For Du Ke, an SCI journal with an impact factor of 0.4 was nothing. Even publishing three papers in a row only amounted to an impact factor of 1.2. There was really no need to make such a fuss.
The sophomore suddenly found himself speechless. Getting into Xiake University had already made him one of the chosen few, but he also knew how difficult it was to publish in an SCI journal—especially in the Journal of Chemical Physics. Although its impact factor had fallen this year to around 0.4, the Journal of Chemical Physics had reached 0.791 last year, nearly 0.8.
A journal's impact factor was the total number of citations received by papers published in the previous two years, divided by the total number of papers it had published during those two years.
Simply put, an impact factor of 0.4 meant that papers published in that journal were cited an average of 0.4 times. That was by no means a low number. After all, many journals could not even manage to get an impact factor. Of course, papers in the same journal varied in quality. Better ones might be cited many times, while poorer ones might not catch anyone's attention.
No matter what, in the eyes of ordinary Xiake University students, the Journal of Chemical Physics was the ultimate goal for undergraduates and even Graduate Students.
Du Ke had gotten three consecutive papers into the Journal of Chemical Physics, and they had even sparked heated discussion among the editors. That was enough to show how high-quality his papers were. They would definitely receive plenty of citations in the future. To this sophomore, a senior like that was truly impressive. Still, this impressive senior seemed a little too arrogant, as if anyone could publish in the Journal of Chemical Physics—though there really were plenty of people padding their résumés, he believed that most published papers had genuine substance.
"Maybe that was what a genius was like." Watching Du Ke enter the editorial office and immediately receive an enthusiastic welcome from the editors, the sophomore returned to the chair in his corner with a faint sense of disappointment.
The disappointment came quickly and went just as quickly.
After all, Xiake University never lacked geniuses. If he felt discouraged every time he encountered one, he would probably end up depressed.
"Little Du is here." Inside the editorial office, Tao Xun immediately showed off his social skills. Pulling Du Ke over, he began making introductions. "This is Dean Chen Yang, dean of Xiake University School of the Young Class... This is..."
Du Ke greeted them one by one.
Though none of those present were giants in academia, they all held the titles of Professor or Associate Professor, making the introductions sound quite imposing. Dean Chen Yang's position as dean of the School of the Young Class carried even more weight. However, Du Ke had spent plenty of time with rich second-generation heirs while modifying cars and was used to big occasions. He was not nervous in the slightest, and before long, he was chatting freely with the editors, mainly explaining the ideas behind his three papers.
Naturally, he explained selectively.
He would not casually reveal the true core secrets.
Academic competition was nothing unusual. Even if Du Ke had never experienced it personally, he had heard of it—academic rivalry, intelligence gathering, patent squatting. They were all vivid displays of the law of the jungle in academia. Du Ke never hesitated to judge others by the worst possible motives. At least until he had built a complete patent barrier around electron flow, he could not afford to let his guard down.
Yet even with his careful omissions, many of his ideas still left everyone present amazed.
Electron flow theory was not particularly lofty or grand, but its internal details were just as specialized, and outsiders found it difficult to grasp deeply. The editors all worked in different academic fields, so not everyone understood it. Only after Du Ke's explanation did they truly sense the potential of electron flow theory. Dean Chen Yang even said directly, "Put these three papers at the front. Put this mechanics equilibrium diagram Little Du drew on the cover."
One editor nodded emphatically. "Maybe this year's impact factor for our journal will depend on Du Ke's electron flow theory."
Once electron flow theory sparked a wave of interest, citations for those three papers would inevitably rise, wildly boosting the Journal of Chemical Physics' impact factor. The Journal of Chemical Physics had nearly reached an impact factor of 0.8 last year precisely because several earlier papers had been cited repeatedly. Later, with no strong papers being published, its impact factor had been cut in half, and the drop was rather alarming.
That evening, Tao Xun hosted a dinner and invited Chen Yang, Du Ke, and the others.
The sophomore was brought along as well, assigned to run errands and bustle around. Du Ke also learned his name: Xu Weijun, a student from the School of Engineering and vice president of the school's student union. While cleaning an editor-professor's office, he had caught the editor's eye and been assigned to do odd jobs at the Journal of Chemical Physics editorial office, getting some experience under his belt early.
As the drinking reached its peak, everyone grew more uninhibited. The conversation was no longer limited to academia. They chatted nonsense about everything from politics and the military to entertainment and gossip.
Du Ke was not particularly good at socializing, but as long as someone threw out a topic, he could keep the conversation going. Just as everyone was boasting away, Dean Chen Yang suddenly waved for silence. "Hold on. Let me say something."
Once everyone quieted down, he asked Du Ke, "Little Du, you graduated from Anhui University, right?"
"Yes."
"Are you planning to take the graduate school entrance exams?"
Before Du Ke could answer, Professor Tao Xun's drunkenness instantly vanished. Then he resumed his smiling, squint-eyed expression and cut in, "Dean Chen, Little Du is not planning to take the exams. But I already discussed it with him. I'll arrange a graduate school recommendation slot for him, and he'll apply to become my Graduate Student." Academia required competition, and so did students. Hearing that Chen Yang intended to poach him, Tao Xun hurried to block the move.
"Is that so, Little Du?" Chen Yang asked Du Ke directly.
Du Ke nodded. "That's right. Professor Tao Xun and I already discussed it. I don't have time to keep studying either, so I'm planning to get recommended for graduate school and coast my way into a diploma." He smiled after saying that. He was not embarrassed about coasting for a diploma. In academic circles, that did not really count as coasting.
"Oh." Chen Yang nodded.
At that moment, one editor suddenly laughed. "Old Tao, you work in materials and engineering, right? That counts as the chemistry department. Du Ke's research direction is electron flow, so shouldn't that count as physics? Why not apply for a Graduate Student position in the physics department?"
"Electron flow theory is physics, but if we want to implement it and manufacture electron flow batteries, we still need to approach it through materials. There is nothing wrong with Little Du studying that. Besides, he does not have much time for school anyway. A master's degree is just... how should I put it? An honor, I suppose." Tao Xun suddenly regretted hosting the dinner. This was clearly a Hongmen Banquet aimed at him.
These people from the Journal of Chemical Physics had bad intentions. They wanted to steal his student!
And this Old Chen was no better. It was not enough that the School of the Young Class had produced a Cao Yuan under his guidance—now he wanted to take Du Ke under his wing too. He was far too greedy!
However, one man's fists could not beat four hands. Chen Yang did not need to say much. The editors, who knew him well, proactively steered the conversation, openly and subtly urging Du Ke to choose a new direction for his graduate school recommendation—preferably becoming Chen Yang's Graduate Student.
Still, Tao Xun found some comfort in the fact that Du Ke never nodded and did not take the bait of changing graduate advisors.
"Kids these days are still better. They know gratitude and remember old ties, unlike this bunch of old geezers. Every last one of them is eating from his bowl while eyeing the pot, wishing he could shovel every good thing into his own mouth," Tao Xun thought.
Then Chen Yang suddenly said, "Tao Xun, you can supervise him for his master's degree and let him spend a few years focusing on electron flow theory. Once he graduates, he can come apply for my PhD." He had already given up competing for the master's degree and shifted the battlefield to the PhD. It was an unbeatable move, because Tao Xun was not qualified to supervise PhD students.
Du Ke opened his mouth, unsure what to say. Somehow, he had suddenly become a future PhD.
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