After the meeting, Qin Siyang and Li Tianming were somewhat exhausted. They slept all the way in the car and were only woken up when they arrived at the school gate.
By then, it was already the morning of the next day.
The official in the front passenger seat not only thoughtfully opened the car door for them but also handed them two exquisite meals.
"These were arranged in advance by the Governor. He was worried that you two might not be used to the food here in the European region, so he specifically ordered from a Chinese restaurant near the state government office."
'Jonathan, this Governor, is always so swift in his actions.'
He had been just as decisive when arresting them as he was now in befriending them.
The two took the meals and exchanged a smile.
"Thank you."
After entering the campus, Qin Siyang finally voiced his confusion.
"Why did you suddenly decide to let Florence and the others go? That's not like you."
Li Tianming replied, "Because during the meeting, I received a message from a friend."
"Which friend?"
"The one researching Zhou Xing's brain."
"Did they find something?"
"Yes. It turns out Zhou Xing is connected to the incident where I was framed. However, he was just a small fry. My friend read his memories and gave me a name. The one who framed me was [Deceiver Bishop]—confirmed."
At the mention of this name, Li Tianming's expression suddenly darkened.
It was clear that he hadn't expected this person to be the one who framed him.
However, he adjusted his tie, collected his emotions, and then smiled confidently, "I need to make some preparations too. I'm about to step into the heart of the storm. At a time like this, having more friends means having more paths to take."
"Harrison's reputation may not be great, but his strength and influence are undeniable. That's why I let his student go," As Li Tianming spoke, he looked relaxed, as if he had finally put down a burden that had weighed on his heart for a long time.
Qin Siyang also approved, "Yeah, just looking at the series of named contributors in those academic papers, it's clear that Harrison has a lot of influence."
"Thanks for giving me this favor."
Qin Siyang chuckled, "Come on, we're friends. But Old Li, I really didn't expect your status in the sequence research field to be this high. You only did three years of research and became this amazing?"
"Those three years were just after my sequence awakening. Before that, I had already been doing research for over twenty years. Before the apocalypse, I specialized in biological research. When the apocalypse came, with the descent of gods and the awakening of human sequences, my field of expertise just happened to align perfectly. I was in the right place at the right time, so my research went well."
Qin Siyang gave him a thumbs-up and clicked his tongue in amazement, "Ever heard the saying? The 21st century on Blue Star is the century of biology."
"Old Li, you really hit the jackpot."
"The century of biology? That's an interesting thought. If the apocalypse hadn't happened, I don't even know where I'd be or what I'd be doing as a biologist. I guess people really have to rely on fate."
"Old Li, your luck is seriously good. First, you lived through the apocalypse, then you met me. Your status skyrocketed instantly. You're basically a winner in life now."
Li Tianming glanced at Qin Siyang silently, "No matter how high my status is, I can't compare to the power backing you."
Qin Siyang grinned but didn't say anything.
After the two entered the office, Qin Siyang received a message from Florence.
[Mr. Qin, when will you be available? We will arrange a car to pick you up and bring you to our laboratory in District 7 to discuss the details of the new paper.]
Qin Siyang showed the message to Li Tianming.
"Old Li, is there anything I should watch out for when dealing with Florence?"
"This paper, once published, should earn a few thousand research points from the United Government's Academic Committee. The first author will definitely be Florence, and the second author will inevitably be his mentor, Harrison. You should fight for the third author position. You'll at least get a few hundred research points that way."
"After all, this paper is built on your description as theoretical proof and your proposed disc armor as experimental proof. Without you, this paper wouldn't even exist. Asking for the third author position is entirely reasonable. Florence has no grounds to refuse."
This was the first time Qin Siyang had heard the term "research points."
However, in both [Godslayer Camp] and [Sequence Education] forums, he had never come across this concept before.
"What are research points? Are they similar to God-Hunting Points?"
"You could put it that way. If we compare it to the ancient imperial examination system of China, God-Hunting Points would be like martial exam results, while research points would be like literary exam results."
"The difference is that research points are harder to earn than God-Hunting Points. To hunt a god, all you need is a weapon and the courage to step out of the safe zone. But to conduct research, you need a laboratory, equipment, manpower, funding, and a ton of other things."
Qin Siyang nodded, "Then, what's the benefit of earning research points?"
"Of course, there are rewards. Just like God-Hunting Points. Specifically, one research point is equivalent to one-tenth of a bottle of sequence potion and 2,000 copper coins."
"What? The reward for research points is twice that of God-Hunting Points?"
"Yes. Even so, most researchers still find it too low. Many have even given up working in labs and instead ventured out of the safe zones to hunt gods."
"This…"
Li Tianming chuckled, "Don't be surprised. Out there, all you need to do is fight. But in a lab, not only do you have to painstakingly devise research plans, but you also have to deal with people, navigate bureaucracy, and manage a million other exhausting tasks. It's no less stressful than hunting gods."
"And if you make one wrong move, you could end up like me. Trapped in a remote area with no way to turn things around."
"But you're right about one thing. I got lucky meeting you. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do…"
Having finally lifted a burden off his chest, Li Tianming was feeling high-spirited and couldn't help but reflect on the twists of fate.
"Old Li, cut the speech. You can wax poetic later. I don't really need the research point rewards, but I'm more curious. Do they have any other uses, like special admissions?"
"Of course. Most students who apply through special admission don't have research points at all. If you do, you'll definitely attract more attention from university admissions officers."
"Besides, Harrison's name still holds weight in top universities. If he's the second author and you're the third, some elite schools will definitely be interested in you."
"So that's how it works."
Qin Siyang nodded, then replied to Florence's message, [I'm available today.]
"Old Li, we really turned this crisis into an opportunity."
"It's mainly your opportunity. You got both God-Hunting Points and research points. Your future is bright."
"You got good news too. Old Li, we're making great strides forward. By the way, when are you going to deal with the sequence user who framed you?"
"Right now."
Li Tianming skillfully dialed a number, his gaze slightly complicated.
"Hello, Ye Hongqing. It's me, Li Tianming."
"It's been two years since our divorce… How have you been?"
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