Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 672 Will the teacher do it or not?
Chen Fan rowed the boat, and the small boat slowly and leisurely approached the dock, landing perfectly without any swaying.

He first tied the rope, then picked up his straw hat and raincoat and walked onto the platform before asking, "Did they say when they would be coming?"

He Qingsheng and the other two quickly went ashore, looking longingly at Bian Huifang.

They were just discussing that after establishing communication channels with Japan, the next step is to establish communication channels with the United States.

What they want is not a purely academic exchange channel like the International Writing Program, but rather a channel like Takahashi Publishing House that allows for cultural export and foreign exchange earnings.

This task could only fall to Chen Fan. As long as he could get in touch with his uncle, there was no fear of not having a chance to cooperate!
Unexpectedly, before Chen Fan could even make a contact, Bian Huifang came to deliver the news.

Despite being stared at by three pairs of intense eyes, Bian Huifang remained calm.

Since she started working for Director Chen, she'd seen this kind of look all the time; it wasn't a big deal.

Well, although she is now Vice Chairman and Vice President, she has decided to follow the leader to the end. Chen Fan's main job is to lead the External Relations Department and also serves as its director. If she stays, she will definitely work in the External Relations Department, so it makes perfect sense for her to call him Director Chen.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's question, Bian Huifang immediately replied, "It was Director Qi's secretary, Sister Gao, who personally came to inform us. I asked her carefully, and she said that Mr. Zhou arrived in Beijing yesterday and then contacted us through official channels. Sister Gao came to the office early this morning."

As she said this, she unconsciously glanced at the four leaders in front of her.

The meaning is clear: the leaders are all out, so they can only have her, a nobody, to receive them, and then they come looking for someone.

Xu Qizhen coughed lightly, "We've been having meetings on the ship all morning. We've made a preliminary decision to increase the number of staff in the External Relations Department. We'll wait for the Personnel Department to bring the people back. You'll have to mentor them."

Bian Huifang said "Oh," and her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the small boat.

If it weren't for the smell of food in the cabin and the four men reeking of alcohol, she would have believed it.

However, this was a matter that was easier said than done. She immediately perked up and continued, "I heard from Sister Gao that the message from Beijing is that Mr. Zhou's schedule is quite tight this time, and he may not have time to come. If it's convenient for you, Director, it would be best to go to Beijing to meet with Mr. Zhou."

Chen Fan had just been thinking that, according to the normal itinerary, the flight from the United States to China would require a layover in Tokyo, and the flight back from Tokyo would stop in Shanghai.

He had already sent a telegram to inform them that the house in Shanghai had been renovated and was ready for immediate occupancy, but instead of staying in Shanghai, he went directly to Beijing.

Furthermore, he didn't contact them directly, but rather through a relevant department. The reason it was the Provincial Department of Culture is that the Writers' Association is currently under the management of the cultural sector, unlike in the future when it will be under the jurisdiction of the propaganda sector. Therefore, their communication through the Provincial Department of Culture is entirely in accordance with the work process.

What is certain now is that Zhou Zhengdong's trip to China this time is definitely for official business, and it is a very important matter, so much so that he cannot easily contact outsiders.

Thinking about the time, Chen Fan suddenly realized why he had come.

But a new question arose in my mind: why did he get involved? It doesn't make sense.

After Bian Huifang finished speaking, he came to his senses, nodded, and said, "Okay, I understand."

He Qingsheng immediately interjected, "Don't just say 'I know' and that's it! This is such a great opportunity, didn't you just say so...?"

Chen Fan waved his hand to interrupt him and chuckled, "Uncle He, you don't want to stand by the lake in the cold wind, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qizhen, as if playing along, immediately shivered and shuffled towards Chen Fan's house, saying, "Come in, come in."

The group immediately followed behind.

When he arrived at his doorstep, Chen Fan hung his straw hat and raincoat on the outer wall, stamped his feet, changed into a pair of cotton shoes at the door, and then went inside.

As for the others, they had already changed their shoes and entered the room.

Tan Yong was still complaining, "You're so particular, you even changed your shoes before coming in."

Chen Fan closed the door, keeping the cold wind out, then turned on the light before saying, "Changing your shoes helps keep things clean and saves you from having to mop the floor all day long."

