Chapter 181: Together with the light? Tell you who is the light!
"Principal, you are looking for me!"
Zhang Wei opened the door and walked into Principal Gu's office, only to find that the other party's face was a little solemn.
"Hey, what I was most worried about happened. Someone came to ask for a signature!" Principal Gu sighed lightly.
"It's really here! Who is the other party? What signature do you want?" Zhang Wei asked.
"See for yourself, these two pages are for the two units responsible for scientific research funding, this page is for the unit responsible for the approval of experimental equipment, and this page is for the relevant authorities.
There are also some gossips I have already rejected the institutions that I can’t win. But I think this is just the first batch. There will definitely be more in the future, and there will definitely be people lobbying for them!” Principal Gu said with a helpless look.
Zhang Wei took a few pages of A4 paper and frowned at the first glance.
On the first line of the A4 paper, there are four words "corresponding author", followed by a name. On the second line, there are four words "first author", followed by two names. This means that we need a corresponding author and two first authors, and they have already been decided.
"How much money does this family give?" Zhang Wei raised the first page and asked.
"This is the company that provides the most funding. They approve tens of digits of scientific research funding every year. They also approved the funding for your genetic scissors project." Principal Gu replied helplessly.
"Since everyone has given money, I have no objection to giving it to the corresponding author! Two first authors, no! You haven't come to help me with the project, so why should I be the first author?" Zhang Wei shook his head. He shook his head, then looked down, and then took a breath of air.
"One, two, three, four, five, one, two, three, four, five, six, thirty!"
The following are all names, thirty in one line, six lines in total, which adds up to thirty a name.
"Are you asking for thirty additional signatures from me? There are only eight people in my entire project team, and he wants thirty-three in one go. Are you crazy!" Zhang Wei snorted coldly.
"Why don't you look at the second page first? This is another unit responsible for allocating funds. It just doesn't give as much as the first one." Principal Gu said.
Zhang Wei flipped through the second page and saw that it asked for a first author, three second authors, and thirty-three signatures, but did not ask for a corresponding author.
On the third and fourth pages, there are only signatures, and no author type is required. It seems that they are simply intended to add signatures to the paper, but the two pages combined, there are more than 80 names.
There are more than 150 signatures on four pieces of paper!
"More than one hundred and fifty, and according to what you mean, there will be people coming to have relationships later! What are you doing? You really think of me, Zhang Wei, as a big fat guy!" Zhang Wei said gloomily. Face said.
"Mainly because your genetic scissors can indeed be regarded as the most significant achievement in the field of bioscience in China in the past thirty years. It is comparable to the achievement of artificially synthesizing bovine insulin. China may not be able to produce one in decades. That’s why so many people are paying attention!
Signing your name on a paper with top scientific research results will last forever! Not to mention that it will also have many substantial benefits for career development. The requirements for signatures on papers are relatively strict, otherwise there might be dozens of institutions asking for signatures," Principal Gu said.
Institutional signatures are allowed for papers, but the higher the impact factor of a paper, the stricter the signature requirements. Whether it is an individual or an institution, detailed information needs to be provided, and it must be verified by the journal to confirm that the person or institution has truly participated in the scientific research project before it can be signed on the paper.
In this regard, it is not easy to verify personal information. For example, if there is a person named Zhang San on the signature, as long as the entire project team insists that Zhang San participated in the project, the journal will not be able to reject it. .
But the organization is different. What this organization does can be found out once you check it. For example, if a gene-editing project is launched, and a certain foundation, such-and-such committee, such-and-such health bureau, and such-and-such education bureau appear in the signature, you will know at a glance that it has nothing to do with scientific research projects. This kind of signature will be directly rejected by the journal.
Therefore, except for universities, colleges and scientific research institutions, it is difficult for other units to use the name of the institution to sign, because it is too easy to identify.
Although formal universities and scientific research institutions will not cheat, they generally will not use their institutional signature.
Those engaged in scientific research also have their own rules. Whoever does the project has the right of authorship, and this cannot be given randomly.
