Unexpectedly, Professor Mori, who had been scrutinizing the resume and refused to let go, raised his voice with an exaggeratedly serious expression.
Huo Ting frowned almost instantly. “What’s the issue?”
“Have you not noticed how shockingly good-looking this young man is!?”
The next moment, Professor Mori’s tone, filled with exasperated amazement, rang out.
It was as if he was questioning whether Huo Ting might actually be face-blind for not realizing this.
Huo Ting: “…”
“He looks this stunning just from the resume photo alone. Imagine how much more attractive he must be in person. Why don’t you bring him to the lab for a visit next time? Let this old man meet him. I feel like my spirits would improve just from seeing him more often.”
Professor Mori didn’t stop at praising Yu Mian’s photo; he even scrutinized Huo Ting, as if trying to pry out some hidden details.
“…It seems like they’re some things I need to do at the military headquarters today.”
Huo Ting once again realized he shouldn’t have any expectations from Professor Mori.
Even though Professor Mori usually maintained a dignified and highly respected image, one that easily deceived others, he was anything but serious in moments like these.
“Hey, don’t you run off! The mental sea report for this month hasn’t come out yet.”
“And why don’t you tell me how you met him? Are you planning to attend the concert together?”
Seeing Huo Ting attempting to escape, Professor Mori held the concert ticket in his hand, feeling as though he’d uncovered some shocking secret.
“Do these questions have anything to do with the mental sea check?”
Huo Ting could only let out a subtle sigh before responding.
“Of course, I think this young man could have a significant impact on your mental sea. Haven’t you realized how much you care about him?”
Professor Mori resumed his dignified and authoritative demeanor, making a point that sounded somewhat profound.
“And so?”
Having no expectations left, Hou Ting asked directly.
“Hmph, you rascal…”
“Professor, the report is ready!”
Just as Professor Mori was about to give a lengthy speech, Cook poked his head out of the lab, holding the freshly prepared report.
“Wait, Professor, how do you have that ticket? I’ve been trying so hard to get one but failed!”
The moment Cook spotted the concert ticket in Professor Mori’s hand—a ticket he had been frantically refreshing the ticket-grabbing page for—he was immediately filled with disbelief.
“You young people all know about this?”
Professor Mori was surprised by how valuable the ticket seemed.
“Of course! This concert’s tickets are being scalped for over tens of thousands of star coins each. And this one is a VIP inner-circle seat—oh my.”
Cook stared enviously at the ticket, almost ready to ask his mentor how he’d managed to acquire it.
If a VIP ticket were to be sold, it would probably be priced sky-high.
“This one isn’t mine.”
The next second, Cook watched as the professor handed the ticket back to Huo Ting.
“It’s General Huo Ting’s?”
Cook looked at the ticket and then at Huo Ting, suddenly feeling like his brain had short-circuited.
After all, General Huo Ting didn’t seem to have any connection to either the concert or “Contract Marriage”. Could it be that he was a diehard fan of the novel and had snagged a ticket himself? That would be unbelievable.
“Yu Mian gave it to me.”
Seeing Cook’s shock, Huo Ting took the report and gave a straightforward explanation.
“Oh—him! Of course, if it’s within the writer circles, he could easily get a friend ticket.”
Cook now had an even stronger impression of Yu Mian, especially after failing to add his contact the last time, it only made Cook more curious about him.
“You know him too?”
Professor Mori was surprised that his student was also acquainted with this young man.
“Of course, Professor. You don’t know how much inspiration he has given me during my recent research on mental power. I even changed my motto—didn’t you notice?”
Cook proudly showed off his updated StarBlog signature, which read, “Those whose aspirations align will not consider the vastness of the “star” sea as a barrier.”
It was the phrase Yu Mian had casually given him last time, but it had left a lasting impression.
After hearing Cook’s impromptu lecture, Professor Mori now looked at Huo Ting with an even more suspicious gaze.
Huo Ting: “…”
“So, is the mental sea report normal?”
Huo Ting redirected the wildly off-track conversation back to the matter at hand. Under Cook’s fervent gaze, he carefully placed the concert ticket back into his folder.
As the folder closed, the light in Cook’s eyes dimmed significantly.
This time, Professor Mori thoroughly examined the report.
“In fact, your mental sea has been in excellent condition recently, with no signs of deterioration at all during this period.”
“That said, regarding the question you asked me last time, I thought about it a lot and still believe it’s unlikely that your mental sea is the cause. It’s also impossible for hallucinations to make you feel that something in your study is off.”
“Then what could it be?”
“Um… how should I put this? The least likely explanation might just be the most plausible one. Why not give this a try?”
As Huo Ting pondered aloud, Professor Mori suddenly handed him a heavy set of surveillance equipment.
“Trust in the great god of physics and install some cameras in your study.”
“Although I know that old guy Huo Yuejiang has always disliked having those black, shadowy devices installed in the house, he won’t be back for a while, will he?”
Professor Mori patted Huo Ting on the shoulder.
“Maybe you’ll discover some unexpected surprises hidden in your study.”
This prof is a face con 😅 also can’t wait for him to see the goldfish in his study