The blazing sun hung overhead, Jiang Fuyue put on the sun hat she had prepared in advance, and also slipped into a sun-protective jacket.
Anywhere that was exposed was covered up tightly.
“Women are just troublesome!” On the neighboring vehicle, a certain member of “Team Dan” couldn’t help but sneer.
She pretended not to hear, and even used her sleeve to cover her face as well.
Xu Kuan rolled his eyes and directly fired back: “Are you sick or what? What she does is none of your d*mn business!”
“Brat, how do you talk? Do you even understand manners?!”
Xu Kuan: “I talk with my mouth. As for manners, that’s something I only have when others have it. If others don’t have it, then I don’t want it either.”
“You—”
“Enough!” Dan Pinghua spoke up to stop them.
Only then did both sides stand down.
And Jiang Fuyue had already leaned against the seat, closed her eyes, and fallen into a deep sleep.
Bai Chuanhao: “Control that firecracker temper of yours. Don’t explode at the slightest touch.”
Xu Kuan: “Who told that old thing to have such a foul mouth? He deserves it!”
“The person involved didn’t say anything. Why are you so eager to step in?”
“I can’t stand that sharp-tongued, mean-looking idiot face of his, is that not allowed? As if he wasn’t born from a woman himself. What kind of thing is he?”
“In any case, behave yourself! Don’t stir up trouble again! Besides…” Bai Chuanhao paused and glanced at the car ahead, “she might not even remember your kindness.”
Xu Kuan, however, said: “I do what I want. I don’t need anyone to remember my kindness!”
……
In the blink of an eye, two hours passed. Several off-road vehicles crossed a stretch of golden, undulating desert and finally stopped in front of the base.
Steep, smooth ramparts rose up, with checkpoints set at the entrance, demarcating a yellow line zone.
Within the yellow line, in Arabic, was written “No Entry”!
But the off-road vehicles carrying Jiang Fuyue’s group were not among those prohibited, and so they drove straight in, bold as brass.
Jiang Fuyue had already woken up. At this moment, she turned her head to look out the car window.
She saw sentries every five steps, guard posts every ten, security tight and impenetrable.
Those coming and going were all soldiers in camouflage, standing straight and upright, expressions solemn.
About five minutes later, the off-road vehicles stopped in front of a single-story building.
The soldier driving suddenly said something, leaving everyone confused.
Seeing that no one reacted, he said it again.
Still, no one understood.
“What’s he saying?”
“Sounds like Arabic. Do you know it?”
“I can barely speak English, how could I possibly know that?”
“Who understands? Translate for everyone!” someone called out loudly.
Jiang Fuyue adjusted the sun hat on her head and spoke calmly: “He’s telling us to get out of the car.”
After saying that, she herself was the first to push open the door and get down.
The soldier in the driver’s seat nodded at her, then raised his thumb: “!@#￥”
Jiang Fuyue replied with something.
Anyway, no one else understood.
Following suit, everyone got out of the car one after another.
“You know Arabic?” someone from Dan Pinghua’s team suddenly asked.
Jiang Fuyue replied lightly: “A little.”
Another middle-aged man jumped out and said: “Perfect then. None of us know it. From now on, you’ll be responsible for translation.”
Jiang Fuyue raised her brows, just about to speak, but another voice was faster than hers—
“Teacher Xin, you really have such great prestige. You don’t manage your own team, but go around commanding other team leaders. Impressive!”
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
“Ah—” Xu Kuan put on a belatedly-realized expression, “No, that’s not right, I said it wrong. You’re just an ordinary team member, someone who can’t even manage your own team.”
Xin Hongcheng’s eyes flared with anger: “Xu Kuan, don’t act so arrogant in front of me. What does this have to do with you?”
“It has nothing to do with me, but I’m famous for being annoying. I just like to meddle. Didn’t you know?”
“Pfft—” Someone from Bai Chuanhao’s team couldn’t hold it in.
Xin Hongcheng flew into a rage out of embarrassment: “You bunch of greenhorns really shouldn’t argue! I asked her to act as a translator, what’s wrong with that? Do any of you speak Arabic?”
Bai Chuanhao: “I do.”
