Study Monster Cultivation System
Chapter 261 - 260 Whatever the initial state, it will return to the same thermal equilibrium.

Ding dong——

Ding dong——

Soon after the doorbell was pressed, a man’s voice came from inside.

"Who is it?"

"Li Zheng."

"Lin Yujing."

"..."

The man fell silent for a moment and, without asking why, opened the door.

The hands of Li Zheng and Lin Yujing unconsciously let go of each other.

After all... it was indeed inappropriate.

When they met the man in the room for the first time, they both stared straight at each other.

Although they had heard each other’s names before and might have even seen each other at large events, such a close eye-to-eye encounter was a first for both.

The man was He Antang, with a pair of bewildered eyes and an unkempt mop of black hair, who didn’t quite look like someone involved in academia.

Yet he was indeed a bona fide professor at Ji University Physics College and also served as the chair of this term’s Competition Committee.

The position of Chair of the Competition Committee is an appointed role, serving a term of four years, and this year was his last term.

He Antang, too, had already had his ears filled countless times with the famous names of the two visitors; the most recent instance involved theory paper grading. He personally reviewed their papers twice and had signed the grading confirmation form himself.

Now, seeing them in the flesh, He Antang felt somewhat surreal—

They were too good-looking...

Yet he did not have the heart to say it, and avoiding their gaze, he stepped aside to open the door wider.

"Come in."

"It’s late, and we apologize for the disturbance, Teacher He."

After nodding in greeting, Li Zheng and Lin Yujing entered the room one after the other and sat down on the sofa as directed by He Antang.

He Antang was not in a hurry either; he casually took out two bottles of mineral water and handed them to them before seating himself opposite them, shaking his head with a wry smile, "This is about Huihu, isn’t it?"

After placing their mineral water down and nodding in confirmation, Li Zheng spoke, "I see you are still in formal wear; you must have just finished discussing, right?"

"Not just discussing; there was also score scavenging." He Antang rubbed his forehead and waved his hand, "They try to scavenge for everything. A completely incorrect answer, yet because one unit was written correctly, there’s a clamor to scavenge one point."

"Understood, you have really worked hard. We’ll try to take as little of your time as possible." Li Zheng took a deep breath, pulled out his smartphone, unlocked it, opened Yang Shaokui’s QQ Space, and then extended it towards He Antang, "You can just look directly."

He Antang unhesitantly took the smartphone and began scrolling through it.

The more he looked, the narrower his eyes squinted, and the deeper his frown became.

A couple of minutes later, He Antang asked with a tremor in his voice, "This... Yang Shaokui, is he a Huihu student?"

Li Zheng nodded and replied,"Confirmed. In some of the photos, other contest participants from their school are also visible; those persons have been verified as well. You can also verify with other teachers on the Competition Committee if needed."

"No need." He Antang looked up blankly at the ceiling, his body sinking slightly as he sighed deeply, "Ah..."

Even a seasoned Ji University professor like him felt a profound sense of helplessness at that moment.

Li Zheng and Lin Yujing exchanged a knowing look.

It appeared that Dr. Lin’s judgement was still correct.

The chairman of the Competition Committee was unaware.

This incident was likely just the actions of a very few individuals, and most likely, it involved just one member of the problem-setting team and the Huihu school authorities.

After remaining silent for a full two minutes, Li Zheng could no longer keep still and rose to his feet, returning the mineral water he had just received back to He Antang.

"Thank you…" He Antang managed a strained smile as he twisted open the bottle cap and took two big gulps before wiping his mouth and looking at them, "And thank you both for your trust in me and in the Competition Committee. May I take some time..."

"Of course," Li Zheng said as he stood up, "Then we’ll step outside for a while and come back after you’ve made your arrangements."

"No need for that." He Antang said, taking another large sip of water, and then stood up to pick up a contact sheet from beside the bed, and dialed a number from it.

"This is He Antang."

"Now, immediately, have Yang Shaokui delete his entire space."

"QQ Space."

"Don’t ask me, just look for yourself."

He Antang’s last remark was a bit heated, but he still hadn’t lost control to the point of swearing.

