Walking into the Distinguished Virtue Building of Sichuan University, Zhang Lisheng saw a long corridor with many doors.
In order to maintain the historical flavor of the old building designed and built by the architectural master Liang Sicheng a hundred years ago, the main structure of the building had not been changed much even after many renovations. However, the situation in the room that was now used as an office was completely different. In order to achieve modern office conditions, small changes such as pulling the circuit, pulling the network cable, and other small changes could be seen everywhere.
In the spacious and bright Academic Affairs Office on the first floor of the red building, Deputy Director Wang Qiuli personally verified Zhang Lisheng's information on the Internet and entered it into the list of invited visiting scholars. Looking up at the young Stanford doctor sitting on the sofa by the wall, she said enthusiastically in fluent English, "Alright, Dr. Zhang, the procedures are done.
Welcome to officially becoming a visiting scholar of Sichuan University. Our Sichuan University will be fully responsible for your food, accommodation, and transportation during your academic exchange in China for the next six months.
You'll be staying in the university hostel, and the environment will be the standard of a star-rated hotel.
You can choose to eat in the hostel restaurant or the international students' cafeteria, and the buffet will be provided free of charge.
Due to the shortage of vehicles in the university, it's difficult to guarantee that you'll be able to use your own car. For this reason, you'll be given a car allowance of 150 yuan a day. Of course, it's in Chinese dollars and not US dollars.
Other than that, if you have any other requests, you can ask as long as it's reasonable. "
"I can ask for more?" Looking at the Sichuan University Academic Affairs Office official who was over 40 years old but still maintained her charm well, Zhang Lisheng was stunned for a moment before blurting out, "No, no, no, Madam Wang. I came to your university for an academic visit, so there's no reason for me to receive such care from you."
"It's true that ordinary visiting scholars don't have such treatment, but you're an invited expert of the '100 Famous Universities, 1,000 International Experts' academic exchange program of the Ministry of Education, so our university has special regulations.
Such treatment is already the result of the continuous reduction after the central government's advocacy of 'strict economy.' I hope that you're satisfied? "When Wang Qiuli said these words, there was a faint sense of inexplicable superiority in her tone.
"Satisfied! I'm very satisfied! Thank you!" After completing the procedures and achieving his goal, Zhang Lisheng, who did not want to be entangled in the details, shrugged and stood up from the sofa. "Madam Li, if there's nothing else, I'd like to settle down first to get rid of the jet lag. After that, I'll go to the primitive jungle in Western Sichuan to do some field research …"
"Field research in the primitive jungle?" Wang Qiuli's eyes widened in shock as she interrupted the young man's words.
"Yes, but don't worry. I have a very rich field exploration experience, so I don't need to trouble your school with anything. In fact, if you've read it before, you should be able to guess that half of the papers I wrote were written in the jungle of the foreign world with a harsh environment."
Wang Qiuli was an administrative officer in the university. How could she have read the professional works of a visiting scholar? However, it was impolite to say that she didn't know. She could only smile bitterly and say, "Of course I have read your wonderful works. But, but Dr. Zhang, don't you think you should think about it? Don't rush to do field research. Our university is planning to invite you to hold two or three professional lectures during the summer …"
"Oh, is it a 'biology lecture' held for the students of your university and the society? I'm very honored to receive such an invitation, Ms. Li.
But if that's the case, it's even more imperative for me to conduct field research on the primeval forest in Western Sichuan.
After all, as a biologist, it's impossible for me to use the Hawaiian Islands or Shrimp B1 Island as examples to explain the wonders of this science to Chinese biology enthusiasts or local college students. This is an insult to a professional scholar. "
"T-This …" Wang Qiuli was dumbfounded and unable to refute the stubbornness and persistence displayed by Zhang Lisheng who was dedicated to academic research.
"If you have no objection, then I'll take my leave. See you again, Ms. Wang." When Zhang Lisheng saw her opening her mouth and became speechless, he shrugged and turned his gaze to Li Mingjin by the side. "Miss Li, can I trouble you to take me to the accommodation so that I can settle down first?"
"Of course, Dr. Zhang!" The girl nodded at the young man. She wanted to laugh but did not dare to, so she said to the deputy director of the Academic Affairs Office who was known for his competence in Sichuan University, "Director Wang, I'll accompany Dr. Zhang to the hostel first." Then, together with Zheng Tianliang, who had been laughing dryly ever since they entered the Academic Affairs Office, she brought Zhang Lisheng away.
After leaving the red building, the three of them walked a long distance on the campus and came to a hotel that did not occupy a large area but was very new. The neon sign had the words' Wang Jiang Hotel 'written on it.
"Dr. Zhang, this is the Wang Jiang Pavilion that has just been built in our Sichuan University's Wangjiang campus this year. It's also the hostel with the best accommodation in the campus. I hope you'll be satisfied," Li Mingjin said and walked up the stairs to push open the door of the hotel.
"I'm very satisfied, Miss Li." Walking into the hall, Zhang Lisheng pretended to look around and nodded repeatedly. "Such hospitality has already exceeded my imagination."
