After graduating with a master's degree, Jin joined an educational institution to make ends meet, embracing the ethos of hard work and perseverance.
Ten years flew by.
Youth faded, replaced by a greasy complexion; the once-toned abs were now hidden beneath a layer of fat; the black hair turned into an oily mess resembling a spill in the Mediterranean.
At thirty, he felt like an old soul trapped in a fifty-year-old body.
The modest house he had acquired through years of toil still carried the burden of hefty loans accumulated over two decades.
One day, the educational industry collapsed.
Pay cuts, layoffs—chaos ensued.
Lost and bewildered, Jin wandered the streets, only to narrowly escape death as a truck ran a red light.
In his final moments, regret overwhelmed him.
Why didn't he pursue a Ph.D. instead of opting for work?
Perhaps he could have become a lecturer or a researcher if he had stayed in academia?
Life would surely have taken a different turn!
...
When consciousness returned, Jin found himself standing on a rooftop, observing the bustling campus below.
Then, he noticed a dangling foot—a foot teetering on the edge of oblivion!
Panic set in.
With one foot hanging in mid-air and the other trembling on the ground, Jin teetered on the brink of collapse.
His mind went blank.
A voice shouted from behind, "Jin, what are you doing? Don't—"
"Don't do it—"
A second brush with death loomed!
Without looking back, Jin desperately shifted his weight, squeezing onto the person behind him and collapsing to the ground.
"Huff, huff—"
He gasped for breath, only to find the person behind him rushing over.
Professor John Smith?
The name flashed through Jin's mind.
Anxiety gripped John as he clutched Jin's arm, urging him to stay strong.
"It's not your fault, Jin! They won't feel guilty if you're gone—they'll be relieved, and the truth will remain buried!"
"You have to pull yourself together!"
"Think about your parents, your family—you're barely in your twenties!"
"You're a genius, you always have been!"
"Calm down—"
...
Meanwhile, a flood of memories rushed in.
Jin paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Professor Smith, could you let me be alone for a while?"
"I've come to terms with it. I won't seek death anymore!"
"Alright, alright!"
John uttered two 'alrights' in succession but continued to stand nearby, gripping Jin's sleeve tightly, clearly worried that he might still lose hope.
Jin sat on the ground, carefully reflecting on what had just happened, finally realizing the truth.
In that moment, he understood!
He had crossed over!
Not only that, but he had also crossed over into the body of a genius, skipping grades due to exceptional intelligence and entering the prestigious Donggang University at the age of fifteen.
At twenty-three, he graduated from Donggang University with a Ph.D. in mathematics.
A Ph.D. in his early twenties—something he had never dared to dream of!
As an outstanding graduate, he was offered a permanent position at the university.
Simultaneously, he was invited to participate in a key project at the Materials Laboratory, working on the development of "Ultra-Resistant Alloy Materials," tasked with analyzing experimental data models.
It seemed like a golden opportunity, but it all went awry within three months—
The preliminary data analysis was flawed!
Flawed data meant that three months of experimentation had gone down the drain.
Material science research was a money pit, and the "Ultra-Resistant Alloy Materials" project was at a critical juncture of heavy investment. The loss incurred in three months exceeded ten million yuan.
Moreover, the data error was a fundamental one, impossible to justify to superiors.
He was scapegoated.
He was responsible for analyzing experimental data models, but he was just an "assistant research intern" in the lab, newly hired after completing his Ph.D.
After the incident, he realized that it wasn't his fault, but merely a consequence of being set up to take the fall.
As a result, he lost his job and couldn't continue at Donggang University.
John Smith, a professor he had known during his postgraduate studies, admired him greatly. After learning about his situation, John recommended him for a position at West Sea University.
A returning professor at West Sea University fell ill suddenly, leaving his courses without an instructor.
Jin arrived at West Sea University and signed a temporary employment contract.
Jin had been preoccupied with the problem of the experiment ever since he arrived at West Sea University, and his mood had been melancholy.
Then, the day before, the experiment issue made headlines.
The lack of progress in materials research for three months was normal, but the "data error" was extremely embarrassing. It attracted a swarm of netizens hurling abuse at those responsible.
"The nation's money is being wasted by people like this!"
"If data analysis can be wrong, what's the point of research? Is this our so-called researchers?"
"A math Ph.D. at twenty-three? Did he get his degree from a vending machine?"
