Chapter 46
As the academic year comes to an end, Guangling University held a commendation ceremony for the "Top Ten Outstanding Youth Role Models: Inspirational and Dedicated Individuals" after the final exams, as is customary.
Ji Zhixing was undoubtedly the Physics Department's Person of the Year, a fact that even senior students, including Zhao Yi and Sun Er, agreed with.
In fact, the previous Top Ten Persons of the Year were usually juniors and seniors.
To stand out from more than 20,000 students and become a role model to inspire all students, good academic performance alone is far from enough. It is also necessary to add highlights such as competition results, academic achievements, scientific research practice, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Generally speaking, first- and second-year university students are still in the stage of absorbing a lot of knowledge and it is difficult for them to achieve anything outside of class. By their third and fourth years, they have accumulated a certain amount of knowledge and have more opportunities to participate in competitions and other activities, so their overall evaluation is naturally higher.
But Ji Zhixing is an exception. Starting last semester, he helped successfully debug earthquake prediction software, outperformed elites from universities nationwide to win first prize in the CUPT competition, founded the Zero Gravity Seat Research Society, participated in Professor Yan's research project and took on important responsibilities, and successfully published a paper in the journal *Science*. Furthermore, he received a first-class scholarship for outstanding academic performance for two consecutive semesters.
Yes, Ji Zhixing still achieved perfect scores in 10 subjects and 90-something scores in 5 subjects in the final exams this semester, winning the first-class scholarship without any doubt. However, no one was surprised by this; everyone thought it was only natural.
These achievements made Ji Zhixing an exceptional case, earning him the title of one of Guangling University's Top Ten Figures of the Year as a sophomore. This was a nomination personally made by the Dean of the School of Physics, and unanimously approved by student representatives and university leaders.
The awards ceremony was held in the auditorium, and not all students were required to attend except for the award recipients.
In the past, after the final exams, everyone was eager to leave school and go home. Even those who remained at school were rarely willing to waste time attending. Therefore, in previous years, the office had to instruct the student union to arrange for some students to attend the awards ceremony in the auditorium in advance, so that the scene wouldn't be too deserted.
However, this year is different. After learning that Ji Zhixing was selected as one of the top ten people of the year, many people wanted to come and admire the academic excellence. Especially since he had just made a move that shocked everyone—rejecting Professor Yan's research invitation for his next project.
The auditorium was already packed, and students who arrived late had to sit on the steps on either side.
Seeing such a rare sight, Zhu Ren quickly had someone take pictures of it from every angle.
Nowadays, college students are quite opinionated and have fulfilling extracurricular lives, so getting them to participate in school activities is no easy task. However, some promotional work inevitably requires photos of students, and in the past, teachers or student leaders responsible for taking photos had to find all sorts of angles to avoid accurately reproducing the sparse audience.
Today was a great opportunity; the photos taken today will likely be the best illustrations for all the publicity work next year. The teacher in charge of taking pictures led several student leaders to find all sorts of angles to take photos—close-ups, long shots, shots from below, shots from above—their fingers never stopped pressing the shutter.
When Ji Zhixing entered the auditorium and saw so many people, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. According to the schedule, he was supposed to give a speech later. He had heard that there weren't many audience members in previous years, so he was quite relaxed. But today, the place was absolutely packed. However, he quickly composed himself and walked to his seat in the first row.
People greeted him along the way, and he responded to each one.
"Senior, are you really going to leave Professor Yan's lab for the sake of the Zero Gravity Club?" someone asked.
Suddenly, everyone around fell silent, pricking up their ears to hear Ji Zhixing's reply. Although rumors about this had circulated for some time, many people still couldn't believe it until they heard Ji Zhixing speak for himself.
Zero gravity projects are certainly promising, but they're still just "prospects." Professor Yan's lab, however, is a real goose that has already laid golden eggs! And it's already brewing the next golden egg!
Nowadays, many people from both our school and other schools are inquiring about Professor Yan's next project and the requirements for him to recruit students, hoping to formally become his disciples in the future.
Moreover, given that Professor Yan is willing to make good use of second-year undergraduates without being bound by convention, even though there is still a long time before the official postgraduate entrance examination, many people are trying every means to get an internship in the lab in advance, without spending a penny of their labor.
Although Ji Zhixing was only a sophomore, Professor Yan made it clear that he had been given a spot in the lab, but unexpectedly, he turned himself in and ran away!
Everyone stared intently at Ji Zhixing, hoping to get the most accurate first-hand answer from him, the person involved.
Ji Zhixing nodded and said only two words: "Yes."
These days, he's been asked this question repeatedly, either directly or indirectly. At first, he explained patiently, but later he was almost driven to PTSD by the questions, so he started giving extremely brief responses.
A commotion erupted around them.
