A little later in the evening, Xiao Bai also called Tang Xiao. However, this time, there was an undeniable exhaustion in his voice, likely due to the impact of the online situation.
“Teacher, I'm fine. You should also be careful of any extremists on your end.”
Xiao Bai was currently abroad attending an academic conference. While he wasn’t the primary target of the controversy, as the advisor of the paper at the center of the storm, he couldn't avoid being affected.
Especially since certain discussions had even dragged his mother into the mess. She was still in the recovery phase, and to avoid affecting her, Xiao Bai had been dealing with the situation under immense physical and mental strain.
After hesitating for a moment, Tang Xiao said, “Maybe it would be better for you to distance yourself from me for now…”
“Don’t ever say something like that again.” Though Tang Xiao couldn’t see him, Xiao Bai’s expression had turned stern. “Or are you saying you want me to expel you from my mentorship?”
…Of course not.
Tang Xiao pursed his lips, shook his head with a bitter smile, and refused.
"Everyone in the lab knows how much effort you've put in. If I were to deny you now just because of external pressure, what kind of person would that make me?" Xiao Bai said. "Try to stay off the internet for the next few days, okay?"
…To be honest, the last time Tang Xiao broke down, it wasn’t just because of the online harassment. The greater pressure had come from that other world. But there was no need to explain that.
“Alright, I got it,” Tang Xiao replied.
After hanging up, he let out a deep breath and glanced at his computer desk, but he had no intention of touching it. His accounts had probably already been doxxed, so it was better not to log in and look for trouble.
He casually turned off his phone and went downstairs, only to see Jun Tesi surrounded by his parents on the sofa, being bombarded with questions—mostly about Tang Xiao. Jun Tesi sat stiffly upright, looking more tense than when he was conducting experiments, as if he were facing a dire crisis.
But regardless, at least he had made it through the front door. Ever since the incident broke out, Tang Xiao’s parents had softened their attitude. They had even encouraged Jun Tesi to comfort Tang Xiao more, which had naturally earned him the right to step into their home.
In a way, this was a blessing in disguise.
“Xiaoxiao.” The moment Jun Tesi saw Tang Xiao coming down, he almost jumped off the sofa, looking at him nervously. Tang Xiao smiled and walked over casually. “What are you guys talking about?”
“We’re talking about your experiences in that world,” Mother Tang rolled her eyes. “If it weren’t for Little Gun(actually it’s Xiao Jun from the chinese Jn t s, but I translate it to Jun Tesi, so I will use Little Gun), were you planning to keep it a secret from us forever?”
Little Gun?
Tang Xiao glanced at Jun Tesi, who averted his eyes guiltily. He knew Tang Xiao didn’t like sharing his hardships from the other world with his family, but resisting his mother’s interrogation was equally impossible.
Besides, he had even managed to get childhood photos of Tang Xiao from her phone album—super adorable!
“Ignore him. Keep going, tell me more about Xiaoxiao’s research at Third Eye,” Mother Tang patted Jun Tesi’s hand, her eyes shining. “I want to hear just how amazing my son is.”
“Mom…”
“You stay quiet. Let Little Gun talk,” Mother Tang cut Tang Xiao off before he could protest. “You’ll just brush us off vaguely, but Xiao Jun gives more details.”
Tang Xiao: …
“You betrayed me?” He squinted at Jun Tesi.
Jun Tesi guiltily avoided his gaze. But under the temptation of even more childhood photos of Tang Xiao, he gathered his courage and continued, “Xiaoxiao, in Third Eye…”
As Tang Xiao had predicted, the internet was in complete chaos. Some mysterious force had intervened to remove the trending topics from multiple platforms, but at the same time, netizens had dug up Tang Xiao’s old gaming account. The comment section was flooded with mockery.
[Go on, keep it up, filial sons. Weren’t you guys so good at pushing topics and trending searches? Let’s see how long you can keep your mouths shut.]
[I wasn’t even interested in this at first, but now that over twenty domestic platforms have removed the trending topic, I have to get involved.]
[Wait, deleting trends in China does nothing. There are tons of people discussing this abroad too. Why don’t you shut those down? Oh, you can’t? (doge)]
[Who even are you guys? Why are ten people going wild in the comment section of some game streamer’s account? Wrong person?]
