Graduate School Recommendation

Luzhou Du Ke New Energy Co., Ltd.

This was the corresponding address listed on Du Ke's two papers. Professor Tao had originally wanted to use Du Ke's laboratory as the corresponding address, but that did not comply with the rules, since it was not a real mailing address.

So he found an agent and paid to quickly register a company to serve as the corresponding address.

The company's actual address was the house Du Ke had recently bought in Luzhou City. It was merely a shell company, though it might later be used to manage the patent rights for the Long-Haired Battery.

"Du Ke isn't my Graduate Student. He graduated from Anhui University of Technology, majoring in Materials and Engineering. His family should be quite wealthy, and he's planning to start his own company—this Du Ke New Energy," Professor Tao explained. "Aren't I a consultant for Guosheng Battery? He visited Guosheng, and that's how we met. Then he asked me to recommend his papers."

"Anhui University of Technology can have a student like that?" One editorial board member was astonished. As a professor from Xiake University, he considered every school other than Qingbei and the Five Elite Universities to be garbage.

"What matters now isn't where Du Ke graduated from, but whether these two papers can pass. Let me give my opinion first. I approve them. The theories make bold assumptions, the arguments are novel yet logical, and they are excellent theoretical physics papers. Moreover, their focus is no longer on quantum particles or photons, but electrons."

Another editorial board member raised his hand. "I don't agree with his theories, but I agree to publish them. Let more professionals judge them."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

The several editorial board members reached a consensus, and with Professor Tao's support, the two papers smoothly passed the editorial department's preliminary review.

Under the review process of some stricter academic journals, papers that passed the editorial department's preliminary review would generally still be sent to outside experts for peer review, then submitted to the editor-in-chief or chief editor for final review—the last hurdle. However, the editorial board members of the Journal of Chemical Physics were all industry experts. Once a paper passed preliminary review, it was essentially accepted. It was rarely rejected during external review or final review.

Because the Journal of Chemical Physics was a bimonthly publication and its March issue had already been released, the two papers would have to wait for the new issue in May.

After receiving notice that the preliminary review had passed, Professor Tao drove to Du Ke's villa.

"Little Du, they passed. They'll be published in May. Congratulations—your first publication and you already have two papers in one journal, and it's an SCI core journal at that."

Using congratulations as an excuse to mooch a meal, Professor Tao also asked about the third paper. "The editorial department had a lot of controversy over your papers. Several board members held negative views. Of course, they weren't against publication, but against your proposed electron-flow theory."

"Perfect. I've already written a draft of my third paper. Professor Tao, why don't you give me some more advice?" Du Ke took out the unfinished paper.

<How the Interaction of Forces in Electron Flow Maintains Equilibrium>.

"Oh? Hiss!" Professor Tao's eyes widened after merely reading the title. "You've already begun touching on the mechanical equilibrium of electron flow? No way—are you really going to make a major breakthrough? If you truly achieve the separation and dynamic equilibrium of proton flow and electron flow, you'll become a founding master!"

The paper was not very complete. Du Ke had yet to decide how to handle several details, but its general framework was already clear.

After reading the paper, Professor Tao slapped the table excitedly. "Wonderful! Brilliant! I was discussing this exact point with the editorial board this morning. Everyone felt there was no way around it, but who would have thought it could be done like this? A new path, wild imagination—it really is wild imagination! What an ingenious idea!"

After praising it incoherently for a long while, he exclaimed, "Give me an axe. I really want to split open your head and see what kind of brain matter is inside. Everyone else has mush for brains—why is yours fine wine and nectar while ours are nothing but muddleheaded sludge?"

"Haha, Professor Tao, you're flattering me too much. It was just a sudden idea," Du Ke said, unusually modest.

"No, no, no. Hurry up and finish it. Once it's done, I'll revise it for you immediately, then we'll submit it to the Journal of Chemical Physics. Put the three papers together, and you'll definitely become famous overnight!" Professor Tao stood and paced. "This time, you'll certainly cause a sensation in the domestic academic world. This electron-flow concept is far too interesting!"

