Ni Hong said coldly, "Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand!"
Chen Xinyu had never interacted with Ni Hong before and didn't know that she had this kind of temper, so Ni Hong's words were unbearable to her. "How could I not understand! If I understood, what would you be doing here?"
Zhang Zhen quickly intervened to mediate between the two: "Stop talking, Ni Hong, go do your work over there."
Chen Xinyu said, "Director Zhang, I've noticed that no one really welcomes my interview. I think I should go back. I can't complete this task. The students at the university are all too arrogant; they don't even respect us insignificant people."
Zhang Zhen said, "Reporter Chen, look at what they're saying. It's not true at all. Actually, everyone's just like this. You'll understand once you get to know us. We have no ill intentions towards you whatsoever; on the contrary, we welcome you very much. Of course, there were some minor misunderstandings, but they're all cleared up now. You continue your interview, and we'll continue our work. Although this motor doesn't have much practical value, it's a model and prototype for future improvements. This is a necessary step, not a waste of national research funds."
Chen Xinyu wasn't an unreasonable person. She said, "I understand a lot now that Director Zhang has said that. But I saw that you were all discussing the issue with Zhao Qiang. What's going on? Did he design this?"
Zhang Zhen said, "Reporter Chen, you have a good eye. You're right, this motor was indeed designed by Zhao Qiang."
Chen Xinyu exclaimed in surprise, "No way! Isn't he a graduate student who just arrived this year? And you are all postdoctoral fellows or doctoral students. How could you possibly use him to design an electric motor? And how could Professor Gu possibly adopt his design?"
Zhang Zhen said, "Reporter Chen seems to have considered this issue a bit too narrowly. Actually, our lab doesn't focus on qualifications; we only look at a person's true abilities. If an elementary school student can design what we need, then we will consult with him."
Chen Xinyu nodded: "Your spirit is something we should all learn from. The saying 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me' perfectly illustrates this point."
Chang Chen smiled and said, "Take your time taking your time, Reporter Chen. We're busy, so we won't bother you any longer."
Finally, Chen Xinyu abandoned her thoughts of backing out and began to take the interview seriously. After all, she wasn't a fool; becoming a reporter for CCTV proved her worth. However, her preconceived notions made her dislike Zhao Qiang. But after the next few days, as Zhao Qiang tirelessly carried the camera, Chen Xinyu's negative impression of him gradually faded.
At noon, in the school cafeteria, a few people ate in the nearly empty space, with the principal sitting awkwardly beside them. He had already booked a hotel, but Chen Xinyu was ungrateful and insisted that Zhao Qiang carry a camera to film their normal mealtime routine instead of going to a restaurant.
"Is this what you eat every day?" Chen Xinyu could barely swallow after just one bite. The steamed buns were plentiful, but the dough hadn't fermented long enough before steaming, resulting in hard, unyielding buns. There were quite a few vegetables, but it was all boiled in a large pot, essentially boiled. At least each serving included two slices of meat, which were fatty, with two slices covered in black hairs. Chen Xinyu almost vomited. She had been to university, but she had never eaten anything like this before.
The principal's embarrassment deepened. If he had known this reporter, Chen, was going to eat at the cafeteria, he would have made preparations beforehand. But now, caught off guard, if these clips were broadcast on CCTV, it goes without saying that next semester's student recruitment would be a major problem! What student would want to study at a school like this?
Zhang Zhen said, "Don't mind it, Reporter Chen. You'll get used to it after a while."
Li Tianwen glanced at the steamed bun twice, 'not having the heart to eat' it. He said, "That's right, Reporter Chen, look how much Zhao Qiang is enjoying his food. We're all used to it. Most of the students have already abandoned the school cafeteria. Now, the most popular places are the small restaurants outside. Any random one of them makes food ten times better than the cafeteria. But as you can see, we simply don't have time to go out. We have to go to class most of the morning, and our afternoons are packed with experiments. Even if we had time, we don't have the spare money to eat out. It's not easy for our families to support our education. We should try to save them money on living expenses."
Chen Xinyu asked the principal, "What? Are their lives so difficult? Hasn't the school ever thought about providing subsidies for these students?"
