Chapter 28. A luxury watch worth 110,000 is a luxury for many working people, and even more so for students.
So everyone stared wide-eyed at the row of exquisite little boxes. Although they refrained from cheering loudly, they clapped with extra enthusiasm, and their smiles became much more genuine.
Compared to the other students' joy, Ji Zhixing seemed overly calm, and his smile appeared somewhat perfunctory.
Ji Zhe couldn't capture that cheerful, youthful smile, and thought helplessly, "This is probably the charm of a top student."
After the awards ceremony, there was a group photo of all the participants and judges. After the group photo, everyone exchanged contact information in small groups or asked each judge for a separate photo.
Every one of these 12 judges is a titan in the field of physics.
For example, Wen Zhengyang, the chairman of the review committee, discovered the wavelength of molybdenum K-rays after scattering by light elements in his twenties, causing a sensation in the international physics community; in his thirties, he developed China's first acousto-optic quality factor laser, breaking the foreign monopoly on testing equipment and promoting the development of related fields of physics in China; in his forties, he participated in the formulation of the National Science and Technology Development Plan for Twelve Years, directly led by [unclear]... Since then, he has continued to make breakthroughs in the field of physics. As a professor, he has mentored more than a hundred master's and doctoral students to date, truly a figure whose students are found all over the world!
In addition, there are renowned professors such as Ji Kaiyuan, Xu Yunshu, and Bai Zhongtong, all of whom are pivotal figures in the field of physics.
If you are lucky enough to become one of their graduate students, that would be considered a meteoric rise in your career!
Wen Zhengyang amiably took photos with each of the students who gathered around him, and then politely declined their requests to become his students. He no longer supervises graduate students; his few doctoral students are enough to keep him busy.
Out of the corner of his eye, Wen Zhengyang saw Ji Zhixing and the other two packing up their things and about to leave the venue. He beckoned them over.
"This time, the organizing committee's security had a loophole, which startled you," Wen Zhengyang said gently.
"Uh, we weren't really scared..." Ji Zhixing managed to say this before running out of things to say. He still couldn't get used to this kind of situation.
Students from other schools nearby were lamenting for him: Go for it! What are you waiting for if you don't make your request now? Even if you can't become Professor Wen's student, you could at least ask him to introduce you to another professor! Even if the professor Professor Wen recommends isn't as good as him, he won't be an ordinary person!
It's so frustrating that they didn't know how to seize such a great opportunity!
Ji Zhixing and his two companions hadn't considered this possibility at all. Although they had been recommended for postgraduate studies, they hadn't completed their undergraduate credits yet, and subconsciously still considered themselves undergraduates. They hadn't thought about choosing a supervisor.
Seeing that Ji Zhixing didn't take advantage of the situation, Wen Zhengyang's eyes instead showed appreciation. If it weren't for Ji Zhixing's meticulous and careful observation, the competition would have been in complete chaos, with terrible consequences. He still felt a bit scared when he thought about it, and at the same time, he was also a little curious.
"I just heard you say that you've done some attention and memory training. Could you tell me about it briefly?" He was very curious about what kind of training could develop such eyesight.
Ji Zhixing thought for a moment and then gave a general overview of a few training programs: "For attention training, we often use the code matrix and Beer-Shanner training. For memory training, we've recently been working on 3D projection and Iruta, and so on."
Wen Zhengyang listened and nodded slightly. He had heard a little about the training programs Ji Zhixing mentioned. For example, the cryptographic matrix was a project that Professor Zhu Yili of Yenching University had started researching three years ago; and Irutu was a research hotspot in the field of brain science at Harvard University in recent years. However, he had never heard of these theories being used in actual training. He was surprised that Ji Zhixing could flexibly apply the relevant principles to train himself. It seemed that he was indeed a quick-thinking and resourceful young man.
Wen Zhengyang smiled kindly: "After you finish your postgraduate studies, if you want to pursue further education, maybe we can have a teacher-student relationship again." This was practically a blatant hint.
The students next to Ji Zhixing were exasperated to see that he only knew how to say thank you. Why didn't you take the opportunity to ask for his contact information? In the years before he started his doctoral studies, even if you didn't keep in touch often, you should at least call him during holidays to say hello. Otherwise, who knows if Professor Wen will even remember who you are in a few years?
