Chapter 776: Chapter 775: Director Han, Let me show you the genius I am high on this year

With his palm slapping his forehead, Han Jin just couldn’t get her out of his mind.

“Dean Kang, we’re all old acquaintances here. How about this, you’re looking for this student, right? Let me set up a meeting, and the three of us can sit down together to clarify things. Is that okay?”

“Old Han, did you hear that I booked Wucheng’s largest billboard?”

Han Jin: “…”

Normally impatient and impulsive, Han Jin now had to carefully coax the dean. After a good deal of sweet-talking, the other party agreed to have a meal with him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Han Jin’s heart broke with the worry he had for Lu Mian’s future university life.

After setting the time, Han Jin hurriedly called Lu Mian.

“Mianmian, I’ve set up dinner for tonight. Come and join your uncle for a meal, will you?”

Lu Mian hadn’t been in touch with Han Jin for some time and only knew he had been busy lately, possibly with matters concerning her own background.

“I have an arrangement tonight, but you can move the timing up a bit. I’ll drop by your place first, then head to my next appointment,” Lu Mian said calmly.

Han Jin: …

The great Ms. Lu is a busy person; even catching a glimpse of her is difficult.

Even he could only make use of the time she managed to squeeze out.

“All right, your willingness to show up is favor enough for me,” Han Jin said, sounding downcast. At the end, he couldn’t help but roar like an old father, “What kind of late-night plans are those? After dinner, head home early, you hear me?”

“Okay.”

—-

Seven in the evening.

Han Jin deliberately arranged the meeting a bit earlier, and invited both Kang Hongbin and Lu Mian separately.

He chose the largest and most extravagant restaurant in Wucheng.

Arriving at the private room early, he got everything ready and soon awaited the evening’s main guest, Dean Kang Hongbin.

“Dean Kang, hello,” Han Jin approached with a grin and reached out to shake hands with the other party.

Kang Hongbin’s face remained gloomy; he snorted lightly and sidestepped Han Jin.

Han Jin withdrew his hand awkwardly. He could hardly blame Dean Kang; after all, he hadn’t managed things well from the start.

Kang Hongbin took the seat of honor and seeing only Han Jin in the room, his mood soured even further.

“Director Han, it was you who invited me here, to make amends for last year’s issue. Now what, I have to wait for a student?”

“No, she’s a bit tied up, but already on her way.”

“So she’s allowed to be busy, but I’m not? I have an appointment later as well,” fumed Kang Hongbin upon hearing this; he had his own matters to attend to as well.

The middle-aged man puffed up angrily, “Director Han, no offense, but if you’re apologizing, shouldn’t there be some attitude of apology? I’m already here, and the other party hasn’t arrived yet. Do I not deserve any respect?”

After much persuasion and argument, Han Jin eventually appeased him.

“Once you’ve met her, you’ll understand–she’s an exceptional child. Have you ever heard me compliment anyone like this before? She’s the only one I’ve praised!”

“I don’t want to listen to your flattery,” Kang Hongbin raised his hand, no longer falling for Han Jin’s charms, “I’ve already found a prodigy who is even more outstanding than the one you’re boasting about. I’m not interested in your esteemed student.”

“Oh? Who is it?” Han Jin had yet to see someone more outstanding than Lu Mian.

“You tell me the name of the student who stood me up last year, and I’ll tell you,” Kang Hongbin said quietly, unmoved as he sipped his tea.

With a slight smile, Han Jin replied, “If you won’t say, then never mind.”

As the two men were bickering in the private room, Lu Mian knocked on the door following the address Han Jin had given, and stepped in.

The moment she walked in, she noticed the unfamiliar man sitting in the seat of honor.

She paused for a moment.

“Mianmian, come here quickly! This is Dean Kang Hongbin from the Physics Department at Qing University, whom I’ve told you about,” Han Jin immediately rose to introduce. “He is a top-tier physics professor in the country! He has mentored many graduate students!”

Seated in the place of honor, Kang Hongbin was sipping tea with restrained eyes, and he didn’t even lift his head.

He was angry because of this student, who had caused him to be a laughingstock at the university for a year! Especially the people from Beijing University, they would always use this incident to mock him, to laugh at his expense.

Lu Mian had not expected that Kang Hongbin would be present at today’s gathering.

Her eyes held a complex expression, and she stood at the door with pursed lips, not entering.

Han Jin urgently waved his hand, “What are you waiting for? Come over and have a chat with Dean Kang! He is a dean who highly cherishes talent!”

Kang Hongbin waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t introduce me, and don’t sing my praises. As much as I cherish talent, it doesn’t change the fact that someone stood me up.”

Han Jin kept giving Lu Mian meaningful glances, but she had no intention of walking inside.

She stood at the door and gave Kang Hongbin a very respectful apology.

“I am very sorry for the trouble I caused you last year. I sincerely apologize and hope you can forgive me.”

Han Jin thought to himself that for the usually unyielding Lu Mian to adopt such an apologetic attitude was quite good.

Moreover, the misunderstanding last year was his fault for not communicating properly.

“Dean Kang, the child has apologized. Perhaps you could…”

Kang Hongbin still harbored resentment and sipped his tea with indifference, sweeping Lu Mian with a cold glance; he did not offer a clear answer in the end.

Lu Mian glanced at her watch, interrupting the two middle-aged men in the private room.

“Uncle Han, I’ve got something else to take care of. I’ll be leaving now.”

After speaking, she didn’t wait for Han Jin’s consent and coolly left the private room.

Han Jin: …Is she really leaving just like that?

Only then did Kang Hongbin put down his cup with a smack, the sound it made was quite loud.

“What’s the meaning of this? What kind of attitude is that? She just shows her face, says a few words, and leaves? Director Han, if this is your idea of an apology, I think I’ve understood it well. Let’s meet again when fate allows!”

Kang Hongbin was so furious that his face turned ashen, and he got up to leave, hands clasped behind his back.

Han Jin stretched out his hand, trying to keep him there: “Don’t go yet, please have this meal before you leave! Maybe she really has an emergency, please try to understand.”

“I have an emergency as well, and I need to leave.”

“But this…” Han Jin felt a headache coming on.

The grudge between the two had not been resolved, and it seemed he had only made Dean Kang dislike Lu Mian even more.

What urgent matter could Lu Mian possibly have? She could at least sit down and chat for a bit.

Kang Hongbin brushed off Han Jin, “Director Han, I gave you a chance and you didn’t cherish it. Don’t expect me to forgive her! And yes, you’d better voluntarily tell me that girl’s name, or I’ll have to put both of your names on the biggest billboard in Wucheng! This is infuriating!”

Han Jin could only offer a sheepish smile, “That won’t be necessary.”

Luckily, he had never revealed Lu Mian’s identity, or she might have already been publicly shamed by now…

“Fine.” Kang Hongbin, still angry, headed straight for the door of the private room. Just as he was about to exit, he suddenly remembered something and stopped, “Director Han, why don’t you come along with me?”

“What?”

“I happen to have another meeting in this restaurant; I must show you the genius I’ve chosen this year!”

“This…”

Unable to refuse, Han Jin reluctantly agreed to go with him.