What if I don't want to ascend to immortality?

Chapter 37 should be toned down a bit.

The exam consists of only ten questions.

Han Jie finished the seventh problem at a pace of no more than two minutes per problem on average, before suddenly realizing that Meng Qingtong had reminded him that he should try to restrain himself unless absolutely necessary, so as not to use his skills like Mu, Lin, or Cui.

Enraged, he immediately made a magical dumpling and stuffed it with hundreds of classic works he had read around the world, making her roll her eyes from the fullness.

If someone's conduct is superior to others, the masses will surely criticize them.

Han Jie didn't care about criticism or jealousy.

He simply felt that he should keep his performance at the level of a potential genius in this world. Otherwise, he feared it would attract a lot of trouble that he hated most.

He wasn't sure how much control he needed. He was tired of doing the problems and thought that since he had solved seven out of ten, he should be able to pass. So he made a perfunctory expression of difficulty, put down his phone, looked up and said, "Okay, I need to think about the remaining three. I can't solve them for now."

Gu Shuangjin raised her hand to her forehead, thinking, "If you're going to act, can't you be a little more professional? In this day and age, written articles are written from left to right. You start by showing off your skills with the most difficult parts, and then you just shrug off the three easiest ones. Are you kidding us? Did Dean Fang even bother to remind you properly?"

Dong Suihan didn't pay attention to any of this.

He sat there, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the second and third questions from before. His fingertips, resting on the table, trembled slightly as he tried to trace the problem-solving process, only to find that it was so ingenious that even following the steps he took had a very low success rate.

Judging from how focused he is, even if there were an earthquake right now, he would just sit in his chair and sway along with it.

Not hearing a response from the two proctors, Han Jie frowned and said, "What, does this not count as passing? Let me think about it some more. Maybe I can solve the remaining three questions if I spend a little more time on them..."

Gu Shuangjin glanced at Dong Suihan, whose expression was somewhat ferocious, and quickly waved her hand, saying in a low voice, "No need, no need, this is good enough. You've passed this test."

In fact, according to his expectations, no matter how brilliant a genius is, if he could provide the solution ideas for the three simpler questions out of the ten questions, he could pass; if he could solve them, he would get full marks.

If even four moderately difficult questions can provide valuable insights, then that's an unexpected and astonishing genius, someone we should strive to acquire at all costs.

It should be noted that these ten questions were all secret puzzles that Linglong had offered as rewards for over three years, with the total prize money exceeding 500,000.

The person that Dean Fang found, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, solved the problems in reverse order from difficult to easy, and simply gave up on the three least challenging ones.

Gu Shuangjin was momentarily at a loss for words when it came to how to rate the evaluation form. Should she write "Excellent" followed by a few tally marks?

Han Jie looked at Dong Suihan and then realized that both of their expressions seemed quite unusual.

He didn't perceive any significant difference in difficulty among the ten questions, just as he couldn't discern which demons were powerful or weak when he vanquished most of them.

Therefore, he felt slightly uneasy and couldn't help but feel a little regretful, worried that he had gone too far and failed to match the talent he had previously boasted about, which would inevitably lead to embarrassment.

Gu Shuangjin cleared her throat and urged, "Old Dong, what's your rating?"

Dong Suihan seemed not to hear, remaining motionless, with only hand gestures indicating that he was not frozen due to a sudden illness.

Gu Shuangjin had no choice but to go over and gently push him, saying in a deep voice, "Old Dong, Xiao Han finished seven dishes and gave up on the rest. He's still waiting for your score."

Dong Suihan looked up with a dazed expression, then jolted awake, slamming her hand on the table and standing up abruptly. "Fang Min! Where's Fang Min? Is he in his office upstairs?"

"Fang Min!" He kicked the chair away and rushed out shouting Dean Fang's name.

Gu Shuangjin had no choice but to pick up the scoring sheets, symbolically fill out both, send a report to Fang Min, and sit back down opposite Han Jie. She said, "In the field of theoretical research, you are indeed an unprecedented genius. I deeply admire you for this. Even if you don't get a teaching position, I will agree to the title of honorary advisor to the research institute, and I can even give you the top-level position. However, in principle, it needs to be approved by a higher level, so I estimate that we will have news next week."

"Even if you don't get a teaching position... what does that mean?"

“Being strong doesn’t mean you can teach students. Besides, with your strong theoretical research abilities, as the vice dean, I really can’t bear to waste your time on a teaching position.” Gu Shuangjin said sincerely, “I can call the director of the Second Academy’s research institute right now. I believe he will meet your requirements as long as they are not too unreasonable. For example, I can solve all your settlement issues in one go, such as a car, a house, and an assistant. Just ask.”

