News of Zhang Ye was once again carpet bombarding the country!
This was happening for the umpteenth time over the past few days!
"Zhang Ye gets promoted to full professor!"
"China"s Youngest Full Professor!"
The youngest math professor in history emerges!"
"Peking University"s Astonis.h.i.+ng Act!"
"Peking University"s Chinese Department confers the t.i.tle of a.s.sociate Professor to Zhang Ye?"
"The first dual department professor in Peking University"s history!"
"An unprecedented occurrence: A 25-year-old becomes a full professor!"
"At press time, Peking University has yet to issue a statement!"
A glowing honor has been bestowed onto Zhang Ye!"
"Together with his t.i.tle of visiting a.s.sociate professor at Media College, Zhang Ye is perhaps the person with the most professors.h.i.+ps in the country!"
The Goof Group blew up.
Ning Lan: "Professor Zhang, time to come out and distribute red packets!"
Xiaodong: "Professor Zhang, time to come out and distribute red packets!"
Huo Dongfang: "Professor Zhang, time to come out and distribute red packets!"
Zhang Ye did not send a one-cent red packet this time, instead giving out a big one!
Amy was the quickest to claim hers and got the highest amount as well. "Wow, thank you, boss!"
Zhang Ye sent a smiley face.
Ning Lan: "Haha, thank you, Professor!"
Xiaodong: "We"re rich! Congratulations, Professor Zhang!"
Huo Dongfang: "I"ve lost count of how many times I"ve congratulated you these past two days. If we include you being a visiting a.s.sociate professor at Media College, this is your third professors.h.i.+p t.i.tle! Not to mention s...o...b..z, even in the academic and education fields, there isn"t anyone who has more professors.h.i.+ps than you do!"
Zhang Ye sent an embarra.s.sed emoticon and said: "Thanks, everyone."
Xiaodong said in a depressed way, "What"s important here is that Teacher Zhang doesn"t even conduct any lessons!"
Li Xiaoxian: "Pfft, that"s indeed so!"
Xiaodong said wryly: "This is what makes me so speechless. A teacher who doesn"t even conduct lessons was actually promoted to a full professor in the Math Department, and an a.s.sociate professor in the Chinese Department. I don"t even know what to say anymore. Thinking back to when I had just graduated, I was thinking of becoming a graduate student, but I didn"t manage to make it! But in comparison?"
Fan Wenli: "Congratulations!"
Chen Guang: "Treat us!"
Online.
The netizens also found this to be ironic and ridiculous!
"A full professors.h.i.+p?"
"Impressive!"
"Peking University has really made an exception for him?"
"I feel that Teacher Zhang deserves the full professors.h.i.+p at the Math Department since it was he who solved Dale"s Conjecture. But as for the a.s.sociate professors.h.i.+p over in the Chinese Department? What"s with that? Has this guy even been giving any lessons?"
"I think he hasn"t been there for a year already!"
"Pfft, that"s right!"
"In any case, congratulations to Professor Zhang!"
"Face-smacking Zhang has gained another few t.i.tles for his list!"
"If this goes on, no one will be able to stop him in the future!"
"Yeah, Teacher Zhang"s qualifications are almost surpa.s.sing the Heavens. He"s adding on to his t.i.tles and protective charms one after another. But what can we say about that? He is really that capable after all!"
"This calls for a celebration!"
"Rejoice and spread the word!"
At home.
Very soon, Zhang Ye received a call from Chang Kaige.
Chang Kaige: the dean of Peking University"s Chinese Department.
"Dean Chang." Zhang Ye quickly asked: "What"s this about my appointment?"
Chang Kaige said with a laugh: "Are you talking about the t.i.tle?"
Zhang Ye said: "Yes, I didn"t even receive any news about that and I"ve suddenly become an a.s.sociate professor?"
Chang Kaige said: "Everyone already knows about your contributions to the cultural world. How many good pieces of work have you come up with over the years? I heard that the textbooks are going through a review and update. Who knows if your essays and poetry might also be included in them this time? So what"s the big deal with conferring you the t.i.tle of a.s.sociate professor in the Chinese Department? Is that too much for you?"
Zhang Ye said feeling rather awkward: "The important thing here is that I"ve never really conducted any lessons."