After hanging up the phone and settling back down, He Antang suddenly looked up, "Now, who else knows about this?"

Without hesitation, Li Zheng replied, "As far as I know, only the two of us."

"Hmm…" He Antang finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded heavily toward them, "Thank you very much. I sincerely appreciate it. Not only are you excellent in your studies, but you also possess a level of maturity beyond your years. If you had not already been admitted through direct entry, I would definitely have gone out of my way to recommend you both personally."

In He Antang’s eyes, the fact that the two had received this information and had not spread it impulsively, choosing instead to contact a Competition Committee teacher, was indeed a show of maturity.

However, if one were to think deeper, it was not difficult to see that even if they had been immature and simply acting out of self-interest, they would have made the same decision.

After all, they were the champions and runners-up.

People at the top had no reason to expect even the slightest disturbance.

But Li Zheng’s next action instantly shattered He Antang’s considerations.

In the room, Li Zheng stood up again, presenting a document with both hands.

"This is a petition for a re-examination signed by 178 candidates,"

"including 13 of the top 50 candidates, such as myself, Lin Yujing, and the third-placed Du Zicheng."

Faced with the thin piece of paper presented by Li Zheng, He Antang didn’t even think to reach out to take it.

Facing the stunned He Antang, Li Zheng maintained a slight bow, still holding out the paper with both hands.

"Teacher He, I am very aware that this method is naive and meaningless."

"But handing it to you is the trust these 178 people have in me."

"You can throw it into the shredder right now, and it’s okay, it’s also a form of protection for us."

He Antang then reluctantly took the petition, without a glance, folded it neatly, and stuffed it under the books on the bedside.

What a contradiction...

He felt a tremendous contradiction.

On one hand, Li Zheng and Lin Yujing trusted the teachers and the Competition Committee, hoping to preserve their results.

On the other hand, they were opposing all of the above.

"You might find it contradictory," said Li Zheng in a calm and composed manner, as if he could see through He Antang’s heart, "That’s because you are standing on our opposing side. Just like most of our peers and teachers, who are also standing opposite the Competition Committee."

He Antang paused, deep in thought, then sat back on the couch and gestured with his hand for Li Zheng to continue.

Li Zheng spoke calmly.

"The issue this time is not because of the Competition Committee, nor any of the candidates."

"It lies solely between a few individual teachers who leaked the exam questions and the Huihu Middle School authority."

"They are the ones we all have to confront."

"We, along with you and the Competition Committee, form a whole with a unified purpose and interests."

"We all desire fairer results and a brighter future for the competition."

"So please don’t think from the perspective of being against us."

"As for many students, they did subconsciously place themselves against the Competition Committee, expressing some irrational views."

"That’s why Lin Yujing and I stepped up, hoping to resolve this before it causes greater harm."

The room fell into silence once more.

He Antang realized that from the beginning, he hardly had any space to speak, nor was there a need to.

In the midst of the silence, He Antang took another big sip of mineral water.

"You’ve gone through a lot..." he said, twisting the cap, "Both of you, you’ve really gone through a lot."

Lin Yujing, who had been silent all this while, hummed in response just then.

In fact, Li Zheng hadn’t gone through much trouble.

It was the singular effort of Dr. Lin who foresaw 178 different futures.

Some jerk was merely a speaking tool.

In reality, 30 minutes before, they had already anticipated every reaction of He Antang.

From destroying evidence to praising the big picture view, to the subsequent contradictions in understanding Li Zheng’s actions, everything was a standard response for someone in this position.

Now, Lin Yujing quietly observed the shifts in He Antang’s expressions, no need to speculate, already certain of his thoughts—

[Since you’re asking for a reexamination, why submit the evidence for destruction?]

[There must be screenshots or other saved items, right?]

[That’s going to be tricky.]

[What if you publish it if I don’t agree?]

[Not good, not good, I need to calm the mood quickly.]

Indeed, He Antang soon made sense of the situation and nodded with pursed lips.

"As an individual, I agree with your views and understand your intentions."

"Tomorrow morning I will organize a meeting to discuss the reexamination matters."

