Super God-Level Top Student
Chapter 896 - 338: All Young People with Dreams

Just as Luo Jiuwen was feeling anxious, less than an hour later, his email inbox notified him of new mail.

When he opened it, it turned out to be a reply from the Xilin Mathematics Research Institute.

The gist of the message was that his resume had passed the review process. It also included details for an offline written test, scheduled for September 10, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, it suggested he arrive at the Xilin Mathematics Research Institute building at least 30 minutes in advance for verification preparations.

The email helpfully outlined the necessary documents he needed to bring, such as an ID card, diploma...

Well, although the number 5,693 had just given him a little scare, it now seemed not so intimidating...

The issue, however, was that September 10th fell on an inconvenient date—not a weekend but the following Tuesday.

Just as Luo Jiuwen was contemplating how to ask his supervisor for a leave to fly to Xilin for the test, his phone suddenly rang.

"Hello, Professor Luo, hurry! Head to Room 302 in the School of Mathematics. There's a meeting starting now."

"A meeting? Director Chen, why the sudden meeting at the School of Mathematics today? What's it about?" Luo Jiuwen asked curiously.

"You don't know? Isn't the Xilin Research Institute hiring right now? Their written test period is scheduled for September 9 to September 13. Word has it that a dozen young professors from the School of Mathematics and the research center are taking leave during this period. You get what I'm saying, right?"

"What?!" The sentence from the other end of the line instantly stunned Luo Jiuwen.

He had just been wondering where those five or six thousand applications from math and physics PhDs had come from, and now everything made sense.

Turns out, everyone was playing the game of appearing loyal while secretly harboring ambitions elsewhere.

"So, this time all lecturers and researchers under 40 are being called to the meeting, to bring everyone back into line. Ugh, Xilin is going too far with this. How can they play like this? It's unsettling for everyone. Everyone's thinking of leaving. If they recruit all those people, how are other schools supposed to function normally? Right? But honestly, Xiao Luo, you've got your head on straight…"

Luo Jiuwen felt like Director Chen was targeting him specifically with these comments.

Damn it...

If he'd known earlier, he should've just acted more decisively. This indecisiveness had now put him on some moral high ground he didn't want to be on.

Then again, maybe this wasn't entirely his fault.

Who could've guessed his colleagues would be so tactically unscrupulous?!

"Um, Director Chen, isn't it understandable though? Everyone signed these publish-or-perish contracts. The pressure is pretty high. People always want to move up, right...?"

"Listen to yourself. Where's any place different nowadays? Isn't Yanbei University high enough? This platform is already here for you, so a little pressure is only natural. You think there's no pressure at Xilin? Let me tell you, I've heard that Xilin University of Technology is drafting contracts requiring even associate professors to sign 10-year publish-or-perish agreements. Alright, enough of that. Get yourself over to the meeting. I still have several people I need to notify."

With that, the other party hung up abruptly.

So ruthless.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on attitude. After hanging up, Luo Jiuwen didn't hurry to head over either.

After all, for these last-minute meeting announcements, arriving early only meant sitting there waiting for others. So, he stayed in his office and mulled things over for ten minutes before finally heading to the School of Mathematics' office area.

When he arrived at the meeting room that Director Chen had mentioned, sure enough, the lead organizers hadn't arrived yet.

There was no one on the platform, but more than twenty young lecturers were scattered among the seats below, grouped into small clusters and whispering to each other.

"Hey, Professor Luo, you're here too?"

While Luo Jiuwen was still trying to figure out who's who, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw that it was Xin Zhenyang, a colleague from the Mathematics Research Center. They weren't exactly close, considering the competitive nature of their relationship, and to be honest, Xin Zhenyang held the upper hand between them.

After all, this Xin was a prime example of a Yanbei insider. His undergraduate degree, master's, and even early PhD work were all done at Yanbei, before completing his doctorate as an exchange student at Lincoln University. Upon graduation, he secured a position at the Yanbei International Center for Mathematics Research.

Luo Jiuwen brushed aside the hand resting on his shoulder and said, "What professor? I'm not even close to that yet."

"You've definitely hit the mark this time. Last year, you came so close. Plus, didn't you just publish another paper in 'Transformation Groups' this year? If they don't promote you now, that's just absurd." Xin Zhenguo remarked with a dismissive expression.

'Transformation Groups,' while not on par with the four major mathematical journals, was still considered a top-tier publication in the field of mathematics, focusing on high-quality research related to Li groups, algebraic groups, transformation groups, and related geometric structures.

Indeed, Luo Jiuwen's primary research area was Li groups, which just so happened to be a field prioritized for recruitment at the Xilin Institute of Mathematics.

"Others might not know, but you know full well, right? Getting promoted to associate professor isn't just about the number of papers. Plus, last year I also landed the Qingke Foundation grant. As long as I wrap that up successfully, I'll be in a much better position than you," said Luo Jiuwen, clearly unimpressed.

"Hard to say... Hey, by the way, do you know what today's meeting is about? Did you... apply by any chance?" Xin Zhenyang asked suddenly, lowering his voice and looking a little sly.

Typically speaking, most mathematicians have their quirks, with generally introverted or reserved personalities. Simply put, they often kept to themselves.

But Xin Zhenyang was clearly an exception—a rare, cheerful, and outgoing mathematical prodigy.

Narrowing his eyes, Luo Jiuwen gave him a sidelong glance, uncertain why this guy was suddenly inquiring about such a sensitive matter. Reflexively, he replied, "What do you mean?"

"I mean... if you didn't apply, could you cover for me when the time comes? I want to give it a shot," said Xin Zhenyang candidly.