Chapter 877: Growth

Finally, faced with a grumbling stomach, Lu Zhou made a decision. He decided not to think about what happened to his takeout. He finished eating in no time.

The orange chicken on rice was delicious.

The contrast between sweetness and sourness was wonderful. Lu Zhou’s stomach was totally satisfied.

While Lu Zhou was eating his delicious meal, Xiao Tong, who was all the way at the University of Oxford, was looking at the mathematical model and algorithm sent by her brother.

She ignored the strange emoticons in the email…

The mathematical model was totally beyond her understanding of functional a.n.a.lysis and statistics, and it completely subverted her understanding of the Bewley model.

It was difficult to describe this type of feeling.

It was as if she thought everything regarding this subject was contained in a house, but she suddenly discovered a back door that led to a whole new world.

What shocked her more was that Lu Zhou did this all in an hour…

She heard footsteps from outside the office.

After knocking on the door twice, a woman in her thirties opened the door and walked in.

She was wearing a gray and black professional attire. Judging from the way she entered the office, she clearly frequently visited this office.

Her name was Ansley, and she was also researching under Professor Forster. She received her master’s degree last year and was now doing her PhD.

“Tong, Professor Forster told me to ask you if you can submit the thesis before the Christmas break is over?”

Xiao Tong was still staring at the computer screen, and she nodded blankly.

“I can…”

What else am I supposed to say?

I just have to tidy up the thesis and submit it, I might even be able to go home for New Year’s Eve…

If I can still buy a flight ticket…

“Can you really?” Ansley looked surprised, and she quietly said, “He also specifically said that, if you can’t do it, you can consider finis.h.i.+ng it as your PhD project…”

Xiao Tong woke up from her daydream and realized what Ansley was trying to say. She hesitated for a bit before shaking her head.

“Tell Professor Forster I said thanks, even though I want to continue down the path of academia… I want to go to a higher place.”

Xiao Tong could tell that Professor Forster didn’t want her to leave.

Professor Forster had tried many times to convince Xiao Tong to do a PhD under him.

As for the reason…

The reason was simple, it was because of her brother…

Ansley sighed and tried to persuade Xiao Tong.

“But I think Professor Forster is an excellent macroeconomics researcher. Besides, you know how it is, a lot of times it’s not because Forster is lacking in ability, he just needs the right opportunity.”

Xiao Tong took a deep breath and said, “You know who Lu Zhou is? He’s my brother.”

The conversation froze.

The office went quiet for a few seconds.

“I… know.” Ansley opened her mouth and shrugged. She then said, “I admit, you have an excellent brother, a lot better than my brother, who only learned how to cook pancakes last year. But why are you bringing him up?”

Xiao Tong answered with a little frustration in her tone, “As long as I stay in the Oxford campus, people will go, look, that’s Lu Zhou’s sister. Even legislators call me Lu Zhou’s sister…”

She took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling as she rolled her eyes and said, “And those fangirls, listening to them makes me want to vomit.”

This type of situation didn’t just happen at Oxford, it was the same at Jin Ling University.

Even though she was grateful to those who were kind to her, all of her success seemed to come too easy, and it didn’t make any sense.

Because of her brother, it was like she was cheating at life. She would get any scholars.h.i.+p, student exchange, or conference that she applied to.

All it took for her to get into the University of Oxford was a recommendation letter. All of the professors wanted her.

This was obviously a good thing.

She knew how lucky she was.

However, even though she was grateful for everything her brother did for her, she didn’t want to live under his umbrella for the rest of her life.

Even though it sounded easy and comfortable, it would mean that she could never grow as a person and feel truly fulfilled.

That wasn’t the life she wanted.

Ansley opened her mouth and didn’t know what to say.

She suddenly felt like Xiao Tong was a stranger, as if she had never met Xiao Tong before.

After a while, she spoke with an uncertain tone.

“Maybe… You’re too sensitive?”

Xiao Tong stared at Ansley and said with a stern voice, “I’m not, Professor Forster accepted me to study a master’s degree with him, is that because of me? No! He probably barely knows my name, but he’ll never forget my brother’s name.”

“I want to achieve something that can be recognized by other people. At least for them to stop calling me Lu Zhou’s sister. For them to call me Miss Lu!”

Ansley looked at Xiao Tong’s determined face and knew she couldn’t be convinced otherwise.

Honestly speaking, Ansley was impressed with this young girl.

However, she didn’t know what Xiao Tong meant by a higher place.

Wouldn’t it be the same at any other university?

The economics world was closely related to the mathematics world. Even if she left Oxford and went to Cambridge, it would be the same.

“But… Other than Oxford, where else do you want to go?”

“Princeton!”

Ansley looked stunned, so Xiao Tong added with a confident manner, “I hope that one day, I can be like him, with my name in the Hall of Fame!”