Chapter 111

Chapter 111

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 111: Your Student Is Awesome (3).

I’m sorry, Professor.

I have prior commitments this week, so it won’t be easy.

I hope the four of you enjoy the party.

Sincerely, Aidel.

Professor Feynman swallowed a sigh as he read Aidel’s email.

Today was Flance’s birthday, and the lab member stood wearing a party hat, staring down at the cake adorned with flickering candles.

“I’ve gotten a year older…”

“That’s not the issue here. The junior isn’t coming.”

“What? Again?”

“Yeah. Again.”

“In the past, he always showed up whenever the professor called.”

“It seems something has come up.”

Flance tilted his head, puzzled, while Feynman reminisced about the past. It wasn’t even that long ago—they had been writing a paper together just a few months back.

“Is it possible he’s interning at another professor’s lab?” Flance suggested his brow furrowing.

The moment Feynman heard those words, his heart sank. Undergraduate student poaching wasn’t common, but it certainly wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Still, he held on to hope. Aidel had been so passionate about their lab that he reached out to Feynman the moment he was admitted to Academia. He had the skills, too. Would he really transfer labs without reason? Surely, he was just busy with other commitments and would return someday.

“Professor seems really stressed,” Flance noted, glancing at Feynman.

“Probably because there’s no Reinhardt junior around, so he’s overthinking everything,” another student chimed in.

The Professor’s mood had a significant impact on the morale of the lab. Moreover, Aidel was quickly becoming Feynman’s favorite student.

“Ah, if only we were geniuses too.”

“Is that important right now? At this rate, our graduation might be delayed!” another graduate student exclaimed, their worry palpable.

The three of them exchanged glances, realizing they needed to bring Aidel back somehow.

“Hey, I have a good idea.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s hire a detective.”

Flance’s pointed hat crumpled as he raised an eyebrow. “Do we even have the money to hire a detective?”

“Let’s just leave it to a newspaper.”

Following Mercury’s suggestion, they invited a newspaper employee who was particularly interested in a certain individual named Aidel von Reinhardt.

“Hello everyone! I’m Sophia Crentelin from the Interstellar Daily. Just call me Sophia!”

The three graduate students quickly explained their situation. Sophia nodded attentively, jotting down notes in her notebook. Once she closed it, she replied cheerfully, “An interview about the current status of Aidel von Reinhardt? Request accepted!”

While the term “interview” was used, it felt more like an undercover investigation. Aidel’s recent whereabouts had become increasingly unclear.

Exchanging glances, the students handed Sophia a white envelope.

“If he refuses the interview, please give him this.”

The envelope felt surprisingly hefty. Sophia’s smile widened as she asked, “Can I keep the commission?”

“There’s a separate share for you, Sophia. Here, we’ll give you an advance payment.”

Sophia quickly checked her internet banking, her eyes widening in disbelief. The fee for the interview request was unusually high—so much so that it was the personal money the students had pooled together as an opportunity cost for their future. Now, they were left with nothing.

“May I ask why you’re going to such lengths?” Sophia inquired.

The three graduate students exchanged weary sighs and confessed, “Graduation is at stake. Please, reporter.”

“Oh,” Sophia sighed in understanding.

Several weeks slipped by under Professor Stranov’s guidance. Despite it being the final exam season, I found little time to study; the resonator project was moving forward at an astonishing pace. Who cared about exams at a time like this?

Through a series of trial-and-error phases, we resolved most technical defects by throwing in a mix of graduate students, time, and money—resources typical of any lab environment. Yet, even with that in mind, the resonator was being developed far too quickly.

“Did you even mobilize external companies?”

Professor Stranov’s lips curled into a knowing smile as if my question had struck a chord. “Time is money. Money is time. Just as I bought your time with that steak, how much more efficient is it to save time by purchasing the expertise and manpower of external companies?”

“But bringing in outside experts will cost a fortune.”

“Reinhardt,” she whispered, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I told you, our lab doesn’t worry about money.”

I gasped.

The power of capital was indeed formidable. Ninety percent of the resonator development, which I had initially estimated would take months, was completed in just one month.

“The real challenge lies in developing a theory to minimize further trial and error,” Stranov explained. “Depending on our theoretical progress, we could finish this in a matter of weeks, or it could stretch out over ten years. Right, Reinhardt?”

Now, it was my turn to take the lead. I received the physical property analysis data for the ‘Virgo’ crystal from Professor Stranov. From this point forward, it was my responsibility to calculate how to trap an Outer God within the resonator using this data.

As I skimmed through the materials, I noticed something unusual. “There’s an impurity, isn’t there?”

“Yes, and we also need to find a way to reduce the defect.”

“But, Professor, I’m not very knowledgeable in condensed matter physics yet.”

“Hehe, I anticipated that much.” When I finally came to my senses, I realized I was clutching a pile of books. Titles like Basics of Solid-State Physics, Basics of Optics, Theories of Material Analysis, Diffraction Theory, Ether Spectroscopy, Outer God Material Physics, and Gravity and Materials Engineering filled my arms. It was a stack of textbooks worth at least several thousand credits.

“With your intellectual capability, Mr. Reinhardt, I believe you can master these quickly. I’ve also included a few papers and various other resources.”

