Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Cheng Wenru only knew that Master Wei was Qin Ran’s teacher and had naturally thought of him.

She had attended Master Wei’s apprenticeship banquet and had exchanged a few words with him.

They were considered acquaintances.

But since Qin Ran said it wasn’t him, she was too embarrassed to invite her to dinner with her teacher. She glanced at her and asked, “You’re going alone?”

Qin Ran’s eyes were cold as ice, and she turned to look at her before vaguely saying, “You can also…”

“Forget it. I don’t want to upset your teacher.” Cheng Wenru waved her hand and faintly smiled.

It would be rude if she went so rashly. Cheng Wenru had learned etiquette well since young and didn’t follow Qin Ran.

If she went without being invited, Qin Ran’s teacher might be unhappy.

Holding a teacup, she watched Qin Ran go upstairs to change her clothes. After she disappeared on the stairway, she turned to look at Cheng Juan, who was going to the kitchen to pour water. “Are you going too?”

“Yes,” Cheng Juan poured out two glasses of water, put one on the coffee table, took one for himself, and then casually replied.

“Then, what kind of teacher is this?” Cheng Wenru held the table in her hands, her keen and deep eyes thoughtful.

After the contest between Master Wei and the two major departments of Beijing University, Cheng Wenru felt like she wouldn’t be surprised even if Qin Ran’s teacher was the highly reputed “Master Jiang” in Beijing.

Without looking up, Cheng Juan just lightly said in an audibly cold voice, “She’s only showing respect by calling him a teacher.”

Cheng Wenru: “?”

“After all, he hasn’t succeeded in taking the position.” Cheng Juan casually put down the porcelain cup.

Cheng Wenru was speechless.

It sounded a little miserable.

Inexplicably, she sympathized with this unqualified teacher of Qin Ran’s.

Not long after, Qin Ran came downstairs with a coat. Cheng Wenru checked the time and went downstairs with them without staying for dinner.

“If you become an apprentice, are you holding an apprenticeship banquet?” Cheng Wenru asked Qin Ran with her arms folded, smiling casually.

If the teacher to be worshipped was a master in his field, and his apprentices had received much attention from society, such apprenticeship was a rigorous process. It was the teacher showing his students’ importance, or it wouldn’t be recognized by the industry.

If it was just an ordinary teacher, few people would hold an apprenticeship banquet.

Cheng Wenru only casually asked and didn’t really expect her to hold one.

Reaching out to pull her collar, Qin Ran paused with her fingers on her collar, lowered her head, and remained silent.

Ding—

The elevator reached the garage.

Cheng Wenru followed Qin Ran out, and Cheng Juan walked behind them.

“I heard Cheng Jin mention your mid-term exam. It seems like you did well.” Cheng Wenru thought of this and slowly walked beside her. “Did the Dean of your department inform you about the laboratory?”

“… Yes.” Pursing her lips, Qin Ran circled the big silver button in the middle of her coat with her white fingertips. The pattern on the button was vivid and beautiful.

“Really?” Surprised, Cheng Wenru burst out laughing. “Then you must work hard. It’ll be great if you can enter the laboratory next year. Your senior, Song Luting, also entered the laboratory in March this year. Yesterday, he was directly promoted to the First Research Institute, and he’s only a sophomore. He’s the first person to achieve this at Beijing University. The First Research Institute has been making a lot of noise recently. Your schoolmates are quite arrogant.”

Qin Ran was taken aback. “Research Institute?”

The First Research Institute she had checked in in 129 Headquarters, one of the four major forces, was also under Principal Xu’s supervision.

However… Song Luting hadn’t mentioned to them that he had already entered the institute.

“You’ll find out after you enter the laboratory.” Cheng Wenru thought Qin Ran was asking about the research institute and felt it was too cumbersome to explain. She simply said, “The top priority is to enter the laboratory first. But if you’re not from the four major families… the assessment is a little perverted.”