The principal quickly replied, "We will definitely make up for it. This was our mistake. The quality of the food in the cafeteria is being improved, and Reporter Chen will see it soon. These past few days have only been a transitional phase and do not represent the overall quality of the food at our university."
Han Chao said, "Actually, it doesn't matter whether we change or not. We're used to finding joy in hardship. Look at Zhao Qiang, how happily he's eating."
Zhao Qiang placed the camera on the table facing everyone and sat down to eat. He had already eaten four steamed buns and was holding a fifth one in his hand. Seeing everyone's eyes on him, he said, "Why are you looking at me? I think this life is pretty good. Before, my best life was eating a steamed bun. Now I have steamed buns, vegetables, and soup, and I can even sit down and eat. Everyone should be content."
Zhao Qiang wasn't trying to glorify the school or praise his own noble character; he was simply thinking about his past part-time jobs, which were far better than now. The steamed buns were a bit hard, and the vegetables were a bit mushy, but it was still several times better than drinking cold water and eating cornbread on construction sites.
Chen Xinyu was particularly interested in Zhao Qiang's mention of "eating steamed buns" and asked, "What was your life like before?"
Zhao Qiang smiled but didn't answer. He didn't think it necessary to reminisce about past hardships in front of everyone. However, Li Tianwen didn't miss the opportunity and spoke up for Zhao Qiang: "Reporter Chen, Zhao Qiang is from the countryside. Actually, almost all of us are from the countryside, which is why we are so hardworking. Zhao Qiang's family wasn't well-off. When he was studying at Donghai University, he earned all his tuition and living expenses through part-time jobs. I heard him say that for a long time, he worked overtime at construction sites at night, drinking cold water when thirsty and eating cornbread when hungry. That life was even harder than the Red Army crossing the grasslands."
Chen Xinyu asked Zhao Qiang, "Is this true?"
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "It's nothing, that's all in the past. Now we're living a good life. The professor gives us a monthly stipend, enough to eat. If we make research results, there are even more rewards, so all of us students work very hard."
Chen Xinyu wanted to ask more questions, but someone at the restaurant entrance shouted, "Zhang Zhen, someone's looking for a woman outside."
Zhang Zhen scratched his head and said, "Who is it? Anyone from our school can just come in."
Li Tianwen nudged Zhang Zhen and said, "That means they're not from our school. Let's go out and check!"
Chen Xinyu's eyes lit up: "Could it be your girlfriend? Zhao Qiang, grab the camera, let's go outside and film. The postdoctoral fellow's love life is also a focus of my interviews, because only love life can reflect the emotional world of postdoctoral fellows, just like ordinary people."
Zhao Qiang reluctantly put down his steamed bun. Everyone followed Zhang Zhen out of the restaurant. The principal didn't care about the postdoctoral fellows' love lives; what he cared about was who had prepared the food today. It was a complete disgrace to the university! If parents knew that the food at the university was so bad, who would feel comfortable sending their children here?
When Zhang Zhen saw the woman outside, his eyes flashed with anger. It was Zhao Qiang who gently nudged him from behind: "Senior brother, calm down. This is a recording. You need to show your elegance. Zeng Kefan is finished, and Lan Mei won't have a good time either. You should be happy now!"
The woman who came to see Zhang Zhen was Lan Mei, the one who had caused him so much trouble. Now, she looked distressed—or rather, her face was covered in bandages, making her look like a mummy. This injury was thanks to Ni Hong, so when she saw Ni Hong, she almost lunged at her for a fight. However, Lan Mei knew she was outnumbered and outmatched. Her purpose in seeing Zhang Zhen wasn't to fight, but to plead for him, so she absolutely dared not start a fight.
Zhang Zhen snorted coldly: "You still have the nerve to come looking for me? Are you planning to trick me again?"
where?"
Lan Mei glared fiercely at Ni Hong and said, "Zhang Zhen, I've come to beg you for mercy. Please let Zeng Kefan go."
Zhang Zhen said, "Let him go? You should be asking him to let me go! Look at my junior brothers, look at the state he's left in!" He grabbed Li Tianwen, saying, "His ear has a huge gash, and his head still hurts. The doctor says he'll suffer from post-concussion syndrome." Then he pulled Han Chao over, "He was beaten so badly he's bleeding internally. He can't exert any force and coughs up blood every now and then. You almost destroyed our entire lab, and now you want me to let him go? Has he even considered letting us go? We're just a bunch of students, how can we compare to a gang of thugs like him!"
