Jian Yiling then added, "But I can only come in two days a week, starting next month."
This month, her weekends were still occupied with tutoring sessions. Once those ended, she would be available on weekends—only on weekends.
Professor Xu, still excited, immediately asked, "Why?!"
It had been so difficult to find such a talent, and Professor Xu was naturally eager for her to join the research team as soon as possible.
"I have school," Jian Yiling replied.
"School?" Professor Xu's voice rose in disbelief. "What school? What could you possibly learn in high school that would be more valuable than what you could accomplish here? Isn't that just a waste of your time?"
Professor Xu could barely contain his frustration. With her level of talent, why would she need to sit through mundane high school lessons? To him, it was a colossal waste. She could be spending that time in the lab conducting groundbreaking research. Or better yet, they could be discussing innovative ideas for new drug development. Wouldn't that be a more productive use of her abilities?
"I need to attend school," Jian Yiling reiterated, her tone firm. "We can communicate online during the week. Starting next month, I'll come to the institute on weekends. If you can't agree to that, I won't join."
Professor Xu felt a surge of panic at the thought of losing her. How could they let such a rare talent slip away? It was unthinkable! Watching Jian Yiling's determined expression, he realized there was no room for negotiation.
Reluctantly, Professor Xu sighed. "Fine, fine, weekends it is. We'll work with that."
Though frustrated, he had no choice but to agree. If he didn't, this genius they'd finally discovered might just walk away. The thought of losing her was unbearable, so he settled for the next best option.
While she could only join them for two days each week, it was certainly better than nothing. Despite his frustration, today was still a day to celebrate.
"If you have no other requests, then let's sign the contract today!" Professor Xu said, eager to finalize everything. "I'll have the legal department prepare the documents right away!"
He didn't want to waste any time. Better to get her signed on before anything else could go wrong.
"Professor, she's under sixteen. We'll need her guardian to sign the contract," Cheng Yi reminded him gently.
"Oh, right!" Professor Xu exclaimed, realizing his oversight. In his excitement, he had completely forgotten this crucial detail. This was the first time the research institute had ever considered hiring someone under sixteen.
After thinking for a moment, Professor Xu offered, "We have two options. First, you could bring your guardian here to sign on your behalf. Or, we could sign a special agreement through the medical organization. Though it won't have legal binding power, it's still highly respected within the industry. If you violate it, your reputation will be damaged, and you'll lose credibility in the field."
The purpose of the contract was to establish a formal relationship between Jian Yiling and the institute. Even if they couldn't sign a legally binding contract, as long as they had an agreement with industry credibility, that would suffice.
"I'll sign the agreement," Jian Yiling answered without hesitation, opting for the second option.
"Great, I'll have the legal department draft a personalized agreement for you," Professor Xu said, visibly pleased. "When's the next time you're available to come by? Actually, on second thought, it might be better if we come to you. It wouldn't be convenient for you to keep coming to the institute."
Professor Xu glanced at her petite figure and realized it wasn't ideal for her to make the trip back and forth. It would be much easier if they went to her instead.
"This weekend," Jian Yiling replied simply.
She had already skipped half a day of school today, so it wouldn't be appropriate for her to miss any more classes this week.
Hearing this, Professor Xu couldn't help but grumble, "That stupid school takes five days from you, and I only get two!"
Standing to the side, Cheng Yi couldn't help but chuckle quietly. His esteemed professor suddenly reminded him of a lovesick concubine in the imperial palace, lamenting the fact that the emperor wasn't spending enough time with her.
The thought was absurd, yet somehow fitting in this situation.