There used to be a saying "those who make missiles are inferior to those who sell tea eggs," which was a popular saying in the past years. Even now, this phrase hasn't become outdated at all.
Professor Shu indeed had an unquestionable position in design, just as Professor Xu had said.
But sometimes, status can also be a burden.
For instance, a junior teaching assistant in the school might take some private jobs on the side when the school work isn't too busy, and earn a little extra money, which seemed acceptable to others. A teaching assistant, after all! It's quite normal for their salary to be insufficient.
However, if an esteemed senior professor did the same, it seemed somewhat inappropriate, even if it was for the students he mentored. After all, he couldn't go around explaining to everyone how some students were in such difficult situations, and that, as their mentor, he had both a duty and a responsibility to think on their behalf.
