Due to well-known reasons, the Interstellar society had far more females than males, and females held a much higher status than males.
Females had no need to struggle through demanding work; they could directly share in the glory of the males they married.
Some females even found themselves unable to bear how busy their husbands were with work, resenting the lack of time spent in their company and failing to receive enough pampering, to the point that they would demand their husbands quit their jobs to stay home and wait on them.
Zhao Ping had seen many capable, brilliant males who could have contributed greatly to scientific research and development, only to abandon their posts entirely after marrying a female.
Deep down, he harbored an inexplicable hostility toward females. Yet he knew this was beyond his power to change—in the Interstellar world, males could not survive without females.
This was an ironclad rule, and all he could do was endure it.
Yet today, Yulan—a female—had discarded a perfectly good research assistant position and absurdly proposed competing for the role of Senior Researcher.
The Dean had actually agreed to it.
He had even summoned all four Senior Researchers to conduct the interview together. It was nothing short of a joke.
Could these delicate, fragile little females even understand the questions in the question bank?
With a cold gaze, Zhao Ping stared at the entrance of Room 308. Moments later, the door swung open from the outside.
Yulan's striking, exquisitely beautiful face came into view. Right behind her stood Shen Zhuoran, tall, aloof, and detached.
"Hello, teachers."
Yulan greeted them first, her manners impeccable.
Zhao Ping let out a cold snort, though his irritation eased slightly at her politeness.
He had expected yet another arrogant, self-important, and utterly boorish female.
"Very well. Now that everyone is here, let us begin the test."
Standing at the head of the table in the center, Shen Zhuoran wore a stern expression, having slipped back into the persona of the cold, elite Dean.
"I must state in advance that if you fail the Senior Researcher competition, you will surrender your identification badge and leave the Scientific Research Institute."
"Of course, the corresponding compensation will be issued to you by the finance department."
Even though Yulan had only been employed for a single day, as the party breaking the agreement, the Scientific Research Institute was obligated to provide fair compensation.
Yulan nodded in acknowledgment, placing the identification badge she had been tightly clutching onto the table.
Her pretty face tightened into a serious expression, amber eyes burning with a fierce, resolute flame.
Meeting Shen Zhuoran's cold stare head-on, the lovely young woman showed not a single trace of surrender. She curved her lips into a smile, speaking with a stubborn edge:
"Naturally."
"I am going to pass."
"Dean Shen, you just wait to apologize."
With that, she clenched her hand into a fist, tapped it against the desktop, and took the initiative:
"Let's begin the test."
With her imposing demeanor, the dynamic of offense and defense quietly reversed, as if Yulan were the one in control.
The several Senior Researchers, who had assumed this was merely a game of humoring a female, exchanged bewildered glances.
What was going on?
From the look of it, this didn't seem like a case of the Dean losing his mind and using a rigged procedure to gift a pretty female the title of Senior Researcher.
One of the reasons they had been so furious earlier was the suspicion that Shen Zhuoran wanted them to help fabricate test results—something that had happened on past occasions.
Yet now, Shen Zhuoran showed not the slightest inclination to plead her case; if anything, he looked exceptionally cold and ruthless.
Ah! If that was the case, did it mean they had misunderstood the situation entirely?
Wait, oh no—if the Dean acted like this, did he realize how easily he was going to drive this female away?
Countless thoughts flashed through the minds of the researchers.
Only Zhao Ping let out a cold snort.
He rose from his seat, strode over to Yulan, and decided to see for himself just what kind of capability she actually possessed.
During a Senior Researcher competition, observers rarely crowded around to watch someone take the test, as it tended to make the examinee anxious and could easily disrupt their train of thought if they were accidentally disturbed.
Still, Zhao Ping's actions did not strictly cross any lines, so the other researchers chose not to intervene.
Yulan, already absorbed in the test, felt Zhao Ping's presence, but she possessed an overwhelming confidence in her own abilities. She didn't even raise her head, burying herself entirely in her work without sparing him so much as a glance.
Her entire focus was locked on passing the competition. She was determined to make this arrogant, conceited male bow his head and admit his mistake.
The unyielding fire of defiance raged fiercely in her heart.
Standing beside her, Zhao Ping caught a glimpse of her demeanor and felt a flicker of admiration. Unflinching, poised, and remarkably calm—she already possessed the baseline traits of a Senior Researcher.
He only wondered how her actual competence fared. Who knew if she was all show and no substance?
Gathering his focus, he dropped his gaze to the computer screen and caught sight of Yulan's answers. His pupils instantly constricted.
His face was painted with undisguised astonishment.
The other researchers, who had been waiting idly for Yulan to finish so they could grade the test, caught sight of his reaction and wore expressions of pure puzzlement.
What was going on?
Why was Zhao Ping looking so shocked?
Could it be that she was answering terribly?
Standing beside Yulan, Zhao Ping watched her rapidly rattle off answers to three or four questions in the span of a single minute, the shock in his eyes growing more profound by the second.
At such a blinding speed, he quickly checked a few of the questions, and every single answer was correct.
If he didn't know for a fact that Shen Zhuoran would never resort to leaking answers or granting backdoor favors, he genuinely would have suspected—
When Zhao Ping returned to his seat, the shock on his face had still not completely faded.
The other researchers immediately crowded around, whispering anxiously:
"What's going on?"
"Old Zhao, what did you just see to make you look like that?"
"Could it be that she answered too badly?"
Badly?
Ten questions a minute.
If that counted as bad, the entire Scientific Research Institute would struggle to produce a second person that smart.
Zhao Ping shook his head, pressing his lips together without revealing a single word.
If they wanted to know, they could go look for themselves.
Failing to get an answer from Zhao Ping, the researchers exchanged glances. Finally unable to contain their curiosity, they gave a soft cough, stood up from their seats, and slowly drifted behind Yulan.
They were simply too curious.
To make someone as chronically aloof and rigid as Zhao Ping wear a look like that—the temptation was irresistible.
One by one, every single researcher who returned from Yulan's desk wore the exact same dazed, shell-shocked expression.
Only Shen Zhuoran remained seated at his desk, completely motionless, burying himself in his work.
From his perspective, Yulan's so-called bid for the Senior Researcher position was nothing more than a stalling tactic to delay her departure from the institute.
Yet his mind was made up; he would tolerate no changes to his decision.
Through the institute's internal network, Shen Zhuoran sent a message to Zhao Song.
Shen Zhuoran: "Yulan is unsuited for work at the Scientific Research Institute. I am in the process of revoking her identification badge. Clear all of her system permissions immediately, remove her from any group chats, and calculate her severance compensation to be deposited directly into her personal account."
Zhao Song: ?!!
Reading the message, Zhao Song froze in absolute shock.
What on earth was going on?
Dean, aren't you being a bit too ruthless? Lanlan is so cute and well-behaved; how is she unsuited for the institute?
It was hard enough recruiting a female to begin with! Yet the Dean was kicking her out over a single casual sentence.
Gritting his teeth, Zhao Song tapped out a reply to Shen Zhuoran.
Zhao Song: "Understood, received."
He would just wait for the day the Dean had to play the lapdog in front of this pretty female. He refused to believe the man could stay this cold-hearted forever.