Xiao Bin walked out, pulling Zhou Yichen to sit down beside him. Though small, this principal's office had everything necessary; it wasn't large, but at least there was a sofa for guests.

Zhou Yichen nodded slightly and looked around after sitting down.

This office was much simpler than before. He remembered decorating it with quite a few things—calligraphy scrolls and paintings, which, though not originals, still added an air of refinement.

None of that was here now; presumably, Xiao Bin disliked them and had them all removed. However, the desks and sofas hadn't changed; they were the same ones from before. Back then, Zhou Yichen hadn't had the money to replace them. Why hadn't Xiao Bin replaced them now that he had money? Perhaps everyone had their own style.

As Zhou Yichen sighed internally, a bitterness welled up. One wrong step leads to many. If he hadn't targeted Zhang Yang, hadn't opposed him at every turn, he probably wouldn't be in this predicament today.

"Chairman... Chairman Xiao, Director Xu sent me. He wanted to ask if you are willing to stay at the university to teach!"

Only after Xiao Bin personally brewed the tea did Zhou Yichen softly speak. Xiao Bin's hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly, while Zhou Yichen’s face was filled with bitterness.

Staying on as faculty was Zhou Yichen's last resort, and now even that road was gone.

He had promised Zhang Yang back then, but he never truly took it to heart. The teaching position was controlled by his uncle, and if his uncle refused, no one could do anything.

He had planned to blame it on his uncle if Zhang Yang inquired. But he hadn't expected Zhang Yang to be so formidable, bypassing him entirely and applying pressure directly to his uncle—pressure that his uncle absolutely could not withstand.

Zhou Yichen wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, but it seemed Zhang Yang had leverage over his uncle, forcing him to give that spot to Xiao Bin.

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth tightened with bitterness again.

It wasn't just his uncle; what about himself?

The IOU from the money he borrowed last time had finally brought him a huge hidden danger. He had to repay this money as quickly as possible; failure to do so would leave him in a far worse state than last time.

"Did Director Xu say that? Can I really stay at the university?"

Xiao Bin, recovering from his surprise, asked in a very soft voice. He had been momentarily overwhelmed, but now he understood. This must have been Zhang Yang helping him.

He didn't know how Zhang Yang had helped, but Zhou Yichen coming in person basically confirmed the matter. He had already learned that the spot Director Xu held was meant for his own nephew, Zhou Yichen.

"As long as you are willing, there will be absolutely no problem with the paperwork!"

Zhou Yichen nodded again, his mouth growing even more bitter. Handing over something that was rightfully his, something he desperately wanted—the feeling was unbearably painful.

But he had no choice. This was his uncle's arrangement. If he disobeyed, he would lose everything in the future. He still owed Zhang Yang a mountain of debt, and for this money, he had to rely on his uncle's help. If his uncle didn't assist, he was truly finished this time.

"I am willing!"

Xiao Bin nodded immediately, without the slightest hesitation. His face showed a hint of excitement; the matter of staying at the university was settled just like that—an outcome he never imagined.

He asked nothing. Zhou Yichen coming in person explained a lot. He didn't know what method Zhang Yang used to make Zhou Yichen come personally, but he understood it must be a method beyond his comprehension. Compared to Zhang Yang, he truly was far behind, which explained why Zhang Yang hadn't cared for the position of Student Union President back then.

"If you agree, go to Director Xu's office tomorrow and complete the procedures!"

Zhou Yichen spoke slowly, feeling somewhat drained afterward. The task his uncle assigned him was complete.

Strangely, at this moment, Zhou Yichen didn't feel as dejected or desperate as he had imagined. He thought losing this job meant his future would have no light, only darkness. Yet, now that the moment had arrived, he felt a sense of relief.

He understood that all of this was his own making. If he hadn't opposed Zhang Yang in the first place, hadn't sought revenge, perhaps this result wouldn't have come, and he wouldn't be here today.

Once this was done, Zhang Yang probably wouldn't bother him anymore. As long as Zhang Yang stopped causing trouble, he would do anything. In his heart, ceasing antagonism with Zhang Yang was more important than losing his job. He was terrified, completely terrified, and dared not harbor any further thoughts of opposing Zhang Yang.

Leaving the Student Union, Zhou Yichen immediately made a call.

"I understand, you did well, Yichen. We will have opportunities in the future!"

After hearing Zhou Yichen's report, Director Xu also breathed a sigh of relief. Hanging up Zhou Yichen's call, he felt a pang of guilt, but thinking of his own situation, he had to harden his heart and disappoint his nephew this once.

A few days ago, a friend from the prosecutor's office suddenly approached him. He thought the friend was coming for a casual dinner and chat, but instead, the friend threw a stack of documents at him. Inside were all the records of his recent corruption and bribery.

This pile of documents instantly drenched him in a cold sweat. Fortunately, this friend then showed him a path, telling him how to make these materials disappear as if they never existed. It was then he realized that everything about him was held in someone else's hands.

