Chen Zhuo nodded, listening quietly.
"I’m currently in charge of a key national-level project."
Alchemist cut straight to the chase.
"We’re doing fluid dynamics and stress testing under extreme conditions. It’s extremely demanding in terms of computational power and modeling."
Alchemist paused for a moment, looking into Chen Zhuo’s eyes.
"Right now, we’re stuck while deriving the model. Whenever we put the continuity equation into the computer, it tends to crash at non-linear critical points, causing the entire system to deadlock."
Alchemist didn’t paint some grand picture about advancing science. Instead, he laid out the real engineering dilemma they were facing.
"Since you’re free and have your own unique ideas about the logic of these underlying algorithms, how would you like to come to my lab?"
Alchemist’s tone was sincere, revealing his eagerness to recruit talent.
"Just think of it as a chance to see how real scientific research operates. We could really use one of your convenient flashes of inspiration right about now."
Alchemist picked up his teacup and stated his terms.
"If you join, I’ll grant you the highest level of access to the lab’s microcomputer room. I’ll also give you the green light for the School of Physics’s, and even the entire university’s, interdisciplinary internal document databases."
Chen Zhuo sat on the sofa, quietly pondering.
’A chance to see real scientific research.’
’That’s incredibly tempting, especially for someone like him who’s never done any research before.’
’No matter how elegant the theoretical derivations are, they’re just a bunch of pretty symbols if they aren’t tested on a real machine.’
Chen Zhuo looked up, meeting Alchemist’s gaze.
"Okay."
Chen Zhuo nodded.
"I’ll follow your arrangements."
The great weight in Alchemist’s heart finally settled.
He let out a long sigh of relief, a comfortable smile spreading across his face.
"Good."
Alchemist agreed readily.
"Tomorrow morning, go directly to the key laboratory on the east side of the third floor. I’ll let them know you’re coming and get all your permissions set up."
With the official business concluded, the atmosphere in the office relaxed completely.
Alchemist and Fang Yuanming casually asked Chen Zhuo a few more questions about his summer life at the university and how the cafeteria food was after the semester started.
Chen Zhuo answered each question gently.
After sitting for about ten minutes, Chen Zhuo felt it was time to leave and stood up.
"Dean Fang, Teacher Fang, please continue your chat. I’ll be heading back now."
"Alright, off you go."
Alchemist waved his hand with a broad smile.
Chen Zhuo turned and walked toward the office door.
When he reached the door, he reached out, grasped the handle, and gently pressed down.
The door opened a crack.
Chen Zhuo’s movement paused.
He didn’t turn around, but tilted his head slightly, as if he had suddenly remembered something just before leaving.
"Dean Fang."
"Over at the old library, in the foreign periodicals room, there’s a work-study student named Su Wei."
Alchemist’s hand, holding his teacup, froze mid-air.
Fang Yuanming also looked up, watching Chen Zhuo’s back with some surprise.
"She has an extremely strong sensitivity to data and a logical approach to archiving documents."
Chen Zhuo continued, his tone tinged with appreciation.
"I think having her just organize bookshelves and move books is too inefficient. It’s a bit of a waste of the university’s retrieval resources."
After speaking, Chen Zhuo pushed the door open.
"I’m leaving now."
He stepped out and gently pulled the door shut behind him.
The office fell silent.
Outside, the cicadas chirped relentlessly, and the sun baked the windowsill until it was hot to the touch.
Alchemist and Fang Yuanming sat by the coffee table, staring at each other blankly.
A full five or six seconds passed.
"PFFT—"
Fang Yuanming was the first to break, nearly choking on a mouthful of tea.
He put down his teacup and pointed at the closed office door, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he shook his head repeatedly.
"I didn’t mishear that, did I?"
The expression on Fang Yuanming’s face was priceless, gleaming with the light of juicy gossip.
"That kid... was he just pulling strings for a female classmate?"
Alchemist also snapped out of it.
He leaned back in his chair, a look of disbelief on his face, before he too couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
"He’s twelve!"
Alchemist gestured in disbelief and chided with a laugh. freewebnovel.com
"My little grandson was still playing marbles in the courtyard with the other kids when he was twelve! But this kid? He just agreed to join my lab, and the next thing you know, he’s already using my clout to look out for a female classmate?"
The two old professors, both over fifty, were doubled over with laughter in the office.
In the eyes of old-school academics like them, Chen Zhuo was usually a cold and distant kid.
Although he was impeccably polite and gentle in his interactions, his scholarly demeanor was so mature he seemed like a little monster, always making people feel he lacked a certain youthful spark.
But now...
A female classmate had suddenly appeared, and he had even broken character to ask for a favor for her.
"And what was all that about ’sensitivity to data’ and ’wasting retrieval resources’?"
Fang Yuanming leaned back on the sofa, thoroughly amused.
"Listen to those excuses he came up with, one after another, and so high-sounding! If any of the young teachers in the school said that, I’d have to reprimand them for using their position for personal gain."
Alchemist sat up straight with a smile.
He reached for the black internal-line telephone on his desk.
"Since the kid went out of his way to ask, it doesn’t matter what this little girl is all about."
Alchemist’s tone was filled with the kind of indulgence and affection an elder has for a junior.
"As his elder, I have to make sure I give him the proper backing."
Alchemist picked up the receiver and skillfully dialed the library director’s number.
The phone rang twice.
"Hello? Old Zhang? Yes, this is Alchemist."
Alchemist’s tone lacked its usual seriousness from when he assigned work. Instead, it was brimming with an irrepressible amusement.
"Over at your library, you have a work-study student named Su Wei, right? Yes, that’s her."
As he spoke, Alchemist glanced at Fang Yuanming, who was still sipping his tea, looking amused.
"Here’s the thing, find a better position for this kid. Don’t make the little girl eat dust and move books all day."
Alchemist instructed carefully.
"Arrange an office with a computer for her, or a private workstation in the microcomputer room. It has to have air conditioning, right? Yes, don’t let her overheat."
Old Zhang on the other end of the line seemed a bit confused why a work-study student had drawn the personal attention of the Dean of the School of Physics, who was even asking about the details.
"As for her pay, give her the highest-level stipend for internal staff."
Alchemist made the decision without hesitation, then cut off Old Zhang’s follow-up questions.
"Alright, Old Zhang, don’t ask any more questions. A certain ’little ancestor’ our school values has specifically asked for her to be taken care of. Just get it done quickly. If there are any problems, they’re on me."
After hanging up, Alchemist looked at the copy of *Discrete Mathematics* on his desk and let out a long sigh.
’That was such a satisfying move.’
’Using a cushy library job to trade for a willing ’Sea-Calming Divine Needle’ for the lab, and I even get to indulge my junior’s little unmentionable crush on the side.’
’What a bargain. Such a great bargain.’
Alchemist picked up his teacup, feeling that today’s tea was exceptionally fragrant.

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