Chapter 24: Turnaround |
Chen Chen laughed inwardly to himself.
Xia Yin was the one who had supplied the funds while Chen Chen worked tirelessly for three months. However, Zheng Jian's words transformed it into his own project.
Zheng Jian was not only thick-skinned but he was also highly ambitious. Chen Chen could even guess that if Zheng Jian got his way, his professorship would be in the bag thanks to this scientific paper.
A professor who was not even forty would have unlimited prospects.
Now Chen Chen had fully understood that this man before him was determined to seize the results of his own experiments.
With this in mind, Chen Chen put on a hesitant expression. "Professor Zheng, if I give up on signing my name as the corresponding author, can you really get us into postgraduate research? You won't go back on your promise, right?"
"Be rest assured. That's entirely in my power."
Zheng Jian said in an earnest, enticing manner, "Little Chen, in truth, I expect great things from you. Join me – I have plenty of resources and projects. With your capability, you won't have to worry about getting an opportunity to shine."
'More like, you'll exploit my talents for your own gain, right?'
"What else is there to think about?"
With a kind stern expression, Zheng Jian advised graciously, "I'm doing this for your own good. You should know that the world of academia is tough and ruthless. Fortunately, you've met me today. If you were to encounter some other tutor, they would give you the second author position at most, without any additional promises."
Chen Chen was silent for a moment, appearing to make up his mind. "In that case, I ask that you look after us!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
Zheng Jian's face blossomed in delight and he stood up, guffawing and clapping Chen Chen's shoulder. "I'll show you the ropes! Little Chen, send the experiment data to me at once. Not just a softcopy – I want the firsthand hardcopy of the data. Xia Yin said that it's with you."
"Sure. What's your email? I'll send you a softcopy right now." Chen Chen took out his phone.
After Zheng Jian gave his email, Chen Chen did not hesitate and immediately forwarded the information.
Thanks to Chen Chen's behavior, Zheng Jian became even more genial.
"Tutor, let me briefly explain our train of thought."
Chen Chen walked in front of Zheng Jian and faced the computer. "The core idea of my experiment was to rebuild the immune system based on bone marrow transplantation, replacing the aging stem cells in mice…
"Through stem cell cloning, we obtained a sufficient amount of young mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells. After that…
"The real difficulty in this experiment was…"
Chen Chen described the entire experiment process without reservation. He was thorough as if he was narrating a fascinating tale.
Each time he reached an exciting part, Zheng Jian could not refrain from laughing and clapping, exclaiming his admiration for Chen Chen's mind.
"Little Chen, I didn't realize that I've underestimated you."
Zheng Jian smiled. "Your ideas can only be described as bold and imaginative. You're like a seedling, bursting with potential. My judgment was correct!"
"Ah, you're flattering me."
Chen Chen glanced toward the door and suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, is this beautiful lady in the framed photo your wife?"
"Oh, that…"
Zheng Jian had been laughing a second ago. Now, he appeared taken aback by Chen Chen's words. Then, he answered, "That's my previous wife. However, she passed away two years ago."
"Bong…"
A deep, ancient sound boomed out from the grandfather clock. Both Chen Chen and Zheng Jian stopped talking and looked toward the grandfather clock.
Zheng Jian suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He had heard this clock striking countless times and had learned to ignore it long ago.
However, for some reason, the clock's chime today was abnormally harsh on his ears…
"It's already ten o'clock?"
Chen Chen turned back and murmured, "Professor Zheng, this pendulum clock is broken indeed. It's only 9:55 now."
With that, Chen Chen walked to the grandfather clock again and set the time back by five minutes.
Zheng Jian opened his mouth but ultimately did not say anything.
He did not know why but after this student fiddled with his pendulum clock, there was something odd about this once-familiar clock. Nonetheless, when he took a closer look, he could not sense any difference.
After adjusting the time again, Chen Chen whipped his head around and asked, "Tutor, did your previous wife die in a car accident?"
