197: Sweet "burden" and the troubles of an "energy artist"

After easily "crushing" Elder Jingyun, the representative from the ancient and mysterious "Children of the Stars" society, Excellence's prestige and status within Homeland skyrocketed like a rocket to an unprecedented, almost unreachable new height. He was no longer just a "special specimen" needing protection and study, nor just a powerful and reliable "guardian." In the eyes of almost all Homeland members, he had become a living legend, a walking miracle, and a radiant totem symbolizing the infinite possibilities of Homeland's future. He was the well-deserved technical core and supreme authority, a heavyweight weight in determining Homeland's strategic direction, and more importantly, a deified idol and the ultimate goal for all young researchers and students.

This extreme surge in prestige was like the brightest spotlight, illuminating every detail of Excellence's life. It brought unparalleled glory and recognition, but also many "sweet burdens" that were unexpected and left him between laughter and tears.

Once upon a time, Excellence was like a sponge thirsty for knowledge, following behind Evelyn all day, blinking his big inquisitive eyes and asking endless questions, calling her "Sister Evelyn" this and that. Now, the situation had undergone a dramatic, earth-shattering reversal. He seemed to have become Homeland's most sought-after "academic star" and "life mentor" overnight. No matter where he went, he would immediately become the focus of everyone's gaze and the core around which actions revolved.

In the spacious and bright communal dining hall, he would just sit down in a relatively quiet corner with his tray, and before he could even pick up his spoon, a researcher would "happen" to sit at the adjacent table or "just" pass by him. With an expression mixing reverence and caution, they would weigh their words and tentatively ask: "Uh... Consultant Zhuo, sorry to disturb your meal, but I wonder if you have any high opinions or... unique insights on the Topological Constraint Boundary Conditions of Non-linear Quantum Energy Fields?" The questions were often obscure and difficult, and the questioner's eyes were filled with an expectation as if waiting for a "divine oracle." Excellence could usually only scarf down a few mouthfuls of food, struggling to swallow as he responded with a few sentences in the simplest way possible. As a result, the other party would treat his words like a precious treasure, thanking him repeatedly. Some would even pull out a notebook to record them, as if every casual word he spoke contained profound philosophy. The head chef, who used to worry about him not eating enough, was now even more excessive, piling food onto his tray enough for three people, constantly muttering, "Mental labor is the hardest! You must nourish yourself more!"

In the corridors or passages leading to various laboratories, he could hardly walk a single stretch smoothly. Every few steps, someone would respectfully stop him and hand over a portable data pad, the screen displaying complex charts or code: "Consultant Zhuo, I am terribly sorry to take up your precious time! Could you... could you take a quick glance at this Energy Sequence Simulation result in your busy schedule? We've been stuck on this convergence problem for three days and always feel something is wrong..." The earnestness and trust in their eyes made it hard for Excellence to refuse. He could only stop, browse quickly, and occasionally point out one or two obvious logical errors or parameter setting issues. The questioner would often realize the solution immediately and be moved to tears of gratitude, looking at him as if he were an immortal.

Even when he occasionally wanted to relax and wandered to the base's Greenhouse to smell the flowers and look at green plants to relieve visual fatigue, he would "run into" several young researchers pretending to be conducting "routine health scans" on plants with energy detectors. While clumsily fiddling with the instruments, they would secretly peek at him from the corners of their eyes. When caught, they would immediately turn red and stammer explanations: "Con... Consultant Zhuo! What a coincidence! We are... we are conducting a follow-up study on the energy conversion efficiency of photosynthesis!" The acting was so poor and the purpose so obvious that Excellence couldn't help but chuckle, yet he didn't have the heart to expose them.

The Art of Being "Deified": When Painting Becomes a "Sacred Miracle"

What made Excellence feel most amused and even somewhat helpless was his small hobby of "Energy Painting," which he had developed purely for personal interest and relaxation. Somehow, this hobby had been spread as something divine and miraculous. Within Homeland, it was given all sorts of high-sounding and jaw-dropping interpretations, as if it were some incredible high-level energy manipulation training method that "contained the ultimate truths of the universe."

