"Professor Zeng."

Zheng Ju deliberately walked up to Zeng Kun, handed over the two documents and said: "I am Xiao Zheng from the Youth League Committee. The school has organized a web design competition. We would like to invite you to be a judge. I wonder if you have time?"

As soon as these words came out, the other three lecturers in the office were stunned for a moment.

What's the meaning?

Why don't we young people with academic achievements leave us alone and invite an associate professor who has no articles, no patents, or even scientific research capabilities for many years?

The "young people" here refer to those in the academic circle, who are in their 30s and under 40, have overseas study experience, and are just one step away from being hired as an associate professor.

The key is that they have all heard of the "Dream Life" web design competition, which has been promoted by the student union in full swing recently.

If Zheng Ju comes to them, they will most likely agree.

Associate professors also need to compete. When other conditions are similar, if you have a resume that actively participates in on-campus activities, you may have a little advantage over others.

Unexpectedly, after much picking and choosing, I finally picked Lao Zeng. The leader of the Youth League committee must have lost his mind!

However, scientific research and administration are two different lines. In other countries, scientific research would have a greater say.

But this is not the case in China. The organization feels that Comrade Zeng Kun is the most suitable judge for this event, so he is not the same.

Colleagues all reacted this way, and Zeng Kun himself was even more unbelievable.

He is really the kind of "empty shell" associate professor who is not appreciated by his leaders, cannot get projects, and cannot lead students.

Many years ago, before my boss retired, he tried to find a way to help me get this associate professor position. Lao Zeng was able to securely be this associate professor for so many years, thanks to the fact that it was relatively easy to join the ranks at the beginning.

So now, no matter how many papers are filed, he will basically not be involved. Even if some leaders of the Planning Academy don't like him, they can only give him a bench, but there is no way to fire him.

However, the feeling of being on the bench is really uncomfortable. Without any subsidies, an associate professor in 985 can only earn a little over 10,000 yuan a month, and this is still the result of class fees.

Judging from the average in 2007, this income is actually very high, but compared to Zeng Kun's status and education, it is indeed a bit low.

Zeng Kun read the "Notice of the Web Design Competition" and the "Letter of Invitation to Be a Judge" twice, then pushed up his glasses and asked: "Why did you think of me?"

Regarding this question, Zheng Ju had already thought of an answer: "I have seen your resume before and I think you are more authoritative in this regard, so I wanted to invite you to come and take charge."

Zeng Kun laughed, who would believe this?

Website programming is not difficult, and everyone in this office has the skills to be a reviewer.

"Don't you think that by sitting on the bench, I can save the review fee?"

Zeng Kun thought to himself.

Generally, there is a "labor fee" for this kind of review. The standard for an associate professor is between 1,000 and 3,000. If you meet a more generous Party A, it is normal to give 5,000 or 10,000.

However, Zeng Kun was worried that the Youth League Committee wanted to save the review fee, so he put the two red-headed documents on the table, looked at Zheng Ju and said: "Let me think about it, I also have teaching and research tasks recently, so I may not be available."

Zheng Ju was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, why are you pretending to be here? You can find out how many classes you have in a week. What other teaching and research tasks can you have besides this?

If Chen Zhu hadn't felt that you were easy to control as a solitary person, how could he have chosen you.

But on the face of it, Zheng Ju still said politely: "Then you think about it first, and we won't disturb you."

After leaving the office building of the School of Engineering, Zheng Ju began to complain: "Professor Zeng is too arrogant. I have always asked the student union to promote this event. With the current reputation within the campus, there is no problem at all in inviting a young associate professor."

Chen Zhu didn't say a word in the office. He looked like a student, so Zeng Kun just looked at him and then ignored him, treating him as Zheng Ju's follower.

"Let's go, let's go eat."

Zheng Ju saw that it was time for dinner and planned to have a meal with Chen Zhu.

It is very common for teachers in the student union to have meals with students. After all, they often have to organize activities and so on.

Compared to Zheng Ju, who is 28 years old and is not even an ordinary clerk, Chen Zhu's mood is very peaceful.

There are very few successes that can be achieved overnight. Even falling in love may have to go through some twists and turns, so that two people can cherish each other.

Professor Zeng must have a reason for not agreeing, so we can just find a way to understand his hesitation and then solve it.

"There's no rush."

Chen Zhu said calmly: "Let's wait for Professor Zeng and have lunch with him."

"ah?"

