For the past few days, Li Dong’s life had been a straight line between his dorm and the cafeteria.
And when he was in his dorm room, he would just space out.
Wang Hao had been observing him for several days but couldn’t figure out what he was up to.
He would just occasionally wave his arms and legs around.
Wang Hao was dumbfounded.
He was afraid Li Dong had been possessed by something unclean.
"Brother Dong."
"What are you doing?"
Li Dong didn’t even look up.
"Dry-run training."
Wang Hao was speechless...
In truth, Li Dong was mentally simulating some of the experimental techniques from the books.
Every book on the list the old professor, Zhang Lufang, had given him was a tough nut to crack.
If it weren’t for his Memory Palace providing the foundation, he probably wouldn’t have even finished chewing through them by now.
Let alone mentally simulating experimental techniques.
Of course, Li Dong had no idea if this method was actually useful.
He was just following his gut.
He had also tried to find the old professor these past few days.
But she hadn’t been around.
Two days ago, he even made a special trip to the School of Chemistry to glance at the class schedule.
All of the old professor’s classes for the week were being taught by substitutes.
Li Dong felt a little uneasy.
He poked Qi Yu on WeChat.
[University Research In Progress]: Senior, I haven’t seen Teacher Zhang around recently. What’s up?
Qi Yu replied quickly.
[Qi Yu]: Teacher Zhang hasn’t been feeling well the last few days, so she hasn’t come to campus.
[Qi Yu]: Why do you ask? Something up?
Li Dong thought for a moment. Since it wasn’t urgent, he just made up an excuse to brush it off.
[University Research In Progress]: Just had a few small questions to ask her, but it’s not urgent.
Qi Yu didn’t reply after that.
After another day of scaring Wang Hao with his wild gesticulations, Li Dong’s phone vibrated.
[Qi Yu]: Weren’t you looking for Teacher Zhang?
[Qi Yu]: She came to campus today.
Li Dong’s eyes lit up.
He quickly replied.
[University Research In Progress]: Thanks, Senior! How is Teacher Zhang feeling?
Qi Yu took a while to respond.
[Qi Yu]: Just a common cold. Her spirits are fine.
[University Research In Progress]: Thanks, Senior!
After locking his phone, Li Dong headed straight for a fruit shop.
He bought some fruit and carried it toward the School of Chemistry.
The door to the old professor’s office was ajar.
Li Dong knocked on the door.
"Teacher Zhang?"
A familiar voice came from inside.
"Yes, come in."
Li Dong pushed the door open and went in.
The old professor was sitting behind her desk. She looked alright, but her voice was a bit nasal, and she would let out a light cough or two from time to time.
Seeing it was Li Dong, the old professor said with a smile.
"Well, well, if it isn’t you, kid."
"Come on in."
Li Dong quickly placed the fruit he was carrying on the small coffee table to the side.
"Teacher Zhang."
"Are you feeling any better?"
"My senior told me you weren’t feeling well these past few days, so I came to see you."
The old professor gestured for him to sit down opposite her.
"You silly kid..."
"You could have just come. No need to bring all this."
Li Dong chuckled.
"It’s just a little something."
The old professor nodded.
’This kid is quite thoughtful.’
"These old bones of mine are still holding up."
"It’s just a bit of a cold."
"You get old, this is what happens when the seasons change."
She paused and glanced at Li Dong.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"I’m already not feeling well, so don’t waste my energy, alright?"
This comment from the old professor amused Li Dong.
He chuckled again and didn’t beat around the bush.
"Teacher Zhang."
"I do have something to discuss."
The old professor nodded, not surprised.
"Go on."
Li Dong began, a little embarrassed.
"That thing you mentioned last time..."
"The research project that several academicians are working on."
He looked up and glanced at the old professor.
"Do you think there’s a chance for me to get in and help out?"
The old professor’s hand, holding her water cup, paused mid-air.
She set the cup down.
She sized Li Dong up seriously.
’To be honest, she really hadn’t expected this kid to have taken it to heart.’
’She’d been quite harsh that day.’
’She’d talked about a hurdle no one had cleared in over a hundred years. About a research group so rare you could count their number on one hand worldwide. About several academicians being stuck for years, unable to produce any decent spectra.’
’After hearing something like that, a normal student’s reaction would be to back down from the difficulty.’
’But this kid...’
’He charged ahead despite the difficulty.’
The old professor mulled it over for a few seconds.
Then she asked.
"Those books I assigned you."
"Have you fully digested them?"
