Chapter 579 | Chapter 580 | Chapter 581
Chapter 579: Exchanges Among the Various Academicians
Sheng Wanyan went to a hair salon. Seeing that the streets of Hong Kong were full of young people with curled hair, she felt a strong surge of interest. She opted for loose, voluminous waves. Her hair was long, and after being curled, it cascaded down to just a little past her waist; from behind, she looked like a remarkably graceful and elegant beauty.
It had to be said that after curling her hair, Sheng Wanyan truly captured the distinct charm of a Hong Kong movie star.
“Are you from Hong Kong?” the lady who owned the hair salon asked her, assuming she was a local.
Sheng Wanyan replied in fluent Cantonese, “No, I’m from the mainland.”
The salon owner genuinely hadn’t expected her to be from the mainland; she was even better looking than the most popular actress in Hong Kong.
Sheng Wanyan smiled, paid the bill, and then went to purchase gifts for her family.
Having come to Hong Kong, she needed to buy a few more wristwatches. She could also bring back some skincare products for the female members of the household. Sheng Wanyan didn’t have much cash left on her person, but her space contained plenty of gold bars; if push came to shove, she could simply sell some!
Sheng Wanyan primarily bought items for Gu Tingxiao, selecting a suit for him. A suit of slightly better quality cost 1,000 yuan. Tempted by the thought of seeing him in it, she gritted her teeth and bought it!
After picking and choosing until she had bought a sufficient amount, she finally headed back, with about 1,000 yuan left in her pocket. Aside from the suit she bought for Gu Tingxiao, she stored all the other items in her space; the hotel was under such strict surveillance that it was better to be cautious.
When Sheng Wanyan returned to the hotel, she saw the Country Y soldiers standing guard at the entrance alongside the Huaxia soldiers. Both sides stood perfectly straight, appearing harmonious on the surface. But what they truly thought in their hearts, no one knew.
The moment Sheng Wanyan entered the hotel, she was barred by the Country Y soldiers on guard.
“Open your things for inspection!”
“This is our nation’s interpreter. You, Country Y, have no right to inspect Huaxia personnel!”
The soldiers of the two nations instantly locked into a standoff, both sides radiating a domineering aura, neither yielding an inch. The captains of the two units even carried murderous intent in their eyes, their hands already moving behind their backs.
“Comrade Sheng, go on inside.” The Huaxia soldiers cleared a path for her.
Sheng Wanyan nodded and walked into the hotel holding the items she had purchased.
“This is a Country Y hotel! We have the right to inspect!”
“Cut your bullshit! This is Huaxia’s territory!” If Huaxia ordered you to close down and go bankrupt, who could possibly stop it!
Sheng Wanyan walked into the lobby, where soldiers from various nations were patrolling. There were several more soldiers from different countries than when she had set out in the morning. It appeared that the top experts from various nations attending the symposium had all arrived as well. To put it nicely, the symposium was an exchange; to put it bluntly, it was a consultation!
Sheng Wanyan returned to her room and placed the suit inside the duffel bag she had brought along.
Knock, knock, knock…
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, it’s me.”
Outside the door stood the soldier assigned to protect her on this journey. Sheng Wanyan opened the room door, and the soldier immediately gave her a military salute. Seeing her curled hair, he almost didn’t recognize her; with her hairstyle changed, her entire aura was completely different. With long, straight hair, she was gentle and elegant, but the curls carried a touch of allure mixed with vitality.
The soldier’s professional discipline allowed him to react quickly to the shift in Sheng Wanyan’s appearance.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, Academician Yuan asked me to inform you to head down to the hotel dining area in a moment. The leaders from various nations have all arrived.”
Hearing the message he conveyed, Sheng Wanyan understood. Academician Yuan intended to take her along to meet some grand figures from various fields, letting her get a sense of who was who.
“Academician Yuan also mentioned that you should dress beautifully.”
“He said… let the foreigners see that the young people of Huaxia are not a single bit inferior to them.”
The soldier looked a bit self-conscious as he spoke. Although by age, he was an elder to Comrade Sheng Wanyan, he was still a man after all, which made it inevitably a little awkward.
“Alright.” Sheng Wanyan smiled. Even if Academician Yuan hadn’t mentioned it, she had the exact same intention. The younger generation of Huaxia was not lacking!
“Then I’ll go prepare first.” The soldier protecting her nodded quickly, helped her close the room door, and stood perfectly straight outside to keep guard.