There were also professors who took notice of Ji Zhixing. Ji Zhixing's ability to surpass elite students from other universities in his sophomore year and win first place in a national competition was undeniable. However, Gao Xiao valued his meticulousness and caution—his lab had exploded just last month, making it the third time this year.
Perhaps it's a case of birds of a feather flocking together; the graduate and doctoral students Gao Xiao recruited all had unconventional personalities, and "meticulousness and caution" were rare qualities in their lab! Therefore, he had a strong intention to recruit Ji Zhixing into his team during his graduate studies.
"Would you like to be my graduate student? My lab focuses on condensed matter physics, which is very interesting and well-funded."
Huh? This was the first time Ji Zhixing had seen the old professor so cheerful. But in just a short while, he had already decided on his research direction: the Navier-Stokes equations.
During this time, he had been thinking about the Navier-Stokes equations day and night because of the design competition project, and gradually developed a great interest in them. Anyway, he now had a lot of savings and was still young, so he didn't have to worry about making a living for the time being. Although theoretical physics didn't have the same "financial" prospects as condensed matter physics, it was where his interests lay, and Ji Zhixing felt that he was now in a position to pursue his interests.
"I'm sorry, teacher, I'm particularly interested in the Navier-Stokes equations, but I still want to pursue a career in theoretical physics."
"Oh, what's the point of the Navier-Stokes equations? You're so young, you can work on such boring stuff later."
Ji Zhixing's ability to spot anomalies in a glass of water that even the police couldn't detect demonstrates an observational ability and meticulousness far beyond the reach of ordinary people. He truly admired such qualities. No matter how wealthy his lab was, it couldn't withstand three or four explosions a year!
Seeing that Ji Zhixing seemed a bit embarrassed and unsure how to refuse, Wen Zhengyang spoke up to smooth things over for him. He patted Gao Xiao on the shoulder and said, "You have quite the nerve, daring to steal Old Yan's man!"
"Huh? He's Lao Yan's student?" Gao Xiao recalled their project group's papers and said, "No wonder he uses the Navier-Stokes equations so skillfully."
He had heard a little about Lao Yan's situation at Guangling University. To this day, Lao Yan only works as a master's supervisor and refuses to work as a doctoral supervisor. He heard that Lao Yan only has one graduate student under him now. The student in front of him has mastered Lao Yan's skills in Navier-Stokes equations. Maybe Lao Yan has his eye on him and is planning to take him under his wing.
"How is Professor Yan doing these days?" Gao Xiao asked.
"It's fine," Ji Zhixing replied. It seems the professors are all old acquaintances; judging by their ages, they might even have been classmates back then.
Gao Xiao asked again with a grin, "I won't hit you, will I?"
"Uh... how could that be?" Professor Yan was indeed strict, but he never even raised his voice to scold anyone. His greatest skill was emitting death rays with his eyes. Students who were glared at by him would tremble with fear, sweat profusely, deeply regret their mistakes, and temporarily repent. However, he had never been heard of hitting anyone.
"Don't scare the child." Wen Zhengyang patted Gao Xiao. "Old Yan would never lay a hand on a student. You're the only one who always gets beaten up."
Then he turned to Ji Zhixing and the others and said, "Don't be afraid. Your Professor Yan has always been very good to his students. He just likes to joke and doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, which is why he used to get beaten by your Professor Yan. Your Professor Yan doesn't beat others."
Ji Zhixing had always respected Professor Yan and would not be swayed by their few words. However, judging from his tone, Professor Yan used to have a fiery temper; it was truly unexpected.
Wen Zhengyang continued, "I think you use the Navier-Stokes equations very well. If you intend to continue your research, following Professor Yan is the right choice. In terms of Navier-Stokes equations, it would be hard to find someone with a higher level of expertise than Professor Yan, even at Tsinghua University or Peking University."
Before leaving, Gao Xiao still left Ji Zhixing his contact information: "Come find me if you change your mind!" It would be best if you could come before his lab blows up again.
Physics experiments aren't as dangerous as chemistry experiments. In chemistry, accidents usually injure people. In physics, however, the equipment is often damaged. Physics equipment is so expensive! It can easily cost millions. He's really unlucky; what kind of people does he hire!
