Before setting off and during the long journey spanning over ten hours, Fu Xinran had imagined countless scenarios for meeting Ji Guang, yet not a single one materialized.

From the moment they met, Ji Guang remained utterly silent, as unmoving as a stubborn stone. He had only offered a faint, fleeting smile upon first seeing Fu Xinran, and after that, his expression never shifted.

It wasn't until after lunch, once Shu Gongquan had departed, leaving him only with Fu Xinran, Lu Weimin, and the driver temporarily borrowed for assistance, that his demeanor finally changed.

After leaving the restaurant, the commercial van merged onto the main roads of Anzhi District. Lu Weimin moved to the front passenger seat, leaving space for Fu Xinran and Ji Guang to have a more private conversation.

"Xiao Bai, what on earth happened? Can you please say something?"

Seeing the sudden look of righteous indignation wash over Ji Guang’s face, Fu Xinran quickly asked.

Ji Guang sighed deeply, gritting his teeth as he said, "We have been framed."

"Huh?" Fu Xinran was startled. She looked him up and down, unsure of where to even begin her questions.

With no government officials around, Ji Guang finally voiced the words he had kept buried deep in his heart: "We are not some pyramid scheme organization at all. Someone wants to forcefully seize the Professor’s research findings, so they resorted to these despicable and low tactics!"

The driver and Lu Weimin exchanged glances, thinking to themselves that this kid’s situation was clearly not good; he had been brainwashed to this extent!

The two of them were clear-headed observers, and while Fu Xinran had initially believed some of it, her intelligence and experience allowed her to quickly deduce that the supposed persecution was pure fabrication; Ji Guang was simply blinded by greed!

Hesitating for a moment, Fu Xinran decided it was best to bring him back first, to avoid any further complications: "Xiao Bai, let’s go back first. We don't know this place, and we’d be restricted in whatever we try to do. We should discuss this matter further when we return."

Ji Guang gave a wry smile and nodded: "Okay."

The person was retrieved, but his mind was not yet in tow. A heavy stone seemed to press upon Fu Xinran’s heart. She tried to calm herself and took out her phone to call Wang Zhuo.

At that moment, Wang Zhuo was staring blankly in the university cafeteria. He sat in a booth positioned on higher ground, gazing vacantly at the dining students and faculty. His X-ray vision was focused on observing their internal digestive and absorption systems, attempting to decipher the deep codes behind "eating without gaining weight" and "gaining flesh just by drinking water."

Wang Chao Wuliang was his first research achievement and was now on the verge of mass production. Having tasted success, he realized the human body was the true treasure trove. Seeing through jade and discovering copper mines were short-term gains; focusing his efforts on medical research was the ultimate path.

He was observing a boy who was extremely slender yet possessed the appetite of an ox when the phone on the table rang.

"Boss, we’ve got the person... Thank you!" Fu Xinran said sincerely.

Wang Zhuo smiled slightly and asked, "No need for thanks; that makes us distant. Did everything go smoothly?"

"Quite smoothly; we are heading back now." Fu Xinran did not mention Ji Guang’s alleged brainwashing. Partly because it was inconvenient to discuss with Ji Guang sitting right beside her, and partly out of consideration for face, she wanted to preserve some dignity for him.

Wang Zhuo didn't overthink it and was genuinely happy to hear she succeeded. He smiled and said, "That’s good. Stay with him for a while if you need to. You can put the company matters aside for now."

After hanging up, Geng Bin, sitting next to him, leaned over and asked jokingly, "Chief, who is that secretary?"

The other young men present also showed signs of interest. Wang Zhuo's ringtone had already revealed the caller's identity, and they were all curious about this piece of gossip.

"She’s actually one of my assistants," Wang Zhuo chuckled. "It's a work relationship, like when we become chief surgeons and are assigned a junior doctor to assist us."

"But your assistant is a woman," Geng Bin teased. "We all heard her call you 'Boss.' A junior assisting doctor wouldn't call the chief surgeon 'Boss,' would they?"

"That’s right, we want to see pictures," Zhou Huai’an stated with an air of entitlement. "Or we could find an opportunity to meet her in person, right, everyone?"

The other young men chimed in, which was, in a way, a form of subtle flattery; everyone joined in the fun, and the person being praised felt doubly honored.

It must be said, Wang Zhuo did feel doubly honored at that moment. Men, no matter how low-key, possess vanity, and Wang Zhuo was certainly no exception. Under the relentless encouragement of the group, he scrolled through his phone and found a picture of Fu Xinran to show everyone.

"Ooh, she's a cool beauty?"

"Wow, so pretty!"

"A full-body shot, a full-body shot! Hurry up and check if you have a full-body one in the back."

The phone was passed among the young men. These were just a few headshots of Fu Xinran. Last month, Fu Xinran needed a two-inch ID photo, asked Wang Zhuo for leave to go to the studio, and he had casually taken a few pictures for her. Later, he printed some on photo paper using the office color inkjet printer, and these photos were never deleted.