From being an assistant professor with a permanent position at a prestigious university like Donggang University, Jin had fallen to the status of a "temporary lecturer" at a regular institution like West Sea University. And now, with the experiment issue making headlines, many people on the internet were launching personal attacks against him. His soul couldn't bear it.
And then, the more he thought about it, the more hopeless he felt, and he made the decision to end his life.
Fortunately, he crossed over!
...
Jin recalled and stood up.
John Smith was so frightened that he grabbed Jin's arm and nervously shouted, "Jin, don't do anything stupid anymore!"
"Thank you, Professor Smith!"
Jin said with sincere and firm tone, "I won't think about ending my life anymore."
"I left Donggang University and came here, to a new job and a new environment!"
"From today, at this moment, I will start a new life!"
"That's good, that's good!"
John Smith said, while forcefully pulling Jin's arm and walking away.
It wasn't until they returned to the office on the third floor and Jin sat down that John felt relieved enough to continue persuading him.
"I saw the news online as well."
"Those people don't know the situation, so don't let it bother you. That's just how the internet is."
"Don't worry, I've come to terms with it."
Jin's mood calmed down a lot. He had accepted the reality of crossing over. After all, his previous life had ended, and there was no lingering attachment or regret.
Now he had crossed over into the body of a doctoral student at a prestigious university and had been directly appointed as a university lecturer. Both work and life were a fresh start.
John Smith continued to advise him for a few more moments before bringing up his job issue. "I'm a little worried about your current state. How about I ask the academic affairs office for a week off on your behalf?"
"No need. Let's stick to the schedule as planned. I've truly come to terms with it." Jin nodded decisively.
John Smith carefully observed him for a while, then sighed and nodded. "Alright, I was actually planning to discuss the course arrangements with you
."
"Starting next Monday, you'll officially start working. You'll temporarily take over a few classes on 'Partial Differential Equations.'"
He handed Jin a piece of paper. "This is your schedule. Don't feel pressured."
Jin took it and examined it carefully.
The schedule only included one course, titled "Partial Differential Equations," along with corresponding tutorial sessions, scheduled from Monday to Friday.
The office fell silent for a while.
After hesitating for a long time, John Smith finally said, "The school has given you a one-year contract. This semester, you're just temporarily replacing Professor Li's courses, but if you want to stay, there's a chance."
"If you can produce actual research results during the contract period, the school will definitely consider it."
"Think about it. The research you've done before, it's best if... you can find your own research topic..."
The last few words were almost choked out.
He gritted his teeth. "In that case, if your research needs funding, come to me. I'll support you personally!"
"Thank you."
Jin was deeply moved.
After digesting the memories of his previous life, he understood what John Smith meant.
Now, with a one-year temporary contract from the school, he could only be considered an "emergency hire." With a stain on his employment memory, it would be difficult for him to find a regular university lecturer or research-related job.
A one-year temporary contract certainly offered no guarantee.
Moreover, because of the research blemish, it would be difficult for him to apply for projects under national or provincial funding plans for young scholars. Those projects usually had funding allocations.
If he wanted to do research, he could only apply for self-funded projects. Self-funded projects had no thresholds, but they also had no financial support. In other words, he would have to conduct research, publish papers, report the results upward after the project settlement, and then include them in his personal achievements.
Jin pondered as he walked out of the office.
Being a university lecturer was a good job, but it came with a lot of pressure, especially in the early stages when performance directly affected the chances of becoming permanent.
Although he returned to West Sea University as a lecturer, he only signed a one-year temporary contract. To obtain a permanent contract, or even a promotion to associate professor, he had to show some results.
Academic titles were directly linked to research.
Jin felt a sense of uncertainty. Although his predecessor was a genius who left behind many memories of research, the surplus memories only gave him additional knowledge.
Research was about exploring the forefront.
Creativity, inspiration, and innate talent were crucial. Some people learned quickly but weren't necessarily suited for research, while others learned slowly but produced results in research.
This was a completely new challenge for him!
As Jin recalled his previous life and compared it to his current situation, his heart couldn't help but strengthen. "I can do it!"
"Harder than 996, tougher than 007, and more exhausting than waking up to work and falling asleep right after? Piece of cake!"
His inner conviction grew stronger.
All of a sudden, a bell-like sound chimed, signaling the activation of the system. "Congratulations! You've been bestowed with enhanced understanding!"