Although a month had passed since Academician Tang Yunzhou’s lecture at Imperial Capital University, Wen Banxia still had a vivid memory of his appearance. During that class, she had sat in the very front row and could see him clearly.
Furthermore, she had once asked a question about a point she didn’t understand. In a hall packed with over a hundred people and even more crowding outside the doors, she had summoned the courage to speak up. It was the moment she felt she had been the boldest in her entire life.
She had assumed that someone of his prestige and status wouldn’t take the time to give her a detailed explanation, but she was wrong. Not only did Tang Yunzhou not dismiss her, but he also resolved her confusion with great care. From then on, Wen Banxia held a deep respect for this man, thinking she might never have the chance to meet him again.
Yet, only a month later, here he was. Not only was he present, but he was actually walking toward her. She couldn’t find the words to describe her current state of mind; she simply found herself unable to take another step forward.
If she had stubbornly believed Li Sang was lying or scamming her before, Wen Banxia now fully believed every word. As the distance between them closed, she spoke up excitedly, “Pr—Professor Tang…”
She addressed him tentatively, wanting to mention that she had met him before. To her surprise, an expression of astonishment appeared on Tang Yunzhou’s face as he looked at her with disbelief. “You look quite familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”
He seemed to be searching his memory. Seeing this, Wen Banxia hurriedly replied, “Yes! You gave a lecture at Imperial Capital University a month ago. I attended your class…” Her voice trailed off toward the end, as if she were afraid he would say he had no recollection of her.
Instead, a look of sudden realization dawned on Tang Yunzhou’s face. “I knew it! So I saw you back at the university. You’re Wen Banxia, aren’t you?”
Seeing that Tang Yunzhou actually remembered her name, Wen Banxia grew even more excited. Her eyes brightened, and her voice carried the joy one feels when being recognized by a respected elder. “Yes! My name is Wen Banxia. Professor Tang, it’s really you…”
Standing a short distance away with Jiang Taian, Li Sang watched the scene and commented, “I didn’t expect Old Tang to be such a good actor.”
Hearing this, Jiang Taian glanced at her, instantly understanding what she meant. He had wondered how Old Tang—who saw so many people every day that he might not even recognize his colleague Liu Chengyun after a long absence—could possibly remember a student he had seen once a month ago.
It turned out Li Sang was behind it.
Indeed, Li Sang had sent a message to Tang Yunzhou the moment they got into the van. To ensure they could keep Wen Banxia on the team, she was willing to use every trick in the book. Since Wen Banxia had met Tang Yunzhou before, having him personally intervene was the simplest solution.
Ordinarily, it would be impossible for Tang Yunzhou to see Li Sang’s messages so quickly. However, upon hearing that a new person was coming to his research lab, he had become agitated with excitement—and in that state, he had been glued to his phone waiting for updates. Consequently, he had replied almost instantly.
If Tang Yunzhou hadn’t been genuinely interested in the “unique traits” Li Sang had mentioned regarding Wen Banxia, he wouldn’t have been able to put on such a sincere performance.
“So, Professor Tang… was it really you who was looking for me?”
It wasn’t. But when Tang Yunzhou heard the question, he nodded decisively. “Yes, it was.”
Why wouldn’t it be? Of course it was!
“Why… were you looking for me? The lady from earlier said you thought I had great talent and planned to…”
Before Wen Banxia could finish, Tang Yunzhou cut in, “Correct. She didn’t lie to you. That was my intention. I believe you have excellent potential, and I want you to be my student. What do you think?” He then added, as if remembering something, “We’ve already sent word to your parents. You can ask for their opinion as well.”
The reason he gave Wen Banxia space to choose was that he knew she wouldn’t refuse.
Sure enough, before she could even nod in agreement, her phone rang. It wasn’t a loud, jarring ringtone, but the standard WeChat notification sound. Hearing it, Wen Banxia’s expression turned awkward. She hurriedly pulled out her phone and saw it was a call from her mother; she wasn’t sure if she should answer it in front of him.
Noticing her hesitation, Tang Yunzhou spoke up kindly, “It’s alright, go ahead and take it.” He even took a step back to give her some privacy—a very thoughtful gesture.
Watching from afar, Li Sang finally realized how Tang Yunzhou behaved toward people he favored. “Does he really like people like Wen Banxia that much?” she whispered to Jiang Taian.
The reply she got was: “He likes anyone who is ‘peculiar.'”
It was succinct and to the point. But the problem was… Wen Banxia wasn’t “peculiar” yet! She hoped Tang Yunzhou wouldn’t lose interest and neglect her later once the novelty wore off.
Wen Banxia’s call was brief, lasting less than two minutes. She hung up quickly, seemingly afraid of leaving a bad impression on the Professor. Had Li Sang known her thoughts, she would have advised her not to worry—once the later stages arrived, no one would care about impressions anymore.
Leaning against a table, Li Sang suddenly remembered something and asked, “Old Tang, where did you send Ji Lin?”
She had realized he was gone the moment she woke up this morning. While she knew whose handiwork it was, Ji Lin was nowhere to be found here.
“I took a vial of his blood, and then he volunteered to go help at the front line,” Tang Yunzhou replied.
“What? Which front line?” Li Sang asked. Was it already time to head to the front?
Tang Yunzhou thought for a moment. “To the place you first found—what was her name—the one with the ‘Space’ ability.” Because he didn’t care much about Xu Jiao, he hadn’t even bothered to remember her name.
“He went to Xu Jiao’s place?” Li Sang vaguely recalled receiving a call from Xu Jiao before she went to bed last night. It seemed like Xu Jiao was complaining about something. “Where is Xu Jiao right now?”
Li Sang directed this question at Jiang Taian. He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He hadn’t been overseeing Xu Jiao’s matters, so he wasn’t clear on her whereabouts.
“She’s in a major agricultural province,” a voice suddenly cut in.
A major agricultural province? The implication was crystal clear. The moment she heard that, Li Sang understood why Xu Jiao had been sent there.
Stockpiling grain. No matter how much food other places had, it couldn’t compare to the source of production.
“Then why did Ji Lin have to go?” The next second, Li Sang had her own answer. Naturally, they were short-handed over there.
Seeing that Li Sang had figured it out, Jiang Taian didn’t bother answering the question. Instead, he stared at Wen Banxia in the distance and asked, “So, are there any more people we need to find?”