Chapter 783: 628 Unaffordable Lorentz Family, Uncle and Nephew Meet [1 Update]
“Hello, sir,” the receptionist said, startled, then frowned, “You wish to see the president, do you have an appointment?”
Her politeness tinged with aloofness, “If you don’t have an appointment, please make one, and then I can help arrange a time for you.”
The implication being that the president was very busy and not just anyone could meet with him.
Zuo Li looked at her, said nothing, and just walked inside.
The receptionist became anxious, “Sir, you can’t go in!”
But she couldn’t stop Zuo Li at all and could only start making a panicked call, “Security! Security!”
Before the security could respond, another voice spoke up.
“Professor Zuo, is it?” It was a young man, standing at the staircase, “Please come up, the president is in the office.”
Inside the president’s office.
The current president of the International Physics Center wasn’t originally a physicist.
He had once been a businessman.
But he was well-liked, so he was successfully elected president when the time came.
When a novice became the president of the International Physics Center, internal decay was inevitable.
“Professor Zuo, long time no see,” the president smiled, “Come, take a seat, I’ve just imported some fine tea from your Hua Country, have a cup.”
Zuo Li didn’t sit down but got straight to the point, “My student’s paper, you sold it to the Lorentz Family?”
The president’s hand paused, he looked up, “Yes, what about it?”
“What about it?” Zuo Li laughed angrily.
He stepped forward abruptly, grabbed the president’s collar, and slapped his face.
The president was both shocked and furious, “Zuo Li, have you gone mad! Do you still want to have a career in the physics community?!”
“How much money did you sell it for?” Zuo Li wasn’t placated, he scoffed, “You sold the paper and then deliberately published it in this month’s science journal, right?”
“It was all to clash with my student, to completely engulf her in a plagiarism scandal!”
“That’s the problem with you, Professor Zuo,” the president smirked slightly, “You insisted on submitting your student’s paper to the Celestial Body Institution Center in O Continent, what does that have to do with us? Did we force you to submit it?”
“The one who got your student into a plagiarism scandal was you with your unnecessary actions. I’d like to ask you, why are you so keen on cutting off your student’s path in scientific research?”
Zuo Li’s fingers trembled, “You really are shameless.”
He knew there was no point in continuing the conversation, and turned to leave.
“Professor Zuo, if not for yourself, consider your student,” the president’s cold voice came from behind him, “You should think it through, who in the world can afford to offend the Lorentz Family!”
Zuo Li left the president’s office without a word.
The president remained seated in his office chair, his gaze dark.
The door was pushed open once again.
It was the vice president.
“Mr. President, that man from Hua Country couldn’t really cause trouble, could he?” The vice president approached, frowning, “If he makes a big scene, it will also be troublesome for us.”
Every circle has its own grey areas, to some extent.
It doesn’t matter if it’s not spoken about.
But if it gets to the point where everyone knows, the International Physics Center would lose face and its impartiality would suffer.
“I’ve already told him to be a little self-aware,” the president said nonchalantly as he blew on his tea, “If things get blown out of proportion, watch if the Lorentz Family will let him and his student off the hook.”
“The Lorentz Family are the rulers of O Continent, and they have many ways to deal with him,”
Elizabeth Laurent was among the elite of O Continent’s aristocracy.
With the fall of the Pazzi Family, no other could contend with the Lorentz Family.
Choosing between an ISC champion, Ying Zijin, new to the world of scientific research, and the young miss of the Lorentz Family was a no-brainer.
“The president is far-sighted indeed,” the vice president finally smiled, “Giving a research newcomer’s paper to Miss Elizabeth both secured us three hundred million dollars in funding and earned us a favor with Miss Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth was just one paper away from establishing herself in the academic world.
They had helped look for a long time, of course, they couldn’t take those from the old professors.
Just then, Zuo Li brought Ying Zijin’s paper to them.
“Not just that,” the president shook his head, “You don’t know, Miss Elizabeth was marked by the Ruler of the Lorentz Family, who even arranged for her to join Professor Herwen’s laboratory.”
“We didn’t just sell a favor to Miss Elizabeth, but also to the Ruler of the Lorentz Family and Professor Herwen.”