Restaurant to receive a patriotic overseas Chinese who intended to donate to education. In the end, both host and guests enjoyed themselves. From then on, the principal never forgot the delicious food at Shiyueju, but due to the "funds" of his wife, he could only go once or twice a month at most.
If even the principal is willing to spend so much, then ordinary students certainly can't afford it. Of course, the super-rich are an exception.
There was a wealthy man named Ji Zhixing. After discussing with Lin Lang and Xu Dongyang, they agreed that the club activities had lasted for three months and the remaining members had been very dedicated.
The club is now facing its second wave of member withdrawals. Even though the remaining members expressed their firm desire to stay in the anonymous questionnaire, they cannot be taken for granted. They need positive feedback to let everyone know that their efforts and perseverance are recognized and respected.
So Ji Zhixing rummaged through the cardboard box and found the VIP card for Shiyueju. He then approached the manager and asked if they could provide meal delivery services to some students at Guangling University.
"Of course!" Manager Shi, with his standard service smile, discussed feasible solutions with Ji Zhixing.
Actually, Shiyueju has never provided any delivery service, but Super VIPs are different.
After discussing for an hour or two, Manager Shi promised to develop a food ordering mini-program within three days, exclusively for members of the Zero Gravity Seat Research Society at Guangling University.
Ji Zhixing didn't get involved in the rest; he was busy proving L2 decay and Hs decay using Fourier decomposition.
Yi Deng and 10 other members were a little confused when they saw the new message in the community. Why would a food ordering mini-program suddenly appear?
Everyone was excited after seeing the group announcement.
"Vice President, are you really going to cover all three meals and midnight snacks from now on?" (starry-eyed.jpg)
"Is Shiyueju the Shiyueju I'm thinking of?" (Groundhog screaming.jpg)
"You really have wild imaginations. It must be some newly opened restaurant with the same name." (wise.jpg)
Upon seeing this message, Xu Dongyang typed in the chat box:
"Yes, that's Shiyueju."
Now, everyone felt embarrassed to make a fuss.
"Isn't this... a bit too expensive?"
"Will there be enough funding left for experiments?"
"Actually, the cafeteria is fine, otherwise coming to a barbecue restaurant would be great!"
Xu Dongyang explained, "Zhixing's family got him a VIP prepaid card at Shiyueju. He said that everyone has worked hard during this period, so he took out the card to share with everyone."
No one really knew the details of Ji Zhixing's family background, but everyone knew they were very wealthy. After a round of traditional Chinese back-and-forth, everyone accepted the club's benefits with a mix of embarrassment and excitement, and the community chat was filled with "Thank you, President."
Yi Deng saved Shiyueju's food ordering mini-program, and when he opened it, wow! So many dishes!
There are four types of rice alone: white rice, purple rice, eight-treasure rice, and whole grain rice. The soup category requires scrolling three or four times to reach the bottom, and the dish category is even more extensive.
In addition, there are fruits, homemade drinks, and various Chinese and Western snacks.
Yi Deng originally thought it might be a set meal or a combination meal, but it turned out to be a proper self-selection meal.
On his first time ordering food, Yi Deng spent an hour just choosing the dishes. He wanted to try this and that, and hesitated from 11:30 to 12:30 before finally submitting the order. By the time he received the food, it was already 1:00 PM.
Shiyueju truly lives up to its name; from the uniforms of its delivery staff to the packaging of its food, everything exudes an air of understated luxury and sophistication.
The aroma of the food emanating from the packaging truly lives up to its reputation as the best in Guangling City.
The mini-program thoughtfully didn't specify the price, but Yi Deng still felt that every bite of rice, every spoonful of soup, and every chopstick of food exuded the fragrance of money.
"It's really important to have the right boss!" My roommate said with envy and jealousy.
When Wu Da returned with a gurgling sound, his roommate was a little surprised.
"I thought you hadn't come back so late because Xue Hua had treated the new members to a meal."
No, there was nothing except a share incentive agreement that could be unilaterally voided at any time.
Although Xue Hua acted very generously and spoke very boldly, it was already 12:30 pm when the contract was signed, and he didn't even bother to be polite or invite the employees to lunch.
Wu Da's heart sank. Could Xue Hua really deliver on his promise of equity incentives?
The weather was getting hotter, and June was fast approaching. For the past month or so, Ji Zhixing had spent most of his time in the library studying the research topic that Professor Yan had assigned to him.
Therefore, some people believe that Ji Zhixing may have offended the King of Hell and was kicked out of the project team.
Yan Jiusheng and others naturally refuted the rumors upon hearing them. However, given that Ji Zhixing no longer reported to the lab every day as before, but instead spent most of his time in the library, the rumor became that although Ji Zhixing had not been kicked out of the project team, he had already drifted away from the core.
After all, although Yan Jiusheng and the others repeatedly emphasized that Ji Zhixing's task was the most important, in most people's minds, how important could a task that could be completed outside the laboratory be?