Lan Mei bit her lip: "But now you're all fine, while Zeng Kefan and his father are quarantined and their assets are frozen. If it weren't for you, how could this have happened! Fine, you don't have money, but please don't bother me and ruin my happiness!"
Enraged, Zhang Zhen raised his hand and slapped Lan Mei across the face: "Get lost! You're the one who's bothering me!"
Lan Mei left in tears, and Chen Xinyu said to Zhang Zhen, "How could you hit someone?"
Zhang Zhen was furious: "Hit someone? I want to kill her! Tianwen and Han Chao were injured because of her!"
Chen Xinyu said, "Isn't this because you're bothering her?"
Zhang Zhen was even angrier. "Me, pester her? Heh, haha," Zhang Zhen suddenly burst into laughter! "What right do I have to pester her? I have no house, no car, and I'm just a bookworm with a narrow mind. I don't know how to make money, all I do is research. I'm destined to never be liked by any woman in this life!"
After saying that, Zhang Zhen turned around and left without looking back, leaving only a lonely figure in the camera's view. Chen Xinyu looked bewildered: "What's wrong with him?"
Ni Hong said coldly, "What else could it be? He couldn't afford a house or a car, and that woman dumped him."
Chen Xinyu muttered to herself, "Is your life really that hard? I never thought so. I thought you only had prosperity..."
Chen Xinyu was referring to accomplished researchers, like Professor Gu, or researchers in large corporations who earn high salaries every month. But students like Zhang Zhen and Zhao Qiang, who are just starting out, are still doing research for the country. Even if they succeed, they only receive a pitiful amount of bonuses distributed through various levels of government, which is incomparable to the millions of dollars in rewards that large corporations often offer!
(Thanks to n000 monthly tickets for their support!) (Thanks to 想被爱好者难, glenn2009, a, 书友100429171433425, 米格001, 200斤, 文舞翩然, 遥远国度,
(Thanks to Facing the Sea, Warm Heart and Blooming Flowers, and Yu Shaotian for the 588 coins reward! Thanks to readers 32410374, Mo Shou Cheng Gui, lijii, and 11020124051 for the rewards!)
Volume 2 [343] Have you missed me?
Whether life is hard or not is relative. Having enough to eat and wear is much better than not having enough to eat or wear. However, this didn't match Chen Xinyu's expectations, which is why she felt such a big sense of disillusionment. After witnessing the real lives of these researchers, Chen Xinyu took the interview even more seriously and successfully completed the interview plan over the next few days, without giving the photographer, Zhao Qiang, any extra trouble.
The show aired a week later. Whether Chen Xinyu edited it too sentimentally or not, Zhang Zhen received a flood of love letters from unmarried young women all over the country every day afterward. Even Zhao Qiang received over thirty donations. This was because he ate a steamed bun with such relish on the show! It moved many people to tears. It was learned that Zhao Qiang was a college student from a rural area who had to work part-time to earn his tuition and living expenses. A business owner offered him an annual salary of 300,000 yuan, which Zhao Qiang obviously couldn't accept. However, this kind-hearted business owner was later taken care of by Xu Xiaoya as a way of repaying his kindness.
The impact of the interview only lasted for less than half a month. After that, everyone returned to their previous lives. However, since they had an extra 30,000 yuan, the days of eating only steamed buns stopped. They ate at small restaurants almost every day, and occasionally even had a few drinks. No one cared about what the restaurant looked like after the renovations.
That evening, Zhao Qiang and Li Tianwen were compiling the day's experimental results when the office door creaked open. Only a handful of people could freely enter and leave this lab, so it had to be someone they knew. Zhao Qiang looked up and saw his junior colleague, Gu Xuemei. She stood timidly in the doorway, her left arm awkwardly placed over her lower abdomen, while her right arm was crossed over her chest, hugging her left arm—a habitual gesture she always made to conceal her precociously developed breasts. However, this gesture actually made her breasts more prominent.
"Senior sister?" Li Tianwen greeted her first, "Did the teacher send you to deliver some notice?"