Looking up again, well, without anyone even having to greet them, He Qingsheng and Tan Yong were sitting on the daybed, one on each side, leaning against the bedside table, looking quite lazy, not at all like guests.

Xu Qizhen sat on the other side, pulled over the electric heater and turned it on, so close it felt like they were having a barbecue.

Fortunately, Bian Huifang knew her place and busied herself serving tea and water.

But why did she bring out the fruit platter too?
Chen Fan could only sit next to Xu Qizhen and watch He Qingsheng eating melon seeds. "Since you want me to go, I'll go to Beijing in a couple of days. But let me make this clear first: my uncle has already given the publishing house to my cousin. He basically doesn't care about the publishing house anymore, so talking to him won't be of much use."

This wasn't him deliberately making excuses; it was the truth. Apart from Chen Fan's own works, Zhou Zhengdong didn't concern himself with the publishing house's work at all, leaving it all to Zhou Yali.

He would definitely let Zhou Yali handle "minor matters" like liaising with the provincial writers' association, as it was a rare opportunity for her to gain experience. Besides, with Chen Fan keeping an eye on things, how could he let it slip by?

Hearing Chen Fan's words, He Qingsheng was stunned for a moment, then pondered for two seconds and said, "It's okay, whether it's your uncle or your sister, as long as we get in touch with them and explain the situation, we'll arrange for someone to handle the follow-up."

He was also inwardly complaining. Earlier this year, he had met Chen Fan's cousin. She was clearly a student, yet her family had given her such an important publishing house to practice with. No wonder she was a big capitalist who even provincial leaders had to get involved; she simply didn't care about money.

That said, Zhou Yali really doesn't seem to care much about money these days. The first volume of "Legend of the Dragon Knight" has already sold over two million copies, and they've also opened up sales channels in Europe, looking for local printers to collaborate with. This number is expected to continue to grow.

If a book isn't discounted, the publisher can recoup about half of the cost, including the author's royalties. This particular set, priced at $8, has already generated nearly ten million dollars in revenue, and that number will continue to rise as it expands into the European market.

With so much money, she's naturally wealthy and powerful; what's a mere publishing house compared to that?

Chen Fan took out a cigarette, lit it, and without paying attention to He Qingsheng and the others, said with a smile, "Okay, in that case, I'll buy a plane ticket for the day after tomorrow."

At this moment, Tan Yong said, "Isn't there a flight this afternoon? We can still make it if we go now."

He Qingsheng nodded repeatedly, "How about tomorrow? Would the day after tomorrow be too late?"

Chen Fan couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Uncle Tan, you really are a good cadre who puts the public interest first. So it's not like you're the one who's on a business trip, that you don't even give me a little time to prepare."

He paused for a moment, then added, "There's a reason I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. My teacher assigned me homework that needs to be submitted by the end of the month. I don't know when I'll be back, so I can only submit the homework before I can leave."

That said, he's been running around everywhere this semester and hasn't handed in a single assignment. If it weren't for that promising new research topic he came up with last time, which fooled the teacher, the consequences would have been dire!

The homework might double if things go wrong!
Hearing this, He Qingsheng and Tan Yong fell silent. They were more senior, but Professor Xu was even more senior, and their academic standing was on completely different levels. Faced with this situation, what could they say besides, "It's only natural for students to submit their assignments"?

After chatting for a while, Chen Fan ushered them out.

Then he closed the door, turned off the electric heater, lit the kang (a heated brick bed), moved the computer to the kang table, and frantically typed into the computer.

According to the topic he proposed, the paper should start from the perspective of national treasures, delve into the social culture of the corresponding period in ancient times, and then draw a conclusion from a cultural or literary perspective.

The first national treasure in the first season of "If National Treasures Could Talk" was originally a human-headed pot from the matriarchal society period.

Chen Fan certainly wouldn't choose such a hellish level of difficulty right away. He chose a relatively simple one, which was the first national treasure that Director Zhang took him to see when he went to the museum to study: the bronze ding.

Bronze tripods basically have one thing in common: they have inscriptions inside the body. These inscriptions are divided into two types: cast inscriptions and engraved inscriptions, and are also known as "bronze inscriptions".

