At two in the afternoon, Jiang Fuyue and Xu Kaiqing arrived punctually at Qian Youwen’s laboratory.
They looked around, but didn’t see anyone.
Xu Kaiqing casually grabbed a doctoral student in a white coat: “Where’s Professor Qian?”
“There was a situation in the department, the professor went over to handle it.”
Xu Kaiqing frowned, took out his phone, lit up the screen, and checked, it hadn’t received any message from Qian Youwen, nor any missed calls.
Normally, someone as reliable as Old Qian, after setting a time, would have at least notified them if he was busy.
“You two had an appointment with the professor at two, right?”
“Yes. Didn’t Old Qian tell you?” Xu Kaiqing said. Old Qian wasn’t the type to be so unreliable.
Sure enough…
The doctoral student nodded: “It’s complicated; it might take a while. How about… you two go back and come tomorrow?”
Xu Kaiqing frowned: “No! It’s extremely urgent! We can’t wait!”
The student looked troubled: “But…”
“Fine, let Old Qian go handle his business, we’ll just wait then.”
“…N-No, that’s not good, right?”
Xu Kaiqing sat down on a chair: “What’s not good about it? Alright, go on, don’t worry about us.”
The student slunk away.
Jiang Fuyue and Xu Kaiqing waited from two to three. Xu Kaiqing called Qian Youwen once in the meantime, but the other party didn’t answer.
“He might be in surgery or a meeting, not convenient to pick up. Let’s wait a bit longer,” Xu Kaiqing said.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t say anything.
They then waited from three to four, still no sign of Qian Youwen.
Xu Kaiqing was getting restless, found the same doctoral student: “Hey kid, your professor is in obstetrics, right? I’ll go look for him directly.”
The student’s expression changed slightly: “Wait…”
“?” Xu Kaiqing asked.
“Uh, it’s like this. Recently it’s flu season, the hospital has strict controls on the inpatient department. People can’t just enter freely.”
“Is that so?” Xu Kaiqing’s brow furrowed sharply. Suddenly, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes: “Don’t tell me you’re just making this up, brushing us off?”
“Absolutely not! I-I wouldn’t dare,” the doctoral student said, panic on his face.
“Then why stop me from going to see Old Qian?”
“The professor is really busy. Why would I lie?! There’s no benefit… Actually, personally, I’d suggest you two go back first. It’s already late, you’ll definitely see him tomorrow…”
Xu Kaiqing was about to say something when Jiang Fuyue tugged him.
“She’s right. It’s four o’clock. Professor Qian probably won’t come back to the lab. We’ll come back tomorrow.”
So reasonable.
Saying that, Jiang Fuyue turned and left.
“Hey, why are you just leaving…” Xu Kaiqing hurried to catch up, “Wait for me…”
Unbeknownst to them, after they left, the doctoral student let out a long sigh of relief.
“Finally gone.”
…
Professor Qian’s lab was in Hongzhi Building of Q University Medical Department, just one wall away from the affiliated hospital.
Such a short distance, was it really so hard to take a moment to meet in person?
Jiang Fuyue remained calm, no one knew what she was thinking.
Xu Kaiqing, on the other hand, was full of complaints: “What on earth is Old Qian doing? He told us to come at two, yet he disappeared, didn’t call, didn’t send a single message…”
“We told him it’s extremely urgent, yet he ignored it and acted high and mighty…”
“No, I have to call again! Something must have happened, right?”
He followed Jiang Fuyue while picking up his phone, finding the contact, and dialing.
After a long string of beeps, still no one answered.
A chill ran over him. Reflexively, he looked up and realized he had already followed Jiang Fuyue into a dessert shop, air-conditioning fully on.
“What are we doing here?” He froze.
Jiang Fuyue: “Hungry.”
Xu Kaiqing: “……”
They found a seat by the window. Jiang Fuyue handed over the menu: “The taste here is pretty good. Order whatever you like, it’s on me.”
Xu Kaiqing swallowed. Actually, he really liked sweets…
Two minutes later, Jiang Fuyue was eating durian mille-feuille spoon by spoon, Xu Kaiqing had Ceylon black tea with macarons.