Han Jie then belatedly realized that he hadn't overdone it, but rather hadn't stopped himself.

He had no choice but to stick to his prepared statement and said seriously, "I'm still young and don't want to waste my time in a purely research-oriented position. Once I start my teaching job, I'll help out at the research institute when I have free time."

Gu Shuangjin's expression was somewhat complicated. He hesitated for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Xiao Han, if I may ask, is there some special reason why you're so determined to get the teaching position? Is it... for someone?"

Han Jie had no interest in hiding something that would eventually be found out by these people, so he nodded.

Gu Shuangjin sighed and earnestly advised, "Xiao Han, I don't know exactly what Teacher Liu did to offend you, but you already taught her a lesson that day. There's no need to break her record as the youngest genius teacher, is there?"

Han Jie was stunned for a moment, not reacting immediately, "Huh?"

Gu Shuangjin was also taken aback. "You didn't do this for Teacher Liu?"

Han Jie frowned and said unhappily, "Why bother for her? I'm not going to the Spiritual Law Department."

The room fell silent for a brief moment.

"So what are your teaching intentions?"

“Spirit talismans and spirit arrays.” Han Jie thought about the form he had filled out earlier and added, “Main spirit talismans, both theoretical and practical.”

Gu Shuangjin pondered for a moment, then asked with a look of doubt, "You and Meng Qingtong, is it just a simple partnership?"

Han Jie narrowed his eyes unhappily, not wanting to answer.

Gu Shuangjin quickly explained, "Since you're partners with Meng Qingtong, you should know that she's not only a highly regarded talent by the academy, but also a target that the Ling'an System is observing and cultivating." "So?"

“Uh…so…” He carefully chose his words and gently reminded her, “You’re her partner outside of class and her teacher in class. Being with her everywhere isn’t a good thing. It’s easy for people to misunderstand.”

Han Jie asked, puzzled, "So what?"

A phrase inexplicably popped into Gu Shuangjin's mind—"A dog trying to bite a hedgehog has nowhere to start."

But then he thought about it again and realized that Han Jie was right. As long as the two geniuses were happy and content in the Second Affiliated Hospital, and did whatever they wanted, what did their private life have to do with anyone else? Why should the hospital administration worry about it?

“Alright, in that case, I’ll arrange the teaching tests for the Spirit Talisman and Spirit Array departments right away. The two department heads are quite busy, so please wait a moment.” Gu Shuangjin stood up, walked to the door, and then turned back to say, “The Second Academy doesn’t have an explicit prohibition against students dating, so it’s quite open-minded in this regard. But if you’re going to be a teacher, some things… can easily cause trouble. I hope that if you two really have something going on, you’ll restrain yourselves.”

Han Jie didn't quite understand. He only vaguely felt that it was probably related to matters between men and women.

He instinctively wanted to deny it, but a thought crossed his mind and he decided against saying it.

Qing Tong is right. There are indeed more restrictions in the academy, and it's not as free. Let's go with Qing Tong after she graduates.

Completely unaware that the genius teacher, who had not yet started working, had already secretly set a departure time, Gu Shuangjin hurriedly left to contact the two directors. They not only wanted to discuss the exam content, but also to discuss how Han Jie should be placed in the two departments.

No sooner had Gu Shuangjin left than Dong Suihan rushed in.

Judging from his exasperated appearance, his conversation with Fang Min was clearly not pleasant.

He glanced at Han Jie, opened his mouth as if to say something but then swallowed it back, like a fish hanging on a tree branch.

After he finished packing his things and strode to the door, he finally couldn't help but blurt out, "Xiao Han, I will not give up."

While multitasking on his phone and slowly processing the mess in his mind, Han Jie unconsciously searched for the scene and was immediately filled with questions—Why is a grown man like you spouting lines from a romance drama's second female lead?

Han Jie killed about half an hour, and Gu Shuangjin returned to the conference room carrying a folder.

“Both directors are quite busy. After I explained your expertise in spirit runes, they both agreed to your teaching position. So, if you have no objections, we can proceed with the onboarding process at any time.” He pulled out a few forms and placed a spirit rune collection device beside him. “Regarding compensation, my current suggestion is that you be appointed as a technical advisor at the research institute, an honorary title with a top salary. After a year of service or significant technical achievements, there will be subsequent housing and car bonuses, free dormitory accommodation, and the highest-level meal allowance. For the teaching position, since your teaching hours are not fixed, you will be charged per class hour. The department head will provide you with a report according to the normal standards later. You can discuss any objections now.”