The organization will at most place a few internal contacts, but the contacts placed are all well-connected and sophisticated, and the author of the paper will be compensated in other ways, which will be discussed internally. , will not grab it by force.
Imagine if the scientific research institution breaks this rule. I produce scientific research results, but I don’t have any say. When the pie is finally divided, it is unrelated people who take the lion’s share. As soon as this example begins, Who will engage in scientific research in the future? Just give gifts and pick someone else's fruit!
In this regard, scientific research institutes and scientific researchers are a community of destiny. Everyone is serving a bowl of rice and will abide by the rules. If you dare to break the rules, you will ruin your own job.
On the contrary, I am a layman, and I am not serving you the same bowl of rice. Since it's not a bowl of rice, I picked out the biggest pieces of fat from you and filled my stomach with pleasure. As for whether you can still eat enough and have food to eat, it's none of my business!
Another point is that the Nobel Prize does not accept collective signatures. If a paper is published in the name of an institution, it will not be awarded the Nobel Prize.
The result of artificially synthesizing bovine insulin failed to win the Nobel Prize. One of the reasons was that the result was jointly published by the Institute of Biochemistry, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and the Department of Chemistry of Peking University, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It’s okay to publish scientific research results in the name of the institution, but when it comes to the Nobel Prize judges, they don’t recognize it!
So as President Gu said, if it can be published in the name of an institution, the paper in Zhang Wei's hand will not only contain more than 150 names, but more than 150 units. .
Zhang Wei looked at the pages in his hand and felt very bad. After pondering for a few seconds, he returned the next two pages to Principal Gu and said:
"Even if I, Zhang Wei, am just a piece of fat, I still can't do it." You are not a piece of meat to be slaughtered! Don’t count on any of the signatures on the next two pages! It’s useless to just talk about it!”
Then Zhang Wei looked at the two pages in front of him. He took a piece of paper and continued: "The corresponding author can give it to the biggest funder, and don't even think about the first work! For other signatures, we can give them both! This is the bottom line, no bargaining!
As for the second funder, tell them that this time you can give them a face, give them one second author's quota, and give them an extra signature on the paper. If they want more signatures, they will not get anything else. Let’s wait for the next project. As long as they provide enough financial support, I can consider it!”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Principal Gu asked.
"Just say, these are my exact words!" Zhang Wei said decisively.
Principal Gu was stunned. This was the first time he saw Zhang Wei's serious and decisive expression.
In Principal Gu’s impression, Zhang Wei, apart from being a bit obsessed with money, having a bad mouth, and being familiar with people he meets, is usually very casual, laughing and joking all day long, looking heartless and careless. Carefree look.
For many things, as long as they don't involve issues of principle, Zhang Wei doesn't care too much. He can just say something nice, give some benefits, and coax it away.
But with this look on his face now, Zhang Wei is obviously serious and does not seem to have any room for compromise.
"Zhang Wei, if you really decide to reply like this, then I will do what you want. But I have to make it clear to you beforehand. Doing this will offend a lot of people!" Principal Gu said.
“Principal, I understand the truth and the consequences. But I don’t intend to back down from this matter, because I don’t like this kind of scientific research environment! I think many people don’t like it either. This kind of scientific research environment. So I plan to change it!
I know that I am an ordinary scientific researcher. If I want to change the environment, it may not have any effect. If even I can't change this environment, then no one else can!" Zhang Wei said.
"I understand, but you have to think carefully. Changes will touch the interests of many people and will also bring many adverse effects to you." Principal Gu said.
Zhang Wei nodded: "Isn't it just a head-on collision? I think I can bear it. Didn't the Six Gentlemen of 1898 lose their lives back then! In the worst case, it will be a dead end.
But don’t forget that if the net is broken, the fishermen will have no food to eat. This is a lose-lose situation. I think there will always be people weighing whether it is worth losing their jobs just to have a bite of fish! "
"Hey, Zhang Wei, you are still young and have a bright future. In fact, there is no need for this. "Principal Gu then advised.
