High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 386: Chapter 226: Polite Refusal

Wei Wu exhausted his entire academic vocabulary.

He did his best to clearly and concisely express his intent to collaborate and the core value of his proposed research.

However, the moment he finished speaking,

Before Wang Shouzhuo could even react, several of the surrounding scholars had already begun to chuckle.

The laughter wasn’t malicious mockery, but more akin to the dumbfounded chuckle of an adult hearing a child’s naive pronouncements.

”Collaboration?” a professor with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed in a crisp suit, shook his head, unable to suppress a smile.

”Young people these days...” another middle-aged scholar with a refined air remarked, also smiling at Wei Wu, his gaze filled with the kind of amusement one might have for a peculiar treasure.

”Haha, this young Xiaowei has commendable courage!” another chimed in teasingly, though his tone was relatively gentle.

Wang Shouzhuo himself was taken aback for a moment by Wei Wu’s direct and grandiose proposal.

A rare, almost resigned smile then appeared on his face.

He paused for a moment, maintaining the graceful bearing of a senior academic, and replied in an exceedingly tactful tone:

”Oh? That direction sounds... hmm, a bit interesting. However, the institute’s review process for these kinds of interdisciplinary projects is extremely rigorous. Tell you what,”

He tilted his head slightly, gesturing to the assistant taking notes beside him. ”You can put your ideas into a brief, concise summary and send it to Assistant Zhou.”

He pointed to the person beside him who had been recording everything on a tablet.

”Let Assistant Zhou take a look first. If a deeper discussion is warranted, she’ll contact you. As for now...”

He lifted his wrist to glance at an exceptionally fine watch. ”Hmm, the conference is about to begin.”

The message was an unmistakable dismissal.

Wei Wu’s passionate enthusiasm and prepared speech were instantly frozen by the soft laughter and this textbook-perfect, diplomatic rejection.

He felt his face burn with shame.

His lips trembled, as if he wanted to make one last effort to say something, but he saw that Wang Shouzhuo had already looked away and resumed his hushed conversation with the people around him.

Seeing Assistant Zhou’s professional, impassive nod, all the words caught in his throat.

An immense sense of disappointment instantly drowned the courage he had just painstakingly summoned.

”...Yes, of course. Thank you for your guidance, Academician Wang... S-sorry to have disturbed you.”

Wei Wu forced himself to maintain a final shred of courtesy. He offered his thanks in a strained voice and turned to leave, his steps faltering.

He kept his head down, feeling the faint, unreadable gazes on his back like daggers, making his skin crawl.

He walked quickly back to his seat in the rear section, his steps much heavier than before.

Sinking back into his seat, Wei Wu let out a deep, weary sigh. His shoulders slumped as if his very spine had been pulled out from him.

He had expected this outcome all along.

In the rigid pyramid of the academic world, he was just an ordinary lecturer from a remote university.

Running up to a titan like Elder Wang to talk about collaboration was as absurd as an ant trying to shake a tree.

The ”commendable courage” and ”young people” he’d heard were just polite ways of saying he was ”in over his head.”

’Get a grip... I really need to get a grip.’

Wei Wu leaned back in his chair, staring at the complex geometric patterns on the massive domed ceiling. His gaze drifted vacantly toward the distant speakers’ platform.

’The first path—impressing Elder Wang by working my way up through the academic system.’

’That path has just been brutally cut off. In fact, it was never even open to begin with.’

’Now, only the second path remains—to find *him*.’

The Li Wen who once arrived early with him to study in their high school classroom, the one who’d scratched his head alongside him over baffling math problems.

The ordinary high school student Li Wen, whose talent was once mediocre and whose Martial Dao grades were abysmal, yet who somehow managed an incredible turnaround in six months and got into Legacy University.

But the *him* of today... was Li Wen, the Changning King!

He is the youngest King-level powerhouse in the Human Race. His name resounds across the planet, even throughout all human territories. His accomplishments are worthy of being written into textbooks.

’And me? Wei Wu, a liberal arts major who hasn’t even touched the threshold of the Martial Dao... how can I possibly bring myself to ask him?’

’To approach a high and mighty King-level powerhouse with this insignificant academic idea and ask for help?’

’Social climber,’ ’opportunist,’ ’delusional’... The words hammered against his pride like tiny mallets.

He was afraid of rejection, but he was even more terrified of seeing unfamiliarity, scrutiny, or even... pity in the eyes of his former deskmate.

Their connection had naturally faded ever since Li Wen stepped through the gates of Legacy University, a threshold into another world.

He only knew that Li Wen had later gone through extremely difficult times, but he had been powerless to do anything, able only to follow the news silently from distant Xiliang.

He knew Li Wen was a powerful Marquis-General, a hero who had slain countless members of the Demon Race. And then, a few days ago, came the planet-shaking phenomenon of a King’s ascension—his high school deskmate, Li Wen, had actually become a King!

