Hospital.
Missy paid a sudden visit.
"Is this female graduate student a real fan or a fake one?"
Missy asked with concern.
"You mean, does she genuinely admire Sheldon, or is she using that admiration as an excuse to get her name on published papers?"
Adam immediately understood.
"Mm."
Missy nodded. "I may not have gone to graduate school, but I know a thing or two about how it works.
"For an expert like Shelly, any paper he publishes carries real weight in the field.
"If someone could get credited as an author through flattery or other means, it would be a huge help to their academic career.
"Is it strange for me to be suspicious?"
"Not at all."
Adam smiled. "Ramona Nowitzki may have had a little of that in mind, but above all, she genuinely worships Sheldon.
"She's actually quite capable. She can succeed academically without resorting to those methods.
"If you don't believe me, think about it.
"If a female graduate student didn't have enough intelligence or ability, she wouldn't even understand what Sheldon was saying. How could she possibly make him interested in talking to her?
"Sheldon isn't one of those people who gets interested in others."
"All right."
Missy had to admit that made sense.
To be Sheldon's die-hard fan, you needed enough intelligence just to get the chance.
"Ramona Nowitzki may not be like that, but there will definitely be others later on who use the excuse of being fans meeting their idol to piggyback onto his papers."
Adam teased, "When that happens, they'll find out just how naïve they've been."
There had been a news story in his previous life.
A plain-looking female PhD student at some university had juggled several male PhD students.
Those male PhD students helped her graduate and helped