Xiao Bin knew nothing of this. After Zhou Yichen left, he immediately called his girlfriend, Xiaowen, to share the good news. On the phone, Xiao Bin sounded incredibly excited, praising Zhang Yang once more. Although Zhou Yichen hadn't mentioned Zhang Yang at all, Xiao Bin understood that this matter must be Zhang Yang's doing, and only Zhang Yang would help him this way...

"That is all I have to say. The subsequent work will be handled by Dean Zhu. I will return periodically. Anyone with questions or things they don't understand can ask me!"

The afternoon meeting finally concluded. Zhang Yang had spoken all afternoon and delivered his final summary.

Everyone sat up straight and stretched, realizing that the entire afternoon had slipped away without them noticing. Listening to Zhang Yang explain things, they hadn't felt time passing at all. Even in their best professor’s lectures, they had never listened so intently.

This further deepened their admiration for Zhang Yang. When he explained these topics, they genuinely felt Zhang Yang was a professor, not a senior undergraduate. They didn't know that Zhang Yang had actually been a university professor, a very famous one at that; not only had he lectured to groups of dozens, but halls of hundreds, with many renowned international experts coming to attend his classes.

"Zhang Yang, you finally turned your phone on!"

After the meeting ended and he had explained things privately to a few individuals, Zhang Yang picked up his python-skin canvas bag and switched on his phone. Less than a minute after turning it on, a call came in—it was from Young Master Su.

"I was in a meeting at the university this afternoon; my phone was off," Zhang Yang replied softly. It had been a while since he last saw Su Zhantao and the others. Even if they hadn't called, Zhang Yang planned to find an opportunity to treat them to dinner and catch up. Last time he rushed back from Hangzhou, these buddies had all followed him. Though they hadn't been able to help much, Zhang Yang appreciated their loyalty.

"Do you have time right now? There’s something I need to tell you. We are all at Li Ya's company now, and Brother Cheng is here too!" Su Zhantao said anxiously on the other end, with the voices of Wu Zhiguo, Li Ya, and others sounding noisy in the background.

"You wait there; I’ll be over shortly!" After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Yang nodded. There was nothing urgent here; it would be fine to go see them.

After bidding farewell to Zhu Daoqi and the others, Zhang Yang drove away alone. Zhu Daoqi had wanted to keep Zhang Yang for dinner that evening, but seeing that Zhang Yang had no intention of staying, he let it go. That night, they would also work overtime to review and better understand the materials Zhang Yang had presented. Their research direction was now set, and with Zhang Yang filling in the necessary procedures, these two projects would soon be formally approved—not just by the university, but nationally. Even if they didn't become Chinese Academy of Sciences projects, they would at least be associated with the Ministry of Health, ensuring the university would gain renown again.

Li Ya's company wasn't close to Changjing University. Half an hour later, as dusk began to settle, Zhang Yang finally arrived. Li Ya and the others were in the company's conference room. Zhang Yang actually held a small share in this company but rarely visited. Besides Su Zhantao, Li Ya, and Wu Zhiguo, Chang Feng, Long Cheng, Huang Hai, and Wang Chen were all present, along with two young women—one was Yang Ling, and the other Zhang Yang didn't recognize. Basically, all the friends he usually hung out with were gathered.

"Zhang Yang, you're here!"

As soon as Zhang Yang appeared, Long Cheng walked over. The others also stood up. They had been gathered around the conference table, discussing something unknown before he arrived.

"Why such a big turnout today? What happened?" Zhang Yang smiled, walked over, and sat down.

"You’ll know when you see this!" Long Cheng handed him a newspaper. Zhang Yang had noticed several newspapers and magazines scattered messily on the table earlier. As he passed the paper to Zhang Yang, Long Cheng’s face held a trace of gravity.

Zhang Yang took it with some confusion. After one glance, his eyes immediately tightened. It was a very ordinary local paper with a small section dedicated to the news. What caught Zhang Yang's eye was a large photograph that occupied a fifth of the page. The photo was starkly black and white, depicting a forest scene surrounded by many people—but that wasn't the main point. The focus was the enormous serpent skeleton in the center of the picture.

In a single glance, Zhang Yang recognized it as the remains of the Five-Crested Golden Python he had buried. He had no idea how it had been dug up and attracted so many reporters.

"I contacted Town Head Wang. He said it was accidentally leaked by a local defense team member who was drunk, and he leaked it to a reporter. That reporter then convinced them to dig up the remains. Town Head Wang tried his best to stop them, but the reporter hired some people with a large sum of money, eventually excavating the skeleton and publishing it in the paper!" Long Cheng spoke quietly. When they left, they had stressed the need for absolute secrecy, yet it had still gotten out.

I had drinks yesterday and got too drunk to even write a leave slip, so I will make up for it tonight and write more below! RS