Xin Hongcheng: “……”
Xu Kuan smiled: “Teacher Xin, what I was arguing about really wasn’t who can speak Arabic. I was clearly taking issue with you making Jiang Fuyue be the translator.”
“That’s right, I told her to be the translator. Is there a problem with that?”
“Of course there’s a problem! Are you the Overlord of Western Chu? Just assigning work the moment you open your mouth, without even asking whether she’s willing.”
Xin Hongcheng laughed in anger: “What would she be unwilling about?”
Xu Kuan rolled his eyes: “Did you ask her?”
Xin Hongcheng choked.
At this moment, Dan Pinghua suddenly spoke up, “Old Xin, stop it. We’ve all eaten a few more decades of rice, why bother arguing with juniors?”
“Yes,” Xin Hongcheng picked up the thread, sighing faintly, “I’m already at my age, why should I make things hard for myself? For people not worth it, for unimportant matters, wasting time and energy, it really shouldn’t be done!”
As he spoke, he patted his sleeves and straightened his collar.
Wearing an air of “I’m noble and won’t stoop to your level.”
Xu Kuan’s volatile little universe almost exploded on the spot.
But he was stopped by Bai Chuanhao: “Calm down.”
“No, these two old men can’t even speak properly. Their tone is all weird and sarcastic, classic old yin-yang types. How am I supposed to stay calm?”
“Why bother arguing with them? It’s not the first day you’ve dealt with them.”
“It’s precisely because it’s not just one or two days that I can’t take it anymore!”
Bai Chuanhao’s brow twitched: “Don’t forget what you promised before we came!”
“I promised not to look for trouble, but now trouble is looking for me. Am I not even allowed to fight back? That’s way too stifling.”
“Cut it out!” Bai Chuanhao lowered his voice: “If you didn’t step up for Jiang Fuyue, there wouldn’t be any trouble at all!”
“Tsk, I say, Old Bai, you really don’t understand cherishing beauty, do you? She’s just a little girl, not even twenty yet, and you just watch her get ordered around by those old guys? You can really bear that?”
Bai Chuanhao shrugged: “I can.”
“……Then it serves you right to be single from the womb until now. Not wronged at all.”
Bai Chuanhao: “?”
“Anyway, I can’t stand it. I’m going to help her! Go ahead and stop me, though you can’t stop me anyway.”
Bai Chuanhao: “??”
Over there, Dan Pinghua and Xin Hongcheng were still trading lines back and forth, perfectly in sync, putting on airs and striking poses, acidic enough to make one’s teeth ache—
Dan Pinghua: “Now the younger generation’s wings have hardened. They’ve started to dislike us old folks for blocking the way. Just saying a couple of harsh words is already mild, if they didn’t kick you aside with one foot, that’d already be pretty good. So Old Xin, don’t demand too much. How does that saying go? In life, it’s rare to be muddled. Just keep one eye open and one eye closed.”
Xin Hongcheng: “Each and every one of them is an ungrateful thing! Our academic circle isn’t just about who’s published a few CNS papers, who’s won some youth award, or who’s famous online. In the end, it still comes down to seniority!”
When Bai Chuanhao heard this, good grief, even he, the peacemaker, got blasted. What was there left to stop?
Close the gate, release the dog!
Ah, no—release Xu Kuan!
“Teacher Xin, there’s ambiguity in what you’re saying,” Xu Kuan immediately jumped out, combat power maxed at one hundred, “seniority in academia isn’t about who’s older, whose hair is whiter, whose beard is longer. It’s also not about whose skin is thicker or whose tone is more sour.”
“Then what is it about?” someone laughed and chimed in.
Xu Kuan curled his lips: “Of course it’s about who has greater ability, stronger competence, and higher standards! Oh, and one more crucial point, one’s moral character must be good! Don’t you agree, Teacher Dan? You’re famous for your virtue, high standing, prestige, and respect!”
Those last four words, he pronounced one by one, firm and forceful.
Dan Pinghua couldn’t quite keep face, and chuckled awkwardly in deflection: “Where… I’m just an ordinary person, that’s too much praise…”
Xu Kuan then smiled amiably at Xin Hongcheng: “Teacher Xin, what do you think? There’s nothing wrong with what I just said, right?”