One said "What a pity," another said "That's bold," but in their hearts they were all thinking "What a great opportunity." Fearing that Ji Zhixing would change his mind and go back to Professor Yan's lab, everyone unanimously praised the zero-gravity chair project to the skies. For a moment, even the usually rational Ji Zhixing felt that he could use this project to break out of Earth, conquer the Milky Way, and expand his business empire to the entire universe!
Ji Zhixing walked to the first row in a daze, found his nameplate, and sat down. He looked around and thankfully, he didn't see the big red flower this time.
The awards ceremony began on time, and the principal took to the stage to deliver a speech.
"Miracles are born from hard work, and glory comes from sweat. In the past academic year, a group of students have shown us this through their actions..."
After the principal's speech, the deans of each college, who had been named Person of the Year, gave their speeches. These speeches primarily praised the achievements of their respective college's Person of the Year from a faculty and mentor's perspective, and offered earnest advice to the students.
Of the ten deans' speeches, the one by Yan Anjin, the dean of the School of Physics, received the most enthusiastic and prolonged applause, the reason for which is self-evident. Of course, it is also related to the fact that he was concise and finished his speech in just 3 minutes.
The students below clapped and whispered among themselves, "Why can't our leaders learn more from Professor Yan!"
The third part of the awards ceremony was the speeches by the award winners, and Ji Zhixing was the first to speak.
On the large screen in the center of the stage, Ji Zhixing's photo slowly appeared, and the bright red flowers in the photo were more eye-catching than Ji Zhixing's handsome face.
Everyone laughed good-naturedly; even top students have their awkward moments.
Ji Zhixing lowered his head in shame, regretting his actions!
Zhu Ren had actually told him that photos would be used when showcasing the individual achievements of the Person of the Year at the awards ceremony. The principal was quite satisfied with the solo photo with the big red flower taken earlier, and decided to use that one if Ji Zhixing didn't have any other photos.
Ji Zhixing found it troublesome and didn't want to waste time getting ready just for a photo, so he readily agreed. In any case, based on past experience, very few people would actually attend the awards ceremony, and the promotional material on the school's official website would only feature a group photo of the awards ceremony.
Unexpectedly...
Fortunately, the photo only lasted for two seconds, followed by pages of text and related pictures summarizing all of Ji Zhixing's achievements this academic year.
The story begins with a CCTV interview about earthquake prediction software, followed by images of the CUPT competition first prize trophy, medal, and certificate, photos of the Zero Gravity Seat Research Society's activities, photos of Professor Yan's laboratory and screenshots from the "News Broadcast," the cover of "Science" and the inner pages of Ji Zhixing's paper, all appearing gradually.
As the students below the stage watched the lines of text and the highly persuasive images on the screen, they gasped in amazement.
Any one of these achievements would be an outstanding resume for a college student, but Ji Zhixing accomplished them all by himself.
Compared to the others, the Zero Gravity Seat Research Club seems insignificant. This makes Ji Zhixing's decision to abandon Professor Yan's laboratory for the Zero Gravity Club seem impulsive and irrational.
Many people are wondering if Ji Zhixing will regret this decision later...
After the PPT presentation ended, the host gestured for Ji Zhixing to come to the stage. Upon hearing Ji Zhixing's name, thunderous applause erupted in the auditorium.
Amidst enthusiastic applause, Ji Zhixing stood in front of the microphone, bathed in the dazzling stage lights.
He suddenly recalled everything that had happened in the past year.
The initial surprise of encountering the system, the excitement of accumulating points, the advancement of various learning tasks, and my own efforts and sweat...
He understood that his ability to stand here was due to the system's help, the teachers' appreciation, and luck, but that didn't mean it was all a windfall.
He made every effort without reservation and persevered day and night. He dares to say that he did not waste a single day in the past year, nor did he indulge in pleasure, which is why he was able to seize all kinds of help and opportunities from the outside world.
All the memories vanished in an instant. Ji Zhixing stepped forward, grasped the microphone, and the applause from the audience gradually subsided.
Looking at the youthful faces below the stage, Ji Zhixing took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, teachers and students..."
After a brief set of platitudes, Ji Zhixing spoke of his personal efforts, the help he received from classmates and teachers, his learning spirit, his research thinking, and the power of perseverance...
The students who had initially just come to watch the spectacle gradually became serious.
Being a top student isn't necessarily innate; it can be cultivated. Only through sufficient effort can one achieve extraordinary things from ordinary beginnings.
Ji Zhixing's speech was short, but concise and sincere, conveying a genuine desire to encourage learning. After Ji Zhixing said "Thank you everyone," the auditorium erupted in prolonged applause.
It wasn't until after this awards ceremony that the 10 members of the Zero Gravity Club truly dared to believe that Ji Zhixing had decided to withdraw from Professor Yan's laboratory and devote himself fully to the activities of the Zero Gravity Club.
