The night in the dormitory.
People were packed onto the beds, crowded around the bedsides, eight squeezed onto the sofa, six perched on the coffee table, and even the balcony was occupied.
Jiang Ye sat by the dining table, looking at the crowd of classmates filling the room.
Cen Yemeng was using scissors to cut up a stack of white paper.
During his run, Jiang Ye had been surrounded by male classmates, all wanting their names listed on the thesis.
Cen Yemeng had encountered the same situation, being mobbed by the female students.
The entire class was eager for this opportunity to have their names on the paper, which would exempt them from exams in three subjects and save them from endless retakes. They were unwilling to yield to each other, almost coming to blows on the sports field.
After the physical training session, the couple decided to call a meeting in the dormitory.
Cen Yemeng finally finished cutting the papers and began distributing them around the room.
"To not waste everyone's time, write down your desired price on the paper. Hand it to my wife after you're done, and I'll choose the highest bids to list on the thesis," Jiang Ye said with a smile.
"Actually, the whole class could be listed," a female classmate raised her hand. "If everyone is listed, it's less hassle for us, and you'll benefit more."
The classmates in the dormitory nodded in agreement.
"Everyone listed?" Jiang Ye was taken aback. "Our class has 56 students. Listing all of us on one thesis, isn't that a bit too much? Back in my day, a thesis usually had one or two authors, at most five or six."
"Times have changed," another male classmate chimed in. "Now, large laboratories concentrate their efforts to produce theses. A group of people each takes responsibility for a part, like assembling a train, to complete the paper. The speed and depth of team-produced theses often far exceed those of scholars working alone. There are already theses with over two hundred authors."
"Is that really possible?" Jiang Ye had never heard of such a thing.
Fifty-four people nodded simultaneously.
Jiang Ye fell into thought.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"I would really like to list all my classmates," Jiang Ye said. "But this thesis is very difficult. Everyone witnessed it in class today; the thesis I wrote last night was cruelly rejected."
"However, there is a way. If everyone can help me, perhaps I can write a qualified thesis. And this method can improve our classmates' academic level, promote mutual understanding, and most importantly, make everyone's listing on the thesis justifiable," Jiang Ye said.
Everyone stared at him expectantly, sensing a breakthrough.
"The method is this: everyone takes some time to come and discuss some issues with me, to talk about the situation on your planets," Jiang Ye said. "My thesis research subject is the entire Galactic Empire. You are all the highest-ranking officials of your respective planets, and you know the conditions of your own planets. Everyone present here is a highly practical scholar. You may not have sufficient theoretical knowledge, but your practical work experience and knowledge are very abundant."
The classmates were stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted.
"Sure!"
"No problem at all!"
"We'll tell you everything we know."
"Why don't we start now? If we settle this early, we'll also have three fewer exams to worry about."
The classmates quickly reached an agreement to start immediately.
Jiang Ye was surprised by everyone's cooperation and quickly took out his notebook and turned on a voice recorder.
"You all chat, and I'll prepare some late-night snacks for everyone," Cen Yemeng immediately went into the kitchen.
Seven or eight people followed her into the kitchen. These were classmates who were nominally planet leaders but whose real power lay with their husbands or wives. They felt they couldn't contribute any valuable ideas, so they decided to take care of the logistics.
"Thank you, classmates, for your help. We had our discussion on the sports field earlier, and now it's a dormitory discussion. Later, we'll have a late-night snack diplomacy," Jiang Ye said. "Then let's begin."
Initially, the dormitory was quiet, with Jiang Ye asking questions and a few people answering mechanically.
Soon, the late-night snacks were ready: apple wine, rice rolls, chocolate ice cream, and steak, with a plate for each person.
Perhaps catalyzed by the alcohol, as they ate, their thoughts began to open up.
The dormitory became noisy, with more and more people speaking, even arguing.
The cultural atmosphere, history, and current economic situation of each planet were different, and the leaders of each planet had vastly different worldviews and styles of conduct. When they gathered and got animated, sparks were bound to fly.
Jiang Ye needed to absorb everyone's information while simultaneously conceiving how to write the thesis. Immersed in the brainstorming session, he soon felt a sense of mental exhaustion. But at the same time, he was exhilarated. He hadn't felt this combination of brain fatigue and excitement for a long time.
Seeing the lively atmosphere, Cen Yemeng set up a camera from the corner to record the entire process.
What was planned as a one or two-hour discussion turned into a much longer affair as everyone got more engrossed. They had three late-night snacks, four rounds of low-alcohol drinks, some people went to the balcony to smoke and eat stimulant candies, and they consumed over two hundred cups of strong coffee, chatting until dawn.
The next day during the break, as soon as the teacher left, the class immediately resumed their discussions.
Jiang Ye noticed that all the classmates with real power had a characteristic: their physical condition was also good. Whether aided by alcohol and tobacco or not, they could maintain an energy level far exceeding that of ordinary people and a prolonged period of mental activity. Despite having stayed up all night and engaging in high-intensity thinking, they could still engage in sharp debates and express their views, resembling ancient, tireless internet trolls.
Jiang Ye recalled that many historical monarchs were also like this, possessing extraordinary energy and requiring very little sleep. Compared to ordinary people who easily got tired, these individuals seemed to have an innate generator in their minds, capable of generating immense power at critical moments to sustain their stamina.
Perhaps this was why these individuals became planet leaders?
Ordinary people need eight hours of sleep a day and can die from sleep deprivation if they don't get enough. These people, however, are energetic with only four hours of sleep a day, and their physical indicators remain normal. These two types of people differ by four hours each day. Success or failure in life sometimes hinges on a single thought, let alone a full four hours?
Jiang Ye slapped himself twice, having gotten distracted.
After the break, during lunch, the entire class gathered together, talking incessantly, drawing considerable attention in the cafeteria. This prompted students from other classes to come over and listen, and as they listened, they too became excited and began to share their own viewpoints.
In the evening, Jiang Ye found his dormitory even more crowded. Yesterday, the whole class had come, and there was still some space, but today, there was barely room to move.
"Why are there a few unfamiliar faces?" Jiang Ye asked, bewildered.
"I'm from Class 4, and I'm very interested in your discussion. I've come to learn," a beautiful woman said with a smile.
"I'm from Class 6. I just took office as Planet Governor not long ago. You are all experienced seniors, and I want to hear your advanced experiences," said another胖子. "Of course, I also have my own views and am willing to share them."
A few more people introduced themselves, all governors and generals who had heard the news.
"Alright, many hands make light work. However, I'm afraid I can't list students from other classes on the thesis," Jiang Ye said. "Pure discussion is certainly welcome. Before we begin, should we take a half-hour to an hour's nap? Many people haven't slept for two days and one night."
"No need!" everyone said in unison, appearing as energetic as if they had just had a full night's sleep.
"Okay, then let's begin," Jiang Ye nodded.