[Bro, you from 36Net? That recent Nobel Prize candidate research—you know, the first author is actually this streamer.]
[???]
[?????]
[Holy crap, the streamer was telling the truth?!]
[I remember him saying in a livestream that he was going to work on a project. I didn’t believe him at all. Turns out, the clown was me.]
[No way. He probably just paid for his name to be listed. This is a Nobel-level achievement! You know what that means, right? When your streamer was working on this, he hadn’t even graduated undergrad. You get how insane that is?!]
[If this is real, the streamer is about to become famous worldwide. Too bad it’s probably not. Most likely just money at work.]
[I looked into it… Holy crap, it might actually be true.]
[I don’t get it. Why do you all just assume it’s fake? What if he really is a genius? I’ve watched his streams, his knowledge is solid, and he thinks fast with multi-threaded reasoning. I couldn’t do that. I don’t know anything about academia, but isn’t this level of ability enough to be considered genius?]
[Hah. If he was really a genius, he wouldn’t need to be a game streamer.]
[Isn't it strange? The internet has already dug up the fact that Tang Xiao spent most of his freshman year gaming, had no academic achievements, and then suddenly produced a Nobel Prize-level research result in his junior year. Doesn't that seem ridiculous?]
[But I checked, and even his university professors are full of praise for him. Surely they weren't all bought off, right?]
[Heh, his family is in the experimental equipment industry. Look into it.]
[But even the university is standing firmly behind him. The official channels are actively suppressing the trending searches. If Tang Xiao were a fraud, why would they support him?]
[Because it’s embarrassing.]
[Because of some mysterious force.]
[How do you know his family doesn’t have connections up top?]
[......]
Under the crushing tide of overwhelming criticism, a few voices attempting independent thought were drowned out by wave after wave of ridicule and accusations. The discussion was becoming completely one-sided, though occasionally, strange voices would emerge.
[Huh? Dr. Tang Xiao is a scientist from Third Eye. You guys must be mistaken, right?]
[Tang Xiao isn’t a graduate student. Are you talking about a different Tang Xiao? I remember him being a PhD.]
[Who hired these bots? What’s this ‘Third Eye’ nonsense? Hahaha. Gaming must’ve fried your brain. Bro, is the money really that easy to earn? Let me in on it.]
[A PhD? What PhD? The guy literally just graduated from his master's program, okay?]
Confused netizens quickly labeled as bots these two or three seemingly nonsensical accounts.
What they didn’t realize was that the world was undergoing a subtle change.
At the Joint Research Institute, the lights burned through the night. Everyone was on edge, their nerves stretched taut, shocked by the sudden and intense fluctuations in magnetic field data.
Not far from Tang Xiao’s university, in an apartment, a blond young man lay in bed after washing up, scrolling through the news. He had only recently arrived in the country and wasn’t very fluent in Chinese yet, so he rarely browsed local internet forums. But lately, a familiar name kept appearing on his feed, drawing his attention.
[Tang Xiao.]
Lodge stared at the screen full of square-shaped characters, struggling to read the translations. Once he grasped the gist of the online debate, he switched to foreign platforms. As expected, discussions about the controversy were just as heated abroad.
Lodge pressed his lips together. Thinking about Tang Xiao’s actions back on campus, he found it hard to believe that someone with such intelligence would resort to fraud. He couldn’t help but send a message.
[Are you okay? I saw the discussions about you online.]
[I believe you wouldn’t do something like this. Don’t mind them—geniuses are always misunderstood.]
[Are you asleep already? Or just not checking your phone?]
The messages were sent. An hour passed. Lodge glanced at the time. Normally, Tang Xiao would be asleep by now.
He scrolled through various platforms one last time. Seeing that even Xiao Bai was being maliciously speculated about, Lodge sighed, turned off his phone, and lay down.
He said he trusted Tang Xiao, but in reality, he barely knew him. His impression of Tang Xiao was still stuck in those university days. He just couldn't stand seeing his savior being dragged through the mud like this.