The shock of that moment had been indescribable. Along with pride, he felt an immense, insurmountable distance between them.

’But... my research is genuinely valuable...’ Wei Wu subconsciously clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he wrestled with his inner turmoil.

Without resources, even the best idea is just a castle in the sky.

’This research... it might only take a single word from the Changning King. Maybe just a brief mention to the right person... But for me, asking for that favor is a hundred times harder than mustering the courage to face Academician Wang.’

’I’m just a powerless lecturer. Will Li Wen... still value our old friendship? Will he help me?’

Wei Wu’s heart filled with immense apprehension and a complex feeling bordering on shame, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Just as Wei Wu’s thoughts were churning, threatening to tear him apart with their contradictions, the soft background music in the conference hall faded away and a grand chime echoed through the space.

A pleasant yet solemn voice announced over the PA system:

”Esteemed guests, the Yanjing Advanced Research Institute’s Annual Forum on Frontier Interdisciplinary Sciences is about to begin. Please be seated in your designated locations. The conference will commence shortly...”

As if a pause button had been pressed, the vast conference hall fell silent in an instant.

Thousands of scholars, regardless of their status or their previous conversations, now quickly and orderly found their seats according to the seating chart.

All conversation ceased within seconds, leaving only the sound of countless footsteps and the soft rustle of fabric.

Wei Wu immediately reined in his thoughts, forcibly suppressing all distractions. Like every other scholar, he sat up straight, his gaze fixed on the brightly lit speakers’ platform.

As all eyes watched, a door to the side of the platform slowly opened.

The conference moderator, an elderly professor renowned in the field of materials science, turned with an excited and deferential smile, making an inviting gesture.

Immediately after, a young figure appeared in the doorway.

He was tall and poised, his stride unhurried. He wore simple, dark casual clothes that were perfectly tailored and made of exceptional material.

What was most striking wasn’t his handsome face, but the aura that he naturally exuded.

It was as deep and serene as a starry night, yet it hinted at an indescribable, immense power and a sense of authority.

Yet this presence was so well-contained that it wasn’t the least bit oppressive. Instead, it shone with a convincing light of wisdom.

It was none other than the Changning King, Li Wen!

Accompanied by the elderly professor moderating the event, Li Wen walked to the central seat on the platform.

His calm gaze swept across the entire hall.

As that gaze swept past, Wei Wu’s heart leaped into his throat. He subconsciously held his breath and ducked his head slightly, not daring to meet it.

He could even feel every muscle in his body tense in that instant.

Under the focused gaze of several thousand pairs of eyes, Li Wen elegantly took the seat of honor.

The moderator excitedly introduced the significance of the forum, placing special emphasis on today’s unprecedentedly heavyweight guest:

”...Today, we are honored to have with us the one who has brought new hope to all of human civilization: His Highness Li Wen, the Changning King!

”His Highness is not only one of the symbols of the pinnacle of our Human Race’s Martial Dao. In just a few short months, he has also contributed several pioneering theoretical masterworks to the academic world, all thanks to his Extraordinary wisdom.

”He is profoundly influencing the developmental direction of multiple fields, including frontier physics! We have every reason to believe that His Highness’s insights today will bring unprecedented enlightenment and elevate this forum to new heights!

”Now, let us offer our most enthusiastic applause and welcome His Highness the Changning King to deliver his keynote address!”

ROAR—!!!

Before the moderator had even finished speaking, thunderous, unceasing applause erupted throughout the conference hall, as if a boulder had been dropped into a calm lake.

The applause was filled with absolute reverence for the powerful, heartfelt gratitude for a hero, and fervent anticipation for an intellectual guide.

The applause lasted for several tens of seconds, threatening to blow the dome off the ceiling.

Faced with such frenzied applause, Li Wen simply maintained a gentle and calm smile.

He offered no token words of humility, only a slight bow in acknowledgment, meeting the crowd’s enthusiasm with his eyes.

This perfectly measured response only served to highlight his grand, unpretentious, and composed demeanor.

When the applause finally receded like the tide, the entire conference hall fell into an intensely focused silence.

Every person’s breathing seemed to slow, and thousands of pairs of eyes, like spotlights, were locked firmly on Li Wen.

The conference proceeded smoothly.

After a few pioneering scholars finished their cutting-edge reports—valuable though they were—everyone was secretly waiting for the main event.

Finally, the moderator once again announced, his voice filled with excitement:

”Now, let us hold our breath and welcome His Highness, the Changning King Li Wen, to deliver his keynote address: ’The Strings of Law: A Model for Energy Particle Manipulation and the Correlation and Perturbation of Spatial Curvature in Composite Fields’!”

After another round of thunderous applause, Li Wen calmly rose and walked to the lectern.

He looked at no script, no teleprompter. His profound gaze swept over the audience as if piercing through time and space itself.

He began to speak calmly. His voice was not loud, yet it resonated clearly in every corner of the hall.