Consequently, whenever he finished high-intensity research work and wanted to change his pace by casually manipulating energy in the lab to condense some cute little animals, beautiful scenery, or abstract patterns (which was as simple and relaxing for him as a normal person doodling), a large "observation and study group" would quickly surround him like mushrooms after rain. They would hold their breath with solemn expressions, their eyes as focused as if they were observing a high monk performing some sacred empowerment ritual, not even daring to breathe loudly for fear of disturbing the "master's" creative inspiration and energy flow.

And when he finally finished a piece—for example, a lifelike energy kitten rolling around and acting cute—and clapped his hands satisfied, ready to disperse the energy, the surroundings would first fall into an eerie silence. Then, a burst of suppressed, cautious applause would break out, as if afraid of disturbing something, followed by excited whispers one after another:

“My god! Did you see that? That stroke Consultant Zhuo used to outline the cat's whiskers! The energy output was so condensed and stable, without the slightest dissipation! This is clearly a manifestation of reaching the peak of control at the microscopic level of energy, a deep understanding of the principle of entropy increase and the implementation of local negentropy operations!”

“More than that! Look at the color transition in the cat's eyes! The gradient from emerald green to amber is incredibly rich in layers, and the energy frequency switching is smooth and natural! This is definitely an effect that can only be achieved by simulating quantum state transitions and tunneling effects! The master is giving us a lesson through art!”

“And the overall structure! It seems casual, but it actually conforms to the golden ratio. The energy field distribution is uniform and harmonious. This is definitely master-level composition and energy balancing ability! Quick! Did you record it? Go back and do a frame analysis!”

Hearing these increasingly ridiculous "professional interpretations," Excellence was often so embarrassed his toes could curl and dig out a three-bedroom apartment. Internally, he ranted wildly: "I really just think kittens are cute! What does this have to do with quantum tunneling?! How on earth are you seeing all this crap?!" But he had to maintain a polite yet awkward smile on his face, truly unable to bear breaking the beautiful fantasies of this group of lovely and fanatical "believers."

A Close Friend's Teasing and Warm Protection

Su Mu naturally wouldn't miss this perfect opportunity for teasing. She often intentionally squeezed into the crowd of onlookers, hands on her hips, and cheered in an exaggerated tone: "Oh my! Let's have a round of applause for Homeland's Chief Energy Art Master—Mr. Zhuo Da Vinci Erbes Excellence!" Then she would lean in and jokingly make various "unreasonable requests": "Master Zhuo, Great Giant! For the sake of our years of friendship, how about painting an energy self-portrait for the Class Monitor? My requirements aren't high; it just has to reflect my essence of being gentle, kind, and possessing both wisdom and beauty! It would be best if it had some dynamic effects, like wisdom shining in my eyes and every strand of hair flowing with the grace of confidence!"

Every time, Excellence was both annoyed and amused by her, giving her a huge eye-roll: "Class Monitor, spare me! Your requirements are harder to satisfy than using Energy Programming to achieve the Grand Unified Theory! Wisdom shining? I think it's the light of making trouble!" This kind of unreserved banter between the two often diluted much of the embarrassment and pressure brought by the excessive praise, allowing Excellence to instantly regain that relaxed and comfortable feeling.

As the chief scientist and an elder, Evelyn approached things more from a rational and managerial perspective. Although she was also frequently amazed by the exquisite energy control shown in Excellence's artistic creations, she was more aware of how excessive attention could interfere with his personal growth and research. She would privately remind the heads of various departments and project leaders to ask everyone to remain rational, not to over-interpret or deify Excellence's personal behavior, and especially not to occupy his precious rest and thinking time without reason, leaving him enough personal space and peace. She was like a wise guardian, carefully balancing Excellence's prestige with the growth environment he needed.