But what could he do? With more and more so-called ‘dirt’ surfacing online, becoming increasingly detailed, even Lodge started to waver, wondering how Tang Xiao could prove himself.
The more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Even if Tang Xiao was a genius, how could he prove it? And if he couldn't get through this, would he give up on scientific research?
For some reason, the mere thought of that possibility made Lodge’s heart ache. It didn’t make sense. He barely knew him. He had never even seen him in the lab. However, he subconsciously felt that it was the loss of the entire world and humanity.
It didn’t make sense. He barely knew him. He had never even seen him in the lab.
…Forget it. Better to sleep early.
Lodge closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.
The soft ticking of the clock filled the quiet room. In that rhythmic sound, his thoughts were finally pulled into slumber.
But this time, something was different.
In his dream, he saw an independent academic organization outside the Human Alliance. He saw a person standing against a monstrous entity, unwavering.
…A true genius.
“At Third Eye, Tang Xiao didn’t have an easy start. He faced oppression from senior researchers and dealt with unreliable supervisors.” Jun Tesi cast his eyes downward, his expression laced with nostalgia. “He even faced threats from experimental subjects. But in such a perilous environment, he still climbed his way up, step by step.”
“He met friends who shared his vision.”
Lodge, almost involuntarily, felt drawn to him. He had always been this way—ever since he was young, he gravitated toward brilliant minds. He loved being around intelligent people. In every superhero comic, he preferred those who armed themselves with knowledge rather than those who relied on mutations. And as he grew older, this intellectual attraction never faded.
Even in his dream, he made the same choice. Without hesitation, he moved closer to this brilliant newcomer. They… became friends.
No, maybe at first, Lodge didn't consider Tang Xiao a real friend. He was more of a perfect figure to admire from afar. Until that incident.
“The first paper Tang Xiao ever wrote was about me,” Jun Tesi admitted, sneaking a glance at Tang Xiao. Tang Xiao, slicing an apple with calm precision, responded indifferently, “That was a long time ago. I don't care about it anymore.”
Mother Tang: “Well, I care. Quick, tell me the details.”
Jun Tesi nodded his head and continued, “Because there was a small mishap at the conference, a scientist accidentally exposed a spy from a rival organization. In the process, I demonstrated my potential, proving that Xiaoxiao’s paper was correct.”
Tang Xiao had been watching Jun Tesi closely. Seeing that he had deliberately omitted the particularly dangerous parts and hadn’t mentioned how many times he had had to rewind, he finally withdrew his gaze.
Noticing his parents’ gaze, Tang Xiao smiled and said, “Of course, the organization compensated me. My first academic conference was also held in that world.”
Father Tang: “Because of that conference, you ended up on the academic path?”
“Uh…” Tang Xiao was peeling an apple, and a long strip of apple skin accidentally fell off. “Not exactly voluntarily... It’s just that... I was indeed moved.”
That was the first time he received recognition, honor, applause, and encouragement in a different field.
Tang Xiao didn’t immediately decide to switch his focus, but... he no longer rejected the idea of doing research.
“Dr. Feng?”
A nurse doing her routine rounds entered a high-end hospital room and saw Dr. Feng sitting up, pressing her chest with a frown. Alarmed, she immediately stepped forward to check on him. “Are you feeling unwell? I’ll call the doctor right away!”
“No need.” Feng Shuyun gently refused, her brows still furrowed. “I just had a strange dream.”
In the dream, she had been ambushed and faced several life-threatening situations.
And... she had met a very promising junior.
Unable to shake the lingering impression, Feng Shuyun asked the nurse, “Has there been a young scientist named Tang Xiao in the academic world recently? A prodigy—probably in the field of biology or mushroom research?”
The nurse thought hard for a moment. “Uh... nothing comes to mind.”
Nothing?
Feng Shuyun wondered if it really had just been a dream. But the memories felt so real.
“But recently, there’s been a young person's name frequently mentioned online, though not for good reasons.”
“Oh?” Feng Shuyun's eyes lit up. “Bring me a computer. I want to take a look.”
“Dr. Feng, you should be resting.” The nurse tried to persuade him. “Your body needs more rest to recover.”
“Sigh, if you don’t let me verify this, I won’t be able to sleep. Just let me take a look!”
