Anyone who writes books deeply despises piracy, and Li Peifeng is no exception.
So at this moment, he doesn't care about hierarchy; he directly starts ranting.
"Guide, you are a professor at Beihua University's School of Arts and Sciences. How can you read pirated novels of your own student? As a teacher, you're supposed to set an example. How dare you? This is a crime!! You've published books yourself, can't you understand this feeling?"
"This is shameless robbery!"
Zhao Qingge was a bit panicked inside, but on the surface, she remained composed. She clicked the mouse to close the webpage, tilted her head to look at Li Peifeng, and nodded thoughtfully, "Suddenly it seems you look quite handsome today. Did some junior girls chat you up on the way here?"
There it is, it's happening again!
A topic shift as abrupt as marble!
"Don't divert the topic here."
Li Peifeng said seriously, "Anyway, you have to treat me to a meal to compensate for the hurt that reading pirated books caused me! Otherwise...otherwise I won't go for PhD!"
"Hmm?" Zhao Qingge frowned slightly.
Seeing this reaction, Li Peifeng praised himself inwardly for his cleverness. He suddenly felt using this tactic to demand compensation from the other party was very viable.
Because every mentor hopes their students have strong research abilities and are willing to work hard.
If this graduate student is obedient and has excellent research capabilities, the mentor deeply desires the student pursues a PhD and continues working under them, doing projects and pushing research topics.
After all…who doesn't want free labor?
Zhao Qingge had previously expressed similar thoughts to Li Peifeng.
Thinking about this, Li suddenly felt bold, almost as if he was the master: "Do you think I'm pursuing a PhD because I want to? Nonsense!"
"Four or five years spent mostly isolated from society, sitting in a lab every day reading papers, writing papers, endless writing and revising. On a meager stipend, being exploited and controlled by you, it's bitter, it's poor, it's tedious! By the time I finish my PhD, I'll be thirty, let alone in a field like literature which has no future. Pursuing a PhD doesn't help my writing, it's just a waste of time. Do you think I chose this path because I like it? If not for Old Zhao begging…"
Zhao Qingge took a sip from her thermos cup, then crossed her legs and looked at Li calmly, her foxy eyes quite playful, as if saying: Are you talking to this professor, you little rascal? Do you even remember your own last name?
Li Peifeng gulped, rationality made him change his words: "If not because you're as beautiful as a flower, gentle and elegant, teaching splendidly, knowledgeable beyond compare; teaching your disciples selflessly and tirelessly, bending over backwards to be a devoted teacher…you are a rare teacher not seen in two thousand years, I'd never pursue a PhD!"
Zhao Qingge casually covered her mouth and yawned: "Really?"
"Of course!"
Li Peifeng said solemnly: "And I'll tell you straight, I also pursued a graduate degree because of you! If Beihua University didn't have you, I'd have graduated and run away long ago. You're the lighthouse of my life, guiding me forward! You're the beacon in my eyes, the North Star when lost in the night! Your noble virtues, selfless character, broad mind, and your immense knowledge of history are the models for my life…"
"Knock knock~"
A knock on the door interrupted Li Peifeng's flatteries. Zhao Qingge seemed somewhat reluctant but called out: 'Come in!'
"Hello, Teacher!"
"Senior is here too?"
The visitors were Li Peifeng's two junior sisters, Lu Jing and Lin Zhihui. The girls, carrying large bags, walked in after their holiday trip to Yunzhou during National Day and took out a pile of snacks and local crafts from their bags...
"Teacher, we've brought you lots of goodies, including local flower cakes, moon sugar, rose jam and honey, Dianhong tea, and rice noodles…"
Zhao Qingge smiled kindly: "Thank you, you went to some expense."
"Where are the mushrooms? We bought so many mushrooms, where did you put them?"
"Here they are: parasol mushrooms, bamboo mushrooms, matsutake mushrooms, bolete mushrooms, greenhead mushrooms… all super tasty!"
Li Peifeng leaned in to take a look: "Do I get any?"
"There was supposed to be some."
Lu Jing snorted: "But someone wouldn't even agree to station pick-up, so none!"
"Here's a bag."
Lin Zhihui silently handed over a full bag.
[Lu Jing and Lin Zhihui's gifts (converted to 340 yuan), 16,619 yuan until the prize draw opens, keep striving, host.]
Li Peifeng grinned: "Hmm, thank you, junior sisters."
Lu Jing gave a disdainful eye roll; Lin Zhihui blushed and whispered: "You're welcome."
"Alright, since you're all here, I've got something to say."
