The director blinked out of his stupor and nodded.

“Come on, guys," he called out in a dull tone. "Let's get back to the bus."

Hearing this, the scholars flushed in a mix of disappointment and embarrassment, but they could only watch Maria leave with the rest of the production team.

“This is ridiculous!" the director furiously murmured to himself.

He knew where these youngsters came from—they were PhD students from both Sheffield and Broome Universities. Some of them even worked as research assistants to the professors present at the forum.

There was no way such a bunch of people would pay any attention to celebrities.

Their idols mainly consisted of other intellectuals who had made a name for themselves.

Shortly after, the cast and crew were all back in the bus.

A pregnant silence enveloped them. The director signaled for the cameramen to resume filming, which they did, even though they had no idea what they were supposed to capture at this point. Everyone simply sat there, tense and confused.

After a while, Shera could stand it no longer.

She turned to Lyman and asked in a Low voice, “What's a researcher? Is it really that great?"

Lyman and Beuford could only shake their heads blankly.

They Lived and breathed entertainment; none of them knew much about the world of science.

“It doesn't sound very impressive, if you ask me," Shera mumbled. Besides, they mentioned that she's on loan or something. That doesn't sound Like a good thing, does it?”

Despite her efforts to keep the conversation among themselves, the recorder captured Shera's words clearly.

“Let me look it up online real quick." Lyman was older, and thus, more cautious.

He googled the term “researcher”, and the results he found came as a shock to him.

“Researchers are divided into four levels: Probationers, Assistant Researchers, Associate Researchers, and Researchers. The lowest among these is the Probationer level, which has a minimum requirement of a master's degree, though most candidates hold a doctorate. The highest level is the Researchers. It is an academic title that is on par with a full-fledged professor."

Everyone sucked in a collective gasp of surprise, a single thought forming in their minds.

“So! Is this why those scholars back there kept calling Maria

“Professor Jenkins'?"

How had Maria become a researcher in the first place? She only held a high school diploma.

The truth wasn't always easy to swallow.

The three permanent cast members sat in sullen silence. Shera was the first to be brave enough to break the silence.