Chapter 84: The Master Who Pits Her Apprentice

Zhang Dashan gave an awkward smile.

"Xiao Xue has great talent for research; she will be my successor."

"The resources she can obtain at Shenshan Middle School are far less than what she could get at Imperial Capital University."

"If it weren't to take care of an old fellow like you, why would she have resigned from her job at Imperial Capital University to come to Shenshan Middle School?"

Su Qingxian continued to scold him; after Xiao Xue revealed her immense research talent, she had been kept by Su Qingxian's side.

In her heart, she had long since regarded Xiao Xue as her own granddaughter.

Zhang Dashan also felt somewhat annoyed, as his own health had hindered Xiao Xue's talent.

"You don't need to feel annoyed; there are some things that, if you don't do them, you will surely regret in the future."

"This is also the reason I agreed to let Xiao Xue come to Shenshan Middle School."

"Otherwise, as a founder of the Hundred-Change Silkworm Research School and a professor in the prime of her youth, how could she have stooped to become a mere Class Teacher?"

"Zhang Dashan, you have always been quite lucky, and you are also a very upright person."

"Back then, I took a huge risk in entrusting the newborn Xiao Xue to you, and I feel it was the most correct choice I have ever made in my life."

After saying this, Su Qingxian stopped speaking.

Zhang Dashan did not know what he was thinking, and he also had no interest in continuing the conversation.

Perhaps forty years ago, they had a chance to be together, but due to a twist of fate, they did not wait for each other.

Perhaps they only loved the version of each other from forty years ago.

Perhaps they hid their love deep in their hearts.

It was just that they were both old now, and both had hidden their thoughts away.

If you are well, that is the best sunny day.

Otherwise, Su Qingxian would not have come to Jiaying City at all costs upon learning that Zhang Dashan had Blood Poison in his body.

Chairman Zhang was driving, looking straight ahead with a focused expression; while the two were talking, he had directly blocked his own hearing to avoid hearing any earth-shattering secrets and being silenced.

Soon, Zhang Dashan and Su Qingxian arrived at the Research Institute established by Zhang Lingxue, where the security level had also been raised to the maximum.

"You all wait here."

Su Qingxian said to the security members.

The lead security member was a bald man with the codename Xuanwu, and his Pet Beast was a dragon turtle.

He was also Su Qingxian's personal bodyguard, the type specifically meant to take bullets for her.

Just now, because Su Qingxian used the excuse of needing to reminisce, and combined with the fact that old man Zhang Dashan's strength was reliable, he had been temporarily diverted to another vehicle.

"Rest assured, Academician Su's safety is in my hands."

"You all just need to guard the outside."

"The Research Institute's security level is extremely high."

"If something were to happen, I would cover Academician Su's escape from the Research Institute."

"Anyone wanting to harm Academician Su must step over my corpse."

Zhang Dashan argued his case.

Seeing Zhang Dashan like this, Xuanwu could only pull a bitter face and step back.

Just at this moment, Zhang Lingxue and Ye Bai came out to meet them.

"Xiao Xue, it's been a long time."

Su Qingxian laughed happily.

Seeing Su Qingxian's smiling face, and with her grandfather accompanying her, Zhang Lingxue thought she shouldn't be too strict with her.

There was no help for it; Zhang Lingxue meeting Su Qingxian was like a mouse meeting a cat.

But Su Qingxian's next sentence made Zhang Lingxue's hair stand on end.

"You haven't let your research slide, have you?"

"Later, I must thoroughly spot-check your research results."

"If I discover that your research progress is slow, or that you have no research results, you will honestly come back to the Imperial Capital with me."

"And you as well; this time, come back to the Imperial Capital with me to have your body thoroughly checked, so you don't leave behind any sequelae."

At this moment, Su Qingxian's gaze fell upon Ye Bai: "Xiao Xue, is this the apprentice you recently took in?"

Su Qingxian looked him up and down; she had only heard that Xiao Xue had taken an apprentice, but she didn't know who it was, and today was the first time she had seen him.

Her first impression of Ye Bai was very good.

"Later, I will carefully examine your basic skills."

"If you want to pursue the path of research, basic skills are of the utmost importance."

Zhang Lingxue pushed the door open and led Su Qingxian into the Laboratory.

She handed the experimental reports she had recently compiled to Su Qingxian.