Xin Hongcheng was so choked by him that his eyes went wide. He moved his lips, but was so angry that no sound came out.
At this moment, another person from Dan Pinghua’s team stepped out to smooth things over: “There’s really no need for both sides to argue until faces turn red. Originally, the matter is very simple, whether Jiang Fuyue is willing to be the translator. Why don’t we just ask her directly?”
Seemingly neutral, but in fact taking sides.
Since they had all spoken up, would Jiang Fuyue still refuse?
If she nodded her head, then no matter how unhappy Xu Kuan was, he could only swallow it, solving the problem at its root.
Xin Hongcheng clearly realized this as well and immediately expressed his agreement: “That’s right, we should indeed ask Jiang Fuyue herself.”
As he spoke, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked calmly and unhurriedly to her, pulling the corner of his mouth into a smile that, no matter how you looked at it, seemed a bit unnatural.
“Jiang Fuyue, you’ve seen the whole process of what happened. What’s right and what’s wrong, I believe you already have your own judgment.”
“Now, most members of the two teams don’t understand Arabic. For the sake of smooth follow-up communication, and thus to ensure the efficient completion of research work, we’ll have to trouble you to act as a translator for everyone. Do you have any objections?”
Not “are you willing,” but “do you have any objections”, the meaning is the same, but the latter just doesn’t sound very pleasant.
“How can you—” Xu Kuan was about to fire back, but was stopped halfway by Bai Chuanhao.
“Old Bai, what are you doing? Why won’t you let me speak? Who asks for opinions like that?”
“No rush. Let’s see how Jiang Fuyue answers.”
“This is coercion! This is moral kidnapping! How do you expect a little girl to refuse? Even if she’s unwilling in her heart, she wouldn’t dare say it out loud.”
But just at this moment—
This “little girl” in Xu Kuan’s eyes spoke up. There was not the slightest hint of restraint or panic, nor any fear or timidity. Her clear, cool voice was like a mountain stream flowing softly, icy and crisp: “I do.”
Xin Hongcheng’s smile froze abruptly, his gaze filled with shock, “…What?”
“I said, I have objections.” Her expression did not change, her tone remained calm.
Everyone was stunned, all of them dumbfounded, including Xu Kuan and Bai Chuanhao.
Nearly ten seconds of dead silence.
Then, with a boom, it exploded—
“So… she refused?”
“Look! Xin Hongcheng’s face has turned green.”
“A large-scale social death scene?”
“My god! This Jiang Fuyue really dares!”
“Honestly, just watching the video online of her dealing with those R-country people, you could tell this girl isn’t simple.”
“They shouldn’t have asked her like that in the first place. ‘Do you have any objections?’ What is this, proposing something and voting by show of hands?”
“Now it’s great, setting a trap and getting yourself caught in it. Truly impressive!”
“At the end of the day, it’s because they saw she’s young and thought she was a soft persimmon they could squeeze at will. Who would’ve thought she’s an iron walnut that’ll break your fingers when you try!”
“Are little girls these days all this fierce?”
“……”
Xu Kuan swallowed with difficulty, his vacant eyes rolling around twice before he finally came back to his senses from that shocking scene—
One sentence, “I have objections,” struck with resounding force!
D*mn! This is way too hardcore, right?
“Old Bai! Did you see that? This is the highest realm of clashing, say nothing until you speak, and once you do, you have to slap their face swollen! Ah! She’s just insanely cool!”
Only then did Bai Chuanhao barely react, “She…”
“So? Isn’t she super handsome?”
Uh!
“I can only say, she’s not an ordinary person.”
An ordinary person, even with thousands of unwilling thoughts, would still smile and agree verbally. Who would dare to refuse publicly?
But she dared.
Not only did she do it, she did it without any burden at all.
Facing the murmurs and pointing fingers around her at this moment, she was so calm it was as if nothing was happening.
Strong!
Too strong!
As for Xin Hongcheng, his old face burned hot: awkwardness, shame, anger, all kinds of emotions surged together.
And Dan Pinghua, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, had long since retreated back into the group, eyes on nose, nose on heart, maintaining silence like an old monk in meditation.
