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"Time: 7:30 a.m., June 23, 2021."

"The seeds showed no signs of germination."

"After more than a month of observation, it could basically be concluded that the flora and fauna of the Fantasy World found it difficult to survive on Earth. The fundamental reason was likely the lack of necessary Magic Elements."

Du Ke recorded this in his lab notebook.

The algae, bean sprouts, and mushroom spores he had brought back from the Fantasy World last time, along with the summoning seeds he had brought back this time, had all failed to adapt to Earth's environment. The algae and bean sprouts could still struggle on for a while, but the seeds and spores simply would not germinate. No matter what kind of environment Du Ke created, he could not ensure their survival on Earth.

He felt somewhat disappointed, but also a little relieved. It's probably for the best that they can't survive. I'd really be afraid of bringing back species from the Fantasy World and disrupting Earth's ecological balance.

After recording his experimental notes, he began working out in the gym he had specifically cleared out. Ever since his physical abilities had skyrocketed, he had grown increasingly fond of exercise. His goal was to look slim in clothes and muscular out of them; he absolutely had to develop eight-pack abs. At the same time, he had downloaded some martial arts and Sanshou tutorials online and tried practicing fighting techniques in case he ever needed them.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

He bent the 110-kilogram hand gripper a hundred times in one go.

"If I went into boxing and trained professionally for a few months, I might even be able to trade blows with a world champion, right?" Du Ke said smugly. He looked like a skinny, long-legged Korean heartthrob on the outside, but who could have guessed that a powerhouse was hidden beneath those clothes?

After showering and changing, he drove to Tao Xun's home.

Today was Tao Xun's wife Li Yun's birthday. Several tables had been booked at a restaurant, and Du Ke was seated with Tao Xun's Graduate Students—Tao Xun was a Master's Supervisor and had supervised two cohorts of Graduate Students.

"This is Du Ke. I'll be supervising him in graduate school starting in the second half of the year. He's a genuine academic ace, so make sure you get to know him." Tao Xun introduced Du Ke solemnly, and Li Yun also came over to exchange a few words with him.

There were six men and three women at the table, with Du Ke being the youngest.

The other eight all knew each other, but the five male Graduate Students had no interest in chatting with Du Ke. Each of them held a phone and did his own thing, and they barely interacted even among themselves. The three female Graduate Students, on the other hand, were quite interested in Du Ke. Perhaps women were simply interested in handsome men.

"Hey, Du Ke, right? Did you graduate from Xiake University for your undergraduate degree?" one female Graduate Student asked.

"No, I graduated from Anhui University."

"Anhui University? Oh, then you were recommended here by your university, right? Are you planning to go to the Science Island branch?" The female Graduate Student continued asking, though her tone was already less enthusiastic than before.

After all, undergraduates from 985 Project universities, 211 Project universities, and Double First-Class University Plan schools belonged to a different class from those who had attended ordinary colleges.

"No, I'll be doing my graduate studies at Xiake University's main campus." Du Ke smiled.

That handsome smile quickly erased the gap created by his ordinary undergraduate background. Another female Graduate Student with a cute round face joined the conversation. "Old Tao said you're an academic ace. Did you get in through the entrance exam? No, that can't be right. It isn't even time for the graduate entrance exam yet, is it?"

"I was admitted through recommendation, but I'm not sure about the specific arrangements yet. Old Tao said he'd handle it, so I haven't worried about it." Du Ke told the truth.

"Brother, you aren't some secretly wealthy second-generation heir, are you?" a male Graduate Student leaned over and asked.

"No. I was born and raised in the countryside. None of my relatives has even produced the richest person in a village, and the highest-ranking official among them is the deputy head of the town's power management station."

"Then how did you get recommended for graduate school?"

"Maybe my papers were pretty well written."

"Your papers were well written?" Another crew-cut male master's student put down his phone. "Don't tell me you've published in an SCI journal? At Anhui University's level, it's impossible for an undergraduate to publish SCI."

Du Ke nodded. "Domestic SCI journals."

"It really was SCI? Tell us, Du Ke, which SCI journal did you publish in? That's impressive. I didn't even publish in an SCI journal for my master's thesis." The cute round-faced female Graduate Student praised him.

The crew-cut male master's student glanced at the cute round-faced female Graduate Student, then looked back at Du Ke, and a trace of hostility appeared in his eyes. "Publishing an SCI paper costs quite a bit in page charges, doesn't it, brother? I couldn't tell, but you're pretty rich."

"Do SCI publications require page charges? I'm not sure. I published three papers, and I don't think they charged me anything." Du Ke thought for a moment before answering.

"Ha, three SCI papers? You've got to be joking, right?" The crew-cut male master's student burst out laughing and said in a deliberately hearty manner, "You're something else, brother. Witty and humorous. Here, have a cigarette. Soft Yuxi. It's nothing fancy, so don't mind it."

"Thanks, but I don't smoke." Du Ke waved it away.

With the crew-cut male master's student interrupting like that, the conversation gradually went off track and became his stage. He began teasing the three female Graduate Students and making them laugh. Du Ke merely listened with a smile and had no intention of joining in. Since he had nothing better to do, he took out his phone and opened his inbox. He had forgotten to check for new mail that morning, so he casually took a look.

He did not hold much hope. After all, his fourth paper, <An Overview of Electron Flow Theory and Research into Its Practical Applications>, was a review paper. Reviews were generally written by well-known researchers, while he was just an unknown nobody. Even his correspondence address was the obscure Luzhou Du Ke New Energy Co., Ltd. Perhaps the reviewers would reject him the moment they saw the title.

Yet this time, he found an email written entirely in English. The sender's name actually contained several familiar English words: "Physical Review."

He jolted upright.

He immediately opened the email. It was an acceptance letter from Physical Review B. The letter itself was very short, but what it represented made Du Ke ecstatic. This was proof of acceptance! Receiving an acceptance letter meant that his paper had officially been accepted by Physical Review B. His paper had passed review and could be published in print!

"Little Du, what are you looking at? Why are you smiling so happily?" Professor Tao had come over at some point and sat down at the table.

"Acceptance letter." Du Ke tossed out the English phrase.

"An acceptance letter?" Tao Xun froze, then asked in delighted surprise, "An acceptance letter from P.R.B.?"

"Mm."

"Let me see!"

Du Ke handed over his phone. The moment Tao Xun saw the email, he slapped the table. "Beautiful! Little Du, you did beautifully! Haha, with this one P.R.B. paper, you could graduate directly without even writing a graduate thesis! Haha, P.R.B.! So many university professors can't get published in it, yet you got accepted on your first try. Incredible, incredible! I need to call Dean Chen."

Tao Xun's joy left the Graduate Students at the table looking at one another. The cute round-faced female Graduate Student asked quietly out of curiosity, "Du Ke, what were you and Old Tao talking about? What P.R.L.?" Although she was already a master's student, she had only published her master's thesis in an ordinary domestic journal. She knew nothing about SCI journals, much less foreign SCI journals.

However, someone understood. One male Graduate Student cried out, "P.R.L.? You mean Physical Review B, the one published by the American Physical Society?"