3: Chapter 3 What are you going to do?!

Xia Academy of Sciences?

The youngest Distinguished Young Researcher in history?

The warm smile on Lin Jixian's face, which looked as if everything was under control, stiffened for a visible moment.

What kind of place was the Xia Academy of Sciences?

It was the temple of the Xia scientific community, a gate that countless top minds might not be able to knock open even after a lifetime of painstaking study.

Among those who could hold an official title there, which one didn't start with a doctorate?

Which one hadn't delved deep into their respective fields for years, with a body of work as tall as themselves, just to barely reach the threshold?

As for the Distinguished Young Researcher position Lin Yuan mentioned, it was a fast track reserved for the monsters among monsters, the geniuses among geniuses.

According to what he knew, the current record holder for the youngest was an extraordinary talent who had earned dual doctorates at the age of twenty-seven.

And Lin Yuan...

Before coming here, Lin Jixian had studied his resume over and over at least ten times.

Jiuzhou University.

Undergraduate.

Not yet graduated.

With this resume, let alone a Distinguished Researcher, even wanting to get in as an intern serving tea and water would require fighting through a crowd and passing layers of rigorous screening.

Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Jixian's mind, but he was, after all, someone who had followed Elder Long for a long time. In the blink of an eye, his facial muscles relaxed again, returning to that seamless smoothness.

“Brother, this idea of yours... is quite bold.”

He sat up straight, his fingers lightly tapping on the sofa's armrest, mentally calculating the difficulty of this matter.

“Those old scholars at the Xia Academy of Sciences value seniority and rules very much. With your status as an undergraduate, trying to reach the top in one step would likely stir up a hornet's nest.”

Lin Yuan just smiled faintly and didn't respond.

He naturally knew how difficult this was; it could even be called a fantasy.

But what he wanted was the explosive impact brought by this 'fantasy'.

An undergraduate student who hadn't graduated yet being promoted exceptionally as the youngest researcher in the history of the Xia Academy of Sciences.

This news itself was a massive gimmick, enough to attract countless eyes.

This was the first cornerstone for building his own stage.

Seeing Lin Yuan's calm and unruffled appearance, Lin Jixian suddenly smiled too.

He remembered the highest instruction issued by Elder Long—

Unconditional cooperation.

Yes, unconditional.

Since it was unconditional, what did the so-called “rules” matter?

Rules, after all, were meant to be trampled underfoot by certain special people.

Thinking of this, Lin Jixian felt more confident, and the smile on his face became a bit more sincere.

“However, difficulty is what makes this matter significant.”

His tone shifted, becoming relaxed.

“Don't worry, brother. Leave this matter to me.”

Lin Yuan saw the moment of difficulty the other party had just experienced and naturally knew that the difficulty of this matter was by no means as simple as being “significant.”

He stood up and said sincerely to Lin Jixian:

“Brother Lin, then I'll leave it to you.”

“Hey, look at what you're saying. Aren't we being too formal?”

Lin Jixian waved his hand with a smile and also stood up.

“This was originally the task Elder Long assigned to me.”

“I wonder if you have anything else, brother? If not, I'll start working on making this happen for you right now.”

“Nothing else.”

Lin Yuan shook his head.

“Just this one thing for now.”

“Good, then you can just wait for my good news.”

After Lin Jixian finished speaking, he didn't dawdle at all, turned around, said his goodbyes, and left the room.

...

The next morning.

Just as Lin Yuan finished washing up, the red landline by the bed rang.

He picked up the phone.

“Brother, are you awake?”

Lin Jixian's smiling voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding very lighthearted.

“I'm awake, Brother Lin.”

“If it's convenient, come to the lounge from yesterday. I have something for you.”

“Okay.”

Lin Yuan hung up the phone and left the room without any rush.

When he arrived at the guest lounge, Lin Jixian was already sitting there quietly. On the table in front of him lay a sealed kraft paper document envelope.

Seeing Lin Yuan enter, Lin Jixian stood up, picked up the document envelope, and handed it over.

“I have not failed my mission.”

“Brother, take a look!”

Lin Yuan took the document envelope and could feel the thickness of the documents inside.

He opened the envelope and pulled out a neatly bound document.

The top page was actually a gold-stamped appointment letter.

[Letter of Appointment]

Mr. Lin Yuan is hereby appointed as a Distinguished Young Researcher of our academy.

The signature consisted of three characters.

—Xia Academy of Sciences.

The bright red seal was like a ball of burning fire, branded onto the paper.

“So fast?”

Lin Yuan looked up at Lin Jixian. Even though he had expected it, this speed still surprised him.

From the time he made the request to the time the appointment letter was delivered to his hand, it hadn't even been twelve hours.

Is this the efficiency of the state machinery?

Hearing this, the corner of Lin Jixian's mouth also twitched unnaturally.

“Fast?”

He was also shocked by this speed.

According to the normal process, even with Elder Long's name backing it, for him to coordinate and clear the way, it wouldn't have happened in less than three to five days.

But after he left yesterday, he had only given a brief report of Lin Yuan's request to Elder Long.

As a result, after Elder Long heard it, he picked up the red phone on the desk in front of him and dialed the Xia Academy of Sciences.

During the entire process, Elder Long only said a few words.

After he put down the phone, everything was settled.

At that moment, standing nearby, Lin Jixian only felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He finally deeply understood the true meaning of the five words “unconditional cooperation.”

It was also from that moment on that he abruptly raised Lin Yuan's importance in his mind by several levels.

“Elder Long is very concerned about this matter.”

Lin Jixian didn't explain further, just leaving it at that.

“The Xia Academy of Sciences didn't dare to ignore it, so the efficiency was naturally extraordinary.”

Subsequently, he steered the conversation back on track: “The appointment letter from the Xia Academy of Sciences is in your hands. You can go and report there in the next few days.”

“However, I must remind you that that place is packed with geniuses and values seniority the most. Your title of ‘youngest in history’ will most likely make you a focal point for others.”

Lin Jixian looked at Lin Yuan with a bit more scrutiny and anticipation in his gaze.

He was truly curious about what kind of storm this young man, who was so exceptionally valued by Elder Long, could stir up after being dropped into the center of that whirlpool.

“The water there is deep, and the relationships are intricate. If you need anything, just speak up. Don't be polite with me.”

Lin Yuan carefully put the appointment letter back into the document envelope.

He looked up at Lin Jixian and smiled.

“Brother Lin, I naturally won't be polite with you.”

“Since the appointment letter has come through, I'd like to ask you to help me push forward another matter.”

“Oh?”

Lin Jixian perked up. “Go ahead.”

He was already prepared to do his best to accomplish whatever request Lin Yuan made, no matter how ridiculous it was.

Lin Yuan looked at Lin Jixian and said clearly, word for word:

“I hope you can help use national-level publicity channels, Brother Lin.”

“To announce the news that I, Lin Yuan, an undergraduate student who hasn't graduated yet, have been exceptionally hired as the youngest Distinguished Researcher in the history of the Xia Academy of Sciences...”

His voice paused, and a light called “ambition” flickered in his eyes.

“...far and wide!”

“I want everyone in the Xia Kingdom—no, even everyone in the world who follows the Xia Kingdom's technology—to hear my name!”