by <unknown>
Professor Zheng wanted an unequivocal position as lead author.
Seeing that Chen Chen did not speak, Xia Yin fell silent as well.
In this silence, they reached the fifth floor and came to the office door of Xia Yin's tutor.
"Chen Chen, in the past three months, I've seen what you're capable of. If this deal isn't worth it, just turn him down…"
Xia Yin finally blurted out this statement as if she had been plucking up the courage to say it.
"Don't worry. I know what to do."
Chen Chen shook his head. Without warning, he raised his phone and asked Xia Yin, "By the way, who's the woman on your tutor's desk?"
"Huh?" Xia Yin tilted her head and looked. "Oh, her. That's his previous wife who's passed away. Why?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Chen Chen nodded, turned around, and knocked on the door.
"Please come in."
A gravelly voice called out. Chen Chen pushed open the office door and walked in.
This was a fifteen-square-meter office.
The layout of the office was identical to the one in the picture online. Even the positions of the pen holder and the framed photo on the desk were the same.
"Hello, Professor Zheng."
After a quick look, Chen Chen withdrew his gaze and nodded at the middle-aged man before him.
"Oh, you must be Chen Chen. Little Yin has mentioned about you before. Come in, come in, please have a seat!"
Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man stood up at once and shook Chen Chen's hand enthusiastically.
Seeing that Chen Chen seemed stunned by this friendly display, the man could not help chuckling. "Little Yin, you may go first. I'll have a good chat with your schoolmate Chen Chen."
"Very well." Xia Yin nodded. After casting a furtive, meaningful glance at Chen Chen, she left the office.
The middle-aged man waited until Xia Yin had closed the door behind her before he steadied his expression.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Zheng Jian, Little Yin's tutor. I heard from her that your team spent only three months to complete a groundbreaking pilot project. That's impressive."
"I guess so. It's not all to my credit. Xia Yin and a dorm mate of mine helped a great deal."
Chen Chen sat on the sofa and replied as he observed the office.
Zheng Jian's office was not large. Other than the desk and the bookshelf at the back, there was just a mahogany pendulum clock by the door.
This pendulum clock could be classified as a grandfather clock. It was over two meters tall with a low, golden pendulum. Through the transparent glass, Chen Chen could see the pendulum swinging ceaselessly. It looked extremely expensive.
Chen Chen showed an expression of interest and walked up toward the pendulum clock, examining it closely.
"What, you're interested in my pendulum clock?" Zheng Jian laughed.
"Professor Zheng, this pendulum clock is from Holland, right?" Chen Chen shot back with his question.
"Oh? You're very knowledgeable about pendulum clocks."
Zheng Jian was startled. "That's right, this pendulum clock is indeed imported from Holland. I thought it looked good, so I placed it here."
"Pendulum clocks made in Holland have a sort of classical charm. It's too bad they're not precise enough and require frequent adjustments."
Chen Chen nodded. "Professor Zheng, do you know what time it is?"
"Now…" Zheng Jian looked at the time on the clock. "Isn't it 9:35 in the morning?"
"But my phone says it's 9:40."
After he spoke, Chen Chen immediately opened the protective case of the clock and set the time forward by five minutes.
Zheng Jian frowned but said nothing in the end.
"Now, the time is right."
Chen Chen smiled, turned around, and sat back on the sofa.
Zheng Jian shot a glance at the pendulum clock as if sensing that something was wrong. Only then did he say, "Student Chen Chen, let's get to the point."
Chen Chen assumed a listening expression at once.
"You know that Xia Yin is my student. I have every reason to be responsible for this experiment in which she had invested."
Zheng Jian's voice dripped with sincerity. "Still, in recognition of the significant work you've put in, I won't treat you unfairly. After all, I'm very pleased with this experiment. Plus, your abilities and ideas are wonderful. I have high hopes for you and I'm willing to invest in you."
Chen Chen still did not speak but there seemed to be a hint of a waver in his expression.
"How's this – when you're in your junior year, pick me as your tutor. I'll get you a place in this school's postgraduate research program and utilize you as much as possible in all future projects and tasks!"
Zheng Jian struck while the iron was hot. "Besides, I'll help you fight for scholarships and whatnot as much as I can. I only have one condition, which is…
"For the scientific paper on this experiment, you must give up your signature as a corresponding author!"
Chapter 24: Turnaround |
Chen Chen laughed inwardly to himself.
Xia Yin was the one who had supplied the funds while Chen Chen worked tirelessly for three months. However, Zheng Jian's words transformed it into his own project.
Zheng Jian was not only thick-skinned but he was also highly ambitious. Chen Chen could even guess that if Zheng Jian got his way, his professorship would be in the bag thanks to this scientific paper.
A professor who was not even forty would have unlimited prospects.
Now Chen Chen had fully understood that this man before him was determined to seize the results of his own experiments.
With this in mind, Chen Chen put on a hesitant expression. "Professor Zheng, if I give up on signing my name as the corresponding author, can you really get us into postgraduate research? You won't go back on your promise, right?"
"Be rest assured. That's entirely in my power."
