Chapter 30: High Standards
“How could you possibly be guinea pigs? We don't conduct human experiments.”
Professor Lei laughed. “Every student is the most precious asset of our research institute. We will use the best teachers and the best resources to cultivate them.”
“Besides, getting admitted isn't that simple either. It's not just a matter of taking a test.”
Professor Lei explained, “We have a series of scientific testing methods, and we analyze the blood of students who meet the requirements. There won't be any mistakes. Students Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qingyao both have spiritual antibodies.”
“You use scientific testing methods to detect supernatural phenomena?”
Hearing Professor Lei's words, Su Xiaofan couldn't help feeling a strange sensation. There was something very incongruous about what he was hearing.
“Xiao Su, just because we study unnatural phenomena, or supernatural phenomena, doesn't mean we reject science. The two aren't in conflict.”
Professor Lei laughed when he heard this. In the course of their research, they used a large number of scientific instruments and scientific analyses. Research into unnatural phenomena and scientific research technology actually complemented each other.
“Uncle Zhao, what do you think?”
Su Xiaofan turned his gaze toward Zhao Zhengshan. He had already accepted Professor Lei's explanation and was inclined to let his sister enroll.
As for signing that disclaimer, as Professor Lei had said, accidents happened all the time when researchers conducted experiments. They couldn't just stop doing experiments because of that, could they?
“I think we should let the child attend first and see how it goes.”
Zhao Zhengshan didn't have much say in this matter. His daughter coming to Yanjing for the special admissions class had been decided by the old man, and he couldn't overturn that decision either.
Moreover, as a doctor who had practiced medicine for nearly twenty years, Zhao Zhengshan had actually encountered some unnatural phenomena in the course of his work. He wasn't opposed to Professor Lei's explanation.
“By the way, Teacher Lei, there can't be many students who meet the requirements like Xiaoxiao and the others, right?” Su Xiaofan suddenly remembered something.
“Not many. That's why we only recruited one special admissions class nationwide.”
Professor Lei nodded. What he didn't say was that there were only a little over twenty people in this one class. It wasn't merely a small number; they were extremely rare.
“Then why is the tuition still so expensive?”
Su Xiaofan said, “Since there are so few students, shouldn't rare things be more valuable? You should subsidize us more. How can you still make our families bear such a heavy burden?”
“Huh? Xiao Su, is your family having financial difficulties?”
Professor Lei was stunned for a moment and hurriedly said, “We have to blame our admissions teacher for not understanding the situation. The tuition was set uniformly at the time, but for relatively disadvantaged families, this hundred thousand yuan tuition fee can be waived. Have Student Su Xiaoxiao submit an application later, and I can approve it.”
“It can be waived like that? Why didn't you say so earlier?”
Hearing Professor Lei's words, Su Xiaofan was so aggrieved he could have cried. The root cause of all the unlucky things he'd suffered, from electric shocks to being struck by lightning, had been raising tuition money for his sister. Now Professor Lei had waived the tuition with a single sentence, and Su Xiaofan felt he was even more wronged.
“My dad works on ocean-going cargo ships, and I make a little money running a street stall. I don't know if that counts as a financially disadvantaged family?” Apart from not saying that his father was the captain, every word Su Xiaofan said was true.
“That does count as relatively disadvantaged. This was our fault for not looking into your situation carefully.” Professor Lei's attitude was so good that Su Xiaofan couldn't even get angry.
“I wonder if Zhao Qingyao's tuition needs to be reduced or waived?” Professor Lei looked at Zhao Zhengshan.
“No need for that.”
Zhao Zhengshan hurriedly shook his head. You had to be kidding. Let alone a hundred thousand yuan a year, even ten million yuan a year would be no burden at all for the Zhao family.
“Good. Then thank you both for your cooperation. Rest assured, there won't be any problems with leaving the children in our care.”
Professor Lei breathed a sigh of relief. This special admissions class was the first attempt of its kind in the country, and everyone from top to bottom attached great importance to it. If someone dropped out before the school year even began, it would definitely be an incident.
When they returned to the conference room, Su Xiaofan found that his sister was already sitting together with Zhao Qingyao, chattering away about something.
“Su Xiaofan, I'm going to study here!” Seeing her brother return, Su Xiaoxiao stood up and said loudly. She had already found a best friend before school even started, and Su Xiaoxiao had begun looking forward to her university life.
“Mm, give me that disclaimer. I'll sign it.”
Su Xiaofan nodded and reached out for the disclaimer. He asked for it naturally, and Su Xiaoxiao handed it over naturally as well. Neither of them realized that their father, who was drifting somewhere at sea, was actually Su Xiaoxiao's guardian.
“Later, submit an application to have the tuition waived. We're a financially disadvantaged family.” Su Xiaofan quietly instructed his sister.
“Okay.”
Su Xiaoxiao blinked. Based on her understanding of her brother, Su Xiaofan had definitely gone to negotiate with the teacher just now, and apparently the negotiation had gone quite well, getting the tuition waived.