Sheng Wanyan took a quick shower and selected a red patterned blouse, paired with dark blue wide-leg trousers, a leather belt with a metal buckle, and leather shoes. Complemented by her newly curled hair and a watch with a black strap and a gold dial, she looked mature yet carried a trace of vitality. Although many young people in Hong Kong dressed like this, it wasn’t overly revealing. Hong Kong also had many young people wearing tank tops paired with jeans, which was a highly retro style. But since she would be meeting elderly academicians shortly, she needed to look formal.
Once ready, Sheng Wanyan went out to the living room to sit and wait for Academician Yuan. Academician Yuan usually had an hour of afternoon rest after lunch, after which he would immediately enter a working state. On regular days, he would stay in his room alone without coming out, and his orderly would only go call him to rest when the time designated by the doctor arrived. If the higher-ups hadn’t strictly ordered him to get sufficient rest, Academician Yuan probably wouldn’t even know how many hours there were in a day.
Academician Yuan hadn’t forgotten today’s event, stepping out of his room right on the dot. Seeing her dressed in bright and elegant clothing, he offered a fond smile. Over the past few days, this girl had been wearing suits constantly, making herself look even more old-fashioned than an old man like him.
Sheng Wanyan: “……” What else am I supposed to wear to work if not a suit?
“Academician Yuan.” Sheng Wanyan stood up and stepped forward to support him as they headed out.
Academician Yuan looked at her with disapproval. “I’m fifty, not eighty. You all treat me as if I’m a retired old man.”
Academician Yuan had never been one to admit defeat, especially regarding age. No matter how old he was, nothing could deter his heart that wished for the people to eat their fill!
“You aren’t old. I just want to walk a bit closer to you so I can bask in your reflected glory in a moment.”
“Hahaha… you child…” Academician Yuan pointed at her, laughing exceptionally heartily, and in the end, he let her support him.
Seeing this, Academician Yuan’s orderly instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Academician Yuan usually didn’t like everyone looking after him this way, but when he came out of the laboratory a while ago, he had fainted on the road from exhaustion. If his orderly hadn’t been following him every single moment, it probably would have taken quite a while before anyone discovered him. From then on, Academician Yuan’s family members insisted on holding his arm whenever they went anywhere, but Academician Yuan was stubborn and would push them away every time, leaving everyone helpless. Comrade Sheng Wanyan had a sweet tongue and was young and capable, so Academician Yuan valued her talent immensely.
Sheng Wanyan supported Academician Yuan as they headed to the first-floor dining area. Dining here was buffet-style. Academician Yuan intended to chat with several academicians from foreign nations in the same field, and Sheng Wanyan accompanied him to translate.
“Go grab some food for yourselves, don’t worry about me,” Academician Yuan instructed his disciples.
The disciples nodded. They first fetched some food suitable for Academician Yuan to eat, and also grabbed some for Sheng Wanyan, before taking their own dinners to sit at another table.
“Mr. Yuan, I am glad to hear that you have made new research results.”
An elderly gentleman from Country M spoke, and Sheng Wanyan translated for Academician Yuan beside him.
“Academician Yuan, I am glad to hear that you have produced new research results. Truly a cause for congratulation!”
Chapter 580: The Symposium Officially Commences!
Academician Yuan smiled upon hearing this and offered a polite remark, praising the other party.
“You flatter me. Mr. Pitt’s newly developed fruit and vegetable growth booster is what truly deserves everyone’s study.”
The academicians from various nations flattered one another, continuing to chat while they ate, their conversation entirely revolving around specialized professional matters.
Sheng Wanyan conveyed every single word spoken by the academicians to Academician Yuan with absolute precision. Academician Yuan maintained a bright, welcoming smile on the surface, but inwardly he marveled at the sheer advancement of other nations’ research equipment. While Huaxia had not yet completely solved its food supply problem, foreign countries were already tired of eating meat.
“Mr. Yuan, I heard that Huaxia has begun to develop its economy.”
“You don’t even have enough to eat. Are you trying to smash a broken pot?”
Hearing the words of the academician from Country R, Sheng Wanyan’s heart tightened. She could only steel herself to translate the words to Academician Yuan exactly as they were spoken.
“Academician Yuan, he says he heard Huaxia is developing its economy now. Since your people can’t even eat their fill, are you planning to just smash a broken pot?”
When Sheng Wanyan translated the words, Academician Yuan’s face showed no reaction whatsoever, but the two orderlies standing behind him clenched their fists tightly.
“When Country R was defeated back then, its people returned home and chose to rely on Country M.”
“Our nation emerged victorious, and now we choose to rely on ourselves to earn money. I believe this is a highly glorious thing!”
