Chapter 23: Chapter 23 This Robot Wants to Harm Me!
Editor: Henyee Translations
After reviewing the exams for half an hour, all three received high scores. Professor Wang Zhong became more and more satisfied with this young man, and the stern look on his face had long since disappeared.
Talented young individuals… Is that considered using connections?
That is what they deserve!
He asked kindly, “What was your undergraduate major?”
“Space Mechanical Engineering.”
“Why choose this major, what a waste!”
This major covers a bit of everything—biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanics—all in the name of better understanding the entire space industry. But everyone’s energy is ultimately limited, and learning everything often means learning nothing well. Few people truly master the subjects during their undergraduate years.
“A bright mind should study pure math; what’s the point in studying space machinery? Maintenance of spaceships can be done by others!”
Wang Zhong shook his head, sighed, and felt his idea was unrealistic.
There are only 500,000 people on the spaceship, and everyone must be put to use. Pure theoreticians can only be sustained by Earth Civilization.
He explained, “The research conditions on the spaceship are not great, and most people tend toward administrative work, maintaining the existing systems.”
“…Administrative work is indeed important but very time-consuming, suitable for a retired person like me. There are so many trivial matters to manage every day that I can’t even supervise PhD students anymore; I can only manage a few masters’…”
Xu Yunjing rolled her eyes, unsure what to say, making it seem like guiding a master’s student was easy. Perhaps, in the eyes of someone so exceptional, it indeed was simple.
“But even if the conditions on the spaceship are poor, research must be taken seriously. Humans, once they become lazy, find it hard to return to diligence,” Wang Zhong advised. “You must pay attention to this!”
Wang Zhong asked again, “Did you publish any good papers during your undergraduate years?”
Wang Zhong frowned, instinctively attributing the lack of good papers to Zhang Yuan’s unfit major.
Moreover, with just an undergraduate degree, it’s normal not to have particularly outstanding papers.
“It’s okay, you’re still young. As for a mentor, it still depends on your research direction. You must be cautious and deliberate.”
At nine in the evening, Zhang Yuan left the office, feeling delighted. Professor Wang Zhong promised to write him a recommendation letter. A recommendation letter can sometimes just be an extra touch of success, and sometimes very important.
“As long as your ability is sufficient, why worry about not finding a mentor?” He wasn’t concerned about this issue.
He also held a temporary student card in his pocket.
This meant he could temporarily stay at Xisha University for a few days and borrow books from the library for free.
At night, Xisha University was brightly lit, and even during the summer holiday, some students stayed to participate in summer camp activities. Competitions like mathematical modeling and robotics contests all had intensive training during the vacation.
Couples played joyfully on the beach, with waves rolling in, mixed with screams and cheers.
A seaside university is just this joyful.
After a while, the tide began to rise, and some patrolling robots blared warnings that the tide was coming and not to swim. If someone drowned again, it wouldn’t be the school’s fault.
Zhang Yuan suddenly remembered that he hadn’t had dinner yet and hurried toward the east gate.
The food stalls at the East Gate were extremely popular, and the strong aroma of seafood could be smelled from afar.
Zhang Yuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva. “One seafood stir-fried noodles and two skewers of grilled octopus.”
“Your order is confirmed, please wait.”
“Hey, hey, student, student!”
Turning around, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl stopped him.
Not surprising, since Xisha City was an international metropolis filled with foreigners. Over 35% of Xisha University’s students were recruited globally.
“Uh… What’s up?” Zhang Yuan asked, frowning.
“Did you meet Professor Wang Zhong? Prof. Wang!” Her fluent Xia language was quite rare.
Nowadays, intelligent translation systems are widespread, and all sorts of languages can be flexibly translated with just a smartphone, so few people are willing to spend the effort to learn other languages.
In Xia Country’s college entrance exams, English teaching had also become an elective subject rather than a compulsory one.
Zhang Yuan replied, “Yes, why?”
“Can you take me to see him? I’m Angelica, a reporter from the Lan Country Humanitarian Association, and I want to interview Professor Wang, the science advisor of the Deep Space Foundation…”
“What… Humanitarian Association?”
Hearing the words that followed, Zhang Yuan shivered all over.
He pretended not to have heard and continued walking on his own.
“Student, please help, I have some questions for him, really, please.”
Angelica grabbed him, her eyes sparkling.
“I’d like to interview him and also apply for an allocation of electricity aid for impoverished countries…”
Zhang Yuan thought about it and was still not inclined to get involved in such inexplicable matters.
Just thinking with his pinky, he knew the Foundation itself lacked money, and Professor Wang certainly didn’t want to see her. Plus, these Humanitarian Associations often had political entanglements, which were really annoying.
Some Western nations are still stuck in the dream of being traditional powers and always point fingers at Xia Country’s internal affairs and human rights, under the guise of freedom and democracy.
Please, the world has long since changed!
Zhang Yuan didn’t want to help and, in a flash of inspiration, said, “Sorry, we have different ideals, and I can’t help you. Because I’m a member of the Cat and Dog Protection Association, if you want to apply for rescue funds, we are competitors…”
The blonde beauty widened her eyes. “Cat and… Dog Protection Association?”
“Animal-Protection, you know?” Zhang Yuan pretended to be serious. “We should love animals, love them like we love ourselves. We shouldn’t eat animal meat and should eat more environmentally friendly synthetic meat and plants…”
The blonde beauty agreed, “So you’re also a benevolent person. Synthetic meat can indeed replace natural meat, and we can reduce slaughter in the future, and protect the environment…”
“Guest No. 719, your grilled octopus and seafood stir-fried noodles are packed.”
Zhang Yuan felt awkward inside and cursed at the damned robot for wanting to betray him!
The blonde girl looked at Zhang Yuan and the steaming grilled octopus with disdain, and her expression became strange.
Zhang Yuan blushed deeply, adopting a saintly expression, “Actually… my association mainly focuses on the Cat and Dog Protection Association, not eating cat meat and dog meat. I believe we should raise cats and dogs as our own children.”
“Cats and dogs under one year old should be placed in cradles, fed with milk powder, and receive the greatest care and love from humans!”
“Ah?!” The blonde reporter Angelica couldn’t help but shiver.
In that brief moment of being stunned, Zhang Yuan had already run far away.
It was only then she realized she had been teased, and she couldn’t help stomping her feet in anger, cursing in pure Xia language, “Jerk!”