"Hello, Dean Tian!"
Lü Yongchang hurriedly stood up and greeted the elderly man.
Tian Zhixuan nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze back to the blackboard behind the lectern.
Although the first half covered only the most basic knowledge of controlled nuclear fusion, the use of various diagrams and formulas still caught Tian Zhixuan's eye.
Such precise, appropriate mathematical derivations-if he had taught himself all this, he was the perfect budding researcher!
Especially when Tian Zhixuan saw the subsequent derivation for the new material, his eyes positively lit up!
Regardless of whether the result was correct, the derivation itself was clean, elegant, and possessed a unique beauty!
Enough said. I'm taking this student!
A gleam flickered in Tian Zhixuan's eyes as he turned to Lü Yongchang beside him with a smile.
"Lü... Lü Yongchang, right?"
When Lü Yongchang nodded, Tian Zhixuan continued, "Would you be interested in studying at my Materials College?"
"I'll guarantee you admission to our graduate program!"
Lü Yongchang froze. "...???"
Was he... was he really that impressed by my talent?
"Hey, hey, hey! Old Tian, you can't do that!"
Guan Hualiang instantly lost his composure!
Everything was going perfectly well. Why was he suddenly poaching my student?!
Tian Zhixuan clearly paid Guan Hualiang's words no mind and continued smiling. "Young Lü, I see you've studied materials science quite extensively. Did you teach yourself?"
Lü Yongchang instinctively glanced at Guan Hualiang beside him, then nodded lightly. "Yes, I taught myself everything."
Tian Zhixuan's eyebrows shot up!
Good heavens! I've found a genuine genius!
He hurriedly suppressed his excitement and said in an even tone, "Reaching this level through self-study is already quite impressive!"
"Still... there are a few minor flaws. How about this? Come study at our Materials College, and I'll guarantee you a place in the Distinguished Young Scholars program!"
Lü Yongchang looked at the elderly man before him, torn between annoyance and amusement.
If I hadn't been reborn, he really would have taken me for a ride!
Distinguished Young Scholars? I was the Human Federation's chief scientist in my previous life. That little distinction holds practically no appeal for me!
As for flaws... what a joke. This is the optimal material, validated through countless practical trials!
Still... as a second-year undergraduate, Lü Yongchang naturally could not say that.
He let just the right amount of hesitation show in his eyes. "Dean Tian, perhaps... you should look at this material's molecular formula first?"
Tian Zhixuan paused.
This was rather unexpected!
In his experience, his carrot-and-stick routine usually left these youngsters completely overwhelmed!
Why... is this boy still hung up on that conclusion?
"Tian! He belongs to my physics department!"
His face slightly flushed, Guan Hualiang reiterated his point.
Tian Zhixuan shot Guan Hualiang an irritated glance. "All right, all right. Physics, materials science-what does it matter? They're all students at Sandao Kou University!"
"Professor Guan, as dean of the Materials College, it's only right for me to offer a talented student a few incentives, wouldn't you say?"
Guan Hualiang's expression instantly stiffened.
Now I'm in trouble!
Tian Zhixuan was a dean, but Guan Hualiang was not!
Bang!
Just as the atmosphere began to grow awkward, someone shoved the classroom door open!
"Old Tian! Were you suggesting our physics department has no one to stand up to you?!"
A booming voice came from the classroom entrance.
It was Jiang Yongxing, dean of the School of Nuclear Physics!
Delight appeared in Guan Hualiang's eyes!
Tian Zhixuan, on the other hand, looked embarrassed and annoyed.
Jiang Yongxing strode into the classroom and immediately looked at the blackboard.
The moment he saw what was written there, his eyes blazed with excitement!
No wonder that old fox Tian Zhixuan wants to poach him!
If I can't keep a genius like this, the professors in my department will probably condemn me behind my back!
"You're Lü Yongchang, correct? I'm Jiang Yongxing, dean of the School of Nuclear Physics. I don't care what Tian Zhixuan told you. Whatever his materials science department can offer you, my physics department can offer you too!"
Lü Yongchang blinked several times, his eyes filled with deep helplessness and confusion.
How... did things end up like this?
Weren't the professors supposed to review my work together?
How did this turn into a recruiting showdown?!
At the critical moment, Professor Guan Hualiang was the first to collect himself. He coughed lightly and steered the conversation back on track.
"Ahem! Dean Tian, Dean Jiang, let's look at this conclusion first!"
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Yongxing's lips. He nodded slowly. "All right! Since Professor Guan has such faith in you, let's see whether there are any holes in your derivation."
Hearing this, Lü Yongchang let out a small breath of relief.
They were finally getting back on track.
Dozens of professors took their seats and brought out pens and paper to check the calculations Lü Yongchang had written on the blackboard.
Lü Yongchang sat quietly in a chair off to one side, waiting for their questions.
"Lü Yongchang, could you demonstrate how you derived the equation on the third line from the left?"
A relatively young professor was the first to speak.
Lü Yongchang nodded, rose, and walked over to the left half of the blackboard, locating the equation on the third line.
"It's very simple. We only need to apply a few straightforward transformations..."
As he spoke, Lü Yongchang picked up a pen and paper nearby. With a few quick strokes, he set down the detailed steps of the derivation.
The confusion in the young professor's eyes instantly vanished. He stood and gave Lü Yongchang a slight bow. "Thank you."
Watching this, Jiang Yongxing raised his eyebrows slightly.
He had not noticed it before, but now he realized that Lü Yongchang's mathematical foundation was probably stronger than that of most people present!
This only strengthened his resolve to keep Lü Yongchang in the physics department!
Physics and mathematics had always gone hand in hand!
Especially in modern physics, without a grounding in mathematics, one might not even understand the questions!
As time passed, increasingly senior professors began raising questions, and their inquiries began to cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Naturally, Lü Yongchang cleared every hurdle, answering each question flawlessly!
"Are there any more questions?"
Lü Yongchang picked up the bottle of mineral water he had brought before class and took a sip to moisten his dry throat before asking.
The classroom fell silent.
Lü Yongchang turned his gaze toward Tian Zhixuan and Jiang Yongxing, the two men with the authority to decide.
Clearly, however, both were still absorbed in the derivation covering the blackboard.
Tian Zhixuan's pupils contracted slightly, his face filled with disbelief, while Jiang Yongxing looked utterly stunned and excited!
The other professors wore even more varied expressions.
"Ahem!"
"Yongchang, head back to your dorm for now. We still need to discuss this carefully."
Recognizing the gravity of the situation from everyone's expressions, Guan Hualiang immediately told Lü Yongchang, "For the next few days... don't wander off. Stay on campus as much as possible!"
Lü Yongchang nodded lightly, turned, pushed open the classroom door, and left.
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