For a number of well-known reasons.
In the interstellar age, males far outnumbered females. It was a world where females were revered and males were subordinate.
Females had no need to exert themselves with arduous work; they could simply share in the glory of the males they married.
Some females couldn't even stand it when their males were too busy with work. Lacking sufficient time to be doted on and accompanied, they would demand their males quit their jobs to stay home with them.
Zhao Ping had seen many talented males, men who could have contributed to the advancement of science and research, leave their posts after getting married to a female.
He harbored a subtle, unspoken animosity towards females, but he knew it wasn't something he could change. In this interstellar world, males couldn't be without females.
It was an ironclad rule, and he could only endure it.
But today, Yu Lan, a female, instead of sticking to her perfectly good research assistant post, had the absurd notion of applying to be an Advanced Researcher.
And the Dean had actually agreed.
He had even called the four of them, all Advanced Researchers, to interview her. It was an absolute joke.
'Could these pampered, fragile little females even understand the questions in the test bank?'
Zhao Ping stared coldly at the door to Room 308. A moment later, it swung open from the outside.
Yu Lan's exquisitely beautiful face appeared before them all. Standing right behind her was the tall, cold, and distant Shen Zueran.
"Hello, everyone."
Yu Lan took the initiative to greet them with exceptional politeness.
Zhao Ping let out a cold snort, though his foul mood was indeed mollified for a moment by Yu Lan's politeness.
He had been expecting another arrogant and spoiled female who didn't know her place.
"Alright, since everyone is here, let's begin the test."
Shen Zueran stood in the center, his expression cold. He had reverted to his persona as the coolly detached, elite Dean.
"Let me be clear. If you are unable to pass the evaluation for Advanced Researcher, you will hand over your identification tag and withdraw from the Science Research Institute."
"Of course, the finance department will provide you with the relevant compensation."
This was true even though Yu Lan had only been on the job for a day.
But as the party breaking the contract, the Science Research Institute was obligated to provide compensation.
Yu Lan nodded in acknowledgement, placing the identification tag she had been clutching in her palm onto the table.
Her pretty face grew taut and serious, a blazing fire shimmering in her amber eyes.
The beautiful young woman met Shen Zueran's cold expression head-on, her own face filled with defiance. Her lips curled into a smirk, and she spoke with a touch of stubbornness.
"Of course."
"I will definitely pass."
"Dean Shen, you just wait to apologize."
As she spoke, she clenched her hand into a fist, rapped it on the desk, and took the lead.
"Let's begin."
With her commanding attitude, the dynamic between them shifted, almost without anyone noticing.
It was as if Yu Lan were the one in charge.
The Advanced Researchers, who had initially thought this was just a game of a male humoring a female, exchanged glances.
'What's going on?'
'This doesn't look like the Dean has lost his mind and is just using this procedure as a pretext to give a pretty female an Advanced Researcher position, does it?'
One of the reasons they had been so furious was the misunderstanding that Shen Zueran wanted them to help him fake the results—it wasn't as if such things hadn't happened in the past.
But now, it seemed Shen Zueran had no intention of pleading her case at all. On the contrary, he appeared exceptionally cold and ruthless.
'Ah! If that's the case, does that mean we've misunderstood something?'
'Th-th-th-then, Dean, acting like this, you'll have a hard time courting any female, you know that?'
For a moment, countless thoughts raced through the researchers' minds.
Only Zhao Ping let out another cold snort.
He rose from his seat and strode over to Yu Lan. He was determined to see just how much substance she really had.
During an evaluation for an Advanced Researcher position, it was rare for anyone to stand over the applicant. It could make the person nervous, and if their train of thought was disrupted, it would be detrimental.
However, what Zhao Ping was doing wasn't technically against the rules.
Thus, the other researchers said nothing to stop him.
Yu Lan, who was busy with the test, was aware of Zhao Ping's presence, but she had immense confidence in her own abilities. She kept her head down, focused on the questions, and didn't spare him a single glance.
All of her focus was now on passing the evaluation; she was determined to make that arrogant, conceited male, Shen Zueran, bow his head and admit his mistake.
A defiant fire burned fiercely in her heart.
Seeing this, a flicker of admiration passed through Zhao Ping's eyes. 'Neither servile nor arrogant, with a calm and steady mind,' he thought. 'She already possesses the traits of an Advanced Researcher.'
'But what about her actual ability? For all I know, it's all just for show.'
He focused his attention and looked at the computer screen. The moment he saw Yu Lan's answers, his pupils contracted sharply.
An expression of unconcealable shock spread across his face.
The other researchers, who had been waiting with immense boredom for Yu Lan to finish so they could review her answers, saw this, and looks of confusion flickered across their faces.
'What's going on?'
'Why is Zhao Ping so surprised?'
'Did Yu Lan do that badly?'
As Zhao Ping stood beside Yu Lan and watched her rapidly solve three or four problems in less than a minute, the shock in his eyes grew and grew.
At such a speed... Zhao Ping quickly checked a few questions. The answers were all correct.
If he wasn't absolutely sure that Shen Zueran would never do something like leak the test questions, he really would have…
When Zhao Ping returned to his seat, the shock on his face had still not completely subsided.
The other researchers immediately closed in, whispering their questions.
"What's going on?"
"Zhao Ping, what did you see that surprised you so much?"
"Don't tell me she did that badly?"
'Badly?'
'Ten questions in one minute.'
'If that's considered bad, then you'd be hard-pressed to find another person that smart in the entire Science Research Institute.'
Zhao Ping shook his head, lips pursed, revealing nothing.
'If you want to know, go look for yourselves.'
Having failed to get an answer from Zhao Ping, the other researchers exchanged glances. Finally, unable to contain their curiosity, they cleared their throats, rose from their seats, and slowly shuffled over to stand behind Yu Lan.
They were simply too curious.
They were incredibly curious about what could make the perpetually aloof and rigid Zhao Ping wear such an expression.
One by one… each and every researcher who returned from Yu Lan's side wore the same dazed, shocked expression.
Only Shen Zueran remained at his seat, unmoving, his head buried in his work.
In his view, Yu Lan's so-called attempt to become an Advanced Researcher was merely a ploy to delay her exit from the Science Research Institute.
But he had already made his decision on the matter, and he would not allow it to be changed.
Shen Zueran sent a message to Zhao Song via the Science Research Institute's internal network.
Shen Zueran: [Yu Lan is not suited to work at the Science Research Institute. I am in the process of revoking her identification tag. Cancel all of her system permissions, remove her from all group chats immediately, and send the calculated compensation to her personal account.]
Zhao Song: ??!!!
Zhao Song stared at the message, completely dumbfounded.
'What in the world is going on?'
'Dean, aren't you being a little too cold and ruthless? Lanlan is so adorable and sweet, how could she possibly be unsuited for the Science Research Institute?'
'It was so hard for the Science Research Institute to finally recruit a female, and now the Dean wants to kick her out with a single sentence? Do you have any idea how hard I worked for this?'
Zhao Song gritted his teeth and typed his reply to Shen Zueran.
Zhao Song: [Understood. Received.]
'I'll just wait for the day the Dean is groveling at this beautiful female's feet like a dog,' he thought. 'Let's see if he can still act so cold and ruthless then.'