“It is only natural that Mr. Zeren cannot comprehend this, and everyone understands.”
Academician Yuan’s words were gentle and slow, yet they carried an indescribable, commanding weight.
Sheng Wanyan translated his words for the Country R academician, making each phrase sound resounding and powerful!
Upon hearing the translation, the Country R academician’s face instantly darkened. Wasn’t this straight-up calling Country R a lackey of Country M?
Academician Yuan took a sip of tea, looking exceptionally calm and composed. This pre-symposium gathering was already filled with hidden swords and bloody conflict. The scene instantly turned awkward. No one spoke further, and after consuming some food, everyone returned to their respective rooms.
“Baka! The people of Huaxia are merely sharp-tongued, but treacherous in every way.” Mr. Zeren spoke continuously to the other academicians from Country R on the way back to their rooms. Several of the Country R academicians felt rather displeased in their hearts. The thing they could least accept was, after all, their defeat back then!
Amidst the arrogant and overbearing atmosphere of various nations, the day of the scientific research symposium quickly arrived. The designated venue was Hong Kong’s Museum. The reason for choosing this location was simple: it was sufficiently secure, and it allowed the elderly masters to look at these ancient artifacts.
Dressed in a sharp black suit, Sheng Wanyan followed two steps behind Academician Yuan as they set out for the symposium. Academician Yuan, wearing a Mao suit, was supported by his orderly as they headed downstairs. On such formal occasions, it was not suitable for Sheng Wanyan to walk side-by-side with Academician Yuan.
Arriving at the venue entrance, Sheng Wanyan followed Academician Yuan out of the car. The museum was closed to the public today, heavily guarded by soldiers in an airtight lock.
Academician Yuan and the other academicians presented their invitation letters. Once inside, everyone dressed immaculately and exchanged pleasantries. Academician Yuan scanned the room, making his own internal arrangements.
“Listen carefully when we sit down later,” Academician Yuan instructed her under his breath.
Sheng Wanyan nodded, understanding exactly what he meant.
Seeing that she understood, Academician Yuan stepped forward with a bright smile to greet everyone and engage in dialogue. Sheng Wanyan accompanied him the entire way. After browsing a hall of ancient displays, the agricultural academicians from various countries grew tired and sat down to rest.
Sheng Wanyan stood behind Academician Yuan. Behind them, top experts from another field were engaged in dialogue. Sheng Wanyan translated for Academician Yuan, but her hands paused slightly when she overheard the topics being discussed on the sofa behind them.
The experts behind them were using professional terminology regarding pharmaceutical formulation across various foreign languages, sending a wave of intense excitement through Sheng Wanyan’s heart.
They were discussing “anti-radiation drugs.” Anti-radiation drugs, also known as radiation protectants, refer to medications used to prevent and treat radiation damage. They hold a similar significance to anti-tumor, antibacterial, and anti-malarial drugs, primarily serving to reduce and delay radiation damage to the skin. They can also be directly referred to as “radiation injury prevention and treatment drugs.”
This type of medication existed in this era, but the topic they were discussing was how to enhance the efficacy of radiation protectants. Not only that, they also discussed the topic of treating heart disease. Medications that could completely cure heart disease remained a topic requiring continuous research even in the future. Heart disease was, after all, the most dangerous and incurable ailment.
Listening to the conversation behind her, Sheng Wanyan could not calm the shock in her chest. The knowledge possessed by these academicians was incredibly profound. Even the mentors she had followed in the future couldn’t match the knowledge and intellect of the academicians of this era; they… were the true pioneers of the medical field.
The more Sheng Wanyan listened, the faster her heart raced, thudding as if it were about to leap out of her chest.
Academician Yuan engaged in conversation with the crowd, casting a glance at her from the corner of his eye. Seeing her somewhat dazed expression, he knew this trip was already entirely worth it!
Listening to the words of the various experts, a spark of inspiration flashed across Sheng Wanyan’s mind, so fast she could barely grasp it. Yet she seemed to have found a breakthrough point for heart disease medication…
Sheng Wanyan desperately tried to lock down the fleeting inspiration. She desperately wanted to write it down, petrified that she wouldn’t be able to recall it later. With this kind of inspiration, if one didn’t write it down and record it right then, it would likely never be recalled again. Inspiration was exactly like that; once that wave of energy passed, everything shifted.
Academician Yuan had written down quite a few of his own thoughts from the exchange in his notebook, packing a full three pages tight.
“Take the text in this notebook to the side and translate it into various foreign languages. The academicians from each country will need to take a copy back later.” Academician Yuan handed the notebook to her.
