Wen Ruan quickly reviewed the contents of her notes from before class in her mind.
Then, at Lin Qingyou's prompting, Wen Ruan went up to the podium, and Professor Lin sat in Wen Ruan's seat, ready to listen attentively to Wen Ruan's lecture.
Sitting next to Professor Lin, Zhao Xiaoyan felt extremely uncomfortable and nervous, so much so that she dared not move...
"The author of 'Politics Among Nations' is Morgenthau, in which he proposed a new theory of international politics, namely political realism..." Wen Ruan then gave a slightly more detailed description of this theory.
Professor Lin Qingyou initially gently stroked his chin with his right hand, but as Wen Ruan's narration became more and more detailed, he gradually sat up straight, his eyes filled with seriousness as he looked at her.
After Wen Ruan finished speaking, she was about to leave the stage and return to her seat when Professor Lin called out to her, "Wen Ruan, please wait a moment. I have a few questions I'd like to ask."
"The realist theories you just mentioned are all from the book, but it doesn't mention your own understanding of them. Could you elaborate on that?"
After a brief moment of thought, Wen Ruan quickly organized her thoughts and began her reply: "I believe this theory is a pragmatic one. 'Realism' means starting from reality. It acknowledges the imperfections of the world and the inherent laws of human nature. Therefore, in order to improve the world, we should follow objective laws and be realistic, rather than blindly taking confrontational actions..."
Professor Lin then asked Wen Ruan questions about some details in the book, and Wen Ruan answered them one by one.
Leaving aside Wen Ruan, the other students in the class could clearly see Professor Lin's satisfaction with her; it was as if the wrinkles on his face and the creases between his brows had smoothed out.
As Wen Ruan answered, Professor Lin's eyes even gradually filled with a smile, and the students below the stage all looked at Wen Ruan on the podium with admiration. Zhao Xiaoyan even looked at her with a hint of worship in her eyes.
"Okay, one last question. Do you still remember which six principles of realism you just mentioned?"
When she first read this book, she had a feeling that these six principles would be the most important of the whole book. If she were asked about this book, she would definitely be asked about these six principles. In fact, when she reviewed her notes before class, she took a few extra glances at this part.
Wen Ruan breathed a sigh of relief and began to explain the six principles: "First, 'politics is governed by objective laws rooted in human nature.' Within human nature exist laws that govern human political activities, and these laws possess objectivity and regularity..."
In conclusion, Wen Ruan became even more confident: "Sixth, 'the differences between political realism and other schools of thought are real and profound.' This sentence is on page 37 of the book."
"Political realism recognizes that human nature has many different facets and believes that in order to understand a particular facet of human nature, one must study it from the perspective of that facet. This statement is on page 40 of the book."
Gasps of surprise rippled through the room. The students stared wide-eyed at Wen Ruan, and even Professor Lin's eyes suddenly lit up with immense delight.
Finally, Wen Ruan shared his thoughts on the theory: "The author views all political behavior as a struggle for power, thus the political proposition becomes 'interests defined by power.' Perhaps this definition is somewhat narrow, but we should also recognize that it provides us with a systematic, unique, and even workable method for understanding international politics..."
After finishing her speech, Wen Ruan calmly bowed and stepped down from the podium.
Everyone, from the students to Professor Lin, raised their hands and applauded, giving her a warm round of applause.
When Wen Ruan returned to her seat, there were whispers below. Even Dong Ya and Zhao Xiaoyan, who were sitting next to her, couldn't help but ask, "Ruan Ruan, you didn't memorize such a thick book, did you?"
Zhao Xiaoyan, in particular, looked at Wen Ruan with eyes practically sparkling with admiration, muttering to herself, "It's not that I'm not trying hard enough. We all study together, for the same amount of time, so it must be that my brain isn't working properly..."
Upon hearing this, Wen Ruan felt embarrassed and wanted to explain, but before she could speak, Professor Lin had already walked up to the podium because it was class time.
"Wen Ruan just gave a very good presentation. It's clear she's worked hard. She even remembered which page it was on. This is more than just simple reading; she also has her own understanding. I hope everyone can learn from her!" Lin Qingyou looked at Wen Ruan with loving eyes.
Looking into Professor Lin's eyes, Wen Ruan couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable...
When get out of class finally ended, many classmates gathered around, asking Wen Ruan if she had any good study methods and seeking her guidance.
After finally escaping the enthusiasm of their classmates, Wen Ruan and her two friends hurried to the cafeteria, intending to meet up with Wu Wenqian and the others after their meal.
Along the way, Zhao Xiaoyan was no longer as silent as usual, and was very lively, chattering about what had happened in class, expressing great admiration for Wen Ruan.
Wen Ruan quickly explained, "Xiao Yan, no...you've all misunderstood...I didn't memorize it all; it just so happened that Professor Lin asked me about a part I knew..."
"How could that be? Ruan Ruan, don't be modest. You can even remember which page it is so clearly. Not to mention Professor Lin's questions later on, even the first question alone could stump me!" Zhao Xiaoyan looked incredulous and looked up at Dong Ya, trying to seek her approval.
Dong Ya nodded earnestly, a gentle smile on her face, but her tone of voice revealed her admiration for Wen Ruan.
Wen Ruan felt that she could no longer clear her name. She had a feeling that the title of "academic genius" was about to be pinned on her, and she couldn't help but feel like crying.
Although Wen Ruan doesn't want to continue lying low in this life, she's not about to get involved to the point of becoming a "genius."
But for some reason, it was as if an invisible hand was pushing her step by step to this point.
But this was just the beginning... In every class that followed, whenever the teacher asked a question and a student couldn't answer, Wen Ruan's name would be called upon to provide the answer.
In order to keep her title as a top student from being exposed, Wen Ruan could only work even harder and became the most hardworking person in the dormitory besides the eldest sister Zhou Wen. She went out early and returned late every day, living a life of going between the cafeteria, classroom and library.
And the girls' dormitory 304 will become a very famous dormitory at Tsinghua University many years later. All the girls in the dormitory will shine in their respective fields and achieve outstanding success. Perhaps all the signs started from their hard work at this stage...
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