"Dark Butterfly Evolution Experimental Report"

"Star Ripple Butterfly Evolution Experimental Report"

"Blood Poison Moth Evolution Experimental Report"

"Blood Parasite Butterfly Evolution Experimental Report"

After seeing these four thick experimental reports that were like dictionaries, a warm smile appeared on Su Qingxian's face.

Very good, Xiao Xue had not let her research slide here, and had even researched four brand-new evolution routes for the Hundred-Change Silkworm.

She flipped through them quickly, page by page.

When she encountered parts she didn't understand, she would even ask Zhang Lingxue a few questions.

Judging by the expression on Su Qingxian's face, she was satisfied for the time being.

"It seems your research has not been delayed."

"These three research paths for the Star-Lace Butterfly, Gloom Butterfly, and Blood Poison Moth can be published."

"However, this evolutionary path for the Blood Gu Butterfly must be suppressed."

"If this evolutionary path is published, it will be quite disadvantageous for our Yan Kingdom Alliance."

"A first-rank Baibian Can being able to evolve into a fourth-rank Blood Gu Butterfly will make other countries quite wary of our Yan Kingdom Alliance."

"Moreover, if I remember correctly, for a Baibian Can to evolve into a Blood Gu Butterfly, it must use the mysterious Blood Gu."

"This is the key factor that allows it to evolve into a Blood Gu Butterfly."

"The secret that the Blood Gu Butterfly can manipulate Gu poison must absolutely not be leaked."

Su Qingxian said decisively.

"However, I can apply for an internal reward for you for this evolutionary path."

"With the new evolutionary path you discovered, returning to the Imperial Capital to teach should no longer be an obstacle."

"Those old fellows should not be able to obstruct you anymore either."

"By the way, I have a question: why is the name Ye Bai listed as the second author for all four of these research paths?"

"We do not encourage nepotism."

Su Qingxian said with a stern face, and Zhang Dashan's expression beside her also became much uglier.

People of their generation all placed great importance on character; when taking on students, they had to choose those with good moral fiber.

"Actually, the evolutionary paths for the Blood Poison Moth and the Blood Gu Butterfly were not researched by me."

"They were discovered by Ye Bai inadvertently; a high school student discovering the evolutionary path of a Baibian Can is too conspicuous."

"I did this to protect my student, so I put myself as the first author and let Ye Bai be the second author; these were all discussed with Ye Bai."

At this moment, Su Qingxian's gaze fell upon Ye Bai: "Ye Bai, is what Xiao Xue said true?"

"Did she not force you? Are you doing this voluntarily?"

"You can speak boldly; if your teacher has misappropriated your research results, as long as it is verified to be true, I will uphold justice for you."

Su Qingxian's gaze remained fixed on Ye Bai's eyes; if a person were lying, their gaze would inevitably dodge somewhat.

But Ye Bai's eyes were clear and bright, without a hint of evasion, and he appeared extremely frank: "Yes, Grand-teacher, all of this was my own volition."

"I had a purpose in doing this as well."

"My deskmate awakened the Insight Eye talent, and on the very day of her awakening, she was targeted by an assassin; fortunately, she survived."

"From that day on, I have maintained a humble and low-profile way of conducting myself."

"Being first in the school is one thing, but if people knew that I, a high school student, had researched two evolutionary paths for the Baibian Can..."

"The first reaction of others would be that I possess extremely high research talent and might become the second teacher; to prevent me from being targeted by assassins before I can grow up, I discussed it with my teacher."

"Listing me as the second author only makes others think that it was all researched by the teacher, and that I am merely a product of nepotism."

Ye Bai stated his reasons; as for the matter of Li Weiyang being ambushed, Academician Su had heard a little about it, and Zhang Dashan was someone in the know.

The Insight Eye is an A Ji Tianfu; anyone who possesses this talent, as long as they grow up and deeply develop the Insight Eye, has a limitless future.

"Since you are doing this voluntarily, let this matter end here."

"You will first serve as Xiao Xue's Research Assistant, and after you finish the Imperial Capital University Entrance Exam, you will follow Xiao Xue to Imperial Capital University."

"I imagine your grades shouldn't be too bad; you should still be able to get into Imperial Capital University."

At this time, Zhang Lingxue added: "Teacher, we had a very significant discovery while experimenting."

