Chapter 558 Public outcry!
In the hall.
When he got back to his seat, Zhang Ye passed the script of the speech back to Dean Pan and told him, “You should look for someone else to give the speech. I won’t be able to do it.”
Dean Pan wondered, “What’s the matter?”
Zhang Ye said, “The heads requested we add something to it.”
When he heard the minimal amount of explanation, Dean Pan immediately understood. “It’s too late to make a change now; that won’t be possible. You need to do it. Teacher Little Zhang, this is a crucial moment. Why don’t we do it this way instead? I will get someone to write on your behalf if you don’t wish to write it yourself. We’ll get them to add in what the heads of the school have requested and you will only need to read from the script.” Dean Pan personally did not like doing this as well, because to him, all he was interested about was the subject itself, not the politically motivated messages that either gave praise to you, him, them, or anyone. It took away from the sincerity of the speech when that happened. But being involved in education, as a member of Peking University, he could not help but give in. Working in this corrupt world, he could only try his best to find a balance and move along.
After ten minutes of persuasion, Zhang Ye still refused to commit. As Dean Pan had made an exception in promoting him to the position of associate professor, Zhang Ye felt that he should be giving him face by do something in return for the dean. But in his heart, Zhang Ye really did not have a good impression of these Japanese people. If he wasn’t convinced to do something, then it would be very difficult for others to force him to do it.
Dean Pan said, “That’s it then. Don’t argue anymore. It’s about to begin.”
Zhang Ye helplessly said, “Dean Pan.”
Dean Pan pointed at the foreigners and laughed. “Those foreign mathematicians are all looking forward to your report and speech. They’re really looking forward to it.”
On stage, the host was about ready. In the hall, 80% of the seats were already filled. Those who needed to be here were all here, except for the Japanese university delegation.
“Where are they?”
“Why aren’t they here yet?”
“It’s already afternoon now. Isn’t it time to start?”
“Didn’t the delegation team already arrive an hour ago? They should have already got here, but why are we still not seeing them? Where did they go off to?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m so hungry right now. I can’t wait for this ceremony to be over so that I can get some food.”
“Yeah, I’ve already been here an hour now. I didn’t even eat breakfast.”
The students were all looking quite listless, like they were lacking energy. When they saw the host coming onto the stage, they even stayed quiet for a long time. However, when the main guests had still not arrived after a long time, the large hall began filling with noise from the talking and conversations. Even the teachers from Peking University could no longer sit still, constantly looking up at the empty seats upstairs, some wondering, some frowning, with none knowing better than others as to what was going on.
Ten minutes…
Half an hour…
The host, possibly having received some updates, spoke to everyone through the microphone, “Everyone, please calm down and be quiet. The delegation will be here very soon.”
The media staff, who had arrived earlier and set up all all their equipment, were even yawning by now.
The group of foreign mathematicians did not look too happy.
The French mathematician looked down at his watch.
The English mathematician lightly shook his head.
While the Japanese mathematician was not present. Probably because he had gone to join up with the delegation.
Dean Pan and several of the teachers from the Math Department apologized the the foreign mathematicians, asking them to wait a little longer. There was no need to explain too much to the Peking University students and teachers, as this was an event hosted by Peking University themselves. However, these foreign mathematicians were guests, honored guests. Making their honored guests wait for over two hours was really inexcusable, so they offered their apologies.
Su Na was very frustrated. “How could those Japanese be so tardy? They’re not only making us wait, they’re even letting all the overseas guests wait for them as well?”
Another young teacher from the Chinese Department said, “How arrogant!”
Chang Kaige looked at them and said, “Alright now, talk a little less.”
Professor Yan also frowned. “There’re quite a lot of media personnel present. Watch your attitudes, Little Su, Little Wang. Don’t speak nonsense. The delegation must be getting ready.”
Su Na and a few other younger teachers did not seem to think the same. Getting ready? What were they getting ready for? It has already been two hours since they entered the campus grounds! Even if they took a nap and woke up to put on makeup, wash their faces, or take a bath and blow dry their hair, there was more than enough time. Were they intending to just let over a thousand people sit here and wait around for them? They did not even offer an explanation or give a reason? Su Na and the others felt that the Japanese delegation were doing this on purpose due to the incident earlier when their buses had been blocked by the students of Peking University. They were looking down on them on purpose!
Suddenly, a German mathematician said something in German with an unpleasant tone before standing up and leaving the hall.
The translator explained, “Professor Werner says that he still has something urgent to attend to in the afternoon and has to leave first.”
Meanwhile, Xin Ya was already embarrassed by all that was happening. Although she wasn’t part of Peking University, as a member of the Chinese mathematics world and also the host, making her guests wait for so long did not make her look good at all. Together with Dean Pan, they stood up to escort the guest out of the hall, apologizing on the way to the exit.
After the German left.