Writing is the source of culture, and naturally the foundation of literature. Starting with bronze inscriptions and then exploring the social customs, etiquette, and cultural essence of that time is of great significance.

It is also very easy to write.

Chen Fan didn't even need to look up any information. The entire bronze cauldron, along with relevant materials and classics from the Western Zhou Dynasty, appeared in his mind. He then transformed these images into lines of text on the computer screen by tapping his fingers repeatedly.

There are not many classic works from the Western Zhou period, only a handful such as the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, and the Book of Changes, but they are the origin of Chinese civilization, and there is so much to write about.

Moreover, Professor Xu has a deep understanding of the Book of Documents and the Book of Changes. Last semester, he attended classes with Professor Xu and enjoyed one-on-one service. Professor Xu's academic achievements naturally became his resources.

Combining this with other works he had read and his own thoughts, he unconsciously came up with a paper titled "Looking at the Origins of Chinese Culture Through Bronze Ware." By the time he finished writing the paper, it was already dark outside.

Even the heated kang bed under my bottom wasn't as warm as before.

Before I knew it, another day had passed.

Chen Fan quickly reheated the kang (heated brick bed), casually made a bowl of mixed seafood and seafood noodles, slurped it down, and then went to bed.

……

The next morning, he took the printed paper to school.

In Professor Xu's office, Chen Fan sat obediently at his desk, watching the teacher check his homework.

Yes, not one teacher, but three teachers.

What a coincidence! Mr. Liu Dengzhuo and Mr. Xi Tianping are also here. The three elders of Jiangnan University have gathered together again.

After a long while, Professor Xu finally looked up, handed the manuscript to Xi Tianping, and looked at Chen Fan with a smile in his eyes, "The information is detailed, the arguments are well-founded, and the content is also very exciting. You must have spent a lot of time on this."

Chen Fan exclaimed "Ah!" and nodded earnestly. "From the moment the teacher assigned the task, I started thinking about how to write this paper. While learning from Director Zhang at the museum, I was also organizing materials at the same time, working until midnight every day. Only then did I start writing. I even brainstormed during meetings at work, and finally finished it late last night."

Professor Xu nodded in satisfaction. "It's clear that you put your heart into it."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, there's no need to rush. The time I've set for you is before the end of the semester, so there's still time. Even though you're young and healthy, you still need to balance work and rest."

Hearing the teacher's caring words, Chen Fan felt a little embarrassed. He rubbed his hands together and said softly, "It's mainly because there's a lot of work at my workplace. My main job has now shifted from the correspondence center and the literary youth magazine to the external relations department."

I'm going to Beijing on a business trip tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll be back, so I'm trying to finish this assignment as soon as possible to put my mind at ease."

Professor Xu nodded in realization, "I see."

She then looked at him and asked, "Are you very busy with work?"

Chen Fan smiled shyly, "It's alright. The main difficulty is the beginning. Once we establish channels for external communication, the rest will be easier."

Professor Xu nodded and said, "That's right, everything is difficult at the beginning, and it's the same for everything."

He then smiled at Chen Fan and said, "You also need to maintain a good balance between studying and working. If you are really too busy, you can just tell me."

Your learning progress is already far ahead of schedule, so slowing down for a few days is perfectly fine.

Chen Fan nodded earnestly, "I understand, thank you, teacher."

Professor Xu smiled, said nothing more, and turned to look at the two people beside him, "Still not finished reading?"

Xi Tianping looked up first, "I've finished reading it. There are some things in it that I can ponder in detail."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but smile.

Professor Xi is as renowned as his teacher. For him to utter the words "carefully consider" such a paper is enough to qualify it as excellent.

Moreover, there is also an elderly gentleman, Mr. Liu Dengzhuo, who has not spoken yet.

After a while, Liu Dengzhuo put the manuscript on the table, let out a long breath, and exclaimed, "The younger generation is truly formidable."

He turned to Professor Xu and said with a smile, "Old Xu, this paper takes a completely new approach, moving from objects to history, and then drawing out the context from history. Many of its viewpoints draw on the strengths of various schools of thought, including not only your academic insights and our research findings, but also the viewpoints of other scholars."

What's most remarkable is that, besides these, he can also come up with original ideas and express fresh thoughts, thinking of things that predecessors have not thought of…

At this point, he turned to look at Chen Fan, then turned back and smiled, "Based solely on this dissertation, it would have been enough to award him a full doctoral degree back then."

