Shen Zueran's expression froze, his dark eyes quietly watching Yu Lan.
Yu Lan rattled on, her chest heaving in indignation. She was clearly incensed.
"I got this research assistant position after submitting my resume through the Science Research Institute's official channels and passing a standard interview. I'm a formal member of the Institute."
"I haven't even officially started working yet. What right do you have to say I'm not suitable?"
"Give me back my ID card."
As Yu Lan spoke, she puffed up her cheeks and glared at Shen Zueran.
Her small, fair hand was extended in front of Shen Zueran, demanding he return her ID card.
'I must be going crazy,' Shen Zueran thought. 'Or maybe when I went into heat just now, my brain turned to mush and I became an idiot.'
How could he possibly think that the glaring, puff-cheeked Yu Lan was cute?
'Good heavens.'
'How could I possibly think that?'
Shen Zueran refused to accept the thought.
A war raged within him, but outwardly, Shen Zueran's face remained cold and silent.
Seeing this, the corners of Louisa's mouth curved up, and she spoke first.
"On what grounds?"
"Lanlan, I'll tell you on what grounds."
"The man standing before you is Shen Zueran, the Scientific Research Institute Director. He has veto power over every single researcher in the Institute, from top to bottom."
"He doesn't want you at the Science Research Institute, Lanlan. You should just leave."
'Stop embarrassing yourself here.'
'So pathetic.'
Louisa didn't say it aloud, but her slightly raised eyebrow was enough to show how much she was enjoying watching Yu Lan make a fool of herself in front of Shen Zueran.
'Ha!'
'I offered her money to leave just now and she refused.'
'Now Shen Zueran himself is telling her to get lost. Serves her right.'
Shen Zueran's silence, Louisa's mockery.
The anger surging in Yu Lan's heart grew stronger and stronger.
'All I wanted was to find a well-paying job to live a good life, study hard, and then subtly reveal the research findings from my past life.'
But these people, one after another, looked down on her, thoroughly stoking the flames of her anger.
Raging fury burned in her heart. She desperately needed to do something to prove her abilities.
'Don't tell me people actually think I'm useless.'
"Shen Zueran."
Yu Lan abruptly looked up, her crystal-clear, amber eyes fixed on the tall man as she called him by his full name.
After their gazes met, she curled her lips into a deeply provocative smile.
"How about we make a bet?"
"What?" Shen Zueran was taken aback, a hint of confusion in his dark eyes.
He didn't know what on earth Yu Lan wanted to bet on.
The next moment, Yu Lan spoke, her voice resolute. "Let's bet on whether I can make you admit you're wrong and personally invite me to join the Science Research Institute, all on my own merit."
Before Shen Zueran could reply, Louisa covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"Alright, Lanlan."
"I see you've learned a new joke."
"You've successfully made both me and Dean Shen laugh."
"But we have experiments to get to, and we're very busy. If you want to tell more jokes, can you wait until I'm on vacation and contact me then?"
"For now, please leave. The laboratory is a restricted area, after all. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed."
The feeling that Louisa was treating her like a joke grew stronger.
But Yu Lan had already gone from extreme anger to a state of calm.
'Someone who's destined to fail and doesn't even qualify as a rival isn't worth a second glance.'
From beginning to end, Yu Lan's gaze remained locked on Shen Zueran's face.
'Louisa is a small fry at best. Shen Zueran is the one who truly holds the power of life and death here.'
"So? Dean Shen, are you willing to take this bet with me?"
Yu Lan didn't wait for Shen Zueran to speak. Not wanting to hear a refusal, she laid out the terms of the bet first.
"I just saw on the Science Research Institute's intranet that there's an open competition for an Advanced Researcher position. All employees of the Institute can participate."
"According to the Institute's regulations, I have the right to apply for the assessment."
This competition for the Science Research Institute's Advanced Researcher positions was something Shen Zueran had proposed after becoming Dean.
He had discovered that scientific research wasn't something that should be based on seniority or age.
The capable should rise, and the weak should fall.
A genius could develop something that transcended their era even at a young age.
Letting them be buried among a group of people who were older but couldn't produce valuable research was a form of injustice.
He looked only at results, not background or age.
After this system was implemented, just as expected, the power structure of the Science Research Institute underwent a major reshuffle.
Countless incompetent Advanced Researchers who occupied high positions and leeched off the Institute's funding were directly demoted.
At the same time, a large batch of capable, ambitious, and dynamic young Advanced Researchers rose through the ranks.
Shen Zueran was the creator of this system, and also its staunchest defender.
Yu Lan had made this demand, even though he knew she wasn't capable.
But Shen Zueran's gaze fixed on Yu Lan. His dark eyes took in the confidence on the beautiful female's face as he spoke in a deep voice.
"You want a chance."
"Fine."
"Then I'll take that bet with you."
Louisa never expected that Shen Zueran would actually agree to Yu Lan's bet, or to that damn Advanced Researcher competition.
This was clearly a matter for researchers. Strictly speaking, what right did a research assistant like Yu Lan have to participate?
But Shen Zueran had agreed.
In front of everyone present, he sent out a notification:
[Interstellar Year 6888. Research Assistant Yu Lan has applied to compete for the position of Advanced Researcher. Researchers Zhao Ping, Bai Yun, Li Jie, and Wang Fang are requested to report to Room 308 within five minutes to begin supervision of the Advanced Researcher competition.]
After sending the message, Shen Zueran showed it to Yu Lan.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"Well then, let's see how you perform."
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
"Hmph."
Yu Lan tilted her chin and huffed, not hearing a trace of expectation in Shen Zueran's words.
Instead, they were thick with the anticipation of watching a good show.
Her small hands clenched into fists. Since she'd already said the words, she was going to make this arrogant Scientific Research Institute Director apologize and admit he was wrong today, no matter what.
*
The Advanced Researcher competition was divided into two parts:
A written exam and a practical experiment.
The questions were randomly selected from an intelligent question bank developed by Shen Zueran himself. It contained hundreds of thousands of major questions, with absolutely no possibility of leaks or repetition.
At the same time, the competition process would be observed by Shen Zueran and four other randomly selected Advanced Researchers.
The final decision would be based on their collective opinions.
This was not just a test, but an ordeal.
If one became too nervous and made a mistake during the experiment under the gaze of five top-tier figures, then everything would turn to dust.
By now, the four other Advanced Researchers who had received the notification were already seated in Room 308. Seeing that Shen Zueran hadn't arrived, they began to discuss it quietly amongst themselves.
"What's going on with the Dean? This is the first time a research assistant has competed for an Advanced Researcher position."
"And I hear it's a female?"
"A female? Aren't females only capable of auxiliary research? The Dean is being far too reckless." Upon hearing this, one of the researchers, who was clearly much older and more traditional, showed a look of instant dissatisfaction.
"Hmph. I'd like to see just how capable this female is, to dare to compete for an Advanced Researcher position."