Faced with Yanjing University's talent-recruitment strategy, Jiang University had no options beyond playing the alma mater card. As one of the nation's foremost universities, Yanjing University's domestic standing was not something Jiang University could shake. Dean Shu knew perfectly well that Chen Yuanguang was not from Jiang City.
If Chen Yuanguang had been from Jiang City, then with both the alma mater card and the hometown card, he would have been confident of keeping Chen Yuanguang at Jiang University.
While he was dealing with talent-recruitment efforts from major universities, even more universities, research institutions, and pharmaceutical companies from America came knocking.
"Hello, Dr. Chen. Although you have not yet obtained your doctoral degree, Professor Prather told me that once you complete your dissertation and remain for three years, you will receive it. I imagine that will be effortless for you, so addressing you as Doctor in advance is hardly strange.
"Also, I would like to express my admiration and congratulations for your outstanding contribution to combating the virus. With this achievement, you will become a scientist renowned across the world.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Trevor Mondale, president of the Gates Foundation Global Health Program. We would like to invite you to join the Gates Foundation as the Chief Scientist of our Global Health Project."
Since producing his results, Chen Yuanguang had spoken in succession with chemistry professors from America's top universities, including MIT, Harvard, and Stanford. The Professor Prather Trevor had just mentioned was a professor in MIT's chemistry department.
Chen Yuanguang was somewhat surprised to be approached by the Gates Foundation. In his impression, the Gates Foundation was a charitable organization and did not seem to have any research institutions directly under it.
He gave a slight nod over the video call and politely addressed the unexpected visitor, whose mannerisms and speaking style were no different from the senior white elites he had met aside from his dark skin. "Hello, sir. I have heard of the Gates Foundation.
"I know about Bill Gates and roughly understand that the Gates Foundation is a charitable organization, but I do not really understand what I would do if I joined it.
"You do not seem to be a research institution."
Trevor gestured with both hands before his chest, adopting the standard posture for speaking at a press conference, his palms facing inward. "Before joining the Gates Foundation, I was the global head of development at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Our vision is to dedicate ourselves to global health.
"We hope to use the Gates Foundation as a vehicle to bring enormous, positive, and beneficial change to the health of people around the world.
"At present, we primarily help improve the physical health of people in underdeveloped regions through a range of initiatives, including public health programs, vaccine programs, family planning, malaria prevention and control, and adolescent nutrition programs.
"Both vaccine programs and malaria prevention require the participation of top scientists. We collaborate with many research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and universities worldwide, but we have always lacked a theoretical leader, someone capable of steering all these projects, until you appeared.
"After discussions between myself, Chris Elias, and Mr. Alan Guston, we concluded that you are the best candidate for Chief Scientist of the Gates Foundation Global Health Program. After we sent your achievements to Mr. Gates, he likewise expressed strong approval.
"Your demonstrated abilities are already sufficient for this position, and you are still so young, with limitless room for growth. With you on board, we will be able to make even more significant contributions to global health in the future." Trevor's answer was highly persuasive.
Chen Yuanguang did not know whether it was an illusion, but white elites came in geeky types and awkward, inarticulate types, whereas black elites, without exception, seemed especially gifted at public speaking.
After hearing him out, Chen Yuanguang did not feel much of a reaction. As a former webnovel author, he had read plenty of conspiracy theories in which Bill Gates was the villain, while the Gates Foundation and Global Health Project he led were tools for controlling and eliminating the population.
Chen Yuanguang did not know whether that was the truth, nor did he care whether Gates genuinely wanted to change the world for the better or whether, as the conspiracy theories claimed, charity was merely a facade concealing the true goal of population control.
Previously, he had thought such matters were far too distant from him. He had never expected them to suddenly be so close.
As Trevor spoke, Chen Yuanguang thought that if he accepted this offer, he would probably become an important supporting character with a few scenes in some conspiracy theory.
"Sir, I probably will not consider this position. I do not believe I have the ability to control the overall situation. It is beyond my scope of ability," Chen Yuanguang said.
His plan had been to reject all offers outside of academic positions, without exception, including those from pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Merck, and AstraZeneca.
The Gates Foundation was different in form, but the work it did was probably much the same.
Trevor had not expected him to refuse so quickly. He assumed Chen Yuanguang simply did not understand the value of the position and hurriedly said, "Dr. Chen, the Gates Foundation offers its Chief Scientist a base salary of five million dollars a year, with additional bonuses based on your research contributions."
Chen Yuanguang was already swearing inwardly. The figure was absurd. The highest salaries pharmaceutical companies had previously offered were only six hundred to eight hundred thousand dollars. The Gates Foundation had more than doubled that, then doubled it again.
Could this really be a population-control plan that wants me to join? he thought.
Seeing that Chen Yuanguang remained silent, Trevor continued, "Besides what I have mentioned, we are reasonably confident that we can arrange for you to receive next year's Nobel Prize in Biology."
In the future, the Nobel Prize, like the human governments, had vanished into the dust of history. Still, it was undeniable that it remained appealing to Chen Yuanguang at present.
"Sir, I understand the Gates Foundation's sincerity," Chen Yuanguang said. "You need to give me time to consider it. I still have two years before graduation, and I need to think."
Trevor showed his white teeth. "No problem, Dr. Chen. I look forward to your good news."
Only then did Chen Yuanguang realize that the person on the other end of the video call was black, because the contrast between his skin and teeth made the latter look exceptionally white.
After spending two years in America, Chen Yuanguang had increasingly come to understand that racial distinctions only existed among the lower classes there. At the top, white and black people were no different in essence. Even if old-money families looked down on black people, their ways of thinking had already become the same.
Trevor had merely reinforced that impression once again.
The various organizations arriving one after another during this period made Chen Yuanguang realize just how remarkable his achievement was. Describing his reputation in academia as thunderous would not have been an exaggeration, and even ordinary people had heard about his work through widespread publicity.
After his paper was published in Science, top Western media outlets such as the New York Times, Time Magazine, and The Times rushed to report on it, while Chinese media that specialized in picking up leftovers from Western outlets reprinted the coverage en masse.
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