"Hahahaha..." Laughter filled the classroom again, the atmosphere relaxed and lively.
Ji Yanzhi finally understood why Ji Ting had thought the academicians "disliked" him. Ji Ear really had a knack for getting under people's skin, yet he was only ever discussing things in earnest. That left them unable to vent their frustration, with no choice but to wrestle with it themselves.
Before the laughter from the first question had fully subsided, a boy wearing black-framed glasses in the fifth row was called on and stood up.
"Hello, Academician Ji!" He tried hard to contain the excitement in his voice. "Do you plan to supervise graduate students in the future? If so, what criteria would you use to evaluate them?"
Everyone seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to avoid overly obscure technical questions. After all, asking something too basic would waste this scientist's time, while asking something too advanced... with Academician Ji as the benchmark, they simply could not reach that level.
"Sorry, I have no plans to take on students at present," Ji Ting answered directly.
Yet as he finished speaking, his gaze naturally settled on a particular seat in the front row, as though confirming something. "However, I did mentor a student before. He's in this classroom right now."
"Oh-"
A wave of startled murmurs instantly swept through the classroom. Everyone instinctively turned to look around, their eager gazes searching for the lucky student Academician Ji had personally acknowledged, someone who could practically be called the chosen one.
Only Xu Ren, sitting in the front row, had instantly reddened eyes. He did not look around, merely gazed steadily back at Ji Ting, his eyes brimming with emotions too complicated to contain-the excitement of being recognized, the warmth of being remembered, and gratitude beyond words.
He had never expected