Seeing Wang Zhuo merely smiling and showing no signs of stopping them, the young men immediately started searching his phone album. Sure enough, they found one: it was a picture taken when Wang Zhuo was photographing Gan Lin, where she happened to be in the frame. The photo showed her outside the gathering area, bending over to fill a water dispenser.

"Damn, that figure is extraordinary," Zhou Huai’an’s eyes lit up.

Another guy was even more vulgar: "36D! If it’s not 36D, I’ll twist my own head off!"

Zheng Peng’s assessment was always objective: "This is called a slender waist, right? I think it’s about as thick as Geng Bin’s thigh."

"What a pair of beautiful stocking-clad legs, and high heels too!" Geng Bin was practically drooling. "That’s my type!"

Wang Zhuo was already grinning. These guys were purely stirring things up. That single photo barely showed Fu Xinran’s full appearance; they were completely captivated by the idea of a "female secretary." Even if it hadn't been Fu Xinran but some ordinary woman, they surely would have said the same things.

Yet, their guesses were surprisingly close to Fu Xinran’s actual figure, especially the guy who shouted 36D. Wang Zhuo really wanted to ask him, How could you tell so accurately? Who really has the X-ray vision here?

After lunch, Wang Zhuo rushed back to the dorm to record his research insights from the midday session on his computer. Weight loss was an entirely new field for him, and comparing and analyzing what he learned against relevant literature always proved highly beneficial.

Time slipped by until three in the afternoon. During this period, the campus beauty called, asking why he hadn't come to play basketball. She added that watching the game without seeing his passes and slam dunks made it impossible to get excited. This was no longer a hint; it was an extremely blatant expression of interest.

But the more actively she pursued him, the more Wang Zhuo pulled away. There was a saying in his hometown dialect, "Overly eager pursuit yields poor returns," meaning that if one party is too enthusiastic, it often backfires. Wang Zhuo was somewhat chauvinistic and found it genuinely difficult to adapt to being pursued.

Little did he know, the more he rejected and avoided her, the more it stoked the campus beauty's competitive spirit. Being unconventional was the hallmark of this generation, and she had thrown caution to the wind, determined to challenge him head-on!

Just as he finished sketching a deconstruction diagram, a text message arrived from his 'little white face,' Zhou Huai’an.

"Instructor Wang, you’re amazing! I was sitting right behind He Ye just now, and I heard with my own ears that you rejected her!"

Wang Zhuo smiled, put down his phone, and did not reply.

A moment later, Zhou Huai’an sent another text: "If I were you, I would have already taken care of her!"

Wang Zhuo chuckled inwardly after reading it. This beauty named He Ye was calculating; despite her current outward enthusiasm, if a real romantic relationship were established, it might take considerable effort to "handle" her.

"Why don't you accept her? I can't figure it out," Zhou Huai’an persistently demanded the truth.

Wang Zhuo finally couldn't stand his nagging and replied with one line: "Because, like you, she is in the Department of Stomatology."

This reply left Zhou Huai’an completely bewildered. But when he tried to call back, he discovered Wang Zhuo had already turned off his phone!

"Boss, your secretary is calling! If you don’t pick up, I’ll take it for you!"

Just as he had relegated Zhou Huai’an to the phone’s 'little black room,' Fu Xinran called at that moment.

Wang Zhuo’s train of thought was completely derailed. With a wry, helpless laugh, he answered, "Hello?"

"Boss, I’m useless, Xiao Bai slipped away!"

What? A black line appeared on Wang Zhuo’s forehead. He grimaced and said with a strained smile, "What happened? Explain it to me."

On the other end of the line, Lu Weimin took the phone from Fu Xinran with a bitter smile and said to Wang Zhuo, "Brother, this is all my fault for being careless. Ji Guang got out to use the restroom, and I went with him. I came out first and waited outside, but I didn't expect that kid to climb over the wall from the women’s restroom side and run off."

"He also took my bank card, which has 120,000 yuan on it," Fu Xinran added from beside him.

Wang Zhuo felt faint: "You two are talented, each in your own way! Did you fly all the way from Jiangzhou, making such a big fuss, not to pick someone up, but to deliver money?"

They both looked embarrassed, and the driver in the front seat could only shake his head in speechless resignation. If Ji Guang hadn't sent Fu Xinran a text message, they would still be waiting outside the restroom right now!

"Cancel the card first. Once that kid runs out of money, he’ll contact you on his own," Wang Zhuo said irritably.

There was nothing else to do now. Trying to find Ji Guang in the vast sea of people was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Fu Xinran and Lu Weimin did not possess Wang Zhuo's abilities. They quickly agreed, and Fu Xinran called the bank to report the loss.

Unfortunately, what was expected happened. Ji Guang had made the call after withdrawing the money. The daily withdrawal limit for ATMs was 50,000 yuan. Fu Xinran’s cancellation request could only be considered damage control; 50,000 yuan had already been withdrawn by Ji Guang, leaving only 70,000 yuan frozen.