Chapter 4: A Battle for Talent?

"Dean Tian, hello!"

Lü Yongchang quickly stood up and greeted the elderly man.

Tian Zhixuan smiled and nodded, then turned his gaze back to the blackboard behind the podium.

The first half of the content, though it covered only the most basic knowledge of controlled nuclear fusion, still made Tian Zhixuan's eyes light up slightly. The use of diagrams and formulas was so precise and appropriate that, if this was self-taught, Lü Yongchang was undoubtedly a perfect candidate for scientific research!

Especially when Tian Zhixuan saw the derivation steps for the new material later on, his eyes shone even brighter!

Regardless of whether the results were correct, the derivation process itself was clean, clear, and possessed a unique beauty!

Enough said—this student was his now!

Tian Zhixuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he turned to Lü Yongchang with a smile.

"Lü… Lü Yongchang, right?"

Seeing Lü Yongchang nod, Tian Zhixuan continued, "How would you like to come study at our Materials Institute?"

"I can directly offer you a guaranteed spot in our graduate program!"

Lü Yongchang was momentarily stunned. "…???"

Was this… a case of someone being moved by a love for talent?

"Hey, hey, hey! Old Tian, you can't do this!"

Guan Hualiang instantly became anxious!

What was going on? How could he just start poaching like this?!

Tian Zhixuan clearly paid no attention to Guan Hualiang's words and continued smiling at Lü Yongchang. "Young Lü, I see you have a deep understanding of materials science. Did you teach yourself all this?"

Lü Yongchang instinctively glanced at Guan Hualiang beside him and nodded lightly. "Yes, I taught myself."

Tian Zhixuan's eyebrows shot up!

Wow! He had stumbled upon a true genius!

He quickly suppressed his excitement and spoke in a calm tone. "To reach this level through self-study is already quite impressive!"

"However… there are still a few minor flaws. How about this? Come study at our Materials Institute, and I'll guarantee you a spot as an Outstanding Young Scholar!"

Lü Yongchang looked at the elderly man in front of him, both amused and exasperated.

If he hadn't been reborn, he might have been completely swayed by this!

Outstanding Young Scholar? In his previous life, he had been the chief scientist of the Human Alliance. A mere Outstanding Young Scholar title held almost no appeal for him!

As for flaws… give him a break! This was the optimal material, proven through countless experiments!

However… as a sophomore undergraduate, Lü Yongchang naturally couldn't say that.

He deliberately showed a hint of hesitation in his eyes. "Dean Tian, perhaps… you should take a look at the molecular formula of this material first?"

Tian Zhixuan was slightly taken aback.

This was somewhat unexpected!

Based on past experience, after his combination of carrots and sticks, most young people would already be swayed!

Why… was this kid still focused on the conclusion?

"Old Tian! He's from my physics department!"

Guan Hualiang's face turned slightly red as he reiterated.

Tian Zhixuan shot Guan Hualiang an annoyed glance. "Alright, alright, what's with the 'physics department' and 'materials institute'? We're all part of Sandao University!"

"Professor Guan, as the dean of the Materials Institute, it's only natural for me to offer some benefits to talented individuals, don't you think?"

Guan Hualiang's expression froze instantly.

This was bad!

Tian Zhixuan was a dean, but Guan Hualiang wasn't!

"Bang!"

Just as the atmosphere was becoming awkward, the classroom door was pushed open with force!

"Old Tian! Are you saying my physics department has no talent?!"

A booming voice came from the doorway.

It was the voice of Jiang Yongxing, the dean of the Nuclear Physics Institute!

Guan Hualiang's eyes lit up with joy!

In contrast, Tian Zhixuan's face showed a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

Jiang Yongxing strode into the classroom and immediately turned his attention to the blackboard.

The moment he saw the content written on it, his eyes sparkled with amazement!

No wonder Old Tian was trying to poach this student!

If he let such a genius slip away, he'd probably be cursed by the professors in his department for the rest of his life!

"Student Lü Yongchang, right? I'm Jiang Yongxing, the dean of the Nuclear Physics Institute. Whatever Tian Zhixuan promised you, my physics department can offer the same!"

Lü Yongchang blinked a few times, his eyes filled with deep helplessness and confusion.

How… had the situation turned into this?

Wasn't this supposed to be a joint review by the professors?

How had it turned into a talent-grabbing contest?!

At the last moment, it was Professor Guan Hualiang who snapped back to reality first. He coughed lightly and steered the conversation back on track.

"Ahem! Dean Tian, Dean Jiang, perhaps we should take a look at the conclusion first?"

Jiang Yongxing's lips curled into a faint smile, and he nodded slowly. "Alright. Since Professor Guan has so much faith in Student Lü, let's see if there are any flaws in his derivation process."

Hearing this, Lü Yongchang breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, things were back on track.

…

Dozens of professors took their seats, pulling out paper and pens to verify the content Lü Yongchang had written on the blackboard.

Meanwhile, Lü Yongchang sat quietly in a chair nearby, waiting for the professors' questions.

"Student Lü, can you demonstrate how the third line of equations on the left was derived?"

A relatively young professor was the first to speak up.

Lü Yongchang nodded, stood up, and walked to the left side of the blackboard, locating the third line of equations.

"It's quite simple. We just need to apply a few transformations…"

As he spoke, Lü Yongchang picked up a pen and paper, and with a few quick strokes, the detailed derivation process was laid out.

The young professor's confusion instantly dissipated. He stood up and gave Lü Yongchang a slight bow. "Thank you."

Jiang Yongxing, seeing this, raised an eyebrow.

He hadn't noticed it before, but now it was clear—Lü Yongchang's mathematical skills were likely superior to most people in the room!

This only strengthened his resolve to keep Lü Yongchang in the physics department.

Physics and mathematics had always been inseparable!

Especially in modern physics, without a solid foundation in mathematics, one might not even understand the problems!

As time passed, the professors asking questions became more senior, and their inquiries grew more pointed.

Lü Yongchang, of course, handled each question flawlessly, answering every one with precision.

"Any more questions?"

Lü Yongchang picked up a bottle of water he had brought to class earlier, took a sip to moisten his dry throat, and asked.

The classroom fell silent.

Lü Yongchang turned his gaze to Tian Zhixuan and Jiang Yongxing, the ones with the authority to speak.

But clearly, the two were still immersed in the derivation steps on the blackboard.

Tian Zhixuan's pupils contracted slightly, his face filled with disbelief, while Jiang Yongxing's expression was one of shock and excitement!

As for the other professors, their expressions were even more varied.

"Ahem!"

"Yongchang, you can head back to your dorm for now. We need to discuss this further."

Guan Hualiang, sensing the gravity of the situation from everyone's expressions, quickly spoke up. "For the next few days… don't go anywhere. Stay on campus as much as possible!"

Lü Yongchang nodded lightly, turned around, and walked out of the classroom.

..............

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