Zhang Wei replied with a smile: "I also think that youth is my advantage. When I was twenty, I still dared to fight to the death. If I were forty, I might not have the courage. I might just follow the crowd like everyone else!
As mentioned in the Chairman's speech, Qia was young, in his prime, and vigorous as a scholar. He scolded Fang Qiu, pointed out the country, and promoted writing. He was like a filth of thousands of households! I am a young classmate now, so I can have a little bit of enthusiasm for book business, and dare to go to the filth of ten thousand households! "
Principal Gu then explained: "What I mean is that you are only twenty years old and you have already made so many achievements. If you develop normally, you will definitely be elected as an academician within a dozen years.
Thirty years from now, all of us old guys will be dead. By then, you will be the leader of the entire Chinese academic community and the academic power in the country! At that time, you have the final say on how you want to change, so why bother showing off your courage now? "
"Principal, have you heard the story of a warrior slaying a dragon? I'm worried that when that time comes, I will turn into a dragon! "Zhang Wei pointed to the two pages of paper in his hand, and continued: "These big names on the list also had lofty ambitions when they were young. They also wanted to change all injustices, and they also wanted to make this happen through their own efforts. Is the world a better place?
I don’t believe that when these people were young, they spent all day thinking about how to sign other people’s papers, and in this way they would add to their career. It is impossible for a person without ideals to sit in such a position.
But now that they are at this age, they still appear on this list. Don’t they know what the current scientific research environment is like? I think they must know that they have the ability to change, but they still choose to go with the flow.
Maybe these people were also warriors when they were young, right? They also hate dragons. But now, they have all turned into evil dragons, and they have all become what they once hated the most.
If you do this kind of thing a lot, you will get used to it, and it will be difficult to stop saying it. I can't guarantee that in twenty or thirty years, I will still have the courage to slay the dragon!
I can’t guarantee that when I become a scholar, I won’t turn into that evil dragon. Maybe with my head, when I turn into a dragon, I will be the most ferocious one! ”
Zhang Wei’s words made Principal Gu silent. Back then, he was not a warrior who dreamed of slaying dragons. But now, although he is not an evil dragon, what he has done is Because, it seems that he is also an accomplice of the evil dragon.
As Zhang Wei said, if you follow the trend a lot, you will get used to it. When the moral shackles in a great warrior's heart gradually loosen, he may Become the most ferocious dragon!
Zhang Weize continued: "Actually, I also know that it is not easy to change. I am a small fish. Even if I try to kill the fish and break the net, I am afraid it will have no effect. The fisherman will have to change his net at the worst.
But I think , I still have to fight for it, even if it is for myself. If the fishermen know that this kind of fish will kill the fish, then they will not try to repair this kind of fish next time.
"Tao Te Ching" There is a saying in the book, "Be with the light, be the same with the dust." Being in harmony with the light and the dust has always been the most stable way to survive. The positive meaning is to be humble and indifferent, and blend into the world; the neutral meaning is to go with the flow; the derogatory meaning is to go with the flow.
But I feel that even if I am one with the light, I still have to be that light, that one grain of dust, instead of being an ornament that is in harmony with the light and sinks with the dust!”< br>
……
In a certain office, a man in his fifties was sitting at his desk. Looking from a distance, he looked calm and calm, quite like a leader.
He was wearing a dark blue jacket, which was neither ostentatious nor out of style. His hair is slightly sparse, his face is ordinary, he wears a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and his eyes have a particularly sharp light. The whole person gives people an impenetrable feeling.
At this time, his expression was a bit serious, with a hint of embarrassment and anger in his seriousness.
I saw him adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses and asked in a calm tone: "That's really the reply over there?"
"Yes, I asked in detail, It’s Zhang Wei, the project leader, who is unwilling to be the first author and not willing to give so many signatures,” the subordinate replied.
"They are given so much funding every year, and a corresponding author just adds two signatures and you want to send us away?" The gold-rimmed glasses said coldly, and then said: "You go and reply, those thirty signatures can be reduced Half, but the two first authors must give it!"