"No, it was cancer."
Zheng Jian frowned. A student should not be asking about such a private matter. Still, in consideration of the scientific paper, Zheng Jian ultimately replied.
"What kind of cancer?"
Chen Chen followed up with another question.
"Medulloblastoma. What are you asking this for?" Zheng Jian's frown grew deeper and his dissatisfaction began to show.
"It's nothing. I just heard that she'd often have fever and headaches whereas you're a qualified doctor of pharmacy, so I wanted to ask…"
Chen Chen walked back to the desk and asked in a lowered voice, "Did you often privately set up an IV drip for your wife at home?"
"What's this nonsense?"
When Zheng Jian heard the question, he sprang up as if he had seen a ghost and glared at Chen Chen. "Who sent you? Who made you ask all this?"
"Take a guess."
One corner of Chen Chen's mouth curved up.
By this point, the cordial atmosphere between the two had evaporated.
Chen Chen casually picked up the photo frame from the table and turned it toward Zheng Jian. "I'm curious. Why do you have a photo of your previous wife on your desk?"
"Because I can't forget her." Zheng Jian drew in a deep breath and spat out coldly.
"If that's the case, why isn't the photo facing you instead of the door?"
Chen Chen set the photo frame in front of Zheng Jian. "What are you afraid of?"
"I've simply positioned it wrongly!"
Zheng Jian snarled furiously to cover up his terror. "Little Chen, I don't care who told you all this, but let me warn you. I can get the school to take disciplinary action against you for what you just did!"
"Tutor, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Chen Chen was unconcerned. He gently tossed the photo frame into the air, then caught it again, over and over. In Zheng Jian's eyes, the woman in the white dress appeared to spin and flutter, just like a butterfly.
"Put the photo down!" Zheng Jian roared in rage.
"Tutor, have you heard of hypnosis?"
As Chen Chen kept on tossing the photo, he broke out into an eerie smile. "Hypnosis is a means of awakening the subconscious. Through hypnosis, many patients with psychological trauma can be healed.
"Besides that, it has another function, which is…
"It can make a criminal confess his own crime!"
"You're hypnotizing me?"
Zheng Jian's eyes bulged out. He finally understood why he felt out of sorts. Chen Chen was trying to hypnotize him?
When Zheng Jian realized this, his heart clenched and he quickly pinched his own hand.
There was an instant twang of pain that revitalized his spirits!
"Are you afraid? You're afraid that you'll say something after being hypnotized?" Chen Chen was relentless.
"That's enough. I won't be hypnotized by you!"
After being jolted by the pain, Zheng Jian felt more like himself at last. "Get out of my office right now!"
"Zheng Jian, I'll count to three. You shall return to the day your previous wife died."
Chen Chen's voice was soft and silky. At the same time, he walked behind Zheng Jian and opened the window. A sudden gust of cold wind rushed in.
"If you won't leave, I'll call the police!" Zheng Jian picked up the landline on his desk.
"Three…" Chen Chen began calmly.
"Shut up and leave now!" Cold sweat dripped from Zheng Jian's forehead and he started to dial.
"Two…" Chen Chen tossed the photo frame into the air once again.
"Shut up!"
"Clatter!"
However, just as Chen Chen was about to count to one, his grasp suddenly slipped and the photo frame crashed to the floor.
"…"
"Sorry for disturbing you."
Chen Chen grinned and immediately left the office.
"Click."
Zheng Jian waited until he heard the door shut before he wiped away his sweat and collapsed into his chair.
'How could he know what I did back then?'
Zheng Jian's face was dark. He did not even understand why he was this frightened.
No matter what, after this, he would no longer be figured out so easily…
Zheng Jian breathed in deeply and a cold, vicious glint flashed in his eyes. Then, he bent over to retrieve the photo frame.
However, in the instant he was picking up the frame, the pendulum clock by the door struck once again.
"Bong!"
One…
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