In the afternoon, Raj was working on his thesis about the orbits and resonance of Neptune's satellites. The paper he was referencing had been published by a team from Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2020, providing detailed analysis of the orbital mechanics and resonance patterns of Neptune's moons. It was groundbreaking research that had significantly deepened humanity's understanding of the Neptune system, making it an invaluable resource for anyone studying the ice giant and its celestial companions.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"The door is unlocked, please come in," Raj called out without looking up from his work.
"Hi, Raj." Leonard poked his head through the doorway. "Are you busy?"
"Not too busy, just doing some research." Raj smiled and closed his notebook. "What can I do for you?"
"Nothing urgent, really. I just came to see how you're doing." Leonard returned the smile, then asked tentatively, "Are you still angry with Sheldon?"
"Of course I'm not angry anymore. What's the point of staying angry?" Raj waved his hand dismissively.
Friends came together and drifted apart all the time—it was just part of life. His real age as Kai Jun in the other world was already thirty-two years old, and he had experienced countless separations and reunions over the years. He'd long since learned not to dwell on such things.
Besides, Sheldon didn't have so many redeeming qualities that would make him worth obsessing over. So if the friendship was broken, it was broken. There was no need to be melodramatic about it.
"In that case, come over to my place for dinner tonight. After we eat, we're planning to play Dungeons and Dragons." Seeing Raj's response, Leonard's face lit up with hope.
"I'm sorry, Leonard, but you misunderstood." Raj shook his head apologetically. "When I said I'm not angry, I meant I'm not bothered by the fact that Sheldon and I aren't friends anymore. It doesn't mean I want to reconcile with him."
"Please, don't be like this. We're all friends here." Leonard's expression fell immediately, his brow furrowing with concern.
"He compared us to tools! That's not something a real friend would say." Raj shook his head firmly.
"You know he didn't mean it that way." Leonard tried to defend Sheldon.
"On the contrary—Sheldon doesn't lie. He says exactly what's on his mind." Raj waved his hand. "In his eyes, we really are just tools. Unless he changes that perspective and starts seeing us as equals, it's impossible for me to be friends with him again."
"Don't be like this, Raj." Leonard's voice carried a note of desperation.
He hadn't had many friends growing up, and he truly cherished the friendships he had now. The thought of the group fracturing was deeply unsettling to him.
"Leonard, don't worry. Even though Sheldon and I can't be friends anymore, I'll always be your friend. That will never change," Raj said warmly, offering reassurance.
"Thank you." Hearing those words, Leonard felt considerably better, though a shadow of sadness still lingered in his eyes.
In the next two days, Raj and Howard sat separately from Leonard and Sheldon, and the once inseparable foursome found themselves divided into two distinct camps.
When Raj and Sheldon crossed paths again, they treated each other as if the other didn't exist, passing by without so much as a hello or an acknowledging nod.
Two days later, Raj's paper on the "Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt Debris Disk" was successfully published in the prestigious "Astrophysical Journal," causing quite a sensation throughout the astrophysics community.
The innovative algorithm disclosed in his paper provided researchers with an invaluable tool for studying the Kuiper belt, essentially laying a new cornerstone for future research in this field. As a result, Raj's standing in the academic community increased dramatically.
Although he had produced some scientific research results in the past, they hadn't garnered much attention or influence, leaving him relatively unknown in the industry—essentially a little transparent figure among his peers.
Now, having produced such a groundbreaking research result, people were genuinely impressed, and they couldn't help but regard him with newfound admiration and respect.
These days, when he went to the cafeteria to eat, many colleagues took notice of him, their eyes following him with interest.
"Wow, did you notice that Mandy Zhou was totally peeking at you just now?" Howard said excitedly to Raj, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.
"Really? Not bad," Raj replied with a pleased nod and smile.
Mandy Zhou was a stunning Chinese beauty who also happened to be an accomplished marine biologist with an impressive publication record.
"Hey, buddy, you already have Penny," Howard reminded him nervously, seeing his friend's positive reaction. "Mandy is mine, and I would love to get lost in her Bermuda 'Delta.'"
"Howie!" Raj scolded, cringing at his friend's crude innuendo.
"Sorry~" Howard replied with an unapologetic grin.
At that moment, Leonard and Sheldon entered the cafeteria carrying their meal trays.
"Well, this is the perfect opportunity," Leonard said, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Sheldon. "Let's go over and congratulate him, and then everyone can clear up this whole misunderstanding and go back to sitting together like before."
"Sorry, I'm not interested," Sheldon refused flatly, his expression unchanged.
"Okay, then I'll go by myself," Leonard said with resignation.
"You are not allowed to go either," Sheldon declared. "Rajesh and I have severed our friendship, and we now occupy opposing positions. As my friend, how can you possibly associate with him and align yourself with his side?" His tone was self-righteous and matter-of-fact.
"Raj is also my friend," Leonard pointed out reasonably. "Anyway, I'm going whether you come or not."
"Fine. You've also received a warning then," Sheldon threatened ominously.
"You want to take the bus to campus tomorrow, don't you?" Leonard turned his head and gave him a pointed look, reminding him of his dependence.
Sheldon gritted his teeth in frustration, but in the end, he didn't insist on staying behind.
"Hi, Raj, congratulations!" Leonard walked up to Raj and said warmly.
"Thank you." Raj nodded with a smile. "Let's sit together."
"Hmm..." Leonard glanced over at Sheldon not far away, his expression hesitant.
"It's okay, don't worry about it." Raj waved his hand dismissively and smiled. "By the way, Penny wants to throw a party for Halloween. You're welcome to come."
"A Halloween party?! Do I need to dress up?" Leonard asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Of course," Raj nodded.
"What's the theme? Cross-dressing, movies, anime, comics, TV shows, mythology..." Leonard began rattling off possibilities.
"Whatever you like—there are no restrictions," Raj laughed.
"Okay, I'll definitely be there!" Leonard said excitedly.
"Raj, will there be girls at the party?" Howard asked, leaning in with obvious interest.
"Of course. Penny's friends will be coming," Raj confirmed with a nod.
"Wow!" Hearing this, Leonard and Howard became even more excited. They'd left empty-handed at the last party, and they were determined not to repeat the same mistakes this time.
"Okay, you two, listen to me. If you want to have any success with girls, don't dress up in all kinds of weird costumes," Raj said, immediately offering them a warning.
In the original timeline, at the Halloween party Penny had thrown, Leonard had dressed as Frodo from "The Lord of the Rings," while Howard had come as the green-clad hero Robin Hood—though his appearance ended up looking more like the fairy tale character Peter Pan.
Both costumes had been complete failures, resulting in the two of them being ignored and left out for the entire night.
"What do you mean?" Leonard and Howard asked, looking puzzled.
"What I mean is, it's better to dress as characters that everyone knows and recognizes—ones that will make you more approachable and popular," Raj explained patiently. "For example, Leonard, you could dress up as Harry Potter. Howard, you could go as Captain Jack Sparrow."
"That makes sense," the two said after thinking it over for a moment, nodding in agreement.
Since Raj's track record with women was undeniably much better than either of theirs, they decided to take his advice.
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