The members of the Zero Gravity Club couldn't possibly have been completely without some reservations about Ji Zhixing's handling of both the club and Professor Yan's lab.
However, if you look at the timeline, Ji Zhixing entered Professor Yan's lab during winter break and only formed the Zero Gravity Club after the semester started. There's always a first-come, first-served order to things, so there's really nothing to criticize about that.
Moreover, Ji Zhixing was able to submit more experimental data than them every day despite being so busy, so everyone eventually came to accept it.
Professor Yan's achievements also made them better understand Ji Zhixing's previous time allocation. If they were in his shoes, they might have completely forgotten about the Zero Gravity Society if they had such an opportunity.
So when Ji Zhixing declined Professor Yan's next project invitation, intending to devote himself entirely to the Zero Gravity Club's activities, the club members' first reaction was that the news had been relayed incorrectly. However, due to their vested interests, they were too embarrassed to ask directly.
Now that they have received confirmation, all 10 members are overjoyed. Ji Zhixing's abilities are evident to all; his wholehearted participation in club activities has accelerated the development of the zero-gravity seat.
Xu Dongyang took the opportunity to say a bunch of enticing things like companions, struggle, dreams, and the future. The Zero Gravity Club's cohesion was stronger than ever before, and many people began to consider staying on campus during the summer vacation to do experiments.
As the end of the semester approached, Ji Zhixing, Lin Lang, and Xu Dongyang had discussed how to handle the summer club activities. The three of them would definitely stay on campus to continue working, but since there was no employment relationship or direct financial interest between the club members and them, it was unrealistic and unreasonable to force them to stay on campus for the entire two months of summer vacation. Therefore, the principle of voluntariness had to be followed.
Among the 10 members, Gong Cheng from the School of Engineering, Yi Deng from the School of Physics, and Yan Ru from the School of Chemistry were the three most determined to stay on campus during the summer.
They are already juniors, and next semester will be their seniors. According to the usual practice at Guangling University, seniors can apply for course exemptions and internships in the first semester. They are all very confident in the zero-gravity seat project, pinning their employment and even their future on it. If the zero-gravity seat can be successfully developed before they graduate, it will naturally be most advantageous for them.
The others, on the other hand, were relatively hesitant.
Some people find the summer heat too intense; temperatures in Guangling City can reach 38 or 39 degrees Celsius in the past two months. Just thinking about working in a staff room with only a fan and sweating profusely makes one feel unbearably hot.
Some people are feeling a bit tired after a busy semester. Balancing studies and club activities means they have almost no leisure time, so they want to take a break during the summer vacation.
Some people miss home and their parents. They have been at school for more than four months, and now that they are on vacation, they are naturally eager to go home and reunite with their families.
Zhang Yunshu from the School of Computer Science had been troubled by this for a long time. She and Yan Ru from the School of Chemistry were in the same experimental group and were closer than others, so she discussed it with Yan Ru in private.
"Yanru, are you really sure you want to stay on campus during the summer vacation?" Zhang Yunshu asked.
Yan Ru nodded: "Yes."
"Don't you miss home?" Zhang Yunshu and her mother have always had a good relationship, and she couldn't wait to go home and chat with her mother about the new things that happened this semester.
Yan Ru actually has a good relationship with her family. She said, "I would like to, but we could video chat, right? Mainly, based on my past experience, my mom's love and novelty only lasts about a week. After a week, it's like, 'Your hair is everywhere in the house.'"
“Haha, same here.” Zhang Yunshu felt the same way. “Last year, I found a cockroach in my house, and my mom insisted that it was because the luggage I brought back contained cockroach eggs from the south.”
Yan Ru laughed: "So you see, I love them, and they love me too. But spending two months together every day would be torture for both of us. It's better to stay at school and focus on my career, going back once or twice a month is enough. The main thing is that the opportunity is rare, and I'm afraid that if I go back and then come back, there won't be a place for me in the club."
Zhang Yunshu wasn't worried about that: "The club president and the others aren't like that. Didn't they all promise in the group chat that not staying on campus during the summer won't affect their club eligibility next semester?"
Yan Ru shook her head: "I'm not questioning their character or guarantees, but I have more faith in the irreplaceable position they achieve through their own hard work and abilities."
Zhang Yunshu seemed to be deep in thought. At the fork in the road between the dormitories, she parted ways with Yan Ru and headed towards her own dormitory building.
Zhang Yunshu was still a little hesitant. Yan Ru's words had indeed moved her, but she was only a sophomore, and because of her talent in computers, she had had a smooth journey since entering university without encountering any setbacks. Finding a job after graduation wasn't that urgent for her, so she wasn't as determined and focused as Yan Ru, who was a junior.
After thinking for a moment, she picked up her phone and called her mother to confide her troubles.
