Heaven knows how furious Maya was when Louis ignored her and stared at Alice earlier.
She had even wanted to strangle Alice on the spot. However, Professor Eslite had arrived and now was not the time for arguments.
Maya had attended this banquet with Louis partly to assert her claim on him and partly to meet Professor Eslite. Over the past year, she had studied extensively abroad and was now working on a scientific research project. She sought professional recognition to facilitate securing investments.
The Adel family had fallen into decline, and without Louis, Maya wouldn't have been able to attend this banquet, let alone meet Professor Eslite, a man perpetually occupied.
She knew she had to seize this opportunity. So, for now, she set aside her grievances with Alice and pulled Louis toward Professor Eslite. With Louis by her side, she hoped to have a better chance to speak with the esteemed professor.
On the other hand, Louis lowered his gaze, his expression void of significant emotion as he watched Alice's retreating figure. Once again, he seemed to transform into the intimidating CEO, the "shark" of the business battlefield.
Louis had primarily attended the banquet because Maya wanted to. His research company already had a solid team, and he wasn't planning to recruit additional scientists.
He'd love for Professor Eslite to collaborate with his corporation if possible. However, at Eslite's level, he was a national treasure, working exclusively on government-supported projects rather than aligning with private corporations.
Louis had worked on several government projects and was familiar with Eslite, holding the professor in high esteem.
When Eslite spotted Louis, he smiled warmly, saying, "Oh, Louis! It's been a while. I didn't expect someone as busy as you to attend an event like this."
Louis responded honestly, "Maya wanted to come, so I accompanied her."
After all, they had grown up together, and with Maya just returning from abroad, Louis being attentive to her was understandable.
Maya smiled shyly, bowing her head slightly in a modest gesture that made onlookers exchange knowing glances.
Eslite, having heard rumors about Louis's love life, refrained from commenting. Young people these days are hard to understand, especially someone like Louis, who has an unusual temperament.
Maya stepped forward slightly, smiling politely as she greeted Eslite, "Professor Eslite, I've admired you for a long time. My name is Maya."
After a brief pause, she quickly added, "I'm working on a scientific research project nearing publication. Would you be willing to review it? It would mean so much to receive guidance from someone like you!"
Maya's attractive appearance and gentle demeanor made her hard to dislike.
Eslite glanced at Maya, then at Louis, before finally nodding. "Alright, you can send the materials to my email. Just include your name, and I'll make it a priority to review them." He agreed primarily out of respect for his long-standing partnership with Louis.
Maya was ecstatic, her face lighting up joyfully as she nodded repeatedly. "Understood. Thank you so much, Professor Eslite!"
Eslite waved a hand, chuckling, "You should thank Louis for this. Now, Louis, come with me. There's someone I'd like to introduce you to. In the future, you'll likely be competing with others to bring this scientist onto your team!" He continued walking forward, motioning for Louis to follow.
Although Eslite didn't explicitly say it, Maya wasn't foolish. She could grasp the underlying meaning in his words. If it weren't for his long-standing partnership with Louis, there was no way Eslite would have agreed to mentor someone he'd never met, especially someone with no established reputation in the scientific community.
Maya had put a lot of effort into her project! She lowered her head to hide the faintly twisted expression on her face. Naturally, she didn't feel any gratitude toward Louis.
She had always believed in her talent but hadn't received the recognition she deserved yet.
Maya quickly regained her composure. She lifted her head to look at Louis, her face innocent and puzzled. "Louis, what did Professor Eslite mean by that?"
Without waiting for Louis to reply, she smiled sweetly and added, "Thank you so much, Louis!"
Louis was well aware of Eslite's personality—an extraordinarily brilliant yet exacting scientist. However, he didn't want Maya to feel hurt. Besides, Louis wasn't in the mood to think much about it right now. His mind was entirely preoccupied with Alice. He barely registered the scientist Eslite had mentioned earlier.
He quietly followed Eslite, clearly uninterested in making any grand displays tonight. His assistant was practically shielding him from anyone approaching with project proposals.
They quickly made their way deeper into the banquet, where many other esteemed senior scientists were already present. Most were from different cities and were now surrounded by people eager to converse with them.
Yet, what caught Louis's attention wasn't these scientists. Instead, it was Alice sitting off to the side. He froze in surprise, wondering why Alice was there. Could she be involved in scientific research as well?
Following Louis's gaze, Maya also noticed Alice. Instantly, a wave of discomfort washed over her. However, recalling her recent success in earning Eslite's favor and the prospect of launching her project, Maya decided to ignore Alice for now.
Louis had no intention of approaching Alice either. After what had happened earlier, his thoughts were in turmoil. Perhaps he needed to reorganize his mind—or learn to accept certain things.
But it seemed fate had other plans. Regardless of what Louis or Maya thought or how much they wanted to avoid Alice for now, Professor Eslite and his assistant kept walking—straight toward Alice.
Yes, they headed directly for her!