Gu Xuemei shook her head and said to Zhao Qiang, "Zhao Qiang, I need to talk to you."
Li Tianwen said to Zhao Qiang, "Go quickly, I can write the rest myself. There are two more experiments tomorrow. Once we finish this stage, we'll call it a day. We'll still need you to help us further reduce the size of the motor later." During this period, everyone successfully reduced the size of the motor from that of a large truck to that of a small truck without changing the motor's power. Zhao Qiang's next goal is a sedan, then a microcar, and then a small QQ. As long as it can be reduced to the size of a normal tank engine, it will be considered a success!
Zhao Qiang doesn't yet have the capability to mass-produce compressed pistols, but producing a compressed cannon for tanks is no problem. One has to take things one step at a time; you can't achieve everything at once. This achievement is enough to make other university labs look down on him.
Zhao Qiang put down his pen, stood up, and said to Gu Xuemei, "Let's go outside and talk."
When they reached the corridor, Gu Xuemei didn't say anything and just walked ahead. Zhao Qiang had no choice but to follow behind her, as she was always quiet and reserved. The direction was towards Professor Gu's office. Could it be that Professor Gu had sent his junior sister to call him?
Without knocking, Gu Xuemei pushed open the office door with a creak and walked in. Zhao Qiang could only follow. Inside, there was only one person sitting with her back to Zhao Qiang. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, a short-sleeved shirt revealed her delicate skin, and a mini-skirt showed most of her fair thighs.
Zhao Qiang was confused about what was going on, so he could only ask Gu Xuemei, "Senior Sister, what exactly is going on?"
Gu Xuemei looked up and gestured to the long-haired girl sitting in front of her, saying, "She's looking for you."
Zhao Qiang thought to himself, "Who do you think you are? You didn't even turn around to look at me when I came in. You've got such a big shot!" Just as he was feeling indignant, the girl suddenly turned around and pounced on him. Zhao Qiang was standing right behind her, only two steps away. Her sudden attack meant he could only reach out and catch her; otherwise, with her strength, he probably would have ended up wrapped up like a mummy like Lan Mei.
"Old Zhao! Did you miss me?" the girl called out in a rough voice.
Zhao Qiang exclaimed and pushed the girl in his arms away, "Yang Shiqi!" Although the figure looked somewhat similar, Yang Shiqi didn't have long hair, so Zhao Qiang didn't even think of her!
Yang Shiqi stumbled after being pushed by Zhao Qiang, who quickly reached out to catch her. Yang Shiqi angrily grabbed his arm: "What are you doing? Just say you hate me."
Zhao Qiang said, "You startled me. Your hair has grown out like grass?"
Yang Shiqi reached out and pulled the long hair down. "It's fake. I was just teasing you. How do you feel about this outfit?"
This time, Zhao Qiang had the chance to look at Yang Shiqi up close. She had delicate eyebrows and big eyes, and the mustache was gone, revealing a fair-skinned girl. Her hair was still short, and her Adam's apple seemed less prominent. Her short-sleeved shirt was tight, and Yang Shiqi deliberately puffed out her small chest, making it appear full. Her slender waist was unmistakably that of a girl, and her fair, tender thighs were incredibly alluring.
Zhao Qiang said, "This doesn't look right to me. You should change back into your original men's clothes."
Gu Xuemei chuckled from the side, "Sister Shiqi, I told you, you'd look the same even with a wig on. Change it."
Yang Shiqi stamped her foot: "Go in and help me! You guys really have no taste!"
Gu Xuemei stuck out her cute little tongue at Zhao Qiang and went into the office break room to help Yang Shiqi change her clothes. Zhao Qiang casually sat down at Professor Gu's desk, picked up a newspaper and started reading. The situation in Africa has been very unstable recently. A small country has experienced civil war, and the ruling party and anti-military forces have already started fighting. Today, probably another hundred people have died. Such things have been happening repeatedly since last year, and many people have become numb to it.