Unable to argue with her insistence, and worried that too much emotional turmoil might be bad for her heart, the nurse reluctantly brought her a laptop and stayed to monitor her.
“But even though the Achievement Conference was held at that time, the technical and theoretical content of the paper wasn’t particularly groundbreaking. Xiaoxiao’s real breakthrough came with his second paper, right?” Jun Tesi glanced at Tang Xiao as he spoke. Tang Xiao nodded. “Yep, I truly became famous after joining Xiao Bai—uh, I mean, another world's Dr. Xiao Bai’s project. That was also my first paper published in a top-tier journal.”
Tang Xiao’s eyes curved with a smile. “It was published in <Nature>.”
Father Tang slapped his thigh in excitement. “That’s my Tang Kaixuan’s son!”
Mother Tang, curious, asked, “What was it about?”
“It was about mycelium networks. But in this world, since the circumstances are different, I doubt anyone would care.” Tang Xiao replied.
Meanwhile, in the Western Hemisphere, a disgruntled graduate student had just left his lab, ready to go on a date with his girlfriend. But before he could even reach his car, his advisor called him back. Frustrated, he trudged back to the office.
A familiar face from the neighboring office spotted him. “Hey, George, weren’t you heading out for a date?”
“Don’t even bring it up.” George’s face was filled with resentment. “Looks like I’ll have to postpone. My advisor is having one of his episodes and insists I find a specific paper.”
“What paper?”
“Something about mycelium networks and underground transport chains. He couldn’t even remember the exact title—just that the author is from an East Asian country, someone named Tang Xiao. He wants it on his desk by tomorrow.”
“Ah, tough break.”
His colleague patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, then slung his backpack over his shoulder with a grin. “Well, good luck with that. I’m clocking out. Hah! I’ve got a new game release to catch. See ya!”
George ground his teeth. His own overtime was exhausting enough, but seeing someone else enjoy their freedom made it even worse!
He stared resentfully at his colleague’s retreating back, sighed, and sat down at his desk to search through the university database.
Five minutes later, the very same guy who had strutted off so confidently returned, looking utterly defeated.
“Huh? Forget something?”
The man gave him a complicated look. “No… My advisor just called me back too. He wants the same paper.”
“Bro, have you found it? If you have, we can both be done with this!”
“No, I haven’t. I looked up the author, but Tang Xiao has only published one paper so far—the one that’s been causing all the recent controversy, the one that might win a Nobel Prize…”
“Huh?”
“In reality, my next paper was the one I wrote here—the one that’s currently under controversy.” Tang Xiao scratched his head awkwardly. “That paper was actually developed simultaneously across two worlds, so it seemed like it progressed quickly. But honestly, Dr. Xiao played a bigger role.”
“There were also a few smaller journal papers, but those were co-authored by our research group. I was only the second author for most of them, with just one where I was the first author, so they’re not worth mentioning.”
Father Tang nodded in understanding. “So, in that other world, you only accomplished these three major works?”
Actually, there was one more. The most important one...
Jun Tesi glanced at Tang Xiao, who only smirked. “Isn’t two already enough?”
Mother Tang rolled her eyes at Father Tang. “Yeah, considering the last one’s got Nobel-level controversy, isn’t that enough?”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t!” Father Tang quickly defended himself. He just wanted to understand Tang Xiao’s journey more completely.
Ever since learning about the changes in this world and that their son had traveled to another one, they had been unable to stop worrying. Had he suffered? Was he exhausted? Had he faced hardships? Had he lived well?
What had happened to make him grow so quickly?
Tang Xiao only smiled and said nothing. He had no intention of bringing up those last three years. He had always preferred to share good news rather than bad.
Besides, the whole zombie-mushroom ordeal... he hadn’t even had time to write a paper about it back then, let alone publish one. At that time, they were racing against the clock to develop treatments. Journals had long since stopped mattering.
Maybe after his ‘death,’ Xiao Bai and the others would compile and publish the research.
Better not tell his parents. If they knew, they’d only worry even more.
Tang Xiao thought he had it all figured out. What he didn’t know was that the tide of public opinion on the internet was already beginning to shift.
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