74: Chapter 74 Borrowing People

Chen Youhua and a group of senior brothers and sisters from the laboratory reunited and gathered for a short while.

Afterward, he followed Professor Zhang to the office.

The office door closed gently, cutting off the noise of the laboratory outside, leaving only the low hum of the air conditioner.

Professor Zhang Zhenhua walked behind his desk, which was piled with literature and draft papers, sat down, and pointed to the chair opposite, gesturing for Chen Youhua to sit as well.

"Sit down, Youhua."

Professor Zhang's voice carried a complex sigh of emotion, his gaze scrutinizing the student before him like a searchlight.

Ever since those priceless instruments in the lab were carefully packed and hauled away by a group of solemn-faced, precise people, and subsequently replaced with a newer, more cutting-edge set of equipment...

Since then, he knew that this once-genius student, who had forgotten food and sleep at the biological experiment bench, had already soared to heights unreachable by ordinary people.

"I really didn't expect to see you here again."

He paused, his tone softening.

"How have you been lately... Is the pressure high?"

"I'm doing well, Teacher."

Chen Youhua sat down as told, his posture relaxed yet carrying a settled steadiness, quite different from the youth who was constantly pushing forward back then.

A sincere smile appeared on his face.

"I just missed you, and I also wanted to ask how your health is. Is the lab running smoothly? Any new research directions lately?"

Professor Zhang smiled, picked up the thermos on the desk, took a sip of tea, and answered evasively.

"My old bones are still sturdy, and the lab is doing okay, just following the routine. As for the projects..."

He gently put down the cup, his eyes carrying a hint of deeper meaning.

"Some things still have to follow the rules, you understand."

"I understand."

Chen Youhua nodded understandingly, without the slightest intention of pressing further.

He fell silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his words, before speaking with a trace of reminiscence.

"Actually... I didn't expect to reach this point today either. If I hadn't accidentally produced a major result that even I hadn't anticipated back then..."

He smiled, his words filled with memories and regret.

"I might still be following you now, soaking in centrifuges and PCR machines every day."

"Indeed!"

Professor Zhang let out a long, emotional sigh, leaning forward slightly. The gaze behind his lenses was full of scrutiny and an inexpressible complex emotion—pride, but also immense doubt and a faint, hard-to-detect sense of distance.

"Who would have thought? A student of mine, Zhang Zhenhua, a biology guy, would actually set off such a massive explosion in the field of information! That commotion even shook my little biology lab quite a bit."

He shook his head, as if trying to shake off this unbelievable fact.

"I thought you would be rooted in... well, those grander fields from then on."

Chen Youhua just smiled faintly and didn't pick up the topic.

He suddenly remembered something and carefully took out a dark gift box with extremely exquisite packaging and special material from the inconspicuous backpack at his feet.

The box wasn't large, but it exuded a heavy sense of weight. There were no flashy trademarks on it, only an extremely low-key logo embossed in the corner that carried a certain special charm.

"Teacher,"

Chen Youhua handed the box over with both hands, his tone carrying the respect a student should have.

"I came back in a hurry this time and didn't prepare much.

This was given to me by a few... well, seniors when I was in Kyoto.

I don't know much about these things, but I thought you might like it, so I brought it back for you."

Zhang Zhenhua was somewhat surprised and took it. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, with a cool and delicate touch.

When he saw the logo clearly, his pupils suddenly constricted!

His fingers subconsciously rubbed the embossing, and his heart skipped a beat uncontrollably!

He had spent decades struggling in the academic world; although not at the very top, his eye for things was definitely not poor.

The organization represented by this logo... that was a place where true national scholars gathered!

A place where even looking up required qualification!

The identity of the senior who gave this gift... one simply didn't dare to think too deeply about it!

Then, thinking back to the entourage at the door just now—silent as mountains, eyes sharp as hawks, standing so straight they looked less like security and more like elite guards... Professor Zhang felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!

He suddenly pushed the box back in front of Chen Youhua, his movements so fast they were almost unseemly, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible nervousness.

"Youhua! This... this thing is too precious! I can't accept it! Take it back quickly!"

His eyes were fixed on Chen Youhua, as if it weren't a gift but a hot potato.

"Teacher, you're being too formal."

