There's No Such Thing as Letting Someone Off

That afternoon, in the same tiered classroom, Lu Zhou accepted an interview from the Hua Nation Youth Daily.

Come to think of it, this was already the second interview he had received in a month.

Moreover, this interview was different from the last one. The Hua Nation Youth Daily reporter told him that the content would not only appear in the newspaper, but the video might also be posted online. Because of that, Lu Zhou felt slightly nervous after the interview began.

The person interviewing him was a pretty young woman with a pleasant voice, roughly on par with a professional broadcaster's.

The reporter smiled slightly. "Hello, Student Lu. May we begin?"

Lu Zhou nodded. "Sure. Go ahead and ask."

"Don't be so nervous. They're just some simple questions." The reporter smiled, nodded to signal the cameraman to begin, then adopted a professional tone. "First, I'd like to ask how you usually study. Do you have any tips?"

Lu Zhou thought for a moment. "There's no special trick. Normally, I just spend time in the library and study like everyone else. There isn't any obvious difference between me and the other students."

"Is that so? It seems Student Lu is the talented type, then." The reporter smiled and continued, "From interviews with other students, we learned that you also work part-time. How do you balance your studies while working to support yourself?"

Lu Zhou smiled. "The part-time work is mainly due to my family's financial circumstances. I believe that as long as you manage your time properly, you can still keep up with your studies."

Though he thought exactly the opposite.

Part-time work didn't affect studying?

Who was he kidding?

The reporter asked, "I heard your younger sister is in high school?"

"Yes," Lu Zhou said. "After this summer, she'll be starting her second year of high school."

The reporter smiled slightly and continued, "Then what would you like to say to your sister, as well as all the students preparing for the college entrance examination?"

Lu Zhou looked into the camera and gave a sunny smile. "Keep it up. I'll be waiting for you at Jin University!"

And that was it.

The interview process was that short. It was over.

Other than the last question, which the school had requested as a subtle bit of promotion, all his answers had been genuine.

After the interview ended, the Hua Nation Youth Daily reporters began packing up their equipment with assistance from the school staff. Once they returned, they still had to write that day's report based on their interviews with the other students.

For Jinling University, this debate had been a complete victory. Not only had it cleared its name of false accusations, but it had also gained considerable publicity in the media.

What other university could cultivate such an outstanding undergraduate?

Whether the school had cultivated him or not, he had still brought honor to the school!

At the previous meeting of university leadership, President Xu Jian had mentioned Lu Zhou by name twice, giving the School of Mathematics leadership quite a bit of face. Especially Director Lu, whose face had been glowing with pride from halfway through the meeting until the end. His grin had never faded.

What counted as an achievement for department leaders?

This was an achievement!

Lu Zhou took the bottle of mineral water handed to him by a staff member and drank from it. Just then, he saw Director Lu walking toward him.

Director Lu patted Lu Zhou on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You did well just now. Also, the university leadership called me and asked me to pass along a message. In the future, try not to take those part-time jobs handing out flyers or sorting deliveries. If you have financial difficulties, the university has scholarships."

That was practically a hint that the next scholarship would be his.

Lu Zhou cautiously asked, "Then... is tutoring okay?"

"Of course it is. I support it with both hands!" Director Lu said with a smile. "The university isn't forbidding you from working part-time. It's just that... when choosing a job, you should consider the type of work. Isn't doing manual labor a waste of your time?"

The main concern was actually that people would gossip.

What if someone with a particularly twisted perspective popped up again and complained about how the university let such an outstanding student hand out flyers on the street and act as a mascot, asking who had pocketed the scholarship money and spouting that kind of nonsense? Who would they argue with then?

Hearing Director Lu's words, Lu Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he could keep tutoring, that was enough.

A scholarship would only be ten thousand at most, and it was a one-time payment. It might not even earn him as much as tutoring did.

"Oh, there's one more thing." Director Lu cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Regarding Zhu Fangcai, the one who disrupted your normal life some time ago, the university has decided to formally sue him. Professor Wang Haisheng from the law school will be handling the case. We're not saying we'll sue him into bankruptcy, but we must at least make him pay the price he deserves! You may need to appear in court as a witness. You don't have any objections, do you?"

Having a university professor handle the lawsuit was no small show of support.

Who knew how many people in the Jinling Court courtroom might be his students if he stood there?

Just imagining it gave Lu Zhou a vivid picture.

Without another word, Lu Zhou thumped his chest. "I have no objections! If I'm needed, please make sure to notify me!"

When dealing with a defeated enemy, one should press on with all one's remaining strength, not imitate Xiang Yu and spare them for the sake of reputation!

Letting someone off when possible? There was no such thing.

For pests like that, you had to swat them to death!

Lu Zhou had not brought up suing before because he had neither the money nor the energy for a lawsuit. Now that the university was stepping in to back him up, how could he refuse? He wished the trial could begin immediately.

After the interview, Lu Zhou went to the laboratory building.

After he told Professor Tang about receiving the offer yesterday, Professor Tang had asked him to come to his office today because he wanted to discuss it with him.

"...You really turned down that offer with an annual salary of five hundred thousand?" After hearing Lu Zhou's decision, Professor Tang still found it hard to believe. He had seen through the kid's money-loving nature at a glance.

And it was five hundred thousand.

Yesterday, the two graduate students in his office had talked about it and quietly complained about why such good fortune had not fallen on them. Forget an annual salary of five hundred thousand—even half that amount would have been enough for them to pack up and leave without hesitation.

"Professor, I've already thought it through. I want to dedicate my youth to scientific research. Money cannot corrupt my dreams," Lu Zhou declared righteously.

Professor Tang suddenly realized that aside from liking money, this kid had another bad habit.

He was dishonest and far too fond of boasting...

Still... perhaps that was not entirely a bad thing?

At the very least, he could produce results. He was far more useful than those people who only knew how to brag and could not get anything done.

"I'm very pleased that you made such a wise decision. Your future is definitely not something that an annual salary of five hundred thousand can measure. I had originally planned to persuade you, but it seems that won't be necessary now..."

After pausing for a moment, Professor Tang continued, "Also, regarding New York University's invitation, from the standpoint of a Jinling University professor, I hope you'll stay. But from the standpoint of a teacher, I must tell you that New York University's invitation letter is an opportunity for you. Think it through carefully before making a decision."

For an ordinary good student, whether they stayed or left did not really matter to the university. But for exceptional talent like Lu Zhou, someone who could produce results, the university naturally hoped he would remain in the country and at the school. After all, he could submit to core SCI journals as an undergraduate. Once he became a graduate student, who knew? He might even win a Fields Medal.

Study in the United States?

That sounded like it would cost a lot of money.

Not to mention that the language and cultural differences would also be major problems.

Lu Zhou thought for a while, then ultimately shook his head and said with a smile, "No, I think Jinling University is quite good. Besides, I promised my sister I'd wait for her here."

A pleased smile appeared on Professor Tang's face as well. "It's good that you think that way. The university leadership asked me to work on you, but it seems that won't be necessary either. If you stay at Jin University, I can't guarantee anything else, but your scholarships for the next three years and your graduate school recommendation are secure."

Lu Zhou smiled. "Then I really... have to thank you!"

"That's only proper." Professor Tang nodded and said with a smile, "All right, I have nothing else to say. Remember to write New York University a reply when you get back, then prepare properly for your modeling competition. I hope to see your name on the list of national first-prize winners."

Lu Zhou nodded with a smile. "Mm, definitely!"