"Is it because Yama is too terrifying? The four little devils are quite united under his oppression. Ji Zhixing was so obviously exiled, yet Yan Jiusheng and the other two did not hesitate to belittle themselves in order to elevate Ji Zhixing."
"It's a pity. I used to envy him. He was able to get into a lab even though he was only a second-tier university student. Now it seems that life really does have to be done step by step. Being too aggressive is just a waste of effort."
"Even the best undergraduates can't compare to proper graduate students. The difference is obvious when they're placed in the same environment. Zhao Yi and Sun Er are now highly regarded by the King of Hell, while Ji Zhixing can only do theoretical physics outside the lab."
There's a hierarchy of disdain among different fields within physics. Those who work in experimental physics often view theoretical physics as "salon-like," meaning it's all empty talk. Of course, one could also praise theoretical physics for its ability to see through the essence of nature.
However, in today's utilitarian society, most people are more concerned with whether their papers have been published, what level they are, and whether they can graduate, than with the essence of nature. But publishing papers in theoretical physics is much more difficult than in experimental physics.
Therefore, only a minority of people truly pursue theoretical physics out of passion; most choose this path as a second-best option because they lack the necessary resources.
Previously, Yan Anjin was unable to apply for funding to establish projects due to his points being blocked, and in recent years, the graduate students he supervised could only work on theoretical physics. Yan Anjin has always been unpopular as a master's supervisor. In addition to being seen as too strict by outsiders, another very important reason is that students working under him basically have no opportunity to engage with experimental physics, which, to put it bluntly, means there is no future.
Now they've started doing experiments, but Ji Zhixing has been excluded and relegated to the field of theoretical physics.
What a pity!
But gradually, Yan Jiusheng, Zhao Yi, and Sun Er also left the laboratory one after another and spent their time in the library helping Ji Zhixing find information.
Someone asked Yan Jiusheng, "What's wrong with you guys? You've stopped doing experiments?"
Yan Jiusheng adjusted his glasses: "It's all done? Professor Yan is amazing. He can solve any problem you encounter with just a little guidance."
Professor Yan gave the three of them specific tasks. Following his experimental plan meant a smooth journey. Even if they encountered a bump or two along the way, Professor Yan would easily help them overcome it.
Therefore, the three of them completed the second phase of the task in about a month.
"The experiment is finished? But we haven't seen any results!" There's not even a paper yet. Doesn't that mean we've been working for nothing for the past six months? Or does it mean the project has actually failed?
“No.” Yan Jiusheng shook his head. “We are waiting for Zhixing’s theoretical support. Only when he provides a specific algorithm can our experiments continue.”
Wow, that's the grand finale!
After the news spread, those who originally thought Ji Zhixing had been exiled believed that Ji Zhixing was not only not excluded from the core, but on the contrary, compared with his three other graduate students, he was still the one who took the lead!
"I give up! If I ever doubt Ji Zhixing again, I'm an idiot!"
"Without Ji Zhixing's theory, the experiments would have to come to a standstill. I will deeply reflect on my previous disregard for theoretical physics for 60 seconds!"
"The King of Hell really doesn't stick to any particular method of hiring people; he dares to entrust such an important task to a sophomore."
"That's called having a discerning eye. I dare say that Ji Zhixing has completely mastered the knowledge from his junior and senior years."
"Whether he has a discerning eye or not is still hard to say. Ji Zhixing's efficiency is too low. Three people are waiting for him to finish one."
"Well, if theoretical physics were so easy, we wouldn't always be struggling to publish papers."
"I envy their camaraderie. In our lab, once someone finishes their own task, they just let go and never think about helping others."
Ji Zhixing was very grateful for the help from Yan Jiusheng, Zhao Yi, and Sun Er, but also felt guilty.
"I'm sorry, because of me, the whole group's progress has been delayed."
Zhao Yi waved his hand: "Don't say that. If I were to do your job, I'd probably only be getting the hang of it in a month." But Ji Zhixing had already provided three matching algorithms based on their experimental results.
“That’s right!” Sun Er chimed in. “Actually, I didn’t help much; I just looked up some information.” Ji Zhixing needed a new approach to integrate the three algorithms, and all Sun Er did was research and provide Ji Zhixing with possible directions for reference.
Stepping outside the lab, Yan Jiusheng was actually the one who could offer Ji Zhixing practical help. Compared to Zhao Yi and Sun Er, he had been studying theoretical physics for two and a half years. Although he hadn't yet met Professor Yan's requirements, he wasn't bad at all.
Therefore, Zhao Yi and Sun Er could only pile all the materials in front of Ji Zhixing, but Yan Jiusheng was able to try to inspire his thinking.
Do you think that by using energy estimation to give the L2, H1, and Hs estimates of the solution respectively, we can prove the global existence of a smooth solution?