Sheng Wanyan accepted the notebook and a pen. “Understood, Academician Yuan.”
Sheng Wanyan walked over to an empty seat nearby and sat down. Flipping to a blank page, she hurriedly began recording the breakthrough point she had just conceptualized. She wrote more and more, filling a total of four pages tightly with text, clearly outlining every single key point she thought of.
After ensuring nothing was omitted, only then did she quickly translate what Academician Yuan had requested, writing out a copy in several languages.
Once finished, Sheng Wanyan handed the notebook and pen back to Academician Yuan. Academician Yuan tore out the pages she had translated, handing a copy to the academicians of each country. Then, he closed the notebook naturally and handed it to the orderly behind him to hold. Everything was executed with perfect fluidity.
Science knows no borders; exchanging knowledge and discussing fresh research directions and ideas was for the sake of ordinary citizens across all nations. The world was so vast that a single person could not consume the entire platter; an individual could afford to wait, but the citizens could not.
Yet scientists possess nationalities. Whoever could research new breakthroughs first depended entirely on their own capabilities!
Sheng Wanyan let out a massive sigh of relief. It had to be said that she was still too young; even after living two lifetimes, she wasn’t nearly as sharp as these elders who had lived a full lifetime.
The symposium proceeded smoothly. While Sheng Wanyan translated, she secretly absorbed knowledge. The symposium didn’t just run for a single day, but for three full days! And Sheng Wanyan spent those three days quietly gathering insights.
She felt she had absorbed more fresh ideas than even Academician Yuan. This was because the higher-ups knew that these academicians wouldn’t feel a shred of fatigue even if they spoke for three days and three nights straight.
Chapter 581: The Warm Affection Between Husband and Wife
On the contrary, they felt that the time was too short to fully enjoy themselves.
After the three-day symposium concluded, there was a gala evening, and various academicians were scheduled to give lectures at Hong Kong University. Since these top experts had come all the way to Hong Kong, how could the universities there miss such a golden learning opportunity?
Not only could the students attend these lectures, but the other academicians went to listen as well. After all, when academicians from different nations gave classes, their respective students did not want to miss such a rare opportunity. This was a chance for them to learn, and these students were noticeably more excited than they had been during the symposium.
This was a prime opportunity to ask questions. During the symposium, these students could only exchange ideas with their peers. When listening to the academicians converse, even if they had areas of confusion, it would be improper and unruly to interrupt with questions, so they could only ponder over them in their own minds. However, once they began thinking deeply, they risked missing the contents of what the next academicians were saying.
Sheng Wanyan and the other interpreters accompanied the academicians to listen to the lectures. After a single class of translating, their mouths were completely dry.
However, after Academician Yuan finished his lecture, he instructed her to follow and translate for an academician in the pharmaceutical field.
“Wanyan, the interpreter on Academician Chen’s side is suffering from a lack of adaptation to the local climate and has fallen ill. For the next period of time, you will stay by his side. There isn’t much left for me to do here, so I’m returning to the country first.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded. She would do whatever these elders arranged, which also saved everyone a lot of trouble.
Since the agricultural academicians from various countries were all heading back, Academician Yuan naturally couldn’t stay behind specifically to wait for her. Her itinerary was arranged by the state, and there was a certain logic behind not putting her by Academician Chen’s side from the very beginning. The state feared that the longer these academicians stayed abroad, the more dangerous it would become, so whoever finished their classes returned immediately! Only on the soil of one’s own country could one truly feel at ease.
“Alright, please rest assured, Academician Yuan.”
Academician Yuan went back to his room and meticulously tore out the pages she had written on. When he saw the research direction she had recorded, his hand paused slightly. He began tearing the pages even more carefully.
Academician Yuan handed all of them to her. “Remember to be careful. Keep these safe.”
“Academician Yuan, I will.”
Academician Yuan nodded and departed that very afternoon. The orderly protecting Sheng Wanyan was also switched to a different person to avoid raising suspicion.
Sheng Wanyan moved into Academician Chen’s suite, while the interpreter who had been accompanying Academician Chen left together with Academician Yuan.
“Academician Chen.”
Academician Chen was sixty-nine years old this year. Because he used his brain constantly, the white hair on his head was whiter than snow.
“You’re here?”
Sheng Wanyan nodded. Academician Chen was usually a man of few words, spending his days inside the laboratory and rarely contacting the outside world except for his family.
“Go unpack. Tomorrow, accompany me to Hong Kong University to listen to the lectures.”
“Understood, Academician Chen.”