Li Dong nodded honestly.
"Yes."
"I’ve gone through Coordination Chemistry, Group Theory, Spectroscopy, Surface Physics, and Scanning Probes."
"There are some details I was hoping to ask you about in person."
After hearing this, the old professor didn’t deliberately test him.
’To be able to chew through that entire line of study in such a short time... If it were anyone but Li Dong, she wouldn’t have believed it.’
’But it just had to be Li Dong.’
’Judging from his achievements in mathematics, to put it bluntly, this kid was more than qualified to be a professor at Yan University.’
’He had no reason to lie to me.’
’It’s just that... this speed was still a bit astonishing to her.’
’Anyone else, forget about fully digesting them, would have needed a whole semester just to get through those books.’
’Perhaps this was the difference between a genius and an ordinary person.’
The old professor nodded lightly.
"Alright."
"I can introduce you."
Li Dong was just about to thank her when he heard this.
But the old professor’s tone shifted.
"But I have to lay down some ground rules first."
Li Dong sat up straight.
"Please, go ahead."
The old professor spoke very seriously.
"I won’t say you’re going in to do anything chemistry-related."
"Because your foundation in this area is weak."
"I can’t possibly vouch for you on that."
"After all, working on a project is a very serious matter, isn’t it?"
Li Dong nodded honestly.
"I understand."
Only then did the old professor continue.
"So, I’ll say that you’re joining to advance the project from a mathematical perspective."
"The project itself involves things like data inversion, spectral fitting, and operator construction."
"These things require mathematics."
"And you..."
"...are qualified."
She paused.
"As for what you want to learn after you’re actually in..."
"...that will depend on your own abilities."
’This really is the best way,’ Li Dong thought. ’Otherwise, how could a mere undergraduate get into an academician-level project?’
He immediately stood up.
"Teacher Zhang, thank you!"
The old professor waved her hand with a chuckle.
"You don’t have to thank me."
"If you didn’t have that foundation in mathematics, no matter how much I like you, I couldn’t possibly have recommended you."
"I do have that much sense."
The old professor took a sip of water from her cup and spoke again.
"However."
Li Dong’s heart skipped a beat.
’He knew it wouldn’t be that easy.’
The old professor began to speak slowly and deliberately.
"You have zero experimental foundation right now, don’t you?"
"Those ultra-high vacuum chambers, cryogenic sample stages, beamline time scheduling..."
"You’ve never even seen them."
"If you join the group directly, you wouldn’t even know where to start learning."
Li Dong thought for a moment.
’That’s true.’
’If he wanted to change an STM tip later on, he wouldn’t even know how.’
The old professor nodded.
"So, first, go to Xiaoyu’s group."
"And help them out."
Li Dong was taken aback.
’Xiaoyu’s group?’
The old professor seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled.
"The direction Xiaoyu’s group is currently working on has a small overlap with the academicians’ major project."
"If you can first hone your hands-on experimental skills with Xiaoyu..."
"...then when you join the academicians’ group, you’ll actually be able to learn what you want to learn."
She looked at Li Dong, her tone becoming serious again.
"Since you want to learn something, you’ll definitely have to put your ego aside."
"How glamorous you are in the mathematics circle is your own business."
"In a chemistry lab, you’re a complete novice who knows nothing."
"You’ll do whatever Xiaoyu arranges for you."
"Got it?"
Li Dong mulled it over.
’Hmm. True.’
’He had never done an experiment before. If he went straight to the academicians’ research group... even though he would only be doing the math-related parts, his goal was crystal clear: he wanted to join the core of the research group. Eventually, there would be some things he’d have to do himself. Having no foundation at all really wouldn’t work.’
He also said seriously.
"Okay."
"Thank you, Teacher Zhang."
"I’ll go help out at my senior’s group first then."
The old professor watched him with a beaming smile.
"Good. Then contact Xiaoyu directly. Just wait for my notification for the rest."
Li Dong stood up, gave the old professor a deep bow, and then left the office.
After Li Dong left the office, Zhang Lufang hummed a little tune and picked up her phone to make a call.
The phone rang twice before it was answered.
"Xiaoyu."
"That kid, Li Dong."
"I’ve coaxed him into joining your group for you."
"The math problems your group is having should be no problem now."
"Don’t thank me."
"I need you to take a good look at his hands-on skills."
"If they’re not up to snuff..."
"...you have to tell me right away."
"I’m genuinely worried that if I introduce him to Old Wang’s group, he’ll end up embarrassing me."

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