Zheng Ju blinked. He had read similar stories before, which said that in order to achieve their goals, some people would persevere and look for opportunities again even if they were rejected for the first time.

This kind of thing sounds easy to do. In fact, in normal life, after being rejected for the first time, many people often don't have the face to speak again.

It's like if a confession is rejected, most people pretend to be dead like ostriches and don't even have the courage to face it again, let alone confess a second time.

"I think some of your behaviors and thoughts are really not what you should be at your age."

Zheng Ju couldn't help but ask: "Is this the result of family influence?"

Chen Zhu smiled and said nothing, but Zheng Ju thought it was a bit mysterious.

But Zheng Ju is happy in his heart. The more mature Chen Zhu behaves, the more confident he is in this project.

If the future goes as planned by Chen Zhu, and the project can finally achieve profitability, this will be a typical example of successful entrepreneurship among college students.

As an instructor, this is a great honor. In the future, I will not have to wait for seniority in the Youth League committee to slowly gain seniority. Maybe I will avoid a few years of detours.

Not long after, Zeng Kun walked out of the teaching building. The cold wind mixed with rain blew his half-grey and half-white hair. He stood there for a while, pushed up his glasses and walked to the cafeteria.

"Professor Zeng."

Chen Zhu caught up from the side.

Zeng Kun was a little surprised when he saw the same two people as before: "Is there anything else?"

"No."

Chen Zhu said: "It's just that I still want to ask Professor Zeng to serve as a reviewer."

I don't know when, Chen Zhu had already stood at the front and took over the task of negotiation.

"This..."

Zeng Kun walked with an umbrella and replied: "I told you to wait and see the time."

He has two concerns in his mind. If the Youth League Committee cannot give clear opinions, he will not participate.

Chen Zhu followed behind, but Zeng Kun ignored him at first.

However, when stepping on the soaked road, Chen Zhu seemed to be talking to himself: "The shoes are soaked in water again. There are more and more profiteers nowadays. Shoes bought for hundreds of dollars are not very durable. I heard my grandma say

, In the past, rubber shoes that cost just a few cents a pair would never wear out no matter how much you wear them."

This sentence is like bait, fishing for this kind of old angry youth who are extremely dissatisfied with modern society.

"How can we compare now with before?"

Zeng Kun didn't realize at all that this was Chen Zhu's way of opening up the conversation to close the distance, or even if he did, he probably couldn't help it.

"When I went to the countryside before."

Zeng Kun said to Chen Zhu: "A pair of shoes randomly issued to the brigade will not wear out no matter how hard you work in the fields. If you try those shoes now, they will be worn out in less than three days."

"yes."

Chen Zhu immediately echoed: "Not to mention shoes, belts are also the same. The belt broke two days after I bought it. I really don't know what other products I can trust now."

"Did you see my belt?"

Zeng Kun pointed to the peeling belt on his waist, and Chen Zhu thought to himself, you don't mean to say that it has been strangled since the 1980s.

Uncle Zeng, I can’t stand your boasting.

"This metal belt buckle."

Zeng Kun said: "I still used it when I went to the countryside!"

"Oh~"

Chen Zhu breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out to be a belt buckle. The metal material used now makes sense.

Chen Zhu followed Zeng Kun into the faculty and staff level of the cafeteria. Of course, no one would say anything. Some teachers or professors would drag students to eat together before they finished talking.

"So, sometimes I feel like that."

Chen Zhu seemed to be in doubt and said with some uncertainty: "Although we have money now, in fact we are not as good as before in many aspects. I don't know if this view is correct..."

Zeng Kun turned around and said decisively: "Yes! Why is it wrong? I tell you, now is just not as good as before..."

"In the past, every household could keep their doors open at night and not pick up lost items on the street. Now, let's see, which one can do it?"

"In those food stores in the past, the raw materials were all genuine. If anyone dared to pass off substandard products, they would be shot."

"Also, in the past, one was one and two was two in academic research. Now there is fraud everywhere in the academic world. Do you think our school is very clean?"

…

Chen Zhu listened quietly. If society develops too fast, there will be some disadvantages. This is probably inevitable no matter what.

He is just an ordinary person now. Even if he becomes rich and powerful in the future, he may not be able to change these situations.

However, some people may not be able to understand these existences, so whenever they encounter some injustice or setbacks, they will miss the pure era they experienced firsthand.

As soon as Zeng Kun finished talking on the phone, he suddenly threw away his chopsticks, as if he was so angry that he couldn't even eat, and his chest was heaving with excitement.
To be continued...