Super God-Level Top Student
Chapter 897 - 338: All Young People with Dreams_2

"You're going to give it a shot?" Luo Jiuwen was instantly stunned.

After all, this guy was different from him—he's a born-and-bred Yanbei Faction member, and in old-fashioned terms, a textbook loyalist. And now, even he was thinking about heading to Xilin?

"Shh, keep your voice down." Xin Zhenyang glared at Luo Jiuwen.

Fortunately, the conference room was noisy, with everyone talking among themselves, and no one paid attention to the two whispering in the corner.

"What's gotten into you?" Luo Jiuwen lowered his voice to ask.

"What's gotten into me? Do you expect me to pass on such a golden opportunity?" Xin Zhenyang replied, looking at Luo Jiuwen as if the question was absurd.

"But your mentor is still at Yanbei. And isn't your youth research grant from last year still unfinished?" Luo Jiuwen couldn't resist reminding him.

"Yeah, but Zhang has also advised me to at least give it a try. Zhang promised to speak up for me regarding the grant as well."

Xin Zhenyang responded matter-of-factly and then explained, "Think about it: when it comes to the Yanbei Faction, isn't Xu the true and legit face of it? Back when he was raising a fuss about going to Xilin, do you remember how big the uproar was? So many people couldn't understand it then. But tell me, how many people don't get it now?"

At that moment, Luo Jiuwen felt like splitting apart. A sudden, absurd thought flashed in his mind: is there anyone in this world who doesn't want to head to Xilin?

Wonderful. Now it seemed like, aside from the administrative leaders of the academy and the research center, nearly everyone else was dreaming of making a dash to Xilin. How slim were the odds of success if even they wanted a piece of the action?

But then he remembered: Xilin had officially announced 600 spots. Yanbei was the strongest institution in Huaxia apart from their rival university, so their chances actually weren't too bad. Especially since they might be able to get connected with Xu Changshu for support there.

"No, seriously, Xin, are you dead serious about this? You're not like me—you've already settled down in Yanbei. What does your wife think about you heading to Xilin?"

"I called and discussed it with her; she's okay with it, and she might even come with me. Plus, Xilin's education system is pretty decent. If I actually get into the Xilin Mathematical Research Institute, our kid might have a shot at studying at Xilin's affiliated middle school, right? I've looked into it; Xilin's middle school is pretty strong too. Hey, how did we get so off-topic? Back to business—if the time comes, I won't ask for leave. Can you cover one of my classes for me? Anyway, if I go to Xilin, wouldn't that relieve some of the pressure on you?"

MMP!

Luo Jiuwen cursed inwardly, looking at Xin Zhenyang and feeling like his head had swelled to the size of a cauldron.

What kind of twisted fate was this, always having to compete with this guy no matter where they went?

"Have you ever considered that I might want to give it a shot too?"

"What? Luo, are you serious? Why would you want to go? You worked so hard to get into Yanbei… Isn't Yanbei great? Besides, your chances of getting promoted this year are so high!" Xin Zhenyang asked in astonishment.

Clearly, the two shared an unusual consensus—they both thought the other shouldn't want to leave Yanbei…

"You also said it's just 'high hopes.' Last year, my hopes were high too—but did I get promoted? Nope. And anyway, if you want to go, why wouldn't I?" Luo Jiuwen replied irritably.

The two stared at each other.

Xin Zhenyang blinked and asked, "Did you apply and get a written test invitation?"

"Yeah." Luo Jiuwen nodded.

"What's the date?"

"The 10th, 4 PM."

"Phew... Teacher's Day, huh? That's fine. Mine's on the 9th, 10 AM. Perfect—since the 8th is a Sunday, I'll head out on the 8th and come back on the 9th. How about you cover for me on the 9th, and I'll cover for you on the 10th?"

Luo Jiuwen gave it some thought and nodded. "Deal."

"Deal. Good luck!"

"Mm." Luo Jiuwen grunted in response, still finding the whole situation utterly absurd.

Just then, the two directors from the School of Mathematics and the research center walked into the conference room.

"Alright, everyone, please take your seats. The meeting is starting. I have another important meeting at three o'clock, so I'll keep this brief. First, the School of Mathematics has decided that from the 9th until the Mid-Autumn Festival break, which is the 14th, no young lecturers or associate professors under 40 are allowed to take leave.