"Giving lessons is not a measure of how knowledgeable one is." Chang Kaige said supportively: "We"ve long been thinking of appointing you as an a.s.sociate professor, but the pressure at that time was too great. When you were still around at Peking University, that scolding incident involving the foreign dignitaries had a great effect and caused a lot of anxiety for everyone. So they suppressed and downplayed the incident at that time. But now that you"ve already been restored to your duties at Peking University and with the momentum brought along by your proof of Dale"s Conjecture, the Chinese Department went ahead with the application for you to be appointed as an a.s.sociate professor. We submitted the application together with Old Pan, and to our surprise, the school heads handled this matter specially and approved of it right away."
Zhang Ye blinked. "The school heads?"
Chang Kaige knew what he was thinking. He advised: "That affair happened so long ago. They suspended you from duty because they had no choice. So you should understand how it is by now? Other than a few people, whether they are the school heads, teachers, or students, they all of see you as one of our own. Therefore, don"t feel so bad about it anymore. If you"re free, come back often to have a look around and teach some cla.s.ses. Besides, I believe that the school heads approved of your appointment to a.s.sociate professor mainly because they also wanted to make it up to you for that time."
That decision back then to suspend Zhang Ye had caused a very great difference of opinions!
Some teachers thought that Peking University had handled it well and that a teacher who led students to scold others should definitely be suspended. Some teachers felt that it wasn"t the right thing to do as Zhang Ye had contributed a lot to Peking University after all. Besides, he had done it for the students while the j.a.panese dignitaries had also behaved quite idiotically. They were at fault in the first place. After Zhang Ye"s departure, this incident died down gradually. It wasn"t until the incident at the previous student recruitment exercise that everyone was reminded of Zhang Ye"s good side again.
If it weren"t for him, those college entrance exam scholars would all have been taken away by Tsinghua University! It was Zhang Ye who came charging and smas.h.i.+ng cars, s.n.a.t.c.hing the students back while bearing the brunt of the scolding! At that moment, a lot of the teachers and school heads who did not used to like Zhang Ye no longer had any reason to speak ill of him!
The way he handled that incident was very generous and chivalrous!
He was dedicated to Peking University!
Zhang Ye immediately said: "Dean Chang, please don"t say that. That incident was down to my personal behavior, and I know that I didn"t act in the right way. But I"ve said what I"ve said, and even if it happens again, I would still scold them all over again. I"ve never spoken badly about our Peking University in any situation before, so why would I want to blame them for anything then? Am I such a petty person?"
Chang Kaige nodded in agreement. "Then I have no worries."
Zhang Ye smiled and said: "In any case, thank you."
"There"s no need to thank me, I didn"t do much at all." Chang Kaige said: "Teacher Su and Old Zeng are always talking about you. Find a day when you"re free and let"s meet up someday."
Zhang Ye said: "Let"s not wait for someday. We should go with the flow rather than try to force things. Let me treat everyone tonight!"
Chang Kaige replied: "Alright, then we must definitely have something good since you"re treating!"
"No problem!" Zhang Ye said happily: "I"ll invite Dean Pan and the others as well then?"
Chang Kaige said: "You"re the boss! We"ll show up as long as you invite us!"
Zhang Ye said: "Sure!"
For such a happy occasion, Zhang Ye definitely had to treat everyone. He immediately made some calls and invited several teachers from the Math Department and other departments of Peking University that he knew. Whether it was Su Na or Professor Zeng, he hadn"t seen them all in a very long time. Now that he could meet them again, they definitely had to enjoy a good meal together!
On the same night.
At midnight.
The Celebrity Rankings Index was updated!
Zhang Ye"s name was still clearly at the number one spot of the list rankings. He did not budge from it at all while the gap between second place was slowly widening! The validation of the proof to the mathematical conjecture had really come at the right time. It allowed Zhang Ye to gain a proper foothold on his shaky popularity and helped him sit firmly at the number one spot. It seemed like it would be very difficult for him to fall off from there in the short term unless Ning Lan and the other person were to experience a similar explosion in popularity like Zhang Ye had today!
But how many Zhang Yes were there in the entertainment industry?
What he had done was not something that just anyone could replicate!