Zheng Tan had some memories of this person.
He had seen him around while hanging out here. Zheng Tan heard people address him as "Professor Ren".
This professor Ren was one of the young overseas returnees that the department had hired last year, he was quite popular amongst the students, especially with the girls. Professor Ren was only a little over thirty, but his files were filled with glorious achievements and the golden title of being a returnee, otherwise the department wouldn't have been so eager to hire him in the first place.
Speaking of which, this professor Ren's research field was in the same direction as Papa Jiao. On some terms, their relationship was rather competitive. However, professor Ren was already a professor while Papa Jiao still carried the word "assistant", this difference was relatively significant.
Professor Ren was one of the topics for conversation amongst the students with his London accent when he speaks English, his pretty handsome appearance, and his pretentious manner.
Zheng Tan, on the other hand, thought that this person was exceedingly phony. Just a single look at him made him feel uncomfortable.
After several encounters, Zheng Tan knew that this person treated students, teachers and higher officials with kindness and politeness. He appeared to be very gentleman-like, with many female students secretly praising professor Ren as being very chivalrous. Nevertheless, Zheng Tan felt that this person had some inexplicable hostility in his eyes when he looked at him. He initially thought that this person didn't like cats and treated all cats like this, but this theory was later brushed aside by Zheng Tan. Even if this person didn't like cats, he didn't treat them with such malice.
This person shed his normal disguise when he was with cats, there was a coldness in the smile of his eyes. This made Zheng Tan feel extremely uneasy, constantly sensing that he had some evil calculations going on in his mind.
"Hi professor Ren!"
A few students walked past and greeted him.
Professor Ren responded with a smile.
Zheng Tan twitched his mouth in despise as he watched from the top of the tree. Just as he thought, this person had different emotions when he dealt with other people.
So f*cking fake!
Zheng Tan tried hard to recollect, making sure that he had no connections with this person before. Professor Ren had a house outside the campus so he didn't live in the courtyards. Zheng Tan usually only come to the biology building to observe from the outside or to climb into Papa Jiao's office for a nap, he had no other businesses here.
There were many teachers in the department that knew professor Jiao had a black cat, they often saw him riding home with his cat on the electric motorcycle. Besides, Zheng Tan didn't cause any trouble when he was here, he was extremely well-behaved. Some students would occasionally even call him "Charcoal", and definitely wouldn't throw stones at him to scare him away. Only that professor Ren looked like he wanted to slaughter him.
'This is so ridiculous, it's not like I have taken your woman, do you really need to look at me like that?'
Deep in his thoughts, Zheng Tan suddenly heard someone calling his name, he turned and looked over.
"Charcoal, I didn't think that you would be here!"
The oncoming person was Zhao Le, the daughter of Mr. Zhao Chang who was the CEO of Changwei Corporation. During the period of New Year's celebration, although Mr. Zhao and Zhao Le didn't visit in person, they sent people over to greet and gift them. After all, Mr. Zhao was way too occupied, and Zhao Le as a heiress of Changwei Corporation must have some necessary social events she needed to attend, they were both busy people.
The Jiaos were more than sufficient in their stock of snacks and fruits, Mama Jiao no longer needed to buy her own cosmetics. Every now and then, Zhao Le would send people over with gifts. Today was no exclusion, since Zhao Le had free time and didn't have any class in the afternoon, she bought some things and headed to Jiao's family home. Turns out, there were only Mama Jiao and her co-workers at home. She didn't see Zheng Tan and it had became awkward for her to stay there, so she planned to pay a visit to Papa Jiao and ask how things were going for Zheng Tan as well as Papa Jiao and Yuan Zi's company.
Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao didn't reveal Zhao Le's identity to the public, they only said that she was a child of a friend. However, Mama Jiao's co-workers were still suspicious when they saw Zhao Le with so many snacks and imported cosmetics for Mama Jiao, but since the hostess didn't want to tell they were in no position to ask.
Zhao Le didn't think thought that she would meet Zhang Tan outside the biology buildings, but every time she saw Zheng Tan her mood lightened. She saw the person that stood not far from her, knowing that he was a teacher from assistant professor Jiao's department. She casually him greeted despite not being on familiar terms with him.
Professor Ren's smile was quite kind and amiable, "You're not from our department, right?"
"Yeah, I am here to find someone."
"Who're you looking for? Do you need help?"
"No, it's all right, thank you." Zhao Le maintained the perfect smile, her expression was strange.
The smile on her face faded away as professor Ren entered the building and disappeared. She frowned and looked at Zheng Tan who was squatting up on the tree: "What did you do to piss him off?"
How the f*ck do I know! Zheng Tan tugged his ears, jumped off the tree and took a stretch.
"Let's go and find Mr. Jiao together." Zhao Le took a tote bag out from her bag, the bag had the logo of some brand of snacks. Zhao Le had always kept this tote folded inside the bag for unexpected needs, she didn't think that it would now be in use.
Zheng Tan took a look at the bag that Zhao Le had opened, he shook his whiskers then stepped inside.
Zhao Le felt her hands suddenly sank down, almost dropping the bag.
"Have you gained some weight?" Zhao Le laughed.
Zheng Tan looked at himself, it couldn't be? Although he had slacked off on exercising , but he's definitely not someone you would call fat, it's robust! Two days ago when he went over to Mr. Guo's place to shoot the advertisement, Mr. Guo even praised him. He said that all the other cats had a thick layer of fat, only Zheng Tan could be considered as fit. Mr. Guo also made the cats at his shop exercise more, it's already summer, they must lose some weight.
In spite of what Zheng Tan thought, Zhao Le continued carrying the bag inside the biology building and headed towards Papa Jiao's office.
Papa Jiao was research academic literature and references on the computer in front of him, when he heard the door knock he answered: "Please come in."
Seeing that Zhao Le had entered, Papa Jiao quickly rose up from his seat and greeted her. He pulled a clean chair out for Zhao Le, the other chairs had stuff placed on it before and hasn't been wiped up. Miss Zhao was not like Su Qu, Yi Xin and other blokes, Papa Jiao habitually felt that he needed to be more respectful.
After inviting Zhao Le to seat, Papa Jiao immediately saw Zheng Tan coming out from the bag . He didn't quite mind since his own family cat was a regular guest anyways, there was no need to comment.
Zhao Le and assistant professor Jiao discussed somethings, including the recent development of their company. Changwei Corporation and professor Jiao's company didn't have many connections and was not considered as competitors, so Zhao Le was quite willing to lend a hand.
While they chatted, Zheng Tan lied on a little stool and closed his eyes, his ears raised to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Papa Jiao and Yuanzi's company had already got a foothold now and the prospect of development looked assuring. The graduation season was coming, with many of the graduates from this year already beginning to delve into job seeking. Recently Yuanzi and others had been poaching around every school of higher education, looking for talented people that they were lacking.
"Oh Mr. Jiao, how much do you know about that professor Ren Chong ?" Zhao Le asked abruptly.
When Zhao Le entered the building, she saw the resumes of each teacher on the first floor of the biology building and knew that he was the returnee professor that the department had hired.
To express their valued recognition of these newly-hired young returnee professors, the faculty had made a noticeboard specially to introduce them which was now hanging in the foyer of the first floor.
"Professor Ren?" Papa Jiao was surprised that Zhao Le would bring up this person, "I don't know much about him..."
After Papa Jiao stated some of the details that he knew about professor Ren, Zhao Le and Zheng Tan became puzzled. It didn't sound like there was any beef between them.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login