"A Baibian Can injected with Blood Gu turned into a Blood Poison Moth after the evolution failed."

A look of joy immediately appeared on Su Qingxian's face: "This is indeed a significant discovery that breaks the inherent impressions everyone currently has, but unfortunately, it cannot be published at this time."

"I will consider you to have passed this time."

"I will give you this one year; once you finish being the Class Teacher for this grade, you are to return to the Imperial Capital to teach."

"You are wasting your talents here."

"Remember not to neglect your research; I have a project here, and I wonder if you are interested."

Su Qingxian took a piece of paper out of her Pet Beast Space and slowly unfolded it.

Written on the paper were the seven large characters: Negative Electric Rabbit Evolution Experiment.

"Negative Electric Rabbit Evolution Experiment?"

"Is that the one currently being led by the Western Research Institute?"

Zhang Lingxue said with an excited expression.

That was a project that benefited the country and the people.

"Yes, but this experiment is very difficult. Since the Western Research Institute studied it for five years without achieving results, the project was cancelled and handed over to the Imperial Capital Research Institute for study."

"The project has been passed around and landed in my hands, but I am currently working on a major project breakthrough and am at the most critical moment, so I cannot get away for the time being."

"And your senior brothers and sisters are all following me on this project, so I thought of you."

"Now that you have been researching the Baibian Can for quite a long time, you can change your train of thought and try the Negative Electric Rabbit Evolution Experiment."

"If you can succeed, power generation in the Western Region will no longer be a problem."

Zhang Lingxue hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed.

To be honest, she had currently reached a bottleneck in her research on the Baibian Can.

There would not be any major breakthroughs in the short term, so even if the teacher hadn't brought it up, Zhang Lingxue would have found a project to work on first anyway.

What's more, the Negative Electric Rabbit project was one that benefited the country and the people; otherwise, the Yan Kingdom Alliance would not have allocated a large sum of funds to this project for five consecutive years.

"Teacher, where are the research materials from the Western Research Institute?"

Zhang Lingxue wanted to take a look at the materials first.

Su Qingxian's gaze fell upon the white paper in her hand.

"This is the data."

Zhang Lingxue????

"The data sealed by the Western Research Institute was destroyed in a fire that broke out on the transport vehicle during its transfer to the Imperial Capital Research Institute."

"You also know that currently, many experiments rely on handwritten research notes, which have no original backups."

"Before they transported the data, all of it had been scanned and saved onto a laptop."

"However, the laptop containing all the data was also on that transport vehicle; although the cause of the fire is very suspicious, the reason has not yet been investigated."

"By the way, the Doctor leading the research has been sent to lead a closed-off experiment for a period of one year."

"So, I have no way to help either."

Zhang Lingxue's expression stiffened, and her face twisted into a bitter grimace.

Without the data, Zhang Lingxue was effectively starting over from scratch.

This workload was not just a simple matter of 1+1=2.

"I have a piece of good news and a piece of bad news; which one do you want to hear?"

"The good news, I suppose."

Zhang Lingxue made her choice with a bitter face.

"The good news is that the funding is sufficient, and you can have as many negative-electric rabbits as you want."

"Whatever you need, you shall have."

"Then what is the bad news?"

"The bad news is that you must have preliminary results within these three months."

After hearing Su Qingxian's words, Zhang Lingxue felt even more emo.

Her own master really knew how to screw over her disciple.

"As for the negative-electric rabbit project and the incident where the Western Research Institute's data caught fire, the Serious Crimes Unit will be investigating it."

"They will give us an explanation."

"As for the rest, don't overthink it."

"Rest well for these few days; the research on the negative-electric rabbit is very important, and I hope you can spend more time on it."

At this moment, a strange fragrance suddenly drifted over from afar, and Dahui pushed a dining cart over.

Begging for votes, this chapter has been revised.

In the dead of night, take out your heart, stitch it up yourself, then get some sleep, and you will be full of confidence again.

Whether writing a book goes unnoticed or one's skills are inferior to others, just do what you ought to do and do the right thing, rather than letting worries and anxiety destroy the little passion and focus you have left.

The heart may break, but the hands cannot stop; write when you should, and keep moving forward while on the verge of collapse—perhaps this is the meaning of me writing books.

(End of this chapter)