“……”

“Isn’t next week the final exam?”

“Yes? Yes, Professor.”

“Prepare well for the finals, and I’ll see you at the start of summer break. I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you, Professor……”

Food, money, and now even books—I truly had received so much.

“I’m not going far,” she said as she walked me to the main gate. I was moved once again at that moment.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. For my research on the Graviton Bomb, I needed Professor Feynman’s expertise—he was my only option. Yet, Professor Stranov was starting to look appealing in her own way. Honestly, if you could overlook the drunken rambling, she was top-class.

But why should I have to choose just one? Surely, there must be a way to combine both professors’ labs.

“Huh.” A brilliant idea struck me.

Back at the Stellarium, I dropped my books in the dorm and flopped onto the bed. There wasn’t much time to rest. After a quick stretch, I repacked my belongings in preparation for finals.

Come to think of it, I remembered today was my grad school senior’s birthday. Maybe I should send a gift card after this.

As I stepped out of the entrance, someone called out to me. It was a reporter—someone I felt I had seen before.

“Who are you?”

“It’s me, Sophia! A reporter from the Interstellar Daily! Mr. Reinhardt, we had an interview together before!”

I glanced around; there didn’t seem to be any other reporters in sight.

“What do you need from me?”

“I’d like to ask for another interview!” Sophia suddenly pulled out her notebook. Her determination to capture every word was palpable.

“Sorry, but it’s finals period, so I’m really busy.”

“Then can I just have a moment of your time, if that’s okay?” She suddenly produced a white envelope, thick and heavy in her hands—a clear symbol of bribery.

“This is for the interview!”

“…How much did you put in there?”

“It’s my utmost sincerity. I thought this amount should be given to a promising future scientist as an interview fee.”

I could potentially receive several hundred thousand credits for just one interview. I weighed my options: finals or the interview. If I managed my time well, I could take the money without jeopardizing my exam schedule. This was an advantageous opportunity. Decision made.

“Then, gladly…” I began, my capital-corrupted self reaching for the envelope, ready to accept the offer.

“What are you doing?” A petite girl squeezed in between the reporter and me. Her amethyst-colored eyes sparkled with intensity, and her silver hair fluttered gracefully, untouched by dust. It was Zelnya.

With a haggard expression, she glanced back and forth between us before finally speaking. “Who are you?”

“Oh, I’m a reporter for the Interstellar Daily…”

“I didn’t ask for your name. What are you doing wasting my rival’s precious time?”

“Pardon, what?”

“An interview, perhaps? If you must conduct one, at least avoid doing it during finals. Seriously, don’t you have any basic manners?”

“……”

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you didn’t even make a proper appointment.” Zelnya circled the reporter, snatched the envelope from her hands in a blink, and quickly counted the money inside. A sneer curled her lips.

“Only 1,000 credits? Who do you think that would impress?”

“Oh, that’s not actually my money…”

“Who asked about the source of the funds?” Zelnya’s sharp retort left the reporter deflated.

“Don’t waste time on useless interviews. Just take this and leave. Got it?”

“This, this is!” The reporter stammered, holding up five checks. For an average person, that amount could make the dream of homeownership a reality. But without a second thought, Zelnya tossed the money aside as casually as if discarding a piece of trash. The reporter’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Go on.”

“Excuse meee!” And just like that, the reporter ran off.

Zelnya sighed and turned to me. “Really unsightly.”

“Are you talking about me?”

“Is there anyone else here besides you and me?”

I almost flicked her forehead but managed to hold back, silently chanting ‘patience’ three times.

“You fool, you don’t even know your own worth. For people like us with superior genes, every minute is precious. And yet, we have to waste valuable time dealing with a mere reporter?”

Seriously, how could someone who studied biology talk about DNA as if it were royalty?

The next moment, Zelnya held out an identical check in front of me. “You should at least be worth this much. Got it?” Her unspoken message was clear: ‘Only then can I acknowledge you as my rival.’ What an adorable thought.

“I’ll give you this, so come with me to the library. For the next week, until the grades come out, let’s have a proper competition.”

“No thanks.” While receiving the money would be nice, I politely pushed the envelope away. Zelnya looked dumbfounded.

I cautiously observed her. “A friend’s time can’t be bought with money, Zelnya.”

Sophia returned to the group of graduate students, offering a brief explanation. “He got a girlfriend.”

The three students sighed deeply in unison.

“He was extremely wary of me, even after I told him I was a journalist. Anyway, the girlfriend said to take this and leave.” Sophia handed over 30,000 credits from the 500,000 credits she had received as a sort of apology for failing to fulfill the request.

“Wow, research funds!”

“Damn it, junior! When did you even manage to land a girlfriend like this?”

“I want to meet a girl who gives out research funds too.”

Sophia felt a chill run down her spine despite the warmth of the room.

“Anyway, please keep up the good work.”

“Of course! I’m not stopping here. For the honor and future of our newspaper!” As Sophia left the lab with a confident declaration, she sensed it was time to step back for the day.

Soon after, Professor Feynman heard the story from Reporter Sophia. “A girlfriend? Rich, with a fierce attitude… perhaps,” he mused, biting his nails. “…Stranov?”