Normally, the students in the third and fourth years had to pass the screening and strict training of several universities before having the opportunity to be assessed.

But Cheng Wenru had disobeyed the family arrangement back then and arrogantly applied for the examination of ordinary people. Naturally…

She didn’t pass the exam.

The four major families’ greenhorns were quite arrogant. They refused to rely on their families and wanted to get admitted by themselves, but most of them failed in the end.

On the other hand, Cheng Juan had obeyed the family arrangements back then and had skipped the medical laboratory to directly go to the head research institute. He had left Lu Zhaoying and Jiang Dongye behind, who were four years older than him. After a month of learning there, he flew to Continent M’s Medical Organization.

He only stayed there for half a year. It was rumored that he had finally been driven out by the medical organization.

Most of the internal information involving Continent M was blocked, so people in Beijing weren’t aware.

Sitting in the car, Cheng Wenru glanced at Cheng Juan’s car opposite her and shook her head, wondering when Qin Ran could enter the Physics laboratory…

However, judging from how both the Deans of the Physics Department and the Mathematics Department had come all the way to fight for her, she estimated that it wouldn’t be difficult for her to enter within a year or two.

“Perverts attract perverts, indeed…” She started the car and no longer recalled her miserable assessment.

**

The three parted ways in the garage.

Cheng Juan slowly drove out of the garage, with Qin Ran sitting beside him. She had a hand on the door and her cell phone in the other as she chatted with Nan Huiyao.

Nan Huiyao: I successfully made an appointment with the Great Gods in your high school. They have time after the midterm exam this Saturday.

Nan Huiyao: Have you come back from your holiday?

Lazily pressing her phone, Qin Ran returned a message—

Just.

Nan Huiyao: Worship.JPG

Nan Huiyao: You’re the first one to ask for a three-day leave after taking the exam. You’re already ridiculously famous, and there are rumors on the school forum that you can enter the Physics laboratory early next year…

Qin Ran leaned against the window—

Time and location.

Her message was concise and clear, and the coldness could almost be felt rushing through the phone.

Nan Huiyao immediately understood that she was asking about the meeting location. Startled, she sat upright, and then quickly replied: At 10 am, in Dongmen Hot Pot Restaurant. Xing Kai and the others are coming too.

Qin Ran replied Okay and then turned off the phone.

Ten minutes later.

The car parked in a quiet clubhouse.

Cheng Juan followed after Qin Ran.

The word “Lan” was marked on the second floor’s door, and a lifelike orchid was carved on it. Qin Ran slowly knocked three times, then the door opened from inside.

It was Principal Xu.

With reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, he saw Cheng Juan standing behind Qin Ran and paused for a moment, before turning sideways to let them in.

The two had made an appointment, so the dishes only just arrived when Qin Ran came.

She greeted Principal Xu and sat down to eat.

Principal Xu allowed her to eat first and then chatted with Cheng Juan about the recent abnormalities in Beijing. When Qin Ran had finished eating, he turned to look at her. “How’s your preparation for the assessment.”

“I’m not ready yet.” She squeezed her right hand.

Pausing with the chopsticks in his hand, Principal Xu glanced at her right hand and slowly said, “There’s no rush, we still have a month… Take your time.”

He had already received an internal report on Qin Ran’s midterm Math and Physics exams.

Nuclear engineering involved many details and was not replaced by mechanical labor regardless of how insignificant and small the parts or routes were. A slight error in the operation would cause an explosion or even more serious things. In some parts, the research institute only had a few master craftsmen who could… be extremely demanding on their right hand.

This was the reason why Principal Xu had been so worried about Qin Ran’s hand in Yun Cheng.

“About…” Looking away, he picked up the teacup and took a sip.

Casually taking a piece of ribs, she looked at him with clear, light eyes, and very simply replied, “Okay.”

She had always been warming up to the idea of the heir, but Principal Xu had yet to receive an accurate reply and was worrying about his losses. After finally receiving her reply, he finally took this weight off his mind.