Han Jie no longer concealed his intentions and asked, "How much longer will it take before I can teach Qing Tong?"

Gu Shuangjin's smile was somewhat helpless. "So, your requirement for this job is to teach all the courses she chooses?"

“Yes.” He was the kind of person who would go all out once he set a goal, and he said frankly, “If the original teacher’s income would be affected, then give him my teaching fees. I don’t care about the money.”

"Xiao Han, sometimes, uh... from someone who's been there, I'd advise you not to be so clingy. When pursuing a girl, you need to maintain a certain distance. Being too love-struck might backfire," Gu Shuangjin said slowly, as if reminiscing about her own youth. "Of course, geniuses might express their feelings differently than ordinary people, perhaps enjoying a battle of wits in love. But..."

Han Jie interrupted, "It's not what you think. However, if that misunderstanding makes my decision more reasonable in your eyes, I don't mind. Just assume I have ulterior motives towards Qing Tong. At least for now, it seems she still likes me quite a bit."

"Based on your last sentence alone, I reckon quite a few guys will want to cause you trouble."

Thinking of some common tropes in film and television works, Gu Shuangjin couldn't help but consider whether to urgently transfer a few unruly and poor students to Meng Qingtong's class, staging a touching drama of a new teacher reforming teenagers and getting them into Dongding University together.

"Oh?" Han Jie asked casually, his eyes drooping. "Quite a lot... how much?"

Sensing a hidden murderous aura, Gu Shuangjin immediately remembered the good intentions behind her parents' name. She spoke cautiously, "I'm the vice dean, and I rarely teach classes, so I'm not really familiar with what's going on in each department. Meng is quite a popular figure on campus; she's kind and beautiful, and I reckon there are definitely guys who like her. However, Meng is a very interesting person; she's single-mindedly focused on making money. The fact that you can be her commission partner already puts you ahead of all the guys she knows."

After Han Jie finished signing those forms, he casually tossed a ball of spiritual energy to activate the input device, pressed it down with his palm, and said, "Can I start teaching her tomorrow?"

Gu Shuangjin frowned and said, "Xiao Han, teaching and nurturing students is not something to be taken lightly. You have no prior experience. If you were teaching academic subjects in a regular school, you would need to get certified first. We spiritual practitioners don't have to go through that much trouble, but you should at least prepare some lessons and understand the job, right?"

"Meng Qingtong is a top-tier independent student; she attends classes very arbitrarily. Even if a class is on her schedule, she might not show up. If you want to teach her, you'll have to talk to her first." His expression grew increasingly awkward, almost as if he were saying, "If you two want to play some romantic games, can't you go home and find somewhere else? Who's the teacher and who's the student is up to you, so why do you have to come and ruin the Second Affiliated Hospital's classes?"

If Lao Dong knew that this exceptional genius chose to work at the Second Hospital just to make it easier to pursue girls, he would probably have already approached Meng Qingtong and offered her a transfer.

In fact, given Han Jie's abilities just now, Gu Shuangjin himself had some thoughts that a teacher shouldn't have—if Han Jie's target wasn't someone like Meng Qingtong who was being groomed, he might have directly assigned that girl to the research institute as an assistant.

Sure enough, if you hold this kind of job for a long time, you can easily become the kind of person you used to hate.

He rubbed his temples. "In short, I hope that after you come tomorrow, you'll first observe and train with the teachers from the two departments and the general education courses for a while. Once the department heads confirm that you have the ability to teach independently, we'll give you the green light and allow you to freely choose your classes. When that happens, just let the assigned teacher know in advance which class you plan to teach. As for the bonus... I'll calculate it for them as usual, consider it an extra expense for hiring you. Is that acceptable?"

"Okay. Thank you. I appreciate your help." Han Jie was somewhat satisfied. He swiped his phone and said, "I had nothing to do earlier, so I solved the remaining three questions. I'll send you the answers; remember to save them."

At that moment, Gu Shuangjin suddenly realized something.

As the vice dean in charge of both research and academic affairs, the heights he can achieve in the future will likely depend on how comfortably he makes the "newcomers" in front of him work.

"Xiao Han, you and Qing Tong are a perfect match, I think you two are a great couple. If you have any difficulties, just come to me, I will do my best to solve them."

Han Jie was completely bewildered, not understanding why the vice dean's tone suddenly became so enthusiastic that it gave him goosebumps.

At this rate, won't there be more and more strange and troublesome people?

It seems I should tone it down a bit...

(End of this chapter)