Zheng Jian said in an earnest, enticing manner, "Little Chen, in truth, I expect great things from you. Join me – I have plenty of resources and projects. With your capability, you won't have to worry about getting an opportunity to shine."
'More like, you'll exploit my talents for your own gain, right?'
Chen Chen shook his head inwardly but on the surface, he looked even more tempted. "Professor Zheng, I'll have to think this over…"
"What else is there to think about?"
With a kind stern expression, Zheng Jian advised graciously, "I'm doing this for your own good. You should know that the world of academia is tough and ruthless. Fortunately, you've met me today. If you were to encounter some other tutor, they would give you the second author position at most, without any additional promises."
Chen Chen was silent for a moment, appearing to make up his mind. "In that case, I ask that you look after us!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
Zheng Jian's face blossomed in delight and he stood up, guffawing and clapping Chen Chen's shoulder. "I'll show you the ropes! Little Chen, send the experiment data to me at once. Not just a softcopy – I want the firsthand hardcopy of the data. Xia Yin said that it's with you."
"Sure. What's your email? I'll send you a softcopy right now." Chen Chen took out his phone.
After Zheng Jian gave his email, Chen Chen did not hesitate and immediately forwarded the information.
Thanks to Chen Chen's behavior, Zheng Jian became even more genial.
"Tutor, let me briefly explain our train of thought."
Chen Chen walked in front of Zheng Jian and faced the computer. "The core idea of my experiment was to rebuild the immune system based on bone marrow transplantation, replacing the aging stem cells in mice…
"Through stem cell cloning, we obtained a sufficient amount of young mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells. After that…
"The real difficulty in this experiment was…"
Chen Chen described the entire experiment process without reservation.
He was thorough as if he was narrating a fascinating tale.
Each time he reached an exciting part, Zheng Jian could not refrain from laughing and clapping, exclaiming his admiration for Chen Chen's mind.
"Little Chen, I didn't realize that I've underestimated you."
Zheng Jian smiled. "Your ideas can only be described as bold and imaginative. You're like a seedling, bursting with potential. My judgment was correct!"
"Ah, you're flattering me."
Chen Chen glanced toward the door and suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, is this beautiful lady in the framed photo your wife?"
"Oh, that…"
Zheng Jian had been laughing a second ago. Now, he appeared taken aback by Chen Chen's words. Then, he answered, "That's my previous wife. However, she passed away two years ago."
"Bong…"
A deep, ancient sound boomed out from the grandfather clock. Both Chen Chen and Zheng Jian stopped talking and looked toward the grandfather clock.
Zheng Jian suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He had heard this clock striking countless times and had learned to ignore it long ago.
However, for some reason, the clock's chime today was abnormally harsh on his ears…
"It's already ten o'clock?"
Chen Chen turned back and murmured, "Professor Zheng, this pendulum clock is broken indeed. It's only 9:55 now."
With that, Chen Chen walked to the grandfather clock again and set the time back by five minutes.
Zheng Jian opened his mouth but ultimately did not say anything.
He did not know why but after this student fiddled with his pendulum clock, there was something odd about this once-familiar clock. Nonetheless, when he took a closer look, he could not sense any difference.
After adjusting the time again, Chen Chen whipped his head around and asked, "Tutor, did your previous wife die in a car accident?"
"No, it was cancer."
Zheng Jian frowned. A student should not be asking about such a private matter. Still, in consideration of the scientific paper, Zheng Jian ultimately replied.
"What kind of cancer?"
Chen Chen followed up with another question.
"Medulloblastoma. What are you asking this for?" Zheng Jian's frown grew deeper and his dissatisfaction began to show.
"It's nothing. I just heard that she'd often have fever and headaches whereas you're a qualified doctor of pharmacy, so I wanted to ask…"
Chen Chen walked back to the desk and asked in a lowered voice, "Did you often privately set up an IV drip for your wife at home?"
"What's this nonsense?"
When Zheng Jian heard the question, he sprang up as if he had seen a ghost and glared at Chen Chen. "Who sent you? Who made you ask all this?"
"Take a guess."
One corner of Chen Chen's mouth curved up.
By this point, the cordial atmosphere between the two had evaporated.
Chen Chen casually picked up the photo frame from the table and turned it toward Zheng Jian. "I'm curious. Why do you have a photo of your previous wife on your desk?"
"Because I can't forget her." Zheng Jian drew in a deep breath and spat out coldly.
"If that's the case, why isn't the photo facing you instead of the door?"
Chen Chen set the photo frame in front of Zheng Jian. "What are you afraid of?"
"I've simply positioned it wrongly!"
Zheng Jian snarled furiously to cover up his terror. "Little Chen, I don't care who told you all this, but let me warn you. I can get the school to take disciplinary action against you for what you just did!"
"Tutor, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Chen Chen was unconcerned. He gently tossed the photo frame into the air, then caught it again, over and over. In Zheng Jian's eyes, the woman in the white dress appeared to spin and flutter, just like a butterfly.
"Put the photo down!" Zheng Jian roared in rage.
"Tutor, have you heard of hypnosis?"