Jiang Fuyue glanced at him, particularly at his tea: “You know your food.”
Any connoisseur knows that Ceylon black tea, Darjeeling, or smoky Tieguanyin pairs best with macarons’ delicate, elegant texture.
Xu Kaiqing: “Hehe.”
The satisfaction from the dessert extinguished all his lingering frustration.
By the time they finished and left, he had completely forgotten about being stood up.
“Eh? Ming University this way? Why are you walking back?”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t respond.
“Wait… if we go forward, we’ll enter Hongzhi Building!” Xu Kaiqing became anxious.
Could it be the durian mille-feuille made her sweet-brained?
Jiang Fuyue: “I’m going to Hongzhi Building.”
“But we just left the lab?”
“Yes. Let’s go back and check. Maybe Professor Qian has returned?”
Xu Kaiqing was utterly confused.
…
Laboratory.
“Everyone gone?”
The doctoral student looked at the mentor emerging from the lounge and nodded quickly: “Gone.”
Qian Youwen nodded in satisfaction: “Good work. Next week, report to the department. You’ve studied long enough; it’s time to get hands-on experience.”
The student’s eyes shone: “Thank you, professor!”
He finally got an opportunity he had worked for half a year, just because he helped get rid of two people?
Lucky, yet ironic!
Qian Youwen waved for the students to leave, then led another person who had come out of the lounge to the sofa: “Old Fu, sit! Don’t be polite. Sorry to have kept you in the lounge so long.”
Saying that, he went to the cabinet, opened it, and asked: “What would you like to drink? Coffee? Orange juice? Mineral water?”
Fu Zhengxin, sitting on the sofa, smiled and waved: “We’re old friends, why be so formal?”
Qian Youwen also smiled: “Alright, then as usual, mineral water. Your health level has improved, here, ”
Fu Zhengxin reached out: “Old guy, still not as good as the youngsters.”
Qian Youwen sat opposite: “What’s your deal with Xu Kaiqing? You came all the way here today, and told me not to provide clinical data.”
“I have nothing to do with him. Medical and physics boundaries are clear, mind your own business.”
“Then how come?”
Fu Zhengxin smirked: “What do you think? Schankwo miracle drug has already caused a stir in the field. I don’t believe you didn’t hear a thing.”
Qian Youwen’s eyes flickered.
He had guessed.
Xu Kaiqing asked him for data to help Jiang Fuyue.
Jiang Fuyue had risen in the past six months, developed the A+ vaccine, discovered the miracle drug, and successfully won the Lasker Award.
Yet originally, this award’s top contender was Fu Zhengxin!
Decades in the field, working diligently, from youthful black hair to silvered white, success within reach, yet intercepted by a young girl, who could accept that?
“Why? Are you trying to teach her a lesson?”
Fu Zhengxin shook his head: “That’s not right. Tosaki Kawashima started the fire. At most, I’m just… watching from the shore.”
Qian Youwen: “But according to Xu Kaiqing, Jiang Fuyue seems to have already found an entry point to counter Tosaki Kawashima.”
“Found an entry point, so what? The clinical data’s all in your hands, right?”
“Oh? So that makes me the key player?”
Fu Zhengxin saw his relaxed expression, smiled, but his gaze suddenly sharpened: “Old Qian, we’ve been friends for decades, we know each other well. Don’t act like you’re just helping me. We were all just grass in the field. Suddenly, Jiang Fuyue, this little sapling, appeared. If we don’t suppress her while she’s still young, once she grows tall and strong, who will even notice the weeds beside the tree?”
“I’m grass, you’re not exempt either. None of us have Jiang Fuyue’s talent, nor her youth. If we don’t unite now and do something, in the future, not just me, but you as well, will be overshadowed by her!”
“So, this isn’t just helping me, it’s helping yourself.”
Qian Youwen’s mouth tightened.
“Didn’t expect you two elders to think so highly of me.” A clear, indifferent voice floated in.
Jiang Fuyue and Xu Kaiqing, who had seemingly left, suddenly appeared, one smiling faintly, one with a face as dark as ink.
Qian Youwen was shocked!
Fu Zhengxin also froze.
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