8

Professor White didn't see Thomas's message until he got back to his office: "What's the current distance showing on your end? I'm getting 3 meters here, and there's no Brit within a 3-meter radius of me."

Professor White had noticed Thomas's odd behavior in class. He curled his lips, imagining Thomas's expression when he received the message, and replied: "I'm free at noon today."

The screen showed that Thomas was typing.

Professor White put his phone aside. After a while, he checked again, but it still showed that Thomas was typing, and no new message had come through.

Half an hour later - Thomas was still typing.

Professor White suddenly burst out laughing. He laughed until he caught sight of the secretary outside the door, then returned to his usual expression and sat down at his desk to work.

An hour later, Thomas finally replied: "I think, um, let's forget about the meal."

Professor White replied: "Why?"

Thomas was typing.

After several minutes, Thomas: "I'm quite poor. I don't have money to treat you to a meal recently."

Thomas: "Really."

Thomas: "It's not that I don't want to eat with you."

Thomas: "It's mainly because I'm a poor student with no money."

Professor White replied: "I'll treat you."

Thomas was typing.

Twenty minutes later, Thomas was still typing.

Professor White didn't want to wait any longer and directly made a voice call.

After a while, the other end finally picked up, with a dry voice: "Um... Hello..."

Professor White said: "It's twelve o'clock. Let's go for a meal."

Thomas stammered: "I... um... I have something to do and went home..."

Professor White glanced at the current distance and said: "710 meters. Aren't you still at school?"

Thomas choked for a moment and quickly changed his words: "I said the wrong thing... I have a class..."

Professor White said: "What class?"

Thomas tentatively said: "Regelungstechnik..."

Professor White said: "Professor White's? That's on Tuesday, isn't it?"

Thomas: "..."

Professor White said: "Come over. I'll take you for a meal."

Thomas said: "Where... where to go..."

Professor White said: "You said you wanted to wait for me, don't know where to wait?"

Thomas said: "..."

Professor White chuckled and said: "Run over here."