As Chen Chen kept on tossing the photo, he broke out into an eerie smile. "Hypnosis is a means of awakening the subconscious. Through hypnosis, many patients with psychological trauma can be healed.
"Besides that, it has another function, which is…
"It can make a criminal confess his own crime!"
"You're hypnotizing me?"
Zheng Jian's eyes bulged out. He finally understood why he felt out of sorts. Chen Chen was trying to hypnotize him?
When Zheng Jian realized this, his heart clenched and he quickly pinched his own hand.
There was an instant twang of pain that revitalized his spirits!
"Are you afraid? You're afraid that you'll say something after being hypnotized?" Chen Chen was relentless.
"That's enough. I won't be hypnotized by you!"
After being jolted by the pain, Zheng Jian felt more like himself at last. "Get out of my office right now!"
"Zheng Jian, I'll count to three. You shall return to the day your previous wife died."
Chen Chen's voice was soft and silky. At the same time, he walked behind Zheng Jian and opened the window. A sudden gust of cold wind rushed in.
"If you won't leave, I'll call the police!" Zheng Jian picked up the landline on his desk.
"Three…" Chen Chen began calmly.
"Shut up and leave now!" Cold sweat dripped from Zheng Jian's forehead and he started to dial.
"Two…" Chen Chen tossed the photo frame into the air once again.
"Shut up!"
"Clatter!"
However, just as Chen Chen was about to count to one, his grasp suddenly slipped and the photo frame crashed to the floor.
"…"
"Sorry for disturbing you."
Chen Chen grinned and immediately left the office.
"Click."
Zheng Jian waited until he heard the door shut before he wiped away his sweat and collapsed into his chair.
'How could he know what I did back then?'
Zheng Jian's face was dark. He did not even understand why he was this frightened.
No matter what, after this, he would no longer be figured out so easily…
Zheng Jian breathed in deeply and a cold, vicious glint flashed in his eyes. Then, he bent over to retrieve the photo frame.
However, in the instant he was picking up the frame, the pendulum clock by the door struck once again.
"Bong!"
One…
Chapter 25: Another Side Effect of NZT |
Chen Chen walked out of Zheng Jian's office.
He behaved as usual. No one would be able to tell that he had just locked horns with an associate professor half a minute ago.
He went down the stairs to the ground floor, exited the lobby, and walked out of the office block.
Only then did Chen Chen take out his phone and looked at the time.
Currently, it was ten o'clock on the dot.
"Time's… Up."
Chen Chen muttered to himself, then walked down the path toward his dormitory.
When he was about a dozen meters away, there was a sudden, loud "thud" behind him.
It was as if something soft but heavy had plummeted from a higher floor.
There was a brief instant of silence among the passersby but this was soon punctured by successive bursts of shrieking.
The campus was thrown into discord…
Chen Chen did not look back. He simply left right away.
Before this, Chen Chen was not certain whether Zheng Jian had killed his previous wife.
Nonetheless, in some cases, certainty was not required. A seed of suspicion was enough.
Why would Chen Chen start suspecting Zheng Jian?
It was simple.
First of all, medulloblastoma was not a common affliction for those at the age of Zheng Jian's wife. Rather, it was a malignant glioma of the posterior fossa that often occurred in children while being rare in adults.
Of course, this alone was not enough to arouse Chen Chen's
suspicions but there was also Zheng Jian's identity.
Zheng Jian had a double Ph.D. in biochemistry and pharmacy and was a lecturer in the Institute of Biological Science.
In simple terms, he possessed the necessary technology and conditions to obtain his wife's somatic cells anytime he liked, induce the formation of cancer cells in the laboratory, and finally inject them back into his wife's body.
This was why Chen Chen would ask the question "Did you set up an IV drip for your wife at home?".
Of course, both of these points did not mean much by themselves. Zheng Jian would still need a motive to kill his wife.
In that case – his second wife, the daughter of the high-ranking official. Naturally, that was the motive.
To put it simply, this was like a crappy storyline of a scumbag who got rid of his poor, loyal wife after he became successful and chose to marry another, more promising woman.
Since a motive existed, Chen Chen only had to apply inductive reasoning. Naturally, he would reach the conclusion that Zheng Jian had killed his previous wife.
Even so, this was just a guess. What solidified Chen Chen's conviction was the framed photo placed in the office.
According to criminal psychology, this was a form of compensation.
First off, by placing the photo of his previous wife on the desk, Zheng Jian could reduce his feeling of guilt.
Secondly, others around him would think that he cherished his past wife very much, thus lessening any suspicion of a crime.
However, humans were not cold-blooded animals, after all. Throughout the years, ethics and morality had haunted every single person. Not everyone could easily overcome this obstacle.
As a result, although Zheng Jian had succeeded in killing his wife, he still felt uneasy.
The fear of being exposed, his guilt toward his wife, and the weight of his conscience kept on tormenting him. He dared not even visit a psychologist.
This had resulted in a state of constant distress over the years.
As a result, this distress had made Zheng Jian afraid of his dead wife, which explained the scene earlier.
Even though the photo of his previous wife was set out on his desk, it was faced away from him…
