Chapter 205: The Same Person?

The thesis was finished. The next step was publication.

Lin Chen had just opened the Global Discovery website and was about to log in when something on the homepage caught his eye. A new scientific paper had taken over the top spot. The author’s name? “Wei Xiaobao.”

Just seeing that name stirred a wave of resentment in Lin Chen’s chest.

If it weren’t for “Wei Xiaobao,” his own name would have been the one dominating headlines in the scientific community these past few days.

Suppressing his frustration, Lin Chen’s gaze fell once more upon the homepage article. He had an agreement with the site—his declaration, that heartfelt ‘confession’ essay, was supposed to remain on the front page for at least three days. Yet now, without warning, it had been pulled, replaced entirely by this new piece from Wei Xiaobao.

The breach of agreement irritated him deeply.

With a stormy expression, Lin Chen scanned through the paper, determined to see what kind of stunt this “Wei Xiaobao” had pulled to earn such privilege—enough to make the site go back on its word.

Ten minutes passed. He had read the entire thing.

His initial irritation was replaced by an expression of disbelief.

Although Lin Chen had only exchanged for a marine biology scientist template, it came bundled with partial knowledge across other scientific domains. Not as refined, but enough to form a judgment.

This paper… its caliber was undeniable.

Strong. Incredibly strong.

Its depth and sophistication were no less impressive than the thesis he had just written himself. There was no doubt—the scientific world was about to be rocked once again by another of Wei Xiaobao’s contributions.

They’d been locked in this quiet rivalry for days now, and Lin Chen wasn’t about to concede the spotlight without a fight.

He moved quickly to log into the site and upload his newest paper.

Username. Password. Click.

Error: Account or password incorrect.

Frowning, Lin Chen assumed it was a typo and tried again.

Still wrong.

A flicker of annoyance passed through him. He re-entered the credentials, more carefully this time.

Error.

Again.

And again.

After five or six failed attempts, the truth began to dawn on him.

With a grim expression, he pounded the keyboard lightly with his fist in frustration.

Was his account been stolen?

Without delay, he accessed the site’s recovery page, using the identity details of his alias—Qiu Qianwei, the Seventh Sister—to request a password reset.

Less than ten minutes later, a message came back.

There was no record of Qiu Qianwei in the site’s registered user database.

Lin Chen stared blankly at the screen. He didn’t believe it. He chalked it up to some clerical error from the customer service side and submitted the request again.

Rejected.

He tried again.

Rejected.

He kept going.

Eventually, his IP was blacklisted. He could no longer even access the homepage, let alone speak to customer support.

“What kind of idiotic support team is this?” Lin Chen’s face twisted in fury. “Wait until I get through to your site executives—you’ll be out on the street!”

He wasn’t just anybody anymore. He was a darling of the scientific world, a rising star whose reputation commanded respect. If it weren’t for that, the site would never have broken protocol to let him publish such a personal essay.

And now some lowly support agent dared to treat him like this?

Unforgivable.

Fuming, Lin Chen headed out into the night and found an internet café. With a new IP address, he managed to access the Global Discovery site again, determined to speak with a representative.

But before he could even open a support chat, a new site-wide announcement appeared before him—and it left him utterly stunned.

“‘Lin Xiaobao’ and ‘Wei Xiaobao’ are the same person. At the author’s request, all works published under both pen names will be consolidated under the name ‘Wei Xiaobao.’”

Lin Chen nearly lost his mind on the spot.

This wasn’t just a password issue.

His entire account had been hijacked—and every achievement, every word, every ounce of his hard work had been brazenly claimed by someone else.

【Ding! Host has successfully transferred the Protagonist Lin Chen’s accomplishments under your name, preventing him from showing off. Gained: 1000 Villain Points. Lin Chen’s Protagonist Halo -50. Host’s Villain Halo +50!】

Back at the mountaintop villa, steam still clung to the bathroom mirror as Qiu Qianwei emerged from the shower. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, and a bath towel was wrapped loosely around her soft figure. She caught sight of Wang Haoran’s satisfied grin and chuckled softly.

“What’s got you smiling like that?”

Wang Haoran didn’t intend to share the real reason, of course. With a casual smile, he said, “Just thinking about how you’re about to dance for me. How could I not be happy?”

“Oh? You really want to see me dance?” Qiu Qianwei’s eyes gleamed with playful mischief. “Then let me go change into something more appropriate…”

She turned to head for the wardrobe, but Wang Haoran reached out and gently tugged her back.

“No need. You look perfect just like this.”

“Huh?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“Well… of course it’s allowed. This humble maiden obeys your command~”

—

Inside the research institute, Ji Shuiyao was fully absorbed in her lab work, focused intently on a sequence of test results when—

“Vice Director Ji! Vice Director Ji!”

A female researcher burst into the lab in a flurry, her voice shrill with excitement.

Ji Shuiyao’s brows knit tightly. “No shouting in the lab. Is this your first day here?”

“But Vice Director, this is big news! Look!” The woman held out her phone, screen already open to the Global Discovery homepage.

Ji Shuiyao gave a glance, then froze.

Shock flooded her features. “Lin Xiaobao and Wei Xiaobao are the same person?”

Over the past few weeks, both pen names had been steadily dominating the headlines on Global Discovery. Each paper had sent shockwaves through the scientific community. The names were similar, sure, but the research areas were different enough that everyone had assumed they were two unrelated authors.

But now, with the official announcement consolidating the works, the truth was indisputable.

One person.

One monster of a polymath dominating multiple scientific fields.

Such people were rare—legendary, even. Throughout history, only a handful had managed to shine so brilliantly in more than one discipline. Names like that were etched into the annals of scientific history, destined for eternal remembrance.

Ji Shuiyao stood there, dazed. She’d always considered herself gifted, but compared to “Wei Xiaobao,” her talent suddenly seemed ordinary, like a flickering candle beneath the blaze of the sun.

Just as she was recovering from the shock, more colleagues from the institute gathered around.

A fresh round of chatter filled the air.

This time, Ji Shuiyao didn’t bother silencing them. She herself was still reeling from the revelation.

How long she stood there, she couldn’t say. Eventually, an elderly figure, refined and scholarly, stepped into the lab. He was in his eighties, silver-haired but full of vigor, walking briskly with the aid of a cane.

A chorus of respectful voices echoed through the lab.

“Good day, Director!”

Snapping out of her trance, Ji Shuiyao hurried forward and helped support the elder.

“Teacher, slow down,” she said softly, concern lining her face. “Why the sudden visit?”

Given his age, the director rarely concerned himself with the institute’s day-to-day affairs. Unless something truly significant had happened, he wouldn’t show up.

“You’ve seen the news, haven’t you?” the old man said, eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement.

Ji Shuiyao could only nod, her heart still pounding.

What else could she say?

She, like the rest of the world, had just witnessed the birth of a legend.