Xin Hongcheng gritted his teeth: “Jiang Fuyue, do you know what you’re saying? The reason everyone is standing here is to aid F-continent. Only by being united from top to bottom can we overcome the difficulties ahead. Now it’s just asking you to help with some translation, yet you keep pushing and stalling. Then in the future, when cooperation is needed, are you going to refuse to cooperate as well?”
Jiang Fuyue cast him a light glance and slowly spoke: “First of all, it’s true that we came here to aid F-continent, but that doesn’t mean being united from top to bottom. Research requires multiple angles, multiple levels, multiple ways of thinking. Only by fully bringing individual initiative into play can we ultimately pool collective wisdom. If everyone were of one mind, all thinking the same, then what research would there be to do?”
“Secondly, my job is to research the Schankwo virus recombinant vaccine, not to be your translator. I know what’s primary and what’s secondary, and I hope you won’t be led astray.”
“Lastly, I refuse to translate because it’s not within my scope of work. In the future, if there’s cooperation related to work, then I welcome it. If it’s unrelated, I will still refuse.”
“Oh, right, let me add one more thing. If someone needs a translator, you can contact the relevant personnel at the base to submit an application.”
Jiang Fuyue finished speaking in one breath, with clear structure and distinct logic.
Then came the soul-question: “Does Teacher Xin have any other questions?”
“……” Deathly silence.
Xin Hongcheng sneered: “Heh, work? What do you think you can accomplish on your own? If we really have to draw clear lines and make everything explicit, I’m afraid you’ll come back empty-handed!”
In name, although they were three teams, they were in fact the same batch sent to F-continent. During the period, if any team made a major discovery or achieved significant results, then as researchers dispatched in the same batch, everyone would get to share in the benefits.
This was also why Dan Pinghua had shown so much tolerance toward the group of young people led by Bai Chuanhao.
After all, in times like these—“when one person attains the Dao, even chickens and dogs can ascend to heaven”—it’s better to form good relations than to make enemies.
Bai Chuanhao clearly understood this as well, which was why he had spoken up to stop Xu Kuan when he provoked the other side, fearing that relations would become too strained.
Who could guarantee that a major research discovery would definitely come from their own team?
Don’t push things to the extreme; only then can you meet again in the future.
Xin Hongcheng’s words about “coming back empty-handed” actually already carried a warning and a threat.
To put it bluntly, he was convinced that Jiang Fuyue was alone and young, and wouldn’t have any major discoveries. So if she wanted to gild herself and share in the glory, she would have to rely on them!
In that case, she definitely wouldn’t dare to keep jumping around.
One must know, for a scientific researcher, how rare an opportunity such a cross-national aid operation is.
To put it this way, if you can add this line to your résumé, the road ahead will be much smoother.
If there are major discoveries or achievements, then that road will be directly paved flat!
Sure enough—
When everyone heard this, their expressions became subtle, and a trace of apprehension unconsciously appeared in their eyes.
Xin Hongcheng’s move was truly ruthless, pinching right at their vital point.
But Jiang Fuyue seemed not to understand at all, and said lightly: “What I can accomplish is none of your concern. But you,” she shook her head, “definitely won’t accomplish anything.”
Someone who doesn’t put any thought into academia, only thinking about paving roads, sharing credit, and currying favor on all sides, can no longer be called a “research scholar.”
More calculating than a merchant, more despicable than a thief.
How could such a person possibly settle down to do research?
Xin Hongcheng’s smile stiffened, his old face flushed red: “You—”
Jiang Fuyue met his furious gaze head-on, neither dodging nor avoiding, calm as ever.
The atmosphere gradually grew tense, the air itself seeming to stop flowing.
Just then, the roar of a car engine suddenly approached from afar.
Very soon, a military off-road vehicle appeared before everyone’s eyes.
With a sharp brake and a tail swing, it kicked up a sky full of yellow sand, domineering and arrogant.
The car doors opened, and a camouflaged noncommissioned officer and a man in a white lab coat got out from the driver’s seat and the passenger seat respectively.
No one knew who suddenly shouted, “Professor Xie! It’s Professor Xie!”
Jiang Fuyue’s eyelid twitched.
99 really did come out only after being called for countless times…
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