"Ah? Who are you?" Luo Benyuan looked at the young man who suddenly walked out from the small yard, puzzled, and asked in return.
"My name is Lv Bei, um, you can think of me as the security staff of the institute, so who might you be?" Lv Bei asked politely.
Only because he had spent a long time at the institute did Luo Benyuan exude an easily recognizable scholarly aura, which allowed Lv Bei to maintain such politeness. Of course, it could also be that he had been influenced by the erudition of university life.
"Security staff?" Luo eyed Lv Bei suspiciously and wondered aloud, "The Mathematics Research Institute needs special security now? Alright, I am a professor at the school. My surname is Luo, Luo Benyuan, and I've come to see Professor Qiao."
"Oh, the professor who wants to join that algebra research team, right? No more milling around here, I'll take you up," Lv Bei said with a smile.
He enjoyed watching these professors trying to sneak a favor without wanting to seem too eager, quite amusing indeed.
"That's not it, you've got the wrong idea..."
Luo Benyuan was of course aware of the notorious examination incident and was about to clarify when Lv Bei, growing impatient, interrupted him, "Enough with the chatter, do you want to keep wandering around here, or shall I take you up to see Professor Qiao?"
"I... fine, I'll go with you," said Luo Benyuan, his face expressing annoyance.
He really couldn't stand Lv Bei's presumptuousness—acting as if he had seen right through him. But it didn't matter; once he met Qiao Ze, he would naturally be able to explain everything clearly.
Thus, following Lv Bei, he entered the research institute and went up to the third floor. Soon, through the office window, he saw the figure intently working in front of a computer.
To Luo's surprise, the legendary girlfriend of Qiao was also in the office, doing something on the other side.
This made him a bit vexed.
Ah, having a sincere conversation with the young people of today is truly difficult.
While Luo Benyuan was filled with complex emotions, Lv Bei had already knocked on the door.
"Come in," a crisp female voice responded.
Luo Benyuan followed Lv Bei into the office.
"Professor Qiao, this person says he's Professor Luo Benyuan from our Xilin University of Technology. He's been wandering outside for quite a while, wanting to find you but too embarrassed to approach. Seeing him so anxious, I simply brought him up," Lv Bei said nonchalantly as soon as he entered the room.
These words made Luo Benyuan blush to the tips of his ears.
Just as he was about to clarify his intentions in front of this brash man—which were not at all what he imagined—Qiao Ze suddenly looked up and over the bulk of the fellow, directly addressing him, "Oh, I know you."
Then, turning his head towards Su Mucheng, he said, "Chengzi, I need to discuss something with Professor Luo."
"Oh, okay. I was thinking of taking a walk anyway. Lv, are Ying and the others in your break room?"
"They are indeed. Come on, you can go with me," Lv Bei replied with a smile, and as he turned around, his gaze met the astonished eyes of Luo Benyuan. Seeing that half-smiling look, Professor Luo, already astounded by Qiao Ze's recognition of him, felt his frustration rise anew.
Immediately, he said, "That is, Professor Qiao, the reason I have come to you is actually..."
"You don't want to talk anymore?" Qiao Ze looked at Luo Benyuan with a hint of confusion.
"Ah?" As Luo saw the expression on Qiao Ze's face and noticed the young woman also pausing to look at him curiously—and recalling some rumors about the young person—he finally nodded stiffly and said, "Talk!"
There was no helping it; impatience disrupts great plans.
He had legitimate business with Qiao Ze, and after great difficulty in getting here, being sent away would be a huge loss.
As expected, upon hearing his answer, Qiao Ze then said to the girl named Su Mucheng, "You go with Lv."
Subconsciously, Luo looked back as Lv Bei led Su Mucheng away. He didn't know what Lv Bei had said to Su Mucheng, but seeing the girl laughing with her shoulders shaking, Luo felt as if he was about to cough up blood...
Could they be making fun of him?
Twisting around, Luo Benyuan looked at Qiao Ze indignantly and said, "Professor Qiao, I have come to discuss with you the deep-sea unmanned cluster project."
Qiao Ze nodded slightly and replied, "Or else what?"
"But just now, Mr. Lv seemed mistaken. He thought I was coming to you for a favor, wanting to join the superspiral algebra research team. Please explain this to him the next time you see him," Luo Benyuan said earnestly.
Then, he saw that the young man's expression seemed to grow confused, and sure enough, Qiao Ze asked, "Is that important?"
Compared to what he wanted to discuss with Qiao Ze, it didn't seem so important.
In that instant, he felt as if he had been dismissed by that single question.
"Sit," Qiao Ze said, pointing to the sofa next to him.
Luo Benyuan sat dejectedly on the sofa opposite Qiao Ze and then heard the young man's voice drifting over, "I've looked through the specifications of the first type of underwater unmanned smart navigator. To achieve a breakthrough from nothing to something is quite impressive."
Upon hearing this, Luo Benyuan instinctively replied, "That wasn't the work of one person; it was the team's effort."
Qiao Ze nodded and said, "I know."
"Err..." Alright then, Luo Benyuan steadied himself and began to understand Qiao Ze's conversational pace. Clearly, this young man was not one to exchange pleasantries with others.
"I also know you cast a dissenting vote against my proposal for the deep-sea unmanned cluster system," Qiao Ze stated calmly, putting forth a fact.
While Luo Benyuan had guessed that the news of his dissenting vote might reach Qiao Ze's ears, he hadn't expected it to happen so swiftly.