"Little Qin, I don't know whether you understand what it means to be a master's student or a PhD."
"A master's degree is still okay. The program is short, and you usually won't be given important responsibilities. But a PhD often carries the expectation from their advisor to break new ground in a field. Most PhD students don't really have it easy. Do you know why?"
Qin Siyang thought back to the PhD seniors from his previous life. They always seemed to be sitting in front of their computers, scratching their heads over papers and experiment data, miserable and exhausted.
Back then he did not feel it deeply. After hearing Li Tianming say this, he finally understood.
"Is it because they don't know whether the method they're using is right, whether their hard work will actually pay off?"
"Exactly. When their advisors set a research direction for them, even the advisors don't know whether it will lead to results. They just think the direction is worth studying."
"After all, only the unknown has research value."
After hearing that, Qin Siyang could not help but feel a bit helpless.
"But when the apocalypse came, everything changed."
"What changed?"
"The situation for researchers changed. Even though the apocalypse is humanity's darkest hour, it's a ocean of blessing for researchers."
There was a hint of dark humor in Li Tianming's smile, "I never thought that one day I would turn misfortune into fortune and reach where I am today."
"After the apocalypse, because everything became unknown and the whole world's changes urgently needed exploration, researchers received unprecedented respect and attention."
"And people like us, who had been studying biology and nature-related subjects before the apocalypse, had a smoother start than others. We quickly became professors at famous universities."
"But even at that time, there were still many non front-line researchers, the kind I call 'boss' type professors. With their excellent research teams under them, they climbed to the very top."
"But who would have thought, that wasn't the end."
"Five years ago, when humans awakened their sequences, our status and strength rose along with the depth of our research. Some people with especially good luck, like me, Guo Jiuxiao, and others, happened to have research directions that were highly connected to the newly awakened sequence abilities. From then on, we soared, unstoppable."
"Because research and technology related to sequences and gods can drastically change a person's status and situation. Just one God-hunting tool is enough to let someone rise to the top in a single step. From that point on, those 'bosses' who only knew how to give orders became useless. The truly capable researchers started to stand on their own."
"So now, every university professor you see is someone who stayed on the front lines of research after the apocalypse. As for those who used to sit back and enjoy others' achievements, they were long ago swept into the trash heap by the apocalypse."
There was a trace of pride in Li Tianming's smile. It showed for just a moment before he put it away and looked seriously at Qin Siyang.
"But most of us professors, even though we are powerful, have obvious problems."
"It has only been ten years since the apocalypse arrived. Sequence awakening has only been for five years. During this time, all researchers have been desperately developing their strongest research directions. No one had time to go back and strengthen the foundation."
"A wooden barrel has planks of different heights. We usually only have two or three long planks. The rest are so short they look like toy blocks, almost embarrassing to look at."
"For a researcher without any backing, if you just grab hold of their long planks and stop them from growing further, you can easily control them."
Li Tianming let out a long sigh and spoke with a trace of sorrow.
"Do you think the technology I'm working on, the one that needs Crimson Crystals, Yellow Silver Star Ore, and all kinds of rare god remains, was something I just thought up on a whim?"
"If you compare my research career to a tree…"
Li Tianming took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and blew out a ring of smoke.
"If you compare my research career to a tree, then before the apocalypse, this tree was growing in all directions. Its roots were solid, its trunk thick, its branches lush. Back then I still had my own research ideals. I wasn't so eager for quick success."
"When the apocalypse came, I realized an opportunity had arrived. I threw myself into promising research. Most of the tree's branches were cut off, leaving only a few that might bear fruit."
"After the sequence awakening, I once again cut off a large number of branches. The tree was left with only a few. And from then on, whether it was the roots or the trunk, everything desperately nourished those few branches, trying to make them bloom and bear fruit."
"Originally, I should have been advancing several research projects side by side. But two years ago, Guo Jiuxiao's framing incident cut off my chance to continue my research. It directly damaged my foundation. Two years have passed. Times have changed. Talents have emerged one after another in the safe zone. Even after coming back, I can't return to what I was before."
Qin Siyang looked at Li Tianming and saw the deep regret in his eyes.
"After careful discussion and deduction with Old Zhang, we reached a consensus. Most of the branches I have left can no longer grow into anything significant as time passes. At best, they are small decorative pieces. For ordinary professors, they are enough to build a name. For me, they barely scratch the surface."
"There is only one branch!"
Li Tianming raised one finger and held it between their lines of sight.
"I only have one branch that has a chance to bear heavy fruit."
"So this research is the embodiment of more than twenty years of my career. It is real gold tested by time. It is the only possibility that cannot be replaced. It is the decisive move between my success and failure."
"If I lose it, I lose myself."
After saying that, Li Tianming smoked in silence.
Qin Siyang's brows slowly tightened, "I didn't expect it to be like this."
"Little Qin, if that weren't the case, why would I hold onto this research with such demanding material requirements and refuse to let go? Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn't choose to hang themselves on one tree."
Qin Siyang murmured softly, "I should have thought of it earlier…"
Li Tianming patted Qin Siyang on the back, "Why are you feeling down? You've already helped me so, so, so much! In just half a year, you helped me gather more than half of the materials."
"The fangs of the Thunder Snow Wolf, the corrosive fluid sac of the Corrosive Black Centipede, the crystal wings of the Ice Crystal Giant Moth, the lava outer skin of the Lava Crocodile, the inner leaves of Titan Foxtail, I have them all now."
At this point, the gloom on Li Tianming's face completely disappeared, replaced with hope.
"Right now, I only need a few dozen kilograms of Yellow Silver Star Ore and a fist-sized Crimson Crystal, and I can turn everything around…"
Li Tianming was still imagining his bright future when a charming mass of red suddenly blocked his vision.
[🎉 Shoutout to DarkLost for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through P@treon.