"At the meeting, I will reveal the issue to a small group and invite representatives from Huihu Middle School to attend."

"As to whether a reexamination can take place, it’s not just up to me to decide."

"I won’t hide it; my role as the chair of the Competition Committee is a part-time appointment, more often a ceremonial position. Facing such a major event, a collective discussion is still required for a decision."

"All I can assure is that, as the nominal highest authority, I will push for a reexamination at the meeting."

"As for the outcome, I can’t make any promises."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yujing sighed.

The thinking of adults is so predictable.

No matter the initial state, it would all ultimately return to the same thermal equilibrium.

The higher the position and power, the more standard the ultimate equilibrium.

It could be said that here, whether it was He Antang, Li Antang, or Zhang San, they would all dutifully follow each of these steps.

"Hmm..." Lin Yujing felt that observing stars was more interesting.

Seeing Lin Yujing sigh, He Antang couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered, "Um...Lin Yujing, do you not believe me?"

"Hmm?" Lin Yujing also panicked.

What to do, how to explain this sigh?

Too many layers!

"Believe, believe, and completely understand," Li Zheng hurriedly took over the conversation. "It’s already very difficult for you to organize such an urgent meeting and to make this incident somewhat public."

"Ah...this thankless task...whoever does it is unlucky..." He Antang said as he scratched the hair at his temples, "Just look, I’ve worked in physics for so many years and had not a single gray hair, but in these past few days, they’ve sprouted rapidly."

"I’ve been wanting to say...your hair quality is really excessively good..."

"Hahaha." He Antang saw that the atmosphere had lightened and then stood up to see the guests out, "Alright, I thank you again, and no matter the result, I will keep you informed."

Li Zheng and Lin Yujing both stood politely but did not move.

"Teacher He, please have a seat."

He Antang shivered, sensing that things were not simple, "Ah? Is there...still more to discuss?"

"Please sit."

"..."

This time, He Antang was really on pins and needles.

Li Zheng was even calmer than before.

"Teacher He, based on our judgment,"

"Even if you organize a meeting, the hope of a reexamination is still very slim."

"I can imagine that Huihu Middle School has already prepared seven or eight kinds of excuses."

"And most of the participants would prefer to smooth things over and would not support a reexamination."

"And you, after all, are a professor from Ji University, it’s inconvenient for you to contradict most people. We completely understand."

"It’s okay, Lin Yujing and I have no identity."

"We can afford to be the dissenters."

"So we finally ask you, when you are at the meeting and think the hope of a reexamination is slim, to give us a signal to step in."

He Antang’s brows tightened upon hearing this.

All along, Li Zheng’s statements had been quite mature.

Why suddenly make such a childish request?

"Li Zheng...students are not allowed to attend such meetings," He Antang explained as kindly as possible, "Moreover, assuming you confront any teacher in person, from any angle, it would be a failure."

"But if we do not go, it would be a failure for everyone." Li Zheng nodded, "We won’t go empty-handed, like today, if it weren’t for Yang Shaokui’s information, how could you possibly talk with the two of us for so long?"

"..." The feeling of sitting on pins and needles was unbearable, and He Antang swallowed hard before asking, "Do...do you have other information?"

Li Zheng nodded in affirmation.

"Then...can I see it first?"

"Like just now, to have it deleted?"

"..."

This statement struck He Antang like a knife.

That initial reaction to destroy evidence...

It must have already disheartened these two students.

But it was just pletely subconscious...mature choice.

Any adult would have made the same choice.

"That’s the same saying, we completely understand you, Teacher He." Li Zheng finally stood up, again nodding politely, "We are not handing over all the information now only because we understand your identity and position. This is also a form of protection for you, to lessen your worries. You only need to signal us when the time is right to go to the conference room."

He Antang stared intently at Li Zheng, his voice trembling, "What if...I don’t?"

Li Zheng just smiled and did not answer.

This made him even more on pins and needles.

The only reason things had not blown up by now was that Li Zheng and Lin Yujing had not made public the information about Yang Shaokui.

If they had spread this, his room would have likely been smashed by now.

Not just the candidates and team leaders, but also hundreds of parents, hundreds of families who have fought for this.

