Chapter 57: Official Start

  "About last night, I'm really sorry!" No matter what, Zhang Yang always felt he owed Qiao Xier an explanation. Even though it wasn’t intentional, the fact that Qiao Xier couldn’t go home now was ultimately his fault. Qiao Xier glanced at him, smiled, shrugged, and replied, "That’s not like you. What’s there to apologize for? In the end, you let me win a Nobel Prize for free—unless you plan to make something new again."

  "Really?"

  "Really, as real as it gets—more real than the boobs on my chest..."

  "You had a boob job?"

  "Pfft, keep talking nonsense and I’ll slap you into a meat patty." The beautiful Qiao stomped down the stairs quickly. "Too bad you only called me last night. If you’d come to find me, maybe I would’ve been so touched I’d have given myself to you."

  "Ah... can I make up for it now?"

  Hearing that, Qiao Xier suddenly stopped, almost causing Zhang Yang to bump into her. She turned around, her beautiful eyes staring right at him like an old lady examining a hundred-yuan bill, studying him carefully. Just when Zhang Yang started feeling nervous, she suddenly smiled, revealing two rare dimples.

  "For real?"

  "For real!" Zhang Yang said with a serious face. Of course, he knew the more serious he looked, the less she might believe him, but his conscience told him he really did seem to like this girl a bit. "More real than your boobs."

  "Pfft, Zhang Yang, you’re such a flirt!" Qiao Xier turned her head away, speeding down the stairs. "If you dare like me, I’ll die to show you!"

  "Do you have to be so twisted? I like you, so why are you the one dying?"

  "You let Sister Feng think about you, and you’ll see who dies."

  Zhang Yang scratched his head. Damn, is my image in your mind really that tragic? On the same level as Sister Feng?

  Driving toward the nearby Targeted Drug Research Center took less than seven minutes by Zhang Yang’s estimation—about three or four kilometers.

  The Targeted Drug Research Center was located in the central area of Meining University’s branch campus. The buildings here had only recently been completed, and most of the students attending classes were freshmen or sophomores. In theory, not many people would recognize Qiao Xier.

  But the beautiful Qiao still put on her trench coat hood and sunglasses, acting like a secret agent, dragging Zhang Yang along sneakily into the Targeted Drug Research Center.

  The labs here were clearly much larger than those in the Molecular Cell Research Lab on the main campus. Through the transparent plastic-glass door, they could see dozens of white coats busily moving in and out.

  After two rounds of security checks, they finally reached the changing room at the lab entrance, changed clothes, went through the buffer zone, and underwent sterile procedures and UV sterilization. After nearly half an hour of fussing, they finally entered a separate sterile operation room.

  Academician Ding Pengshan, Academician Zheng Yuntai, two pretty young ladies, and a handsome guy with glasses were already waiting for them there. When they saw them, Academician Ding Pengshan had everyone stop what they were doing and introduced the people in the sterile room to Zhang Yang one by one.

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  The one with a ponytail like Qiao’s was Ye Xiaoru, PhD in Cell Biology. The slightly chubbier one with bangs was Tian Tian, PhD in Molecular Targeted Pharmacology. Both looked about four or five years older than Qiao Xier—around thirty. The handsome guy with glasses was Wu Hao, also a PhD in Targeted Pharmacology, around thirty-five or thirty-six. Just looking at his thick lenses, Zhang Yang could tell he was the same type as Liu Qing.

  From their looks, they were all pure researchers, each with eyes only for the things living inside sterile dishes—things invisible to the naked eye.

  But after Ding introduced Zhang Yang, the three of them immediately widened their eyes, staring at him like he was a national treasure panda. If Ding Pengshan and Zheng Yuntai weren’t present, they might’ve already pounced on him.

  "Zhang Yang, these four... okay, three." Ding Pengshan looked around. Apparently, aside from Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier, there were only three others.

  "These three—and one more who probably won’t come today—will officially join the ‘Dragonborn’ Project Research Team starting today. They’ll all be under your leadership. You can assign them tasks." He looked at Zhang Yang, thought for a moment, and added, "Don’t be embarrassed. In science, there’s no age gap. In a scientist’s eyes, there’s only right and wrong. Joyce is only three years older than you, but she’s already leading several research teams."

  Hearing that, Zhang Yang nodded. "Understood."

  Though it still felt weird—an undergrad leading three PhDs—it made sense after what Ding Pengshan said.

  "Senior sisters, senior brother, please take care of me from now on." Zhang Yang shook hands with each of them. But when it was Tian Tian’s turn, the sweet-looking girl deliberately asked, "Junior, do you have a girlfriend?"

  Qiao Xier’s face darkened as she cut in, "Ahem, Senior Sister Tian, this bastard’s already taken, don’t even think about it."

  "Oh, so he’s your boyfriend? Then I won’t dare make a move." Tian Tian said with a disappointed look.