"Okay, leader, if you have nothing else, I will take care of it immediately." The subordinate felt that the gold-rimmed glasses were in a bad mood. He ran away in a hurry.
......
The phone rang. Zhang Wei looked at it and saw that it was a call from Principal Gu.
"Principal, do you have anything to do with me?" Zhang Wei asked.
"It's still a matter of signing the paper. I replied as you asked, and the response was really intense. In just half a day, I have received more than a dozen calls here, some with harsh tone, some with soft tone, and some with harsh tone. I asked my secretary to hold back those who were bargaining.
The troublesome thing now is that the two donors thought your signature was too small and they were unwilling to do so! Half the amount, but the two first authors must be given. The second sponsor means exactly the opposite. You don’t have to give the first author, but you have to give more signatures.” Principal Gu said.
"Principal, please reply to me. It's still the original condition. Do you want to love me or not? In addition, tell them to give them three days to think about it. After three days, I will personally contact the editor-in-chief of the "Science" journal to finalize the paper. , when they want to be signed, they will have none!
By the way, tell them that Donald Kennedy, the editor-in-chief of "Science", is my reviewer!" Zhang Wei did not hesitate! explain.
Zhang Wei answered so simply that Principal Gu realized that he must have made up his mind and there was no point in trying to persuade him.
"Well, since you have decided, just do what you want!" Principal Gu replied.
......
"What did you say? He gave me three days to think about it instead?" The gold-rimmed glasses showed a surprised expression at first, but after a few seconds, he smiled again stand up.
The subordinates also knew that the gold-rimmed glasses were laughing angrily, so he quickly said: "This Zhang Wei, we didn't give him a time limit, which was already a compliment to him, but he gave us a time limit! I really don’t know how high the sky is! I have to give him some color, otherwise it will be counterproductive!”
The gold-framed glasses said: “He said three days, but I have to let him go for three days?” God! I’ll give him a reply on the fourth day. The conditions are still the same, one corresponding author, two first authors, and fifteen signatures, no one less!”
"Okay." The subordinate nodded first, and then continued: "But what if he really finalizes the manuscript in three days? If he really finalizes the manuscript in the journal, it will be really difficult to add a signature. "
"He said the final version will be finalized? Do you think the three major journals are run by them?" The gold-rimmed glasses said coldly.
"Tsinghua University said that Donald Kennedy, the editor-in-chief of "Science", is Zhang Wei's reviewer, and Zhang Wei can contact him directly. I went to check and it was indeed true. Zhang Wei's previous review The reviewer of this paper is Donald Kennedy, so it should be true that Zhang Wei can directly contact Science magazine.”
"Is there such a thing?" The gold-rimmed glasses frowned, but after only two seconds, they relaxed.
“I don’t believe he dares to do this!” There was a murderous look in the eyes of the gold-rimmed glasses, and then said: “If he really dares to do this, even if Tsinghua University protects him, I will let him I can’t survive in China!”
...
In the hospital, Zhang Wei is accompanying Yao Xiaoguang in rehabilitation training.
The phone rang, and it was Principal Gu calling again.
"Brother Xiaoyao, you practice first, I'm going to answer the phone, it's our principal!"
Zhang Wei said and ran to the stairwell to answer the phone.
"Zhang Wei, the second sponsor responded. I answered the call in person. Although their tone was a bit reluctant, they still agreed to your request. However, they also asked if they could add two more signatures. This time It's a discussion," Principal Gu said.
"If we want to discuss it, let's give them two more signatures! They are willing to give face, but we can't do too much." Zhang Wei then asked: "Is that the financial backer No. 1? Have you replied? ?”
“Not yet.” Principal Gu said.
"Just wait for him for a few more hours. There is a time difference in the United States. I will contact Science in the evening. If they haven't responded by then, the signature will not be given to them!" Zhang Wei He spoke.
Principal Gu was silent for two seconds and then asked: "Are you sure you have thought it through?"
"Think it over carefully. Principal, don't worry, if they dare to retaliate, I will give you a good hand at that time!" Zhang Wei said with a smile.
(End of this chapter)