Shang-Chi looked at the middle-aged man before him. The man was not particularly tall, shorter than Shang-Chi, but broader and sturdier. He had the typical Chinese features of thick brows and large eyes, a square face and broad forehead, and an air of upright integrity.
Yet his expression was gentle. Smiling at Shang-Chi, he said, "So this is young Xu. Seeing you in person truly lives up to your reputation. I heard you graduated from Tongji University?"
"Mm, yes." Shang-Chi answered instinctively, but then suddenly remembered that had all happened in the previous universe. Here, he had no academic credentials at all. Wouldn't admitting it amount to falsifying his education? So he hesitated and said, "Well, actually, not exactly..."
"I heard you were in Civil Engineering. Wasn't your dean named Ma? I seem to remember meeting him once when I went there for a conference."
Shang-Chi's eyes widened in surprise. He pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and said, "No, our dean's surname was Chen. His name was Chen Jian..."
Before he could finish the final syllable, Zheng Xian said with sudden realization, "Oh, Old Chen. I'd forgotten. Right, he's the dean of the engineering school. Dean Ma is from the mathematics school."
He stepped forward and patted Shang-Chi on the back. Schiller, Zheng Xian, and Shang-Chi went to sit on the sofas in the reception area, while Riley and Squirrel Girl, who had come along as well, took seats by the window.
The moment Schiller sat down, he adjusted his posture and looked at Zheng Xian. "Director Zheng, I assume you've seen the results of the educational system we've developed for the dream world. What do you think?"
Zheng Xian also adjusted his posture. "In fact, it's extremely impressive. I never expected Dream School could be run in