Before the reform of the education system, my country adopted the Soviet degree system for a period of time. After graduating from university in 5 years, students could apply for an "expert degree" after passing the examination, which was equivalent to a bachelor's degree, but with slightly higher standards.

After passing an exam or being recommended, students can study for about three more years and, upon passing a dissertation defense, obtain a Candidate of Sciences degree, also known as a Doctor of Science degree, which is equivalent to a Master's degree.

After the associate doctorate comes the full doctoral degree, which is equivalent to a doctorate. After the full doctorate comes the full doctorate, which is equivalent to a postdoctoral fellow.

Professor Liu said that Chen Fanquan could be awarded a doctoral degree, meaning that his dissertation could be directly awarded a doctoral degree without the need for a master's degree as a transition.

Unfortunately, the degree system has not been reinstated yet, and we'll have to wait.

Upon hearing Professor Liu's approval, Chen Fan couldn't help but smile.

Professor Xu looked at his two old partners and said with a smile, "What do you think of my suggestion from the day before yesterday?"

Liu Dengzhuo and Xi Tianping turned to look at Chen Fan, then nodded in unison, "I think it's a good idea."

Chen Fan was somewhat confused; what kind of riddle were they playing?
Professor Xu smiled and looked at him, saying, "There have been calls within the education system before, given that the number of schools is seriously mismatched with the number of people who want to go to university, resulting in many outstanding students not getting the opportunity to continue their studies at university, which wastes a lot of talent."

Therefore, many professors hope to restore and add a number of universities, and the three of us signed the proposal. This proposal has now been submitted to Xiyuan University, and if all goes well, it should be approved this month.

However, universities are not easy to establish. Every time a new university is established, multiple universities need to provide faculty assistance, which leads to a shortage of qualified teachers.

The school held a meeting the day before yesterday, and this issue was raised as well. Our school will definitely need to send a batch of teachers, which will create a shortage of our own teachers…

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan's heart pounded, and his pupils involuntarily dilated.

Could it be what I'm thinking?
Then Professor Xu continued, “At the time, I suggested that we select a group of outstanding students to stay at the school as teachers. Among all the Chinese departments, you are undoubtedly the most outstanding. So I proposed to consider having you stay at the school as a lecturer on a part-time basis.”

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course, if you're willing to leave the Writers' Association, I can arrange for the school to issue a transfer letter to bring you here. You're currently the vice chairman of the provincial Writers' Association, and the school can also give you a corresponding rank. You won't be at a disadvantage. What do you think?"

Chen Fan's mouth gaped open, unable to close it.

The school is short of teachers, so they want to transfer me here?

Good heavens, did I hear that right?
Everyone else who transmigrated back in time is working hard to get into university, building connections and networking to prepare for the future. And here I am, being assigned to be a university professor? Even a deputy director-level official should at least be able to become an associate professor, right?

If you're lucky, you might be able to get a full professorship at level four or three.

Isn't this difference a bit too big?
Seeing that he didn't speak, Xi Tianping said from the side, "Originally, the school leaders wanted to evaluate you and assigned this task to me and Lao Liu."

However, based on your current paper and the new topic you previously proposed—interpreting culture from the perspective of national treasures—both Lao Liu and I believe you possess the knowledge and academic qualifications expected of a university professor.

So from an academic perspective, you don't need to feel guilty at all. If we believe you can do it, then you definitely can.

Liu Dengzhuo and Professor Xu nodded in agreement.

After a long while, Chen Fan finally let out an "uh," exhaled a long breath, and said with a blank expression, "Can I think about it?"

Professor Xu smiled and said, "There's no rush. Even if we're going to add more schools, it won't be until the second half of next year. You'll have plenty of time to consider it."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Actually, with your qualifications, it would be better for you to take a position at the school, and it wouldn't affect your status in the Writers' Association. The members of the Writers' Association come from all walks of life, so as long as you're not in charge of specific affairs, being a teacher and the vice chairman of the Writers' Association doesn't conflict with each other."

Chen Fan smiled awkwardly and said, "Thank you, teacher. I will seriously consider it."

(End of this chapter)