"There's no rushing this. There are still several difficult problems I haven't fully thought through. Let's wait a little longer."

"By the way, Little Du, have you ever considered taking the graduate school entrance exam? I'm not joking this time. I'm seriously asking whether you want to go to graduate school."

"I haven't considered it. I've already been out of school for over a year, so I probably wouldn't pass anyway." Du Ke possessed the Mind Armor. He had read plenty of books to cultivate Psionic Energy, and he had basically mastered university courses, so getting into graduate school would not have been difficult. But he had no plans to do so, mainly because he did not want to waste time.

The Mind Armor could replicate scientific research equipment and manufacture nanometer chips. It could do almost anything, so why would he need anything else?

Besides, spending time in graduate school truly did not mean much to him. The path he intended to take no longer required the support of any master's or doctoral title.

"No, I didn't explain it clearly. You don't need to take the exam. You can be directly recommended to Xiake University for graduate school. With the publication of these three papers, you already meet the requirements," Professor Tao said. "I can't speak for the Physics Department, but if you come to our School of Chemistry and Materials, we can definitely secure a recommendation slot for you."

No exam, direct admission to graduate school—Du Ke felt that could work.

But on second thought, although there was no exam, graduate students still had to attend classes. He had neither the time nor the inclination for that. "Well, I don't really want to keep studying either. Let's forget it."

"Then it's up to you." Professor Tao did not press him further. After having a few drinks, the dinner ended, but he still reminded him, "Finish writing it soon and publish it soon. Someone once said fame should come early. For us researchers, age is also precious. If I had your brain, published a few more SCI papers, and started two years earlier, I'd have become a professor by now."

SCI supremacy and paper worship remained shackles the academic world could not escape.

A designated driver took Professor Tao home. Once home, he inevitably got nagged by his wife for drinking outside again, but Professor Tao was not listening to her at all. He lay on the sofa, deep in thought.

"Tao Xun, I'm talking to you!" His wife immediately flew into a rage.

Only then did Professor Tao come back to himself. Skillfully changing the subject, he cut off the coming storm of anger. "I have something to ask you. Tell me, if you come across a genius, should you seize the opportunity?"

"What do you mean?"

"I met a university graduate over the past six months. He spends money freely. At first, I thought he wanted to learn about the battery industry before deciding whether to enter it. But recently, he shocked me. Three papers, describing an extraordinary new theory."

"What theory?" His wife was not an academic and was not particularly interested in such matters. "Does it have any value?"

"It's still hard to estimate its value for now, but from those three papers, I can tell that Du Ke is definitely a genius. Geniuses can't be produced through rigid education. Without that talent, you could study for a lifetime and still never write a good paper. I want to supervise him as a Graduate Student—consider it an investment in potential, so I can benefit from it later."

"Did he agree?"

"No."

"No?"

"Mm. He said he didn't want to attend graduate school, and I didn't feel right saying anything more, did I? If I said too much, wouldn't I seem too... too... too shamelessly ingratiating?"

His wife immediately said, "Is he really that much of a genius?"

"Mm."

"Then recommend him for graduate school."

"Didn't I tell you? He doesn't want to study anymore."

"Aren't you going to supervise him as a Graduate Student? Whether he studies or not is still up to you. If he doesn't want to study, let him be. Didn't you say he can publish papers? When the time comes, he can just publish an SCI paper and graduate with a master's degree." His wife casually offered an idea.

Professor Tao Xun pondered for a moment. He truly did not want to miss this opportunity. These days, students wanted good advisors, but didn't advisors also want good students?

"Fine. I'll talk to him again tomorrow. He has no reason to refuse a free master's degree... Wife, let me tell you, this Du Ke is absolutely capable. His future is limitless. In another two months, he'll have three SCI papers published! Maybe it won't shake the whole industry, but he'll definitely be in high demand!"