Second Life, Mistaken for a Genius Insider

“Haha… So, Office Manager, what do you think?”

I unnecessarily laughed servilely and asked.

I couldn’t help but be servile.

That’s because whether or not I win this project will determine the rest of my life as a professor.

If I can’t win it, I can’t get tenure either.

And subsequently, I’ll fail the assistant professor → associate professor reviews as well.

How did I manage to break through the top-tier competitors from abroad and finally become a KaiST professor?

And it’s not just that.

My family is at stake.

My beautiful wife, who is struggling to raise our daughter at home even now, will suffer because of me.

So this time, I absolutely must succeed.

Right, let’s be confident.

Even though I might seem like this, I’m still one of the best intellectuals in South Korea, aren’t I?

With that thought, somehow wetting my dry mouth again, I added an explanation.

“Well… I believe this research will undoubtedly be the first cornerstone for Korea’s quantum computing rise. No, not just believe, but achieve it in that way…”

“Phew, Professor Han Gyeong-jun. It’s really good, it is good, but.”

Just before I was about to explain, a little excited.

The office manager from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, a graduate of the Grade 5 Technical Examination, sighed and cut off the explanation.

“This already exists, doesn’t it?”

A chilling feeling swept over my back.

I couldn’t just stay still like this.

Pretending to be calm, I quickly added.

“Well, that’s right. The US made it first. After that, China and Japan did it one after another as well, but to call them true quantum computers is still difficult as their scalability and computing power are low compared to existing supercomputers… But mine is different from the existing ones…”

“Different from the existing ones?”

“Yes. Google in the US uses the superconducting qubit method, IBM uses the diamond NV center, and China uses the ion trap method, but mine is based on the late Professor Furusawa of Japan’s thesis and uses light…”

“Oh, really.”

The office manager rudely cut me off.

“This is why professors are impossible. They think they’re the smartest in the world.”

He muttered it, probably thinking it was to himself.

Since I had already heard it, it was no different from saying it out loud for me to hear.

“Professor.”

“Yes.”

“Professor, you research very hard, and naturally, you must be smart. Since you’re a KaiST professor. I know all that, but.”

“…Yes.”

“But it’s always like this again.”

The office manager clicked his tongue.

For your information, that guy is at least 5 years younger than me.

“Professor, you’ve lived as long as you have, so you must know, right? That the pie is limited from the start. The country has no money, no money. No matter what I, you know what I mean, right?”

“……”

That guy isn’t just an office manager who came from the Grade 5 exam.