Chapter 74: First Day (4)
At the end of class, several students tried to crowd around the Professor Berkheimer, but he brushed past them without even acknowledging their presence and walked up to Jack. Several of those students glared at Jack, like it was somehow his fault the professor was ignoring them.
Just before the professor spoke, Analise put a hand on his back and said, "See you at lunch Wednesday?"
When he nodded to her, she smiled brightly, gave him a peck on the cheek, then left, having to walk farther to get to her next class.
Not seeming to even notice Jack and Analise’s interaction, the professor said, "So, you’re telling me you’ve never met Doctor Satyarthi?"
"No, I’ve never Doctor Satyarthi. The only reason I know that name is because of the paper I mentioned. They’re listed as the primary author."
"So she didn’t put you up to this?" The professor sounded suspicious.
"No," he replied firmly. What was this guy’s deal? It wasn’t that hard to figure out CRISPR in the video. The paper had included diagrams showing almost the exact same section of the CRISPR interaction.
"I apologize. It’s just that she’s known for playing the occasional practical joke, and she’s not above making use of fresh students."
"Okay," he really didn’t know what else to say.
"Would you like to meet her? The chemistry department is having a little get together this evening and I think they would forgive me if I brought you along."
Jack recognized this as a great opportunity to network, to build those connections he thought he might need later, so he had no reason to turn down the professor’s offer.