Seclusion to "Avoid the Wind" and the Power of a Role Model

To temporarily escape this ubiquitous, suffocating "spotlight" and to focus more on the deep research of the planet core and the star map, Excellence simply extended the time he "locked" himself in the star sea sandbox laboratory, calling it "seclusion to tackle key problems and seek breakthroughs." This was originally a temporary measure for him to get some peace, but it ended up being interpreted by the outside world as a new height. "Consultant Zhuo forgets to eat and sleep, focusing solely on scientific research; he is a model for our generation!" "Do you see? This is the example of a genius who works even harder than us!" His "seclusion" instead further stimulated the enthusiasm for learning and work among all Homeland members.

Interestingly, this almost fanatical atmosphere of personality cult, under the clever guidance of Evelyn and Wang Jianguo, actually indirectly and greatly promoted an excellent academic and research style of positive progress and diligent study throughout Homeland. Everyone took Excellence as their ultimate role model, sparking a wave of "competing, learning, catching up, helping, and surpassing" not only in the field of energy science but in every discipline and every post. The laboratory lights stayed on later, the voices discussing problems became more enthusiastic, and a collective atmosphere of healthy competition and common progress was formed.

Occasionally, when Excellence was in a great mood or had made significant research progress, he would use an extremely easy-to-understand and even humorous way to anonymously (though everyone could guess it was him) share some tips and tricks on fine energy manipulation or unique insights into common problems on Homeland's internal network forum (which he jokingly called "Zhuo's Rookie Entry Guide" or "Energy Programming Pitfall Avoidance Manual"). Every time such a post appeared, it would immediately trigger a download craze and heated discussions, with replies instantly forming a tall building. Fans treated them like treasures, exclaiming, "A master is a master; the perspective on problems is so unique! The explanation is so profound yet simple!" "So this bottleneck can be solved this way! I'm suddenly enlightened!" These small shares were like sweet dew, practically helping many researchers and further consolidating his image as "powerful yet approachable."

Sincere Message and an Unchanging Heart

Once, a young intern who had just arrived at Homeland, his face still carrying childishness and strong curiosity, finally mustered a lifetime's worth of courage to stop the hurrying Excellence in the corridor. His face turned bright red, and his voice stammered with nervousness: "Con... Consultant Zhuo! May... may I ask, how... how can we... become as amazing as you?" His eyes were filled with pure, unadulterated admiration and longing.

Excellence stopped and looked at this young man, who seemed to be a reflection of his former self (though the direction was completely different). He didn't brush him off or say any high-sounding platitudes. He thought seriously for a moment and then said very sincerely, "Don't follow me." Seeing the other person's stunned expression, he smiled and continued to explain, "Find a direction you are truly interested in, one that makes you forget to eat and sleep, and then dive in like a fool. Don't worry too much about others' opinions and evaluations. And, one very important thing," his tone became lighter, "don't forget to eat on time, ensure you get enough sleep, and..." He suddenly lowered his voice, with a hint of mischievous laughter, pointing at Su Mu who was passing by with her ears perked up, "...remember to roast the Class Monitor more when you have time. It helps keep the mind active and the mood pleasant."

“Excellence! You brat! Teasing me again! Stop right there!” Su Mu immediately "exploded," making a move to chase and hit him. Excellence laughed loudly and nimbly slipped away, leaving the intern who was completely bewildered and hadn't fully digested these words, along with others in the corridor who heard the remark and burst into good-natured laughter.

Great power and supreme prestige sometimes bring unexpected loneliness and pressure. Fortunately, by Excellence's side, there were always close friends like Su Mu who could let him drop all burdens and joke around easily, teachers like Evelyn who were rational and wise, silently supporting and guiding him, and more importantly, the harbor of Homeland which always gave him warmth, tolerance, and a sense of belonging. These precious emotional connections allowed him, even while standing at the peak under the gaze of thousands, to never lose himself in the praise and halo, always maintaining that original purity, focus, and slightly naughty sense of humor in his heart. This true nature, full of "human touch" beyond the deterrent of "dominance," was perhaps his most valuable and heart-touching quality.