Before Su Xun could respond, Professor Zhang Lin burst into the room—no, not just walked, but sprinted wildly.
Everyone was taken aback by the unexpected urgency.
"Professor Zhang, please slow down!"
"Zhang, take it easy!"
"Professor Zhang!"
Zhang Lin charged forward like a rolling ball and only managed to stop just before crashing into the lab bench.
Those nearby quickly steadied him. "Professor Zhang, are you alright?"
"Are you okay, Professor?"
Concerned voices filled the air.
Zhang Lin waved them off, signaling he was fine. His eyes locked onto Su Xun's, and with palpable excitement he declared, "Su Xun, your project has been granted special approval! We can start immediately!"
"Really?!"
"So soon!"
"Professor Zhang must have pulled some strings, right?"
The crowd was even more exhilarated than Su Xun himself.
He hadn't anticipated such a swift approval and nodded, "Yes, we can begin at any time."
"I'm in, Professor!"
"Count me in too!"
Surveying their enthusiasm, Zhang Lin waved his hand decisively, "Su Xun will lead the plasma weapons development. I'll be the deputy on the project!"
The announcement left everyone utterly stunned.
"This is unprecedented in the decades-long history of Hualing Research Institute!"
"True. We've had senior professors assisting younger researchers before, but their age gaps were only a decade or so. Zhang and Su differ by over forty years!"
"Exactly!"
The younger members looked at Su Xun with admiring eyes.
"Enough chatter—let's get those applications in!"
"I'm not much good at personnel selection either. Let Professor Zhang handle that!" Su Xun quickly interjected as the crowd surged forward.
After the lively registration, Zhang Lin finalized the team roster, with Liu Yu notably included. Naturally, Liu Yu was tasked with submitting the personnel list.
By the time all formalities were completed, evening had fallen. At this moment, Professor Wang Shui stepped forward.
"Dinner time! How about we celebrate our new project with a meal together? I know a fantastic barbecue place near the residential area."
"Sounds great!" Liu Yu was the first to enthusiastically approve. "Who can resist barbecue?"
"Absolutely, we have to go!"
"Nothing better than relaxing before the project officially kicks off."
"No one stop me—I'm going to challenge Liu Yu's drinking prowess!"
Liu Yu scoffed, "Give it up. You can barely hold two drinks. Find someone else."
With everyone chiming in, Zhang Lin chuckled, "Haha, last time I wasn't here, so this will make up for it—officially welcoming little Su!"
All eyes then turned to Su Xun, who blinked in surprise.
"Why is everyone staring at me?"
"You're the project leader, everyone's waiting for your answer," Wang Shui said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Of course I'll go," Su Xun never refused good food, especially barbecue and hotpot.
Before he finished, Wang Shui grinned mischievously, "Then it's settled—the project leader treats tonight!"
"Huh?!"
Su Xun felt a pang of suspicion, as if this was some personal vendetta in disguise.
"Alright! The project leader pays!"
"Su Engineer, you can't refuse—that's our team tradition!"
Su Xun shrugged indifferently, "No problem."
After all, with the project approved, he'd be receiving a handsome bonus—surely this dinner wouldn't break the bank.
However, upon entering the barbecue restaurant and taking in its lavish decor—before even seeing the menu—Su Xun sensed something was amiss. The opulence alone hinted at steep prices.
"Right this way, sir."
"Your private room is at the very back, sir."
"Sir, you've arrived at the 'Celestial Palace No. 1' room."
As everyone stepped inside, they were immediately struck by the room's futuristic ambiance.
The entire space gleamed in silver hues, with every surface fashioned from sleek metal, resembling the interior of a space station.
Upon opening the door, they noticed a white robot diligently tidying up. Spotting the group, it paused and greeted them politely, "Good evening, everyone."
"How do you like it? Quite fitting for a group of researchers, isn't it?" Wang Shui smiled as he led the way inside, gesturing for everyone to follow.
Su Xun curled his lip reluctantly but trailed after the others.
At that moment, the robot approached and inquired, "Shall I take your orders now?"
Wang Shui nodded toward Su Xun. "Yes, you can handle it."
Eyebrow raised, Su Xun regarded the robot thoughtfully, silently thinking how much more flexible ordering would be with an automated system.
As he browsed through the array of extravagant dishes displayed on the robot's screen, he whispered to Nikola, "You know what to do, right?"
"Sir, as a gentleman, stinginess is highly unbecoming."
"Enough talk—override it and find Professor Wang Shui."
"Sir, you embarrass me."
Though Nikola protested verbally, it successfully hacked into the robot's system.
"Beep beep! Target locked," the robot abruptly spun around and charged toward Wang Shui, stopping before him. "Please proceed with payment."
"Ah?" Wang Shui stared at the payment interface in confusion. "Why me? He should pay!"
Su Xun quickly interjected, "Yes, I'm paying. Come back here."
"You have been selected as today's lucky payer. If you pay, you may receive a free meal."
"Is that for real?" Wang Shui blinked, then saw a spinning wheel appear on the robot's screen, marked with various discounts: free meal, 10%, 20%, 50%, and full price.
The free meal segment dominated the wheel, while the full price slice was barely visible.
"By making the payment, you activate the wheel. You have an 80% chance of winning a free meal!"
Encouraged by the robot's words, the crowd rallied behind Wang Shui.
"Wang, the odds are in your favor!"
"Believe in yourself, the free meal is within reach!"
"Could it be a scam?"
"No way—such a reputable place wouldn't cheat."
Zhang Lin chimed in, "Exactly. Wang, give it a try."
Swallowing hard, Wang Shui originally planned to prank Su Xun but found himself caught in his own trap. Now cornered, he sighed, "Alright, I'll pay. Su, you owe me big time."
Su Xun looked at him earnestly. "With your luck, it'll definitely be free."
Wang Shui pulled out his phone and scanned the payment code. The wheel began to spin on the screen as everyone held their breath.
"Ding! Payment successful. You have won the full amount."
"..." Wang Shui's face darkened. "What rotten luck is this!"
The group stifled their laughter.
The restaurant's delivery was also robotic, and soon a table laden with dishes appeared. Everyone happily indulged in the barbecue feast.
After several rounds of drinks and full bellies, just as they were preparing to leave, a piercing scream suddenly echoed from outside!
"Ah!"