"I didn't expect Director Liu to actually manage to call you, Professor!" Chen Yu couldn't help feeling helpless as he realized that Director Liu, surprisingly well-connected, was able to draw on the mentor-student relationship between himself and Professor Zhang and had gone to the extent of calling in favors with Professor Zhang, prompting him to call Chen Yu before the New Year.
"I really didn't want to make this call during the New Year either, but there's no helping it, how could I refuse when I owe Old Liu a favor!" Professor Zhang's tone over the phone also conveyed a sense of helplessness. While he was naturally overjoyed to see his student doing well, owing a favor that involved his student made Professor Zhang feel somewhat embarrassed.