Zhao Qiang wasn't very familiar with the international situation, nor was he interested in it. Only Xu Xiaoya and others would research these things. Putting down the newspaper, Zhao Qiang began to worry about Su Xiaosu's arrival. Xu Xiaoya had already reached an agreement with her; Su Xiaosu would come to Haifeng Group during her few days of free time to discuss the spokesperson matter. If the deal was reached, they would need to do a few days of filming for Haifeng Group's future advertising. Zhao Qiang had also received a text message from Su Xiaosu, asking him to pick her up at the airport and accompany her throughout her stay in Donghai City.
Zhao Qiang was having a terrible headache. Should he confront Xu Xiaoya and Su Xiaosu too soon? It seemed a bit premature. He hadn't even settled things with Su Xiaosu yet, and Xu Xiaoya was keeping a close eye on his two-timing. Zhao Qiang hadn't even had a chance to see Hu Qian lately.
The door to the lounge opened again, and the same Yang Shiqi was back. Only her chest seemed a bit larger than a normal man's; she probably hadn't wrapped it with cloth this time, probably to avoid affecting her development. These days, she's extremely conscious of her female physical characteristics.
Yang Shiqi waved her hand: "Let's go, let's go eat."
Inside the hotel, the rooms on either side were cleared out, and two plainclothes officers stood guard at the door. Only four people were seated in the private room, including Hu Qian. Yang Shiqi was being quite polite to her this time, not only because Hu Qian was the first woman Zhao Qiang had ever been with, but more importantly because what Hu Qian had said to Yang Shiqi before seemed to be coming true.
Yang Shiqi said, "I went back and investigated secretly, but it seems that none of the people who received the information that I went to Hedian District that day were involved in this matter, so I have temporarily lost the clues."
Zhao Qiang sighed inwardly. Failing to find the single-line contact the bearded man Hongtashan had mentioned was a major headache. Although the bearded man's smuggling ring had been dismantled, the presence of such a dangerous figure behind Yang Shiqi remained a constant threat.
Hu Qian said, "You should be more careful in the future."
Yang Shiqi nodded: "Yes, it's a pity that Big Beard is dead, otherwise we could devise a plan to lure the snake out of its hole. But now I'm worried that even if we devise a plan, that person might not act easily, because his supplier is gone. Who knows if he will find a new supplier during this time?"
While eating, Zhao Qiang said, "So let's put this matter aside for now. How's things going with the military?"
Yang Shiqi took a sip of her drink. "Things went fairly smoothly. I came back this time to ask you to come out of retirement."
Zhao Qiang stopped chewing, his mouth full of food: "Huh?"
Yang Shiqi said, "I need you to help me forge weapons. Do you want my soldiers to use those junk? That's what you promised me."
Zhao Qiang thought about it and agreed. Ordinary weapons wouldn't have much impact on enhancing the combat effectiveness of this unit, so he said, "Alright, let's go take a look first, and then decide on the quantity and type of weapons to be forged."
Yang Shiqi said, "No problem, I'll do whatever you say."
Hu Qian chuckled: "I never thought you, Young Master Yang, would have a day like this. You've finally fallen for their trap. Now someone can control you."
Yang Shiqi glared at Hu Qian: "Stop talking nonsense. Your Hu family has been doing quite well lately. It's just a pity that your good-for-nothing brother isn't very talented. Why don't you just let Zhao Qiang take over in your family?"
Hu Qian didn't seem to care at all: "How did you know that's exactly what I was thinking? Are you planning to transfer your Yang family line to your aunt?"
Yang Shiqi said, "You're talking nonsense! With me around, my grandfather would never hand over the Yang family to my aunt to manage."
Hu Qian said, "You really think you're a man? Actually, you're still a woman at heart. And this time, you seem much more feminine than before. What? Have you found a man you love?" As she spoke, Hu Qian chuckled at Zhao Qiang.
Yang Shiqi blushed, "Think what you want, I can't be bothered with you."
Fearing that Hu Qian's words would become increasingly offensive, Zhao Qiang interrupted their conversation, saying, "Hurry up and eat. I think we should go to the army first thing tomorrow morning. Hu Qian, please help me handle Su Xiaosu's matter and try to keep her away from Xu Xiaoya. Senior sister, I also need to ask the teacher for leave. I won't be able to go to the lab for a while."
Gu Xuemei nodded: "Mm"
Hu Qian chuckled: "I see now. You're not worried about the military at all; you just want to go out and seek refuge."