Every time he complained like this, his students would laugh and retort, "Teacher, didn't you say you hated the lab being so lifeless?"
Actually, what they said wasn't wrong. Every time he recruited students, he always thought that he must find someone who was meticulous and cautious. However, meticulous and cautious people are often quiet, and he didn't like them. In the end, the students he recruited were all lively and outgoing.
However, Ji Zhixing caught his eye. Looking back now, it was probably because he had some of Lao Yan's charm. He and Lao Yan had worked together for decades, and now it had been several years since they last saw each other.
After leaving the meeting, the director and counselor, who were resting at the hotel, learned of the close call. The director immediately wanted to take the three students to the hospital for a full-body checkup, but Ji Zhixing and the other two repeatedly assured the director that they hadn't touched a drop of water before he reluctantly agreed to let them be observed for the time being.
Because the police asked them to stay in Beijing for two days to cooperate with the investigation, Ji Zhixing and his group were not in a hurry to go back and spent two days having fun in the capital.
Later, Wang Sikai was naturally imprisoned. The website where he bought the drugs was also uncovered, and after their numerous crimes were investigated, all the drugs were destroyed, and the website founders and drug manufacturers were all sentenced to life imprisonment.
It is said that, originally, official competitions provided participants with bottled water for environmental protection and resource conservation purposes. After this incident, they switched to providing sealed bottled water. But that's another story.
Because he wasn't actually harmed, Ji Zhixing wasn't affected by this incident.
Xu Dongyang's feelings were complicated. He had thought that there might be all sorts of conflicts between him and Wang Sikai in the coming decades, but he never expected that their first confrontation would end in this way.
Fearing copycat crimes, the organizing committee tried to suppress the news, and the report issued by reporter Ji Zhe on site was just a normal competition awards report.
Because it included the name "Ji Zhixing," it quickly became a trending topic. Since Ji Zhixing has trended several times, either for his "intelligence" or "physical abilities," and his deeds have always been positive and inspiring, although there were inevitably some sarcastic comments in the comments section, most of them were quite friendly.
"How many times has Ji Zhixing been trending on social media? If he were a celebrity, I would definitely think there was someone pulling the strings!"
“Academics don’t need to do that. Last time, when the media swarmed to interview him, he only agreed to interview CCTV.”
"It's a shame that someone with such a knack for trending on social media isn't a star. What kind of eye do these agencies have? Why aren't they trying to poach him?"
"Who says there aren't any? There are plenty. My aunt is his agent, and according to her, many companies have been eyeing Ji Zhixing ever since he first trended on social media. They haven't given up, but he's only focused on his studies." (Lights cigarette.jpg)
"Honestly, if he enters the entertainment industry, I'll pursue him and shower him with money."
"My mom thinks he's a celebrity because he's so handsome. It's the first time she's supported my idol worship. She's hoping I'll follow in his footsteps and reach the passing grade!" (Exhausted.jpg)
"Same here. My mom even gives me money to buy his merchandise. She says it's better for a top student like him to earn money than for a loser like me. Does he have any merchandise?" (smirking.jpg)
Does the same university admission certificate count?
"Does a certificate awarded in the same competition count?"
"Hello fans, we have a series of derivative merchandise called 'Five Years of College Entrance Examination, Three Years of Simulation,' quality guaranteed, affordable, and honest. Each book you complete brings you a little closer to our idol—" (doge.jpg)
"Ji Zhixing really has the demeanor of a great general. He looks at a watch worth tens of thousands of dollars as if it were worth only a few dollars."
"Only people like this can truly focus on academic research."
"You guys are praising him way too much. He's very rich. The cheapest watch his family gave him is worth over a million."
"Oh dear, what should I do if I have an even better dream?"
"Is being rich a sin? As long as he doesn't indulge in drinking, gambling, whoring, and bullying, what's wrong with being rich!"
"Isn't it even more valuable to have money and still be able to focus on academic research?"
"Does being an academic mean you have to be poor? In the past, our country didn't have the resources, but now that life is better, I personally support giving academics more benefits so they can prosper!"
"Exactly! That's why I wasn't jealous when Ji Zhixing received over two million yuan in bonuses last time. He deserved it!"
...
