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墨書 Inktalez
Suddenly, voices echoed down the corridor, and Senior Zhang immediately fell silent. Professor Zhou walked by, laughing with several project partners.
"You all are working late too," Professor Zhou said, peeking in and briefly glancing at the USB Drive in my hand. "Yuwei, how's the material organization going?"
"I'm still looking for a few Experiment Records from 2021." I casually tucked the USB Drive into my pocket.
"Don't work too hard," he said with a smile. "By the way, there's a key project defense next week for the National Natural Science Foundation. I’d like to take you with me."
I was taken aback. This was a multi-million dollar project; participating in the defense was an incredible opportunity for a graduate student.
"Thank you, Professor Zhou." I suppressed the turmoil within and managed a polite smile.
Once they had walked far enough away, I let out a sigh of relief. But Senior Zhang grabbed my wrist firmly. "Don't go!"
"Why not?"
"Last year's defense, Li Ling went too. After that, she just..." He hesitated, "In short, you'd better find a reason to decline."
I shook off his hand. "So you just watched her drop out?"
Senior Zhang's expression changed. "Do you think I wanted that? Back then..."
"Forget it." I interrupted him. "What’s the point of discussing this now?"
Back at my workstation, I stared blankly at the computer screen. The screensaver displayed a group photo from last year's laboratory spring outing, with Professor Zhou standing in the middle, his smile warm. Li Ling stood right beside him, wearing her signature smile. Who would have thought that six months later, she would vanish from this laboratory?
I touched the USB drive in my pocket and pulled out my phone to message Professor Zhou:
"Professor Zhou, I want to check last year's Experiment Record of Sister Li Ling again; it might be related to our current project."
As soon as I sent it, I regretted it. Wasn't that just blatantly telling him what I was looking into?
My phone vibrated quickly. Professor Zhou's reply was brief:
"Come to my office."
I stood at the office door, taking a deep breath. Inside, I could hear Professor Zhou's voice: "Come in."
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and he stood with his back to the light, his figure shrouded in shadow.
"You seem quite interested in Li Ling's matters lately," he said, his tone still gentle.
I clenched the USB drive in my pocket. "I just think some of her experimental ideas could be very valuable for our current project."
"Is that so?" He turned around, his gaze landing on my pocket. "So carrying that USB drive around and asking questions is also for referencing experimental ideas?"
My heart tightened. He already knew.
"Professor Zhou, I..."
"You’re a smart kid," he sighed. "But sometimes, being too smart can be a disadvantage."
I took a step back. "Did you say the same thing to Li Ling?"
He smiled, a cold smile I had never seen before. "Do you really think that with just your status as a graduate student, you can make any difference?"
"I can report you."
"Report me?" He walked over to his desk and picked up a document. "You might want to take a look at this."
It was a report on academic misconduct. My heart sank little by little— the whistleblower had been punished for lack of evidence and ultimately expelled. The date matched last year's, coinciding with Li Ling's expulsion.
"What makes you think you're any different from her?" Professor Zhou's voice was light, almost mocking. "Besides, you know the rules of this circle."
I bit my lip hard. Yes, who didn’t know? No thesis meant no diploma, no results meant no future. Over the years, how many people chose silence knowing it was wrong?
"So," his tone suddenly softened, "why make things difficult for yourself? Prepare well for next week's defense. Haven't you always wanted to apply for a direct PhD?"
I turned and rushed out of the office, running all the way to the restroom. Looking in the mirror, I saw my pale face. The morning sun was still bright, but I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cellar.
I pulled out my phone and found several messages from Senior Zhang:
"Are you crazy?"
"Why did you ask about Li Ling?"
"Did Professor Zhou talk to you?"
I replied with just one message: "Senior, can you do me a favor?"
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