Ji Zhixing pondered for a moment and said, "L2 estimation and H1 estimation are feasible, but Hs estimation must have a limiting condition, that is, s≥2, which contradicts the existence of the whole."
“That makes sense.” Yan Jiusheng fell silent. What he could think of, Ji Zhixing could also think of. Would his so-called inspiration just waste Ji Zhixing’s time?
Ji Zhixing noticed that Yan Jiusheng seemed hesitant and timid, realizing that he had been greatly affected by the accidental deletion of data last time and had lost all confidence.
So he pulled out a page from his draft notebook: "Senior Brother Yan, could you help me calculate this?"
This was a new direction he'd thought of today, but he hadn't calculated the specific results yet. He hadn't wanted to bother others and planned to calculate it himself back in his dorm. However, given Yan Jiusheng's situation, asking for his help might actually make him happier.
Yan Jiusheng took a look and found that it was the only strong solution in the interval [0, T) where the weak solution exists in the horizontal velocity field.
“I can figure this out!” Yan Jiusheng was very happy, finally able to help Ji Zhixing. He asked Ji Zhixing for half a notebook of draft paper, picked up his pen and began to deduce.
Zhao Yi and Sun Er both went over to look, but... they decided to continue gathering information.
Although Zhao Yi and Sun Er have now entered Professor Yan's laboratory, their graduate courses will actually begin in the new semester after the summer vacation, and that will be when they will officially start their graduate studies.
However, it's common for supervisors to ask admitted graduate students to start work early. Some see this as exploitation, while others see it as an opportunity. Zhao Yi and Sun Er belong to the latter group; their experimental experience over the past six months has helped them grow significantly. However, seeing Yan Jiusheng's theoretical expertise today, they realize they still have a lot to learn.
With Zhao Yi and Sun Er helping to find feasible directions, and Yan Jiusheng helping to calculate the results according to the designed plan, Ji Zhixing's bottleneck, which had been stuck for a whole week, finally loosened up a bit.
However, they still could not obtain a result that satisfied Professor Yan.
Previously, Ji Zhixing designed three matching algorithms based on the experimental results of Yan Jiusheng and the other two, but Professor Yan was not satisfied.
"We should go a step further and integrate these three algorithms to arrive at a universal solution."
Universality? Ji Zhixing pondered, "That would probably be quite a challenge."
Just like bread, steamed buns, and noodles, although all are made primarily of flour and yeast, their final form and taste are completely different. He originally designed preservation and freshness solutions for each of these three types of food based on their characteristics, but Professor Yan's requirement was to design a single ultimate solution that would be suitable for all three types of pasta.
Seeing that Ji Zhixing looked a little troubled, Yan Anjin explained, "Zhixing, I hope you can understand that my expectations of you are higher than those of others."
Zhu Ren kept saying that Ji Zhixing resembled him in his youth, but Yan Anjin couldn't agree at all; being like him wasn't necessarily a good thing. However, Zhu Ren was right about one thing—Ji Zhixing had an inexhaustible passion for knowledge, which was what moved Yan Anjin the most.
Therefore, although he treated all four students fairly in the laboratory, he actually had higher expectations and stricter requirements for Ji Zhixing.
Ji Zhixing looked at Professor Yan earnestly: "Professor! I can definitely understand."
Perhaps for many students, Professor Yan's strictness was unbearable, something they would avoid at all costs. But Ji Zhixing felt very lucky to have met such a strict teacher with real talent and knowledge, who was willing to guide him to continuously climb the peaks of knowledge.
Yan Anjin rarely showed a smile: "I won't give you any hints for now. What others inspire you and what you figure out on your own are completely different things. I'll give you three months. I hope you can find the answer yourself."
“Of course,” Yan Anjin added, “This is, after all, a collaborative project. If you still can’t find a solution to integrate the three algorithms after the summer break, I will give you some pointers to avoid delaying the project too much.”
Ji Zhixing nodded emphatically: "I understand!"
He accepted this ultimate task with great enthusiasm, and then... wasted half a month with virtually no effective progress.
Ji Zhixing was so worried that he pulled out his hair. After Zhu Ren saw him for the third time, Zhu Ren warned him seriously: "Get rid of this bad habit as soon as possible. Not a single hair can be lost! Don't take advantage of your youth and not cherish yourself..."
It was an afternoon when the dazzling sunlight refracted, reflected, scattered, and diffused on the director's head, creating a complex halo that blurred his weathered expression and stung Ji Zhixing's eyes.
While marveling at the reflectivity, Ji Zhixing deeply ingrained the concept of cherishing hair into his very being.
He had seen a photo of the director and Professor Yan when they were in college. The director was a handsome and radiant young man back then! But now... he's practically just "shiny enough to reflect one's reflection."
From then on, Ji Zhixing broke his bad habit of pulling his hair whenever he thought about a difficult problem...
A note from the author:
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