Ji Zhixing and his classmates returned to Guangling University, where they were warmly welcomed. A large red banner hung at the school gate, proclaiming, "Warmest congratulations to our students Ji Zhixing, Lin Lang, and Xu Dongyang for winning the first prize in the National Undergraduate Physics Competition!"
The principal personally greeted them at the school gate, and student reporters from the school newspaper kept taking pictures.
The principal only felt relieved after seeing the three students unharmed. Heaven knows how anxious he was after receiving the director's message; who could have imagined such a thing could happen during a student competition?
"You must tell us if you feel unwell!" Who knows if the medicine will evaporate into the air and be inhaled by them.
"We've never felt uncomfortable," Lin Lang said with a smile. He dared to speak and laugh freely in front of the principal. Before, in the defense hall in front of those senior professors, he didn't even dare to raise his head. Perhaps the natural dominance of academic geniuses over academic underachievers is etched into their genes.
Upon seeing the three first-prize medals and three award certificates, the principal was so happy that every wrinkle on his face smoothed out.
"Great! This has made history for our school!" He really didn't want to mention that blunder from a few years ago again.
He was ecstatic when he received the news of being nominated for first prize; he almost had a stroke. But then came that unexpected turn of events, and he nearly had a heart attack. For the past few years, the CUPT competition has been a source of deep regret for him. Thankfully, Guangling University is full of talented people, and they finally brought home the national first prize.
With excited hearts and trembling hands, the principal personally tied bright red flowers to the three of them one by one, and then took a group photo at the school gate. This photo will be recorded in the school's history!
Ji Zhixing, Lin Lang, and Xu Dongyang were initially taken aback by the tacky red flower on their chests, but after learning the principal's original intention, they found the red flower quite appealing.
The principal originally planned to arrange a large group of people to give a grand welcome at the airport, specifically: two people holding a big red banner high, three people holding life-size standees of Ji Zhixing, Lin Lang, and Xu Dongyang, and people on both sides holding flowers to welcome them...
Fortunately, this 1970s-80s-style leadership aesthetic was vehemently rejected by all the young teachers. Although the principal was regretful, he humbly accepted the criticism. Ji Zhixing and others thus escaped a terrible fate, spared from being executed.
The three returned to their dormitory, where another lively scene ensued. The students of the Physics Department were now completely convinced of Ji Zhixing's abilities. Winning the provincial first prize was already surprising enough, but they never expected him to win the national first prize!
That evening, the three, who had been traveling for several days, were just about to get some rest when there was another knock on the dormitory door. They thought it was another classmate coming to congratulate them, but when they opened the door, they were surprised to find a middle-aged man with a Mediterranean beer belly standing outside.
The middle-aged man handed over his business card and said with a smile, "Hello! I'm Li Chuanmai, the manager of Tujie Technology Company. Would you mind if I treated you three to a late-night snack?"
Ji Zhixing, Lin Lang, and Xu Dongyang exchanged glances. They're here! They've been invited to a meal!
However, while being vigilant was advisable, the deal still needed to be negotiated. The three were determined to take the initiative; they would forgo the invitation to meals and instead discuss the business in their dormitory.
Li Chuanmai agreed with a smile, walked into the dormitory and sat down, trying to get closer to the three of them while subtly observing their personalities.
Li Chuanmai said that Tujie is a technology company, but in fact, their company is more like an intermediary. Their main business is to buy other people's patents at low prices and then resell them at high prices when the time is right.
Acquiring valuable patents at low prices is not an easy task, which is why he has always paid close attention to events such as university science and technology competitions and design contests.
Firstly, the college students participating in these competitions are generally quite skilled, and the competition format helps them filter out valuable and innovative technologies. Secondly, students are inexperienced and easily swayed, making it relatively easy to negotiate lower prices.
Over the years, Li Chuanmai has met many students and accumulated some tips on how to negotiate lower prices.
For example, he was secretly pleased when he learned that all three designers of the project he had his eye on were male. These days, girls are very opinionated, and those who participate in competitions are even more of a headache.
Even though they're all students the same age, the girls are often more mature and composed than the boys. In the past, when he encountered design teams with both genders, the girls would always push the patent fees to their breaking point. Sometimes he would bypass the girls in the project team and reach an agreement with the boys privately, only to have the girls reject it when it came time to sign the contract—it was infuriating!