Upon hearing this, Zhang's mother felt sorry for her daughter: "Oh dear, why should a girl work so hard? After graduation, find a good man to marry, and someone will naturally take care of you..."
Zhang Yunshu immediately decided to stay at school during the summer vacation to continue her experiments!
Meanwhile, in dormitory 310, people were also discussing the Zero Gravity Club.
Originally, the three of them unanimously decided that after figuring out the general direction of the experiment through simulation software, they could then refine their business plan and seek angel investment.
To be honest, seeking angel round funding might involve a lot of setbacks for some entrepreneurs, but their projects have already attracted strong interest from numerous corporate representatives and individual investors. These include Mr. Shi Yanshi of the Digital Seismic Wave Laboratory, some companies that previously attempted to purchase patents but failed, and other investors who proactively sought them out after sensing business opportunities in the news.
However, when the project's direction is unclear, investors will inevitably demand the highest possible shareholding with the least amount of investment. This is certainly disadvantageous for them.
With the software simulation experiment nearing completion, Ji Zhixing and his two companions began discussing angel round financing. Finding suitable angel investors required considering not only practical factors like money and equity, but also the investor's temperament and style.
Investors who are harsh and impulsive are definitely not to be trusted; cooperating with such people will surely lead to a lot of trouble.
The three of them carefully compared the various conditions of each investor, just like choosing a blind date. At this time, Ji Zhixing received a huge sum of 25 million through Professor Yan's project.
At first, it didn't feel real. But after the 25 million actually arrived in his account, Ji Zhixing realized that with this money, why would he need to find an angel investor? He himself was the angel!
Ji Zhixing said happily, "That way we won't have to worry about encountering difficult people!"
He hadn't encountered many troublesome people, but his aunt who swindled him out of his old house, his parents who used a broken watch to blackmail him, Fan Yongjie who was arrogant and constantly causing trouble, and Fan Chuanshuo who, although he hadn't made a move, always made him feel like he was haunted by a ghost—these few people were enough to make him deeply understand the troublesome nature of interpersonal relationships under the influence of interests.
Lin Lang was also very happy, but Xu Dongyang had more to think about.
Xu Dongyang glanced at his two naive roommates, knowing they hadn't thought things through and were acting solely on their friendship. But relying on personal relationships to do business was bound to cause problems sooner or later.
When his grandfather was still alive, the company was considered a family business, with uncles, aunts, and cousins all holding positions within it. Because of these family ties, responsibility and rights were always blurred, resulting in everyone feeling they deserved more, leading to countless problems. However, his grandfather and mother, bound by these relationships, were hesitant to resolve the situation decisively.
Later, when Wang Zhanpeng, that "phoenix man" (a man from a poor background who achieves success), entered the company, he used his cunning to dominate the business, gradually eliminating all sorts of relatives and eventually taking control of the company.
The past is too painful to recall. Xu Dongyang doesn't think that Ji Zhixing and Lin Lang would be as unreasonable as his relatives. However, human nature is not something to be tested. If a company is to go far, it must clarify the issues of rights and responsibilities from the beginning, which naturally includes the shareholding ratio.
Ji Zhixing was willing to invest money but never considered the issue of increasing his shareholding. This shows that he values relationships over profit and that his mind is not complicated beyond academic pursuits. Lin Lang also didn't think about this issue because it was simply not on his mind. But now that he had considered it, he couldn't pretend not to know.
Otherwise, the seeds of uneven investment may never be sown in the future, or they may suddenly explode one day, shattering the company and destroying the bond between the three of them.
Xu Dongyang looked at Ji Zhixing sincerely: "Zhixing, it's certainly a great thing for us that you're willing to invest. However, let's discuss the shareholding adjustment first, so you don't suffer a loss."
Huh? Ji Zhixing hadn't thought that much about it. Mainly, the money came too easily, and he'd always treated it as just a number. Besides, he always remembered the help Xu Dongyang and Lin Lang had given him during his freshman year.
At that time, he was in dire financial straits, and Xu Dongyang and Lin Lang, afraid of hurting his pride, tried their best to help him indirectly. In his heart, friends like Xu Dongyang and Lin Lang were far more important than shares.
After realizing what had happened, Lin Lang's face turned red: "I'm sorry, Zhixing, I... I didn't mean to take advantage of you..."
Ji Zhixing covered his mouth: "Don't I know you? Don't talk, listen to what Dongyang has to say." After Xu Dongyang pointed this out, Ji Zhixing also understood that clarifying the investment ratio and share allocation was the way to make the company go further.
Xu Dongyang smiled upon seeing this, thankfully Ji Zhixing wasn't as stubborn as he was in freshman year. So the three of them seriously renegotiated the shareholding ratio, and Zero Gravity Company began to take shape.
A note from the author:
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