"It's nothing. You're too polite." Li Mingjin smiled and walked to the counter gracefully to explain the situation to the deputy manager on duty. Soon, she took the room card and returned to Zhang Lisheng's side. "Dr. Zhang, Room A0166 on the top floor has a view of the entire campus. It'll be yours for the next six months."
The instant her words left her mouth, the young and beautiful deputy lobby manager who followed closely behind the vice president of the Sichuan University Student Union also smiled and said in English, "If you need anything, please feel free to contact the front desk, Dr. Zhang. I'm honored to serve you."
"Oh, thank you so much!" Zhang Lisheng took the room card and swept a glance at Li Mingjin and the deputy lobby manager before yawning and saying with a smile.
Upon seeing the young man's tired look, Li Mingjin took Zheng Tianliang and left tactfully. Zhang Lisheng, on the other hand, walked into the elevator alone and went to the guest room that Sichuan University prepared for him.
Even though the room was only a standard room that was converted into a 'king-size room' by removing one of the beds and replacing the other with a comfortable double bed, it did not have a suite living room. However, the huge floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sun and the area of more than 30 square meters did not make people feel cramped at all.
Zhang Lisheng locked the door and habitually drew the two curtains. Then, he sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes, wanting to kill time with his secret cultivation method. However, his heart jolted all of a sudden, so he lowered his head and muttered, "It's better to be safe than sorry …" Then, he fell onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep in just a short while.
This sleep lasted for three to four hours. When the young man woke up again, the sun had already gradually set in the west.
He quietly walked out of the room and left the hotel. Mixing in a group of college students on the green road of Sichuan University campus, he walked out of the university inconspicuously and got into a taxi parked outside the door. "Brother, do you want to go to Hengze City's Qu County?"
"Tsk, Hengze City's Qu County? That's far away. If I take the highway, I'll have to pay two Little Sheep bills for the road and bridge toll.
I reckon that it'll be dark by the time I come back, and I won't be able to get a repeat customer. Sigh, it's not easy to go, it's not easy to go … "The taxi driver was a tall and fat middle-aged man. When he saw Zhang Lisheng's skinny appearance and the fact that he came from Sichuan University, he did not reject him and only said a lot of words that made things difficult for him.
"Brother, I'll give you 1,500 yuan for this trip. It's worth it." Zhang Lisheng was no longer the innocent boy from the mountain village. Upon hearing the driver's words, he smiled and took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket. After counting 15 banknotes, he handed them over.
"Yo, Little Brother, you're very generous, aren't you? Alright, I'll go for this trip. I guarantee that I'll send you to your destination safely. Let's go now!" Upon seeing the bright red 100 yuan banknotes, the driver grinned widely. After taking the money, he patted his chest loudly and started the car before turning into the street.
After driving and stopping for a long time in the Chengdu urban traffic, they finally drove onto the highway. At this time, the taxi finally picked up its speed and arrived at Hengze City's Qu County in the evening when the sun was setting.
In just a few years, the county had already expanded to more than double its original size. There were also high-rise residential areas and commercial buildings with more than 20 floors on the street. At night, the entire city would be lit up with neon lights. It was no longer the scene where only the most prosperous small area in the county center was brightly lit.
"Qu County is developing really fast by relying on tourism and selling wood. I've seen my friend come here once half a year ago, and there weren't so many high-rise buildings at that time.
That's right, Little Brother, we've arrived at the county. Where exactly are you going? "
"Brother, just park the car here," Zhang Lisheng looked out of the window at the street that he could still vaguely remember. After a moment of silence, he said faintly.
"Alright." The tall and fat driver stopped the taxi by the roadside. The young man said, "Thank you, Brother," and got out of the car.
Although it was already night time, the hot street breeze was still blowing in the air.
"I really can't recognize it anymore …" Zhang Lisheng lamented to himself. After walking along the bustling street for a while, he entered a Sichuan restaurant that looked rather clean. He ordered a few hometown dishes such as spicy chicken, duck blood curd, hot and sour sesame fish, and so on. After having a satisfying meal, he casually stopped a local taxi on the street and rushed to the mountain village in his memory.
The rural road that could barely accommodate two cars when he left had been built into a four-lane road. However, even so, the road seemed to be insufficient. When he passed by the intersection of Damu Town's Central Street, there was still a traffic jam for a few minutes.
The drastic change in his hometown was far beyond Zhang Lisheng's expectation. As the taxi drove past the town station, he stared blankly at the dense jungle that seemed to have never changed by the roadside. He only snapped back to reality when the car stopped at the open space of the Guawo Village's threshing ground.
There was a bonfire party being held on the threshing ground. It looked similar to the barbecue party that Zhang Lisheng attended in America, just that it was more wild and interesting. The young man looked at the fire outside the car and took out a hundred dollar bill and threw it to the driver. He got out of the car right away and walked quietly on the mountain road towards the Zhang family's old house.
On the open space, be it the tourists or the young villagers, nobody cared that a powerful wizard who had returned had already walked in this mountain village embedded in the Western Sichuan forest again.
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