Professor Lei seemed to attach considerable importance to Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qingyao. After the two completed their enrollment procedures, he personally led them out of the office building and arranged their dormitory.
Before going to the dormitory, they went to the cafeteria. The research institute's cafeteria was independent, located right behind the office building.
After entering, Su Xiaofan discovered that although it was called a cafeteria, it had actually been decorated into individual private rooms. Each room's dining table had paper menus and QR codes for scanning to order dishes.
According to Professor Lei, the institute's teachers and students could eat here free of charge, and there were no communal dishes. Everything was stir-fried to order, and they could basically prepare specialty dishes from every province.
“Is a hundred thousand yuan enough to cover a year's food expenses?”
After flipping through the menu, this thought occurred to Su Xiaofan. The menu even had options like sea cucumber and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Ordinary restaurants didn't even have those, did they?
The dormitory was unexpectedly close to the office building, just over three hundred meters behind it. What surprised Su Xiaofan was that it was actually a villa complex, and this villa complex was the dormitory for Su Xiaoxiao and the others.
In Professor Lei's words, this place should be called the Experts' Apartments. Each villa wasn't actually very large. There were only two bedrooms on the second floor, a study room on the first floor, and a gym as well. Even the gym equipment had already been provided.
“This is a dormitory?”
Su Xiaofan couldn't quite believe it. By comparison, the six-person dorm room he'd had in high school was practically a doghouse.
“Yes. Our research institute has very high standards. Each apartment houses two students.”
Professor Lei nodded and said, “Actually, the tuition we charge is merely symbolic. The resources the state spends on each student far exceed a hundred thousand yuan.”
Looking at the small villas hidden among the greenery in front of him, Su Xiaofan believed Professor Lei's words. The standards of this special admissions class were extraordinarily high. Having a freshman live in a villa at school wasn't something money alone could buy.
Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qingyao chose a villa, and Su Xiaofan helped carry their luggage inside.
Compared with Su Xiaoxiao's single suitcase, Zhao Qingyao had brought much more stuff. There was even a stuffed bear over a meter tall, and she had brought her own pillows as well. She had a full five or six suitcases.
Professor Lei left after seeing them to their dormitory. Before leaving, he told Su Xiaofan that he had booked a room for him at the school's guesthouse, and he could check in simply by showing his ID card.
“Mm, a hundred thousand yuan a year really isn't expensive.”
After walking around his sister's room, Su Xiaofan discovered a 1.8-meter-wide bed, with brand-new, unopened bedding and sheets on it. The pillow was a silicone memory-foam pillow. In the bedroom's private bathroom, there was a fully automatic washing machine, a Dyson hair dryer hanging beside the sink, and the toiletries were all branded products. There were even three different brands, presumably so the students could choose for themselves.
“Xiaoxiao, are you sure you came here to study?”
Su Xiaofan felt that his voice was filled with resentment. If he'd known university came with treatment like this, let alone studying for another year, he would have been willing to study for two more years.
“Bro, why don't you let them test you too and see if you qualify for admission?”
Su Xiaoxiao suddenly said. Earlier, in the conference room, another teacher had introduced them to the situation at the Institute of Supernatural Research.
Su Xiaoxiao felt that her brother should qualify too. For nothing else, her brother's courage alone was inhuman. If Su Xiaofan encountered some ghost or spirit, it was hard to say who would scare whom.
“Me? Come to school too?”
Hearing his sister's suggestion, Su Xiaofan couldn't help feeling tempted for a moment. This wasn't coming to school at all; it was practically coming to live like a lord, with someone taking care of everything from eating and drinking to sleeping and using the bathroom.
“Forget it. I've been out of school for several years. I wouldn't be used to coming back.”
After thinking about it, Su Xiaofan ultimately shook his head. For one thing, he was somewhat unaccustomed to campus life now. For another, he didn't want anyone to discover the secret in his mind.
“All right, get to know your classmates well. I'll go back to the guesthouse first and come over later to have a meal with you. I'll look around Yanjing for the next few days, then go back to Luochuan.”
After making his sister's bed, Su Xiaofan looked at Su Xiaoxiao lying on the bed playing with her phone without a care in the world, and he wasn't worried at all about whether she'd be able to adapt.
“By the way, take this card. There's four hundred thousand in it. Don't be too stingy in your daily life. Spend what you should.”
Su Xiaofan took out a bank card and placed it on the bed. It had been opened three years ago in Su Xiaoxiao's name, with online banking activated and linked to her phone number. In the past, Su Xiaofan had transferred money to Su Xiaoxiao through this card, but he had kept the card himself, so Su Xiaoxiao could only use mobile payments.
“Huh? Bro, you're leaving already?”
Su Xiaoxiao poked her head out from behind her phone and said sadly, “Bro, I'm all alone in a strange place, without a single relative by my side. What am I supposed to do if I miss you? How about you leave me a little more money!”
“Go as far as your thoughts take you, and then get as far away from me as you can!”
Su Xiaofan picked up his backpack and glared at his sister irritably. Not only did he, as a son, get screwed over by his dad, now he had to get screwed over by his sister too.
(End of Chapter)
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