Zhao Qingge clapped her hands together and smiled: "Next week, in Wuzhen, Zhijiang Province, there will be the 13th International Online Literature Week press conference. Yesterday, I received an invitation from the Writers' Association. I will attend as a member of the National Online Literature Research Association, among other work, and will need to stay for about a week. Who among you will accompany me?"
"Zhijiang Province?"
"But that's so far…"
Lu Jing and Lin Zhihui exchanged glances, feeling slightly tempted but staying silent, both looking towards Li Peifeng.
This was because they were both first-year graduate students, still needing to attend classes, earn credits, and do assignments. Accompanying their mentor on a business trip would definitely cause them to miss classes. Besides, having just returned from a long trip, they were already a bit tired of traveling.
"And what about you?"
Zhao Qingge also looked at Li Peifeng. Actually, there was no need to ask. She had only three students under her, two of whom were first-year, and both were girls, making it inappropriate to take them on a long trip since they couldn't handle heavy work.
The most suitable candidate was Li Peifeng. He was a second-year student, with most classes already completed. He was sharp, had the strongest research ability, and she could trust him with a lot of tasks. Plus, he could do the heavy lifting and help carry luggage. Furthermore, Li Peifeng, being a fellow online writer, would benefit the most from this conference.
But Zhao Qingge still asked deliberately to avoid any suspicion.
If she decided to take Li Peifeng without even asking, it would easily cause Lu Jing and Lin Zhihui to overthink, potentially leading to some rumors on campus, which wouldn't be good.
"Well..."
Feeling Zhao Qingge's gaze, Li Peifeng hesitated a bit.
Going on a trip with a mentor seemed nice, a government-funded trip with free food and drink, and even a stipend later. But it ultimately required work, delaying his own writing. Yet, it was also an opportunity to fulfill a task for assessment...
"I'll go." Li Peifeng reluctantly nodded.
"Then prepare to book the plane tickets, the organizer will arrange the hotel."
Zhao Qingge mused, "When we get there, I might interview some people and you'll be responsible for taking notes. After we return, compile a report based on the conference content and submit it to me."
"Our project on 'Research on Novels in the New Century's Twenty Years' requires this material."
I knew it...
Li Peifeng sighed, "Alright."
"Thank you, Senior!"
"Heh heh, thanks!"
Lu Jing and Lin Zhihui both cast schadenfreude or sympathetic looks...
"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can all go back."
Zhao Qingge checked the time, then smiled at the two girls, "I'll treat you to dinner tonight, mainly to welcome you back and also to thank you for your gifts."
Lin Zhihui hurriedly waved her hand, "No need, no need, they were just casually bought, not worth much."
Lu Jing was a bit surprised, but she didn't really want to have dinner with her mentor, it was too stifling, so she also refused, "Yeah, no need, Professor. The few of us had plans..." looking at Mr. Li, she whispered, "Didn't you say you'd treat us to a welcome dinner?"
Li Peifeng pretended not to hear, "It's rare for the professor to be so kind, let's all go!"
"Then it's settled."
Afterwards, the four of them chatted a bit, and Li Peifeng stayed behind under the pretense of revising his thesis, while the two girls left the office.
"There seems to be a nice smell in the room?" Lu Jing asked, puzzled.
Lin Zhihui's eyes sparkled, "I smelled it too; it's the scent on Senior's body."
She then hurriedly described, "Like Blue Moon Valley under Yulong Snow Mountain, by that small waterfall, enveloped by mist, sunlight pouring down, a light breeze blowing, with the fresh, gentle fragrance of all those flowers, just that kind of feeling..."
"Have some dignity? Are you daydreaming just from a smell?"
Lu Jing was exasperated, "Just wait, when he becomes my boyfriend, I'll let you touch his hand! Blessings should be shared among sisters!"
Lin Zhihui was delighted, "Thank you!"
Lu Jing boasted, "I might even let you hug him, that's the most I can permit!"
"All right!"
Lin Zhihui suddenly hesitated, "But what if you don't keep your word... how about this, let him be my boyfriend first, and I'll let you hug him!"
"No way!"
Lu Jing angrily retorted, "You don't trust me? Then we're not sisters anymore!"
"Fine, no more! You liar!"
"You're ungrateful, I was going to let you touch my boyfriend, and you treat me like this!!"
"You're lying, I haven't touched him yet!"
"So you're mad at me just because you can't touch my boyfriend?"
"Ugh, I'm so mad, Lu Jing, have you no shame!!"
"Oh, you greedy little thing, wanting both a man and dignity?!!"
"..."