Chen Youhua, however, seemed completely unconcerned and gently pushed the box back again, his face carrying a matter-of-fact calmness.

"No matter how precious something is, it's just an object.

Compared to back then, when you brought me into the lab, tirelessly explained topics to me, helped me secure resources, and even woke me up when I was stuck in a dead end... what do these things matter?"

His tone was sincere, carrying clear memories of past kindness.

"It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."

"No, no! This absolutely won't do!"

Professor Zhang waved his hands repeatedly, his attitude exceptionally firm, with fine beads of sweat even appearing on his forehead.

"This isn't according to the rules! It's too conspicuous! Youhua, don't get your teacher into trouble!"

The two of them went back and forth, refusing and pushing several times.

Professor Zhang only felt that the box was like a piece of red-hot iron; he couldn't take it, and he couldn't leave it.

Looking at his teacher's nervous state, Chen Youhua suddenly found it a bit funny and also a bit helpless.

He simply stood up, picked up the box, walked directly around the desk, and without allowing any argument, stuffed it into the drawer under Professor Zhang's desk, closing the drawer as he did so!

The movement was crisp and neat, carrying an unquestionable assertiveness.

"Teacher, just keep it with peace of mind."

He stood up straight, his face still wearing that gentle expression, but his tone rarely revealed a calm, almost disdainful confidence.

"Don't worry, no one will gossip. If anyone dares to say a single word about you..."

He paused, the corners of his mouth curling into an extremely faint arc that made Professor Zhang's heart shiver.

"Tell them to come find me, Chen Youhua, directly."

Zhang Zhenhua was completely stunned.

He looked at the familiar yet strange student before him.

It was still that handsome face, the eyes still clear, but that composure and the powerful self-confidence and... sense of authority inadvertently revealed in his words?

This was something the past Chen Youhua, whose mind was only on experimental data, had never possessed.

It was as if he realized for the first time that this former student had already reached heights he couldn't imagine.

Professor Zhang opened his mouth, but it finally turned into a long sigh.

He nodded as if resigned to fate, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the drawer, and gave a bitter smile.

"Alright... you child, now that your abilities have grown, you don't even listen to your teacher anymore."

He waved his hand, trying to dispel that invisible pressure, and said half-jokingly.

"Then your grand visit this time surely isn't just to deliver a gift, is it?

Tell me, is there anything this old man can do for you?

Let's get this straight first: I won't do anything illegal or against academic ethics!"

Chen Youhua was amused by his teacher's joke and sat back in his chair; the atmosphere lightened considerably.

"Teacher, you're joking. But... there really is something I'd like to ask for your help with."

He leaned forward slightly, with the serious posture of a student consulting a teacher.

"I'm planning to stay at Z University for a while this time to start a new project in the field of biology.

So... I want to borrow a few people from you."

"Borrow people?"

Professor Zhang looked bewildered, thinking he had misheard.

"You? Back to biology? And at Z University?"

He pointed out the window.

"With your current position... can the people in this small temple of mine still meet your standards?"

"Teacher, look at what you're saying,"

Chen Youhua immediately switched to a sincere tone with a bit of a pleasing edge.

"It's better to use familiar faces than strangers! Working with people you know means better chemistry and higher efficiency.

Don't worry, I'll be in the Z University Biology Building. When the time comes, our two labs can communicate more and share resources; it will definitely benefit your side as well!"

"No, no, no! Stop! Definitely don't!"

As soon as Professor Zhang heard about being involved again, he immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, waving his hands repeatedly, his face written all over with lingering fear.

"Last time I let you do an experiment in the lab, my lab was almost emptied out! If it happens again, these old bones of mine won't be able to handle the stress!"

He complained half-seriously, but the nervousness in his eyes was gone, replaced by a bit of an elder's indulgence and helplessness.

"Alright, alright, stop trying to sweet-talk me.

Tell me, who have you set your sights on? Wang Zhe? Li Wei? Or someone else? As long as they're willing themselves, I have no problem with it. However..."

He emphasized specifically.

"You handle the procedures with the university yourself!

With your current influence, handling this little matter should be much more effective than an old man like me speaking up, right?"

Hearing this, a smile of relief mixed with a bit of cunning blossomed on Chen Youhua's face. He leaned back and said easily,

"Consider it done!"