Chapter 161: The New Office

Professor Ding beamed, his aged face breaking into a wide smile.

"Still as childlike as ever. You know, President Guo entrusted such an important task to you because he has faith in you." Realizing how that sounded, he stopped smiling mid-sentence and corrected himself, "Those who command trust in the academic world are capable, responsible, and morally sound."

Yes, precisely like that.

"Think about it, if your personal integrity were questionable, who would dare hand the new students over to you? From the very moment they enter the school gates, we as teachers shape them stroke by stroke. How much they learn and what they absorb entirely depends on the kind of examples we set."

Zhong Xiuxiu cast a speechless glance at him. "You're overthinking it. Whether they learn or not is up to them; all we can do is conscientiously impart knowledge, teach, and resolve doubts. They are adults with formed characters. Our job is to guide them onto the right path, toward a glorious future of their own—not to mold them into whatever image we desire. That is beyond my capability."

Her words were somewhat ambiguous, yet Professor Ding grasped her meaning. She was both right and wrong; wrong in her innate laziness, but right in her fundamental philosophy. Imparting knowledge and teaching students according to their aptitude was the path to enduring success.

"Oh, you! When will you ever shed that lazy bone of yours? Being lazy when you were a student was one thing, but don't go corrupting your own students. If you do, I'll hold you accountable. The students I produced certainly aren't riddled with laziness."

"Haha, don't worry, I'll keep my laziness well hidden."

She actually sounded proud of it.

Professor Ding sighed helplessly. "Very well, just watch yourself. Otherwise, don't go telling people I was your mentor."

Zhong Xiuxiu laughed heartily. Professor Ding had an aged appearance but a youthful heart, never hesitating to crack jokes.

"Professor Ding, you'll have to bear the brunt of the hard work from here on. If you're tired, you can take on a teaching assistant. There are plenty of academically and morally stellar students in our class; nurture them in advance, and perhaps a few can be retained for the faculty upon graduation." After all, talent was scarce—every industry was starved for it.

"You're right, I'll consider it." When President Guo had assigned Zhong Xiuxiu to him previously, it had been far too effortless, lacking any real challenge. "What about you? Are you looking for a teaching assistant for your new class?"

Zhong Xiuxiu pondered. "I've been thinking about it."

"You could pick one from our class," Professor Ding urged, staring at her eagerly. "Our students are exceptional. You should really consider it."

"Professor Ding."

"Hmm?"

Zhong Xiuxiu tilted her head. "Wasn't that your suggestion to me?"

"A mutual exchange of suggestions?" Professor Ding smiled cryptically.

Mutual exchange, my foot.

"Thanks for the offer," she said, waving her hands in a decisive refusal. "I intend to select one from the new class. If nothing else, they must serve as my teaching assistant for the next five years. Someone from the same class is more suitable and makes it easier to carry out the work."

Having started as a teaching assistant herself, however brief the tenure, she understood one fundamental truth: once you enter this profession, no matter concerning a student is trivial.

Choosing someone from her own class would allow her to rapidly integrate into the student body and stay informed of any developments right away.

Professor Ding fell silent, speaking only after a brief moment. "Your reasoning is sound, but you'll have to put in the effort. Given your standards, a teaching assistant won't be easy to choose. If their grades aren't top-tier, they won't command respect from the class, and if their character isn't recognized by their peers, it will only lead to chaos."

"Precisely!" She was fretting over that very issue. Choosing from within the class had its advantages, but disadvantages existed too—namely, whether the assistant could assert control. "We'll take it slow. At worst, I'll just have to push through a single semester of hardship."

"You've always had a good sense of discretion; just do as you see fit." Rising from a fresh graduate to a professor in the span of just a single year was a legendary career trajectory. Huada University had never seen such a talent, and whether it would happen again in the future, he couldn't say. But he was certain such talents were exceedingly rare—perhaps he would never encounter another in his lifetime.

Professor Ding paused momentarily before continuing. "President Guo has rearranged your office. You won't be sharing space with me from now on."

"I rather like it here. At least you're easy to get along with." She enjoyed the conversation and Professor Ding's agreeable nature; she hoped they wouldn't saddle her with someone difficult.

"Rest assured, President Guo wouldn't shortchange anyone, least of all you. Your office is on this very floor, the third room down from mine. It has been allocated entirely to you, and you'll have all the keys."

A weight lifted from Zhong Xiuxiu's chest, though her face remained impassive. "My thanks to President Guo. What a fine gentleman."

Professor Ding chuckled. "You should tell President Guo that to his face."

"I'd rather not. If I said that to his face, his head might swell." She had no desire to be exploited any further—her current workload was already excessive as it was. "Who do I see for the office keys?"

"President Guo."

Zhong Xiuxiu expressed her gratitude and turned to leave. Arriving outside President Guo's office, she found the door wide open, with the president leisurely sipping tea.

"Happy New Year, President Guo."

"Ah, Comrade Zhong!" The moment President Guo raised his gaze, his eyes lit up. He set down his cup and stood up. "Come in and take a seat. I didn't see you in Professor Ding's office earlier. Have you heard about the office assignment?"

Zhong Xiuxiu nodded, walked into the office, and settled into the chair across from President Guo's desk.

"I have. Professor Ding already told me. I've come to collect the keys."

"Ah, good, glad you know." President Guo pulled open the largest middle drawer, retrieved a small ring of keys, and slid it across the desk. "Keep these safe. There are three keys to your office here, and two for the classroom. The school has kept a spare key for your office and a backup for the classroom as well. Rest assured, the keys are all properly accounted for, so you can leave your belongings in your office without fear of theft."

No one knew what Zhong Xiuxiu was thinking inwardly, but she accepted the keys with a blank expression.

"Thank you, President Guo. Who should I see to collect the new student enrollment roster?"

"Never mind the enrollment; there's a dedicated reception team for that. Your assigned class is on the second floor of Siyuan Building. You can go take a look—there's a plaque outside the classroom door. You'll be mentoring Physics Class One." Finishing his sentence, President Guo reached into an adjacent drawer and pulled out a roster. "Knowing you'd come for the keys, I kept the name list and roster right here. Here you are, take them together."

She slipped the keys into her pocket, picked up the roster, and skimmed through it briefly. "Thirty-six students?"

"Yes, the classes were divided based on grades; the students in your class have the highest scores. I know you're a busy person, so I kept the head count to a minimum. I hope you'll guide them well, give them focused guidance when you have time, and I look forward to you cultivating many more talents." Those students ought to appreciate their fortune and study diligently under her tutelage.

However, high-achieving students often harbored a sense of arrogance; the upcoming adjustment period would be the real test.

Zhong Xiuxiu had no inkling of his thoughts, or she would have assured him that there was no such thing as an adjustment period where she was concerned.

"Very well, a small number makes them easier to manage." Xiuxiu nodded briskly, and President Guo beamed with joy. "I eagerly await the day those results bear fruit."