Chapter 789 Choosing No One Lu Qingyang said unhurriedly, "Sure, I have a condition. I'll bring a student with me. Whoever can do that, I'll consider interning with them."
Lu Qingyang's words instantly silenced the three professors who were arguing heatedly.
Three pairs of eyes stared at him simultaneously, as if trying to determine whether the kid was joking.
Professor Luo was the first to react: "Bring someone? Kid, do you think this is like buying vegetables at the market and you can pick up a scallion? Where I'm from, every radish is in a specific spot, and the quotas are all allocated according to plan. Political review and professional assessment are both mandatory."
Professor Li, who specializes in theoretical physics, adjusted his glasses, his tone slightly gentler, but the meaning was similar: "Qingyang, this is not child's play. Research work requires rigor and focus. Bringing someone... um, along with you, is not appropriate, is it?"
Professor Sun, quick to anger, waved his hand dismissively: "No, no, absolutely not! My lab's precision instruments are more valuable than my own manhood; not just anyone can get in!"
Faced with the three bigwigs' questions, Lu Qingyang remained calm and composed. He adjusted his glasses, his tone slightly sly: "Gentlemen, my student here has a solid professional foundation and good practical skills. He just needs an opportunity. Besides, a hero needs three helpers; more people mean more strength. Maybe we can get some unexpected gains. Can any of you think of a way to meet my requirements? I'll give priority to whoever does. Otherwise, I really need to think about where to fill out my internship report."
He practically tossed the choice back to him again, and even managed to put them in a difficult position.
The three professors looked at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly changed from competition to weighing options.
Professor Luo stared at Lu Qingyang, then glanced at Zhou Zhe, who was so nervous he was practically flailing his arms and legs. He raised his gray eyebrows, seemingly reassessing the cost-effectiveness of this "deal".
Professor Li held his thermos cup, seemingly lost in thought.
Professor Sun paced restlessly in the classroom, his hands behind his back.
Zhou Zhe felt as if time had frozen, and every second felt like an eternity.
He stared at the three professors expectantly, his heart pounding with anxiety, feeling that his fate was hanging in the balance of what these bigwigs would say next.
Seeing their reactions, Lu Qingyang played hard to get and said, "Alright, alright, I won't make things difficult for you. Zhou Zhe, why don't you come and do an internship at my restaurant? It should be manageable. I'm just here to coast along, so whether I do an internship or not doesn't matter to me."
Lu Qingyang spoke lightly, and even sighed deliberately, pretending to pull Zhou Zhe out.
This stumped the three professors.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Professor Luo was the first to lose his composure, rushing forward and almost knocking over the desk next to him.
His voice was naturally loud, and in his agitation, it was so loud that the windowpanes rattled: "Who said we weren't going to make arrangements? I was just considering the process. Do you even understand what a process is?"
Professor Li, who was focused on theory, didn't even bother to leisurely sip his goji berry water. He slammed the cup down on the podium and quickly chimed in, "Yes, Qingyang University, your attitude is wrong. How can you confuse academic internship with running a restaurant? This is a matter of respect for knowledge!"
His words were eloquent and respectable, but the eagerness in his eyes was unmistakable.
Professor Sun was the quickest; he had already pulled out his small fountain pen and was writing something down as he said without looking up:
"Isn't this an extra spot? I'll figure something out. My lab just happens to need an assistant to organize the data."
The three bigwigs, who had been at loggerheads on matters of principle, were now in complete agreement: they absolutely could not let this promising young talent they had their eye on end up wasting his time at a restaurant.
That wasn't just Lu Qingyang's insult, it was their insult too; if it got out, it would be a laughing stock in the academic world.
Upon hearing Professor Luo's decision, which carried a hint of "reluctance," Zhou Zhe was so excited that he almost gave Lu Qingyang a bear hug on the spot, his mouth practically stretched to his ears.
The words "Thank you, Professor! We will definitely..." were already on the tip of his tongue.
At this critical moment, Lu Qingyang gently pressed his arm and gave the three professors, whose eyes were fixed on him, a slightly apologetic smile:
“Teachers, thank you very much for your kindness and for making an exception. However, this is a very important choice that concerns my future development. We hope that we can have some time to consider it carefully.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhe froze instantly, his smile shattering into eight pieces, and even the three well-informed professors were taken aback.
Professor Luo's anger, which he had just suppressed, almost flared up again. His eyes widened: "Still considering? You brat..."
He swallowed back the "Don't push your luck" part, after all, talent is rare.
Professor Li frowned, his hand holding the thermos cup frozen in mid-air, clearly not expecting this turn of events.
Professor Sun was even more direct: "What else is there to consider? Aren't our conditions sincere enough?"
Zhou Zhe, standing anxiously to the side, kept tugging at Lu Qingyang's sleeve, wailing in a low voice, "My dear brother, what are you still thinking about? Stop while you're ahead!"
Lu Qingyang, however, seemed oblivious to Zhou Zhe's subtle actions and calmly explained to the three professors, "We want to go back and carefully study the main research directions of the three professors, as well as the plans for the future projects, to ensure that our abilities and interests can truly contribute to the projects, rather than just getting an internship experience. This is also being responsible to the professors and to ourselves."
His words were reasonable and insightful, expressing respect while demonstrating maturity and foresight beyond his years, elevating "waiting for the best price" to the level of "career planning".
The three professors looked at each other, feeling frustrated but unable to press the issue further.
Professor Luo waved his hand, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Alright! Give me a definite answer by this time tomorrow."
Pulling the absent-minded Zhou Zhe out of the classroom, Lu Qingyang whispered to him, "What's the rush? The unit I'm waiting for hasn't arrived yet."
Zhou Zhe was completely impressed. "Qingyang, what other mysterious units do you have?"
"When we go for an internship, of course we should choose the company with the best conditions. We can't just go and work for free."
Zhou Zhe scratched his head: "But, but we're just interns."
"What's wrong with interns? They can only produce decent research results, nobody cares about them."
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