Xin Ya complained, “Dean Pan, what’s going on? Peking University said that they were holding this exchange session and needed some heavyweight guests, so I brokered a deal and invited some guests to join this event. Professor Chen also helped to invite some of them, but now we’ve been waiting for so long. How do you expect me to explain things to this group of foreign mathematicians?”
Dean Pan immediately said, “I don’t know what’s going on here either. I’ll ask.” He suppressed his anger and made a call, “Hello, where are they?…Who? The Japanese delegation of course!…What do you mean you don’t know, aren’t you the one in charge of receiving them?…You better go and find out immediately!”
He hung up.
A few minutes later, he got a call back from the person.
The reply he got was still the same, saying that the delegation would be entering the hall soon and they were held back earlier because of an interview. In between the interview and now, as some of the delegation team members complained that they were hungry, having eaten nothing since they departed from the airport, lunch was prepared for the entire delegation by Canteen 1 of Peking University. 50 to 60 servings of food were sent to the reserved waiting lounge and there were even fruits and coffee served.
However, when Xin Ya and Dean Pan returned to the hall, there was still no sight of anyone from the Japanese delegation, nor of Bai Yi and some of the heads of the school who were with them!
The hall was getting increasingly noisy.
All kinds of updates and information were being spread.
“Are they coming or not?”
“I just heard they had been doing an interview just now.”
“What? Interview at a time like this? We have so many students and teachers waiting for them here. Why couldn’t they wait till after the ceremony to accept the interview? Why did they have to do it at this critical juncture?”
“Not only that, they even spared time to have lunch.”
“Surely not?”
“Why not? I heard it myself from the people at the canteen.”
“I heard so too. Canteen 1 was still open this morning, but after receiving news of the delegation wanting to eat, they immediately shuttered the doors. Some of our teachers who wanted to go in for lunch could not even get any food. I think they were specially preparing a meal for the delegation and even sent it to them. Even a head of the school does not receive such treatment. How haughty of them! They’re really acting too condescending!”
“And we were all here stupidly hungry while they ate?”
“F**k, what kind of people did those Japanese send over this time!”
“Aren’t Teacher Bai Yi and the others with them? How could they agree to let them behave that way? Why didn’t they arrange for the delegation to come over to the hall first! Can’t they just eat after that? They think they’re the only ones who are hungry? We’re hungry too!”
“Bai Yi? Hur hur, haven’t you already seen through Teacher Bai from his attitude towards the incident just now? He has spent time in Japan, has a Japanese wife who works at Tokyo University, is always an advocate of promoting goodwill towards Japan, and you want to depend on him?”
“That’s too unfair. The guests are people, but are we students not people too? Besides, there are even so many other guests here. Look at those foreign mathematicians. Didn’t they make them wait like idiots too?”
“Look, another one is leaving!”
At the front row.
A Korean mathematician could not wait any longer and said goodbye to the others before leaving to have lunch. Dean Pan and a few teachers once again personally escorted him out and even called a taxi for him, and got a Korean-speaking teacher to follow along to appease him.
The English mathematician looked at Zhang Ye. “Zhang.”
Zhang Ye looked over to him.
The English mathematician said in a serious tone, “If I weren’t looking forward to your speech, I would have left too.”
When Zhang Ye heard this, he quickly apologized in English, “I’m sorry, they should be here soon. Just a while more.”
Even Zhang Ye was feeling embarrassed at the situation now. Naturally, this fanned his hatred for that Japanese delegation even further. If the incident from two hours ago had caused Zhang Ye to dislike them, then right now, they had angered Zhang Ye! On this current matter, the delegation was treating Peking University and China with no respect at all. It was written in their heart of hearts. They had made them wait for so long on this important occasion, just because they wanted to have their meals leisurely? Professor Yan, the heads of the school, and the others kept mentioning how important this exchange was, but it seemed like that was only the opinion of those from Peking University. The Japanese delegation did not seem to think the same way. They were totally taking this too lightly!
Another ten minutes passed!
When they checked their watches, it was already 1:40 PM!
The welcome ceremony which had been scheduled for earlier was delayed by two hours and thirty minutes! Even if someone spent two hours and thirty minutes watching a good movie, when the movie ended, everyone would still get up from their seats and get a good stretch after sitting down for so long. Not to mention if you had to endure sitting for that long with nothing to do, you would surely be able to imagine the state and mood of everyone in the hall!
“Eh!”
“They’re here!”
“What the heck!”
“They’re finally here!”
From upstairs, the shadow of figures could be seen gradually entering the hall.
A few of the Japanese delegation’s -persons-in-charge disdainfully went to the front to sit, while Bai Yi and a few staff members from Peking University, who were with them all this time, also sat down after them, laughing and smiling. Only Bai Yi, who probably had a speech to give later, turned around and made his way down to the stage. Then he gave a signal to the host.