Inside a third-rate college in Shangjing.
Ximen Feng had been worried for several days. It all started when his grandmother sent him a plant from their hometown.
He initially thought the old man was short-sighted and might be treating some rare plant as a treasure.
I wanted to eat it but didn't know how, so I sent the picture to his parents to ask for their advice.
Unexpectedly, his parents simply gave him the thing, saying that he studied at an agricultural college, and that experts were the ones who should be researching plants.
He was just a slacker, pursuing a master's degree at a third-rate college, but he couldn't openly admit it to his family.
Then I'll take a look. Maybe they know the answer. If not, I can ask the teacher.
As a result, ever since he got his hands on this plant, he has started to question the meaning of life.
It looks like lettuce, smells like lettuce, and botanically speaking, it is indeed lettuce.
But who has ever seen lettuce that can't be broken off even with a cleaver?
This dish was the hardest thing he had ever seen in his life, which made even this usually carefree guy start to have a passion for scientific research.
For no other reason than to tear off some vegetable peels, it's not about whether the vegetables are good or not; it's about his face and his dignity.
He'd even used a chainsaw, but it was still no use. If he hadn't called to confirm it himself, he would have really thought it was some jerk of a roommate playing a prank on him.
Using a chainsaw was his last resort, and at his wit's end, he had no choice but to seek help from his mentor.
Although the school was a third-rate school, his mentor was quite famous, Dong Yu, a well-known expert.
The greatest achievement was proposing a ban on farmers burning straw, which received widespread support.
Although Ximen Feng scoffed at this theory, thinking his mentor might have lost his mind, it was indeed accepted by many people.
He couldn't say anything then, since the stronger the teacher, the more competitive he would be when looking for a job.
Who cares? Even if one day he says he wants to eat rice noodle rolls with coffee, Ximen Feng will naturally support him without hesitation.
After stuffing the plant that looked like lettuce into his backpack, Ximen Feng headed to his mentor's office.
My supervisor is naturally very busy. He doesn't have much to do most of the time, and I might not see him even once a month.
This time, after much persuasion, I happened to run into my advisor, and it just so happened that I arrived at the right time.
He stood outside his advisor's office for a while, and just as he was waiting and waiting for someone to appear, a white sedan pulled up in front of the door, and a greasy middle-aged man got out of the car.
The man looked to be in his forties or fifties, and a female student who looked like a complete stranger got out of the car with him.
"Well, looks like I'm going to have another junior student getting a guaranteed admission."
Although he was very unhappy, he naturally couldn't say it out loud; he didn't want to be stuck for seven or eight years.
He turned away, pretending not to see, and stood facing the wall in contemplation, waiting at the door.
After waiting for a while, he felt someone tap his shoulder from behind.
Ximen Feng then turned around and saw that the person who had patted him was his mentor.
"You're that Ximen Qing, aren't you!"
The tutor looked him up and down, thought for a moment, and then uttered a name that made one break out in a cold sweat.
"Teacher, you can just call me Simon."
Ximen Feng was truly speechless. He only remembered two out of three words, so at least his tutor had some impression of him.
There's nothing we can do; there are just too few people with that surname. And his family isn't exactly a prominent clan either; it's simply because the older generation wasn't very cultured when they named their children.
In the early days of the People's Republic of Divine Land, when ID cards were introduced, many poor families didn't have official names. What could they do?
Just name it after something common around you. Some are called tree roots, some are called cutting boards, and some are called cow dung.
As for surnames, they were chosen quite casually. Most people named themselves Ximen or Dongcheng followed a common surname, but many also chose their own.
Sometimes a unique name is good; at least it makes a name unforgettable at first glance.
"Ximen, what's up? How's your research project going? The deadline's pretty tight."
Ximen Feng was willing to bet that this guy had absolutely no idea what his research topic was.
But it doesn't matter.
He quickly pointed to his schoolbag, and then said to Dong Yu
"Mentor, I've discovered a new plant, and I've been studying it for a while, but I haven't gotten anywhere with it. So I'd like to see what your insights are."
Dong Yu was naturally very unhappy. "Who are you? You want my help? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Mentor, this plant is 90% undiscovered. We could publish several papers about it!"
Dong Yu's eyes immediately lit up. Good heavens, a new plant!
The moment those three words were uttered, he could already see a lot of reputation falling on his head.
Putting everything else aside, publishing dozens of top-tier papers would be no problem at all.
"Good, good, not bad, let me see."
Ignoring her junior who was being left standing there, Dong Yu hurriedly opened the office door.
He immediately urged Ximen Feng to go inside, wanting to see what kind of plant it was, something so rare.
Ximen Feng followed behind him and closed the office door behind him.
After confirming that no one else was in the office, he quietly drew the curtains.
After doing all this, he took the strange lettuce out of his bag.
Dong Yu was naturally very unhappy when she first saw this plant.
Isn't this just lettuce? Is this kid crazy? Trying to fool himself with this stuff.
His face immediately fell.
Before he could get angry, Ximen Feng quickly revealed his discovery.
"Mentor, it looks like a simple dish, but it's completely different in nature!"
To prove his theory, Ximen Feng picked up the lettuce and started tearing it apart.
From his flushed face, which showed he was putting in all his effort, you could tell he was using every ounce of strength he had.
But the lettuce in his hand remained completely unharmed.
Dong Yu's face brightened, and he took the lettuce from Ximen Feng's hand.
In terms of feel, it does not resemble a common plant, and its flexibility is definitely not something that natural organisms can achieve.
He was somewhat suspicious that the plant was fake, man-made. But seeing how confidently Ximen Feng spoke, it didn't seem fake.
Hmm, it's still necessary to take a closer look. If it's fake, then just give him a 6-year suspension and then expel him.
If it's true, then I'll get an honor for free.
Either way, you're not at a loss.
"Alright, alright, I got it. You can leave the lettuce here. I'll let you know when I've finished my research and have the results."
Dong Yu grabbed the plant and didn't intend to give it back to him.
Ximen Feng certainly didn't want that attitude; he brought the gifts with the intention of seeking personal gain.
Seeing that Ximen Feng remained motionless and creaking, how could Dong Yu not understand this?
"Don't worry, if there are any results, you'll get one of the three credits."
Ximen Feng was overjoyed; wasn't this exactly what he wanted?
"Oh, by the way, that's your new junior at the door. Aren't you quite busy with your research? She's been following you around for now."
With such unexpected wealth, matters of women can wait.
"Okay, mentor, I'll get right to it."
That's great, that's great. With that from the teacher, I'm sure I can get my job.