Zhang Hongcai had unwittingly got himself drunk.
When he woke up, the sun was already slanting westward. He picked up his phone and saw that it was three fifty in the afternoon.
Thinking back, he felt that he hadn't drunk much at the beginning, as each time he was only asked to take a little sip, and the alcohol seemed pretty smooth and not very strong.
But the professors from Xilin University of Technology who came to host them today seemed to have terrifying capacities for alcohol: they were downing cups in one go, while he did in three, and by the end of the meal, he felt dizzy and parched.
Then he and two other professors were enthusiastically sent to the university guesthouse.
Principal Zheng had said he wanted to continue hosting in the evening, but Zhang had firmly declined.
He hadn't specially traveled from the Capital to Xilin to drink, especially since he hardly drank in usual times.
He sat up from the bed, then shook his head vigorously and grabbed a bottle of mineral water that was provided by the guesthouse. After downing it, he finally felt better. His thoughts began to clear up.
Damn it, are these guys doing this on purpose?
They're not some senior officials here to give benefits, so why are they being so hospitable?
Not to mention mathematicians—since when do they have good tolerance for alcohol?!
After a while, Zhang Hongcai didn't feel like staying in the guesthouse any longer and left the room.
From what he remembered, Qian Yuhai's room was right across from his, so Zhang Hongcai went straight there and rang the doorbell.
When the door opened, Zhang Hongcai was surprised to find that Lu Changzheng was also in Qian Yuhai's room.
Hmm, it looked like the two of them had sobered up earlier than him.
His poor tolerance for alcohol was indeed confirmed.
"Old Zhang, you awake?"
"Yeah, I drank too much at noon, I didn't think the liquor was strong," Zhang Hongcai nodded, a bit annoyed.
"Heh, I reckon they intentionally chose this kind of liquor. It didn't seem like much at the time, but it hits you afterward," Qian Yuhai replied with a laugh.
And that was indeed the truth.
Lu Changzheng curled his lips and said, "These people sure have lots of tricks. But this move was totally unnecessary. At first, I thought Old Zhang was making a mountain out of a molehill, but their overly-enthusiastic behavior has actually piqued my interest in Qiao Ze."
"Huff... Why don't we just go out for a walk? I'm afraid if we wait any longer, they'll want to take us drinking again in the evening," Zhang Hongcai said with a headache.
"They shouldn't right? They said that they've arranged a discussion meeting for tomorrow."
"Ah, I think Old Zhang has a point. These local folks do have a lot of schemes. It's good to get out for a bit. And actually, this is my first time in Xilin."
"Then let's go. Oh, I know a professor from Xinlin University who used to work at the Mathematics Research Institute in the Capital. Let's find a place to drink some tea, and then contact him to see if he's available. Maybe we can arrange to meet Qiao Ze for dinner and see if this kid is really as impressive as they say," Zhang Hongcai suddenly suggested.
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea!"
The two professors nodded in agreement.
"...Yes, mainly GPU-type AI servers. Recently we've had a higher demand for pre-training, requiring high-density, high-throughput computing power Enjoy reading on NovelHub - your free online novel platform. I'll send you the specific quote later tonight. Is this phone also your WeChat number?"
"After we hang up, I will add you on WeChat and send the quote there as well."
"Thank you for your trust and Enjoy reading on NovelHub - your free online novel platform. Goodbye."
Li Jian Gao hung up the phone and let out a sigh of relief.
The server affair was almost settled, and the salesperson had been very courteous.
But that was probably still mainly out of respect for the money involved.
Spending millions from his own pocket to rent computational power should make him a major client.
To ensure the purity of this project and prevent any future disputes, Li Jian Gao even decided not to use the university's internal supercomputing system to take on some of the work and save money.
It was a clear-cut decision.
After all, as a tenured professor, he wasn't even mentioned in the contract signed by Qiao Ze and Su Mucheng.
Of course, when it came to publishing papers later on, the university's name could still be included. That would be mutually beneficial.
But if this project truly succeeded, it would have nothing to do with the university.
However, before he could think about his next steps, his phone started to ring.
The caller was a bit surprising.
Li Jiangao had been at the university for many years, and it seemed this was the first time Zhao was calling him.
"Hello, Professor Zhao? How can I help you?"
"Li, here's the thing. A few friends who study mathematics are in town, and we happened to talk about Qiao Ze, so I thought it would be good for the kid to meet a few friends and show them the promising talent we have at the school."
After hearing Zhao Guangyao's words, Li Jian Gao was momentarily taken aback.
He quickly thought of the matter Xu Dajiang had mentioned to him the day before and couldn't help being surprised.
What a coincidence, right?
Li Jian Gao tentatively asked, "Professor Zhao, the friends you mentioned, wouldn't happen to be from the Capital, would they?"
"Ha ha, how did you guess? Yes, they're professors from the Yanbei International Mathematics Research Institute who have come for a research visit. They just found me for a tea and brought up the topic of the students they've been guiding recently. So I thought of Qiao Ze. By the way, you can bring Qiao Ze with you. We'll all have dinner together.
You're still young, and it never hurts to have more friends and connections."