  Zhang Yang was dumbfounded. Seriously, are IQ and EQ inversely proportional for women? She’s a PhD, and a beauty too—not as stunning as Qiao, but enough to shock a crowd at Meining University—yet she’s reduced to asking every guy if he has a girlfriend?

  "Tch, he’s not my boyfriend." The beautiful Qiao quickly clarified, glancing at Zhang Yang, then pouted. "His girlfriend, you probably know her—Xu Danlu from the Chemistry Department."

  "Oh, her! No wonder!" Tian Tian and Ye Xiaoru both said in realization.

  "But she’ll have a rival this time. If the little witch’s here, she won’t let him off easy." Tian Tian said reluctantly.

  "Who’s the little witch?" Zhang Yang could tell from their tone that Lulu’s reputation wasn’t great among them. But it wasn’t surprising—judging by her dress and behavior, no one would think well of her. If they knew she was still a virgin, their jaws would drop.

  "Little witch? Hehe." Tian Tian looked at Ye Xiaoru, then at Qiao Xier, laughing so hard she nearly bent over. "It’s that pretty girl surnamed Liu who dared to skip the first day. Junior, just a heads-up—be careful around her."

  "...You guys, this isn’t a dating show," Zheng Yuntai interrupted as the group’s conversation drifted to romance. "The schedule’s tight. One month from theory to practice is pushing it, but Zhang Yang’s theoretical support is detailed enough. From individual cell cultivation to supercell combination and gene suppression implantation—three major topics, ten days each. Normally, it’d take years. Since we agreed, we push hard. Anyway, get to work."

  With the academicians speaking, the five young researchers stuck out their tongues playfully and got busy.

  For Zhang Yang, lab work was clearly not his forte. His only advantage was theoretical contribution, while Qiao Xier excelled at both, which justified calling her a genius.

  To Zhang Yang, such research work was pure torture. After a whole day, he still had no clue, yet everyone else claimed things were progressing smoothly.

  Poor Zhang Yang—there wasn’t even a hair growing in the culture dish, and they called that progress? But seeing Ding Pengshan and Zheng Yuntai’s satisfied expressions, he didn’t dare say anything.

  At the same time, he realized how dull and tedious real scientific work was. People only saw the glory of success, not the sweat and countless sleepless nights behind it.

  "Tonight, Wu, Ye, and Tian stay to monitor progress..."

  Before leaving the lab, Ding Pengshan gave instructions, then looked at Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier. "And you two?"

  His tone implied they could take it easy, but showing up would be nice. Qiao glanced at Zhang Yang, about to speak, but Zhang Yang said first, "Tonight... uh, I have work."

  "Work?" Ding Pengshan froze mid-way through taking off his lab coat. Qiao Xier and the others were stunned.

  Seeing their shocked faces, Zhang Yang was confused. "What’s so strange? Of course I have to work. How else would I live?"

  "Ahem... not that. But you know, members of the ‘Dragonborn’ Project actually get a monthly stipend—not much, around twenty thousand yuan—but enough for living expenses." Ding Pengshan added, "Of course, not enough to support a celebrity."

  His tone implied, kid, didn’t we just transfer you fifty grand? You spent it that fast? Must be on some girl.

  But Zhang Yang didn’t care about the subtext—his mind was fixated on that twenty thousand stipend. Twenty thousand! Damn, that’s a fortune. Turns out research isn’t short on money.

  "Zhang Yang, you have a job? How come I didn’t know?" On the way back to the city, Qiao couldn’t help but ask.

  "Just found it. Didn’t have time to report to you yet."

  "Pfft." Qiao rolled her eyes at him, then asked again, unwilling to drop it, "What job? I’m free anyway—introduce me, I’ll work too, earn some extra cash."

  "Pfft..." Now Zhang Yang stared at her speechlessly. "Hotel waiter. No meals, no lodging. You in?"

  "I’ll tell everyone I know you." Qiao suddenly sped up.

  After a while, she turned back. "Wait, something feels off..."

  She widened her eyes, glaring at Zhang Yang. "You’re totally into that big-titted receptionist, aren’t you?"

  "Ahem... your imagination’s wild. Besides, she’s not a receptionist—she’s the administrative manager. Manager, you get it?" Zhang Yang pointed at her iPhone 5 on the car seat to change the topic. "It’s ringing. Want me to answer?"

  Zhang Yang noticed that Qiao Xier had switched from a white iPhone to a black one. Rich people, indeed.

  Qiao glanced at the caller ID and pouted. "Damn guy, it’s Professor Shangguan. You answer. He probably thinks I slept with you."

  She picked it up herself, said a few words, then hung up and tossed the iPhone aside. "Tomorrow the research team’s signing with some partner companies. We’re supposed to attend. It’s their big publicity opportunity."

  "Signing?" Zhang Yang frowned. Damn, he almost forgot about that. Professor Shangguan’s timing was uncanny.