“Good, good!” He held the teacup with trembling fingers.

“Elder Xu.” Cheng Juan took the teacup and added tea to it. The tea in the celadon cup swayed in circles. “There’ll be a battle in the Xu family following this.”

The Xu family’s force, the Research Institute, had been handed over to an outsider, not the Xu family.

The masses couldn’t be convinced, be it the Xu family or the Research Institute.

But Elder Xu didn’t care about this. He lifted his chin and glanced at Cheng Juan displeasedly. “The heir I chose is naturally the best.”

Even Xu Yaoguang had been crossed off by him, so how could such an heir who had been selected out of thousands of people possibly go wrong?

“Song Luting went to the Research Institute yesterday.” Principal Xu glanced at Qin Ran, tapping his fingers on the table. “It took him 14 months to get from Beijing University to the Research Institute. In seven months, take the assessment and experimental engineering seriously. At the end of March next year, try to enter the institute and let the self-righteous masters there take a good look at you. Who dares to say no to the heir I accepted?”

Principal Xu had already paved the way for Qin Ran.

Swiping her fingertips across the edge of the cup, Qin Ran’s eyes lightened. Entering the institute was also her ultimate goal.

Upon hearing Principal Xu’s advice, she nodded. “I know, Big Brother told me.”

“He told you as well?” Principal Xu thought of something, and the corners of his mouth slightly twitched. “No wonder…”

No wonder Song Luting stepped on the masters of the laboratory so madly. It seemed he had come prepared.

This pair of brother and sister…

They had the right to be arrogant.

Principal Xu and Song Luting both knew Qin Ran’s personality. She was impatient and didn’t want troublesome things, so she was casual about everything. Both of them were afraid that she would take this matter lightly and had especially reminded her.

They reminded her to treat this matter more seriously.

**

In a good mood, Principal Xu drank two glasses of wine with Cheng Juan.

They only drank two glasses before Qin Ran seized the jug.

The two people standing at the top of the pyramid in Beijing’s circle stared at the jug in her hands and didn’t dare to ask her for it.

Principal Xu didn’t drink much and only had a bit of alcohol scent on him. It was already midnight when the driver sent him to the Xu family’s house.

“Young Master Yaoguang is waiting for you in the study.” The butler bowed.

Principal Xu turned and walked in the direction of the study.

“Grandpa.” Xu Yaoguang slightly pursed his lips. “When are you going to announce the heir?”

He had already guessed about Qin Ran’s affairs, so Principal Xu hadn’t hidden why he went out today.

“In March next year.” Principal Xu sat down and reached out to take the tea from the butler. “After she enters the institute.”

He turned on the computer, sorted out a copy of the assessment content, opened his mailbox, and sent it all to Qin Ran.

There were certain things that Qin Ran understood without the need for Principal Xu to tell her.

Standing opposite him, Xu Yaoguang stared at him, and his cold expression gradually turned into a frown. He slightly pursed his thin lips. “Grandpa, if you want the majority in the institute to recognize her, let her enter it with her own capabilities and convince others with her strength.”

Qin Ran was no less capable than Song Luting. Xu Yaoguang felt like she could definitely pass the assessment with her own ability and didn’t need to rely on Principal Xu’s shortcut. This shortcut would only harm her instead of doing good.

If she entered based on his grandpa’s prestige, even if she was recognized by him, a large number of people in the Institute would be against her.

Only those who climbed up step by step with true ability could be recognized; like his grandpa, like Song Luting.

Xu Yaoguang used to think that, like his grandpa, he could be the heir of the First Research Institute and take over the Xu family without the help of outsiders.

But this step was too difficult, and Elder Xu had chosen someone else.

It was almost mid-November now, less than five months until March of the following year. Qin Ran hadn’t entered Beijing University’s laboratory yet, let alone the research institute?

Upon hearing this, Xu Yaoguang subconsciously believed that Qin Ran would be selected by Elder Xu to join the research institute in March.