Chapter 168: Admiration
"Sit down and rest for a bit if you're tired."
Seeing that Skyler was worn out from standing, Walter found her a spot to rest.
Frank wandered around on his own, exploring the villa. Because of the large number of guests attending the birthday party, many parts of the villa were off-limits. Only a few rooms were open to visitors.
Inside a study that resembled a library, Frank glanced around and noticed various certificates and awards on display.
A few framed magazine covers hung on the wall—prominent science and business magazines. The man featured on all of them was none other than Elliott.
"This guy still loves to show off," Frank thought to himself.
"Only scientists who've made exceptional contributions to the field get featured on that magazine," Walter said with a tinge of envy, sipping from his wine glass as he approached.
"If you hadn't chosen to teach chemistry and had stuck with research, you'd probably be on those covers too," Frank said, patting Walter on the shoulder in consolation.
"Hey! Isn't that Walter?!"
Just then, a surprised voice rang out nearby.
Both men turned to see a bespectacled middle-aged man walking over excitedly.
"It really is you, Walter—I knew I wasn't mistaken!" the man said as he approached.
"Farley?!" Walter recognized him and smiled in surprise. "Frank, remember Farley?"
"It's been a long time," Frank said, shaking Farley's hand politely and exchanging a few pleasantries.
"It really has. Everyone, let me introduce you—this is Walter and Frank. We were all university classmates," Farley said to the group with him.
"Back in university, Walter was a total genius—a master of crystallography. I remember one time, we spent weeks stuck on a protein structure problem. We were tearing our hair out trying to figure it out."
"Then Walter came over, glanced at our notes, said one word—and just like that, the problem was solved. It was like a sudden epiphany, an electric jolt down the spine. I still remember that feeling." Farley's voice was filled with excitement and admiration.
Back in school, there were all sorts of academic circles. Walter and Farley had both belonged to the research crowd, destined for careers in science. Frank, however, wasn't part of that circle.
Had Frank and Walter not been roommates, they probably wouldn't have crossed paths much at all.
Even as roommates, Frank had little interaction with the research community. He was only somewhat familiar with Walter's close circle—people like Gretchen and Elliot. Others, like Farley, were just distant acquaintances.
Farley didn't remember Frank very well, but he recognized Walter immediately and spoke about him with clear admiration, even reverence.
"I think the word he used was… 'synchronization'?" Farley said, trying to recall.
"Synchrotron," Walter corrected him. It was clear he remembered the moment too.
"Yes! That's it—synchrotron!" Farley said excitedly.
"Actually, it was a relatively simple problem. Under X-rays, the materials formed higher-purity crystalline structures. The earlier work was just data collection. Unfortunately, at the time, we didn't have a stable gamma-ray source—otherwise the results could've been even better."
Walter explained passionately. It was obvious he enjoyed being in the spotlight, relishing the admiration.
"By the way, Walter was one of the original founders of Gray Matter Technologies—alongside Gretchen and Elliot," Farley added to the others.
Gray Matter Technologies was the company founded by Gretchen and Elliot, now worth billions.
Yes—Gretchen and Elliot were billionaires.
Of course, they couldn't compare to someone like Joseph. Even among billionaires, there were different tiers—like passing a test with 61 versus 81 points.
After all, Joseph had made a deal with the devil. He made money in his sleep.
Gretchen and Elliot, by contrast, had to work themselves to the bone. That's why they only recently started considering having children—their youth and time had been poured into their careers.
"Back in grad school, we came up with the company name together: Black and White—Elliot and Walter White. The idea was to combine the two into 'Gray.'"
"And that's how Gray Matter Technologies was born. Gray, as in black and white mixed together," Walter explained.
"So you were Elliot's business partner? How come we've never heard about you?" someone asked, puzzled.
"Ah... well, Gray Matter was founded by Gretchen and Elliot. I eventually left and went into education instead," Walter said, coughing awkwardly, his expression shifting.
"Which university are you teaching at now? We'd love to invite you to give a guest lecture at ours."
Hearing this, Walter's face stiffened.
The people present were all intellectuals—lecturers or professors from elite universities. Given how highly Walter had been praised, they naturally assumed he was a tenured professor at some prestigious institution. The idea that he might be teaching at a public high school didn't even cross their minds.
To them, public schools were just places for coasting through life—not even worth mentioning.
"I'm currently at…" Walter took a sip of wine, unable to bring himself to finish the sentence.
"Hey Walter, I think Skyler's calling for you," Frank said, noticing Walter's discomfort and helping him out.
"Oh! Sorry, I need to go find my wife," Walter quickly replied.
"That pregnant lady is your wife? She's stunning."
The others looked toward Skyler—particularly her prominent baby bump—and suddenly, their expressions shifted.
It was no longer admiration for his academic achievements, but the unspoken understanding shared between men.
They were all middle-aged, in their fifties. Their bodies no longer in peak condition—most had thinning or completely bald heads.
And being scientists or professors, they often worked late, ran on little sleep, sat in front of computers for hours, and rarely had a healthy lifestyle. Their physiques were either bloated or painfully thin.
And with age came inevitable decline in… certain areas, leaving them reliant on performance-enhancing pills.
So naturally, when they saw a man like Walter with a young, beautiful, pregnant wife, it struck a chord—one tinged with envy.
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