Chapter 27

In late May, the university had already started its summer break. In the spacious northwest corner of the third floor of the Harvard Business School building, Li Zhengxi and his mentor, Michael Morton, were leaning on the railing, having a farewell conversation.

"I really didn't expect you to pass so quickly!" Michael Morton smiled at Li Zhengxi, his eyes full of admiration. He truly hadn't expected that this young man would have such a stunning performance in practice.

His thesis was extremely professional and profound, which required a thorough understanding of the industry. And he had only spent a few months on it.

Perhaps this is what a genius looks like!

Michael Morton thought this, then smiled again and continued, "Well, even if you passed, I originally planned to recommend you to the Economic Association or the CEA to gain more experience. I even thought staying at the university would be the best choice. You might even become the youngest professor in the history of Harvard Business School..."

The youngest professor in the history of Harvard Business School was Michael Porter, who became a professor at the age of 26. Li Zhengxi still had eight years to go.

However, the main reason Michael Morton said this was that he previously thought Li Zhengxi, while having unparalleled expertise, lacked emotional intelligence. Such a person was naturally best suited for academia!

But this time, Li Zhengxi surprised him again. After a few months, he had become more talkative, his vision broader, and he seemed much more mature. This was evident from his confident performance during the thesis defense.

"I didn't expect I would make such a decision either!" Li Zhengxi could roughly guess what Michael Morton was thinking. He smiled, squinting his eyes as he looked at the bright morning sun, and said half-jokingly, "Maybe it's God's arrangement!"

"God?" Michael Morton said with a skeptical tone, then quickly made the sign of the cross. He was a devout Christian. He laughed and said, "I think you were tempted by the devil to fall into that murky pool!"

Li Zhengxi was taken aback, then burst out laughing, "The devil, hahaha, maybe that's true." When Michael Morton glared at him, he shrugged, "Well, anyway, I have to at least complete my current work. Of course, I won't give up what I've learned from you, and I will definitely seek your advice often!"

Michael Morton would later become the president of the American Economic Association and the chief advisor of the CEA (Council of Economic Advisers), a position even more prestigious than the chair of the advisory committee. Therefore, Li Zhengxi wouldn't lose touch with him.

"Alright, since you've made your decision!" Michael Morton, not a stubborn person, finally patted Li Zhengxi on the shoulder and said, "I'll give you one last piece of advice: don't get lost in it!"

"Thank you, Professor!" Li Zhengxi nodded solemnly, "I will always remember it!"

Modern communication is advanced, with emails, phone calls, and video calls, so the farewell conversation wasn't overly emotional and didn't last long. By around ten o'clock, Li Zhengxi had said goodbye to Michael Morton.

He went downstairs to his dormitory, where a tall, muscular black man and a medium-built white man were sitting on his bed. When they saw him return, the black man stood up first, muttering, "Man, do you think this is right? You've already been ahead of us by six years, and now you're leaving us behind by two more years to have fun on your own!"

Li Zhengxi laughed heartily. He was only eighteen, while the black man, Duncan, was already twenty-four and needed two more years to get his Ph.D., which was why he said this.

He playfully punched Duncan's shoulder, "Buddy, don't you understand my intentions? I'm going ahead to pave the way for you. If it's tough, you'll get a warning from me. If it's smooth, you'll get experience from me..."

"It's definitely a warning!" The white man, Tony, laughed and teased, "You'll be drowned by the beautiful women in the entertainment industry!"

Duncan snapped his fingers excitedly, "I totally agree!" He deliberately glanced at Li Zhengxi's crotch and chuckled, "Especially for someone who has never tasted it before, falling into the abyss of desire, how could you possibly climb out!"

"Oh!" Li Zhengxi looked at him and laughed, "It's not just you who talks about these things all the time who can't handle it!"

"No, no, no!" Duncan quickly shook his fingers and said seriously, "According to psychological analysis, it's often the quiet guys like you who are the most shameless!"

He paused and added, "But I still suggest you come back to the U.S. soon. Don't you think the girls here are hotter!"

"Get lost!" Li Zhengxi kicked him playfully.

Duncan and Tony were his good friends, and their relationship had always been good, even after more than ten years. However, they weren't doing particularly well. Parker was a bit better, working at a bank on Wall Street, while Duncan was even worse, having gone bankrupt due to consecutive investment failures!

Of course, since he had already changed, he would make sure to change this as well.

Laughing and chatting, Li Zhengxi packed his things and said goodbye to them, without much sadness. However, as he walked down the stairs and through the quiet and beautiful campus, Li Zhengxi felt a bit dazed. His student life was over, and he was about to leave this beautiful place...

"Hey, hey!" Suddenly, a woman's light exclamation came from the right. Turning his head, he saw a bicycle coming around the corner. Instinctively, he dodged, but the girl also turned her handle to avoid him.

They inevitably collided, but fortunately, the speed wasn't fast, and it didn't hurt much. It just slightly dirtied his jeans.

"Sorry!" The girl looked at him apologetically. She had been thinking about her summer plans and hadn't noticed Li Zhengxi suddenly appearing around the corner. "Uh, are you okay?"

"Natalie!" Li Zhengxi was surprised to run into Natalie Portman here. He smiled and shrugged, "Maybe you should wash my pants for me!"

Seeing her face change, clearly misunderstanding, he had to spread his hands, "Okay, just a joke, don't misunderstand. Uh, and I'm not a crazy fan or anything. We might even be in the same field now, as my doctoral thesis is about 'The Relationship Between Economic Environment and the Entertainment Industry.' Uh, I also wrote two screenplays to complete my studies..."

This time, Natalie Portman was taken aback and looked at him, "Uh, you've already finished your Ph.D.? But you look younger than me?"

"Um, I'm a year younger than you, I'm eighteen!" Li Zhengxi shrugged with a faint smile. When Natalie Portman saw his Ph.D. certificate, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and exclaim, "Wow, you're a genius, uh, a Harvard genius!"

Then she stared at him, "Wait, you said you wrote two screenplays?"

"Yep!" Li Zhengxi smiled at her surprised expression and continued, "One of the movie screenplays has already been filmed and is in post-production. The other TV screenplay is in preparation and will be filmed soon!"

"Wow, your life is really exciting!" Natalie Portman exclaimed, then looked at him curiously, "But how did you suddenly think of this?"

"Uh, I was discovered by a talent scout last Christmas," Li Zhengxi said, smiling like Natalie Portman, "Then I suddenly had this idea, wrote two screenplays, and sent them out. I planned to understand the industry through their operations..."

Natalie Portman had a look of disbelief, then pouted and asked curiously, "What are your movie and TV show called?"

"Uh, 'The Curse' and 'Blue and White Love'!" In Natalie Portman's confusion, Li Zhengxi smiled, "I wrote them while visiting my sick grandmother in Korea, so these works are in Korea, and you probably won't see them for a while..."

Natalie Portman looked speechless again, but Li Zhengxi smiled and continued, "Well, if things go well, I'll be coming to the U.S. soon, and maybe we can collaborate..."

The film industries in Korea and the U.S. are different, so although Natalie Portman had a good impression of Li Zhengxi and even admired him, she politely replied, "Oh, okay, I look forward to your good news..."

"Um, see you then!" Seeing it was time, Li Zhengxi smiled and waved goodbye to Natalie Portman.

Natalie Portman was taken aback. When Li Zhengxi turned and left, she chuckled and muttered, "Uh, looks like he's not my fan!"

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