So, this is a great start. They're all men, so I can start by getting to know them, then invite them out for a few drinks, a romantic getaway—that'll make things easier.
Unexpectedly, no matter how he hinted or made suggestive remarks, the three male college students remained unmoved and showed no interest in trying anything new.
Ji Zhixing was indeed a bit tired from traveling these past few days, and he was getting annoyed by Li Chuanmai's roundabout way of talking: "Mr. Li, just say what you have to say. With the East Bay University incident as a precedent, the three of us are determined not to go out drinking or to any... places."
Li Chuanmai, his thoughts exposed, chuckled dryly, "Oh, hehe, actually I didn't mean anything bad. I just wanted to make friends regardless of whether the deal goes through or not."
He had certainly heard about the East Bay University incident; the foreign company's zero-dollar acquisition tactics had him incredibly envious. A project worth forty-five million—pickup for free!
Nowadays, students all know how to apply for patents, so it's almost impossible to snag one for free. However, these methods are still very effective at lowering prices. But judging from the disgusted looks on Ji Zhixing and the others' faces, it's clear that this approach isn't feasible this time.
"Then I'll be frank. Our company is interested in purchasing the patent rights to your project. I wonder what your price range is?"
Ji Zhixing and the other two exchanged glances. After designing the project, they were either busy writing papers or preparing for their defenses. Although they had discussed the patent fees, they had not had time to consult with professionals, so they did not have a definite price in mind.
They were supposed to go to a consulting firm tomorrow to assess the value of their project, but they didn't expect Li Chuanmai to arrive so quickly.
Li Chuanmai noticed the hesitation on the three men's faces. He deliberately went to their door on the very day they returned to catch them off guard, and of course, to get ahead of other technology companies.
This project has a promising future, and the name "Ji Zhixing" has a natural advertising effect. It will be easier to resell it at a high price after acquiring it, so he is determined to get this project! To this end, he rushed over overnight and, by visiting his old classmate who is now the office director, obtained the entry permit to Guangling University. He got ahead of everyone else in order to buy the patent rights of the zero-gravity seat project as quickly and cheaply as possible!
He had a printed letter of intent in his briefcase and money ready in his official credit card. He was just waiting for Ji Zhixing and the other two to agree so they could sign the contract immediately!
After a brief discussion, Ji Zhixing and the other two decided to ask Li Chuanmai to go back first, and then discuss the patent fees after they had someone evaluate the patent.
Li Chuanmai repeatedly pressed him, implying that there were plenty of valuable university student projects across the country, and that if they didn't cherish this opportunity to get rich overnight, they would miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Ji Zhixing and his team, however, were confident in their project. Even if Li Chuanmai backed out and never returned, other companies would surely be interested in it.
As they were talking, they were interrupted by a phone ringing.
Ji Zhixing answered the phone: "The conference room in the administration building? The three of us? Shall we go now? Oh, okay."
After hanging up the phone, Ji Zhixing said to Lin Lang and Xu Dongyang, "Director Chen wants us to go to the conference room in the administration building right now. It seems like someone wants to see us."
"Ah, let's go then." Lin Lang was so bothered by Li Chuanmai that he had no choice but to leave.
Xu Dongyang wondered if Director Chen knew that Li Chuanmai had been bothering them in their dormitory, so he made up an excuse to help them get rid of Li Chuanmai.
Regardless of what they were thinking, the three of them immediately explained the situation to Li Chuanmai, turned off the lights, closed the door, and headed to the administration building.
Upon arriving at the administration building, the three, who hadn't been there much before, followed the signs and found the conference room on the third floor. All the other office lights were off, but the conference room was brightly lit.
The door wasn't closed. As Ji Zhixing and his two companions walked to the conference room door, they saw that it was packed with people. Several rows of red plastic chairs had even been temporarily added to the sides and back, and they were all full of people.
Ji Zhixing quickly glanced at them and didn't recognize a single one.
The office director, sitting at the front, greeted them with a smile and said, "You've arrived! These are all people who rushed here overnight to buy your project patents. Since there are so many of you, I've arranged for you to have a meeting in the conference room. Please have a meeting."
Because he was unwilling to leave, Li Chuanmai, who had followed the three to the administration building, was stunned when he heard this.
A note from the author:
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