The New Generation's Elite

"Zhang Manqian got into those old fellows' research team? How could she possibly get into a team like that?"

"Maybe it's because she ranked first in genetics!"

"Ranking first means nothing. It's not as if they haven't rejected plenty of people who ranked first on the written exam in past years. Besides, Zhang Manqian is only a second-year student. How could they even recruit a second-year?"

"It's not just Shengteng Academy this year. Canglan Academy did the same, and they even recruited first-years. Young Master Zuo, you..."

"What can I do? There's no point joining my own household's research team, and nobody will take me into theirs!"

In the villa district, Zuo Teng looked at the finalized lists of candidates for Shengteng and Canglan academies, his expression shifting despite himself.

The effect of speaking through his Lineage was limited to the younger generation; it was hard to exert control over the middle-aged and older generations.

The Zuo Household had taken a fancy to Zhang Manqian, and the younger generation showed them some deference, with no one getting in Young Master Zuo's way. But among the middle-aged and older generations, who actually had a say would care about some Zuo Teng?

"I've had my eye on her for so long, and you old bastards had to swoop in and snatch her away. This is infuriating!"

If Zhang Manqian had signed that contract, Zuo Teng would have had a say, and joining the research team would have done her no good.

Bound by all those terms and conditions, Zhang Manqian would have had to cooperate, and the old men in Shengteng Academy's research team would have had nothing to say about it.

But the problem was that Zhang Manqian had never signed.

Zuo Teng's step-by-step temptations and guidance had failed to lure