Chapter 278 How about an academician? Let's do it this way.

However, after a brief moment of excitement and fantasy, the eyes of Jiang Jing quickly regained their clarity.

He carefully weighed the options, and in the end, he shook his head with a bitter smile, saying to the elder with immense regret:

"Thank you for such high regard. Honestly, the rank of Major General is too tempting for me; no man could refuse such a temptation."

He first affirmed the allure of this honor, then shifted the tone, "But, after thinking about it carefully, I think... forget it."

He explained, "I am used to being laid-back and prefer freedom."

"If I really joined the military and became a general, I would certainly have to follow the ironclad laws of the military, and every word and action would represent the image of the military."

"Then what would happen to the companies under my name? Would I still run Xingchen Technology? Would I still sell the beauty serum? Would I still continue 'friendly' commercial dealings with foreign friends?"

"I guess they would all have to be stopped or strictly limited, but I really cannot bear to give up these pleasures."

He spread his hands, his tone full of regret, "So, after much thought, I have to painfully decline your kindness. It is truly just my nature; I cannot handle such great constraints. I hope you do not find it laughable."

Honestly, this was when Jiang Jing truly felt it was a pity.

But there was no help for it; the level of enlightenment of Jiang Jing had not yet reached the point of abandoning worldly pleasures for this...

The elder looked at Jiang Jing, who was clearly moved but was struggling to refuse because he "could not bear to leave the colorful world," and he could feel that these words of Jiang Jing were equally heartfelt and without the slightest falsehood.

Commander Zhao Tieshan, who was standing to the side, was getting anxious!

Listening to the words of Jiang Jing, his eyes widened like copper bells, and he kept winking at Jiang Jing, his eyebrows practically flying off his face.

He was screaming wildly in his heart: 'Agree! You brat! That is a Major General! It took me so many years of risking my life to get there! Just nod! Who cares about some company!'

Unfortunately, Jiang Jing completely ignored his twitching eyes and looked at the elder with a calm gaze.

Seeing this, Commander Zhao Tieshan was so angry he nearly fainted, looking at him with a sense of frustration that Jiang Jing would not live up to his potential, as if what Jiang Jing had refused was not a military rank, but a piece of his own heart.

The elder smiled, indicating his understanding, and did not force the issue, "People have different aspirations and cannot be forced. Since your heart is not here, I will respect your choice."

After a moment of thought, he proposed another equally weighty plan.

"However, you have made such outstanding contributions to the country; if we do not grant you corresponding honors and treatment, it would be unreasonable in both sentiment and logic."

"Since you are unwilling to join the military, then... how about the title of Academician of the Academy of Sciences?"

"This status does not have so many disciplinary constraints; it is mainly a recognition of academic honor and social status. The benefits and treatment you would enjoy are also top-tier, and it would be more convenient for you to integrate resources for scientific research. What do you think?"

Hearing the word "Academician," the heart of Jiang Jing stirred again.

Looking at the gentle gaze of the elder, which was still seeking his opinion rather than giving a direct order, he could not help but feel moved by this respect.

He was certainly not someone who did not know what was good for him.

An Academician!

That was the highest honorary title in the academic world of Dragon Kingdom, a dream that countless scientists spent their entire lives pursuing.

The status was prestigious, and the treatment was generous.

And indeed, as the elder said, the constraints were relatively few, which perfectly fit his need for both status and freedom.

"Whatever you decide!" This time, Jiang Jing did not hesitate at all, a bright smile appearing on his face as he nodded readily.

"Good! Then it is settled!" Seeing Jiang Jing agree, the elder also showed a gratified smile and made the decision on the spot.

This meant that before long, the Dragon Kingdom Academy of Sciences would welcome one of the youngest, and perhaps most uniquely contributing, Academicians in history.

After chatting for a few more sentences and seeing the mountain of documents on the desk of the elder, Jiang Jing and Commander Zhao Tieshan tactfully stood up to take their leave.

The fact that the elder could spare so much time to talk to them face-to-face was enough to show the weight Jiang Jing held in his heart and the degree of importance he placed on him.

Back in the car, the atmosphere was completely different from when they arrived.

Commander Zhao Tieshan kept a straight face, not saying a word, and from time to time, he would cast an extremely resentful glance at Jiang Jing.

That look was as if Jiang Jing had done something to wrong him.

Jiang Jing felt uncomfortable being watched by him, so he had to awkwardly touch his nose and took the initiative to explain.

"Commander Zhao, please do not look at me like that... It is not that I do not want to, it is just my personality; I really cannot stand so many rules and regulations."

"The military is great, with strict discipline, and it is something to aspire to, but with my laid-back nature, if I went in, I am afraid I would only smear the reputation of the military, and then you would have an even bigger headache..."

Commander Zhao Tieshan certainly knew what kind of personality Jiang Jing had and understood that what he said made sense.

But thinking about such a national treasure-level scientist, a monster who had maxed out the tech tree, who clearly had a chance to be brought into his theater, only to watch him slip away...

That huge sense of loss and regret was just like the feeling of a cooked duck flying away.

If he could have poached Jiang Jing, the Central Theater Command would have had so much face among the major military regions in the future.

Wouldn't he have received project funding until his hands went soft?

Various black-tech equipment would be prioritized...

Just thinking about that scene, Commander Zhao Tieshan felt so good he was bubbling over, and he could walk with a spring in his step.

What a pity, what a pity!

This kid does not play by the rules!

He did not even want the General rank delivered to his doorstep!

He just had to stick to those lousy companies... and those women.

"Sigh..." Commander Zhao Tieshan sighed heavily, leaning back in his seat, feeling that life had lost a lot of its fun.

"You kid... really... are wasting a heavenly gift!"

Jiang Jing watched the extremely depressed appearance of Commander Zhao Tieshan and found it funny.

But he could only pretend not to see it and turned his head to admire the scenery of the Imperial Capital outside the window.

Jiang Jing returned to the hotel in a rather pleasant mood.

He rarely stood in front of the mirror to tidy himself up a bit.

He changed into casual yet stylish clothing, making him look tall and handsome, and the habitual mischievous smirk at the corner of his mouth added a touch of devil-may-care charm.

It was not that Jiang Jing was overly invested in this meeting, but he was simply in a good mood.

When he was ready and prepared to go out, Zhou Wanqin and Lin Hong, who were guarding outside the suite, habitually followed him and asked as a matter of routine: "Where are you going?"

Jiang Jing turned his head and said with a matter-of-fact smile, "On a date, did I not tell you? With that eldest daughter of the Liu family."

Zhou Wanqin and Lin Hong were stunned for a moment, then immediately realized.

Right, with the personality of this guy, after causing such a big stir yesterday, it was perfectly normal for him to turn around and go hit on girls today.

They both rolled their eyes at Jiang Jing in silence, did not say anything else, and just followed him silently, fulfilling their duty of protection.