If you have special circumstances, please list your reasons explicitly. Let me be direct: unless it's the death of an immediate family member, a marriage, or the birth of a child—don't even think about it; leave will certainly not be approved. Second, any young lecturers or professors with unfinished projects in hand—forget it. Until your projects are completed, you're not going anywhere!

That's the stance of the School of Mathematics. If you have any objections, come talk to me privately. I'll go attend my other meeting now, and I'll leave further details to Director Chen."

With that, the dean couldn't care less about the reactions of the stunned young academics in the room and strode off without looking back.

Leaving behind a roomful of dumbfounded faces...

Seriously?! Yanbei University's lost its sense of decency?!

...

Yanbei University was merely a microcosm of countless other institutions at this time.

In truth, the more prestigious the university, the more the management was left pulling their hair out. Everyone knew that joining Dou Dou's research system meant there was no room for slackers.

A research contribution metric that couldn't be tampered with was indeed enticing for young talents who believed in their own abilities.

As for those who thought they were hotshots but were, in reality, mediocre, the rigorous written and interview processes of the Xilin Mathematical Research Institute would eliminate them. The fact had been proven time and time again: Xilin's influence in foundational mathematics research was unmatched.

But this didn't mean that lesser universities could escape unscathed.

They already had a talent shortage. Now their top-tier researchers were trying to jump ship. If they actually succeeded, how could the institutions survive?

What could they do—abandon foundational disciplines like mathematics and physics altogether?

Nationally, siphoning off 600 lecturers and professors under the age of 40—who the hell could take that kind of blow?

The pressure ultimately landed on the powers in the Capital.

Being confrontational didn't seem to work too well, but someone still had to mediate.

At this moment, the bigwigs in the Capital were staring at the applications for Xilin's 600 salary-funded positions, scratching their heads...

Against the backdrop of austerity measures and shrinking budgets, a single research institute demanding 600 positions felt a bit excessive.

But then again, while a government-funded position came with subsidies, it was a mere drop in the ocean compared to the contributions of the person requesting those roles. Take, for example, a materials science model—it alone opened up markets in the trillions.

More importantly, it bolstered investor confidence in the country's infrastructure development. From a macro perspective, during Huaxia's crucial economic transition, it was like injecting a supercharged dose of confidence.

In fact, one could argue that in the global competition ahead, this single achievement had already guaranteed an unassailable edge.

It wasn't just about foreign trade; it was about seamlessly integrating the entire domestic economic cycle.

This was even evident in a recent luxury villa advertisement by a certain developer.

A crane fitted with a heavy-duty demolition hammer arrived in front of a villa and, within half an hour, reduced the structure to rubble.

Meanwhile, the same machinery, with the same demolition hammer, pounded against another villa built with new materials for two hours, yet the structure remained intact...

The final tagline was simple: "A true century-long legacy, guaranteed for a hundred years. Who could refuse?"

For now, products marketed towards the civilian sector were just the beginning, dependent on market trends.

The real focus was the gigantic list of public infrastructure projects submitted from across the country: dams, bridges, railways, highways, subway stations, schools, civil defense facilities, earthquake zone reconstruction plans... and more.

Most importantly, these proposals were ones that investors, both domestic and international, could get behind.

In essence, Qiao Ze had solved one of the nation's most pressing issues.

With that calculation, 600 positions seemed both justified and conservative.

"Approve it. Why not approve it? The whole nation's watching Xilin; this is the prototype for the future. If Xilin sets the example, the rest of the country won't lag behind. Once the central region takes off, it can even bring the western regions along. I think it's a great plan."

"But what about the complaints?"

"If you can't keep your own talent, stop whining. Figure it out yourselves! The contracts are contractual—just follow them. What's there to discuss?"

"That..."

"Alright, if it's truly impossible to manage, tell them this is a one-time exception, never to be repeated. Maybe after Xilin fills their slots, we can issue an announcement: no more young scholars gallivanting off with unfinished projects. Any better ideas? First, go appease Professor Qiao—otherwise, if he stirs up more trouble, who's heading to Xilin to clean up the mess?"

"..."

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