Yet, Li Zheng had handed over such crucial information so easily and watched it being destroyed.

God knows what else he has in his hand, what kind of destructive power he still possesses.

"Li Zheng, Lin Yujing, I believe you both understand the logic, you know the consequences of reckless actions," He Antang asked seriously, "I just want to know, is it possible for you to stop? Apart from retaking the exam, is there any other way to make you stop?"

"Teacher He, why do you always assume we are on opposing sides? We both love physics, and we will surely be colleagues in the future, so why do you always think of us as enemies instead of facing those who truly cheat?"

He Antang initially wanted to say something about "the greater good."

But ultimately, he did not say it.

Because that was not an answer to Li Zheng’s problem.

Why, subconsciously, did he always oppose Li Zheng?

In the end, only one explanation remained.

It was instinct.

The instinct of an adult.

The instinct to protect oneself.

The instinct shaped by decades of societal conditioning.

The instinct to reject anything "unsettling."

Perhaps, decades ago, the young man who first stepped into the School of Physics might have had a different instinct, naturally siding with Li Zheng.

But nobody remains that young man from the past.

"I understand now," He Antang said somewhat blankly as he got up and grabbed his phone, "Send me the screenshots of Yang Shaokui’s profile as well."

...

As he was leaving, He Antang escorted him to the door, originally not intending to say anything further.

But he suddenly noticed many beads of sweat on Li Zheng’s face, and his hair was also wet.

That’s when he realized, he was still human.

He could still get nervous enough to sweat.

That he had managed to hold up till now without a single stammer was indeed not easy.

He Antang had come to an understanding then, patted Li Zheng.

"One last question," He Antang said with a plain smile, "you’ve already won the championship and runner-up, why on earth do you still do this?"

Lin Yujing turned around and smiled.

"Because we love physics~"

He Antang asked puzzled, "What… what does that have to do with loving physics?"

"Um…" Lin Yujing fiddled with her fingers and fell into a muddle too complex to articulate.

Li Zheng reluctantly helped explain, "If we can retake the exam this time, we will eventually prevent such leaks in the future, the competition will improve, and physics will presumably improve too; then, our future will be better as well."

"I see…" He Antang sighed deeply.

At this moment, he felt his own enlightenment was lacking.

Such a clear principle, and yet he, as the chairman of the Competition Committee, had never thought of it.

The reason was nothing else.

"But how can you be sure that your future will be better?" He Antang pulled out a tissue from the bar and gently wiped Li Zheng’s sweat, "If you insist on being present in tomorrow’s meeting room… I hope you understand, a significant number of those present, are precisely those who can decide your future."

"Pfft," Lin Yujing said disdainfully, "Are they going to stop me from using a telescope or what?"

"That… if you’re doing astronomy, that really won’t be good to affect…" After wiping, He Antang handed another tissue to Li Zheng, "How about you, Li Zheng, have you thought it through?"

"Ah? Thought what through?" Li Zheng took the tissue and asked blankly.

As the conversation ended, the tension in Li Zheng’s mind seemed to suddenly relax, and he became utterly at ease.

"Then let me clarify…" He Antang explained, "Don’t look at it as though you are now guaranteed admission, there are grad school, PhD, publishing papers, qualifying for titles, entering labs, even establishing labs, and so forth, countless matters ahead. If you upset certain seniors here, or an interest group, are you sure your future will be better?"

"Oh, that…" Li Zheng waved his hand, "They can’t affect anything, I’m solid."

"…" He Antang paused for a moment and then laughed, "Forget it, if things really can’t be helped, I’ll take you in. There’s still a lot of room to do work in electromagnetism."

Li Zheng twisted his face, struggling not to reject on the spot, "Thanks… thanks, Teacher, for your favor…"

"Our lab in electromagnetism is among the top five internationally. You seem very reluctant?"

"No… I’m very excited…" Li Zheng waved his hand, "Happy."

"Enough… you may go now…"

"Goodbye, Teacher!" Li Zheng’s eyes brightened, and he opened the door.

"You little rascal, now that’s what I call excitement!"

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