Sheng Wanyan went into her room to put away her luggage, then went downstairs to have dinner with several of Academician Chen’s students. The next day, she accompanied them to Hong Kong University for the lectures.
Sheng Wanyan sat behind Academician Chen, translating for him in a low voice while also taking substantial notes of her own. Getting to hitch a free ride on the masterclasses given by pharmaceutical academicians from various countries, Sheng Wanyan felt that her trip to Hong Kong this time was an absolute jackpot!
The month passed by quickly, and she boarded the flight back to the country alongside Academician Chen.
The 4:00 PM flight didn’t arrive at the Capital Airport until night. When Sheng Wanyan returned, her duffel bag was packed tightly to the brim. Walking out of the airport, she immediately spotted Gu Tingxiao in his military uniform. Gu Tingxiao had driven over to pick her up. After bidding farewell to Academician Chen, Sheng Wanyan climbed into the car and departed.
“Academician Chen, we should leave.” Academician Chen’s orderly reminded him in a low voice.
Watching Sheng Wanyan’s departing figure, Academician Chen nodded. It felt as though he was still lacking a disciple…?? Academician Chen let out a sigh, regretting that he hadn’t spoken more with Sheng Wanyan over the past month to leave a deeper impression. Left with nothing but regret, he climbed into his car and left the airport.
Yet, he had actually left a very deep impression in Sheng Wanyan’s mind—a taciturn and aloof old man.
Sheng Wanyan climbed into the car. While Gu Tingxiao drove, he would occasionally steal a glance at her. Sheng Wanyan could only feel that this man was starting to act like a closet romantic again.
“Comrade Gu Tingxiao, if you want to look, look openly. Being all stealthy makes you look more like a mouse than an actual mouse.”
Hearing her words, Gu Tingxiao felt amused. He pulled the car over to a deserted spot on the side of the road to have a proper discussion with her about how exactly he resembled a mouse.
Sheng Wanyan’s heart trembled under Gu Tingxiao’s fiery gaze. Why was this man staring at her with such a naked look?
“What are you doing?” Having not seen him for a month, Sheng Wanyan felt a somewhat indescribable, strange sensation in her heart.
“You curled your hair?” Gu Tingxiao rested his forearms on the steering wheel, meticulously taking in her new transformation and her bright, glamorous dressing style. It looked beautiful, very much like a temptress.
“Yes, does it look good?” Sheng Wanyan was a bit tired from the journey. She looked at him with somewhat lazy eyes, and Gu Tingxiao felt as though he was being drawn right in.
Gu Tingxiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed his saliva. He turned his head away, his voice husky. “It looks good.”
In her bones, Sheng Wanyan was a competitive and incredibly alluring woman; she thoroughly enjoyed teasing Gu Tingxiao. Every time a restrained look or gesture appeared on Gu Tingxiao’s face or in his actions, her mischievous heart would feel immense joy.
Today, Sheng Wanyan was wearing a halter-neck vintage red dress, paired with a short puff-sleeved outerwear jacket. Both the dress and the jacket were items she had purchased in Hong Kong. The hem of the dress fell just below her knees, looking brilliant and beautiful.
Seeing his dodging gaze, Sheng Wanyan shifted her leg and sat right on his lap.
“Comrade Gu Tingxiao, you’re acting unusual.” Sheng Wanyan’s eyes darted around. She grabbed his collar with both hands and pressed her weight against him. “Speak! Did you do something behind my back to wrong me?”
Sheng Wanyan looked into his eyes, her own narrowing slightly. Gu Tingxiao placed his two large hands on her waist. His entire body was tightly strung, his teeth clenched hard, his jawline prominent and his Adam’s apple rolling, exuding a raw, wild aura.
“Wanyan… don’t tease me.”
“Am I teasing you?” Sheng Wanyan was relentless, simply refusing to let him off, clinging to him tightly.
“Don’t be like this…”
“Like what?” As Sheng Wanyan spoke, her right hand shifted, sliding over his abdominal muscles. The soft sensation caused Gu Tingxiao’s breathing to quicken.
The grip of Gu Tingxiao’s large hands on her waist tightened continuously, as if he were about to snap her waist in two.
Sheng Wanyan’s voice carried a trace of allure as she whispered gently into his ear. Gu Tingxiao’s pupils constricted instantly. His large hand cupped the back of her head, pressing her against the steering wheel as their lips locked together. His somewhat rough hands crudely pulled down her inner garments, causing Sheng Wanyan’s entire body to shiver.
At 10:00 PM, not a single soul was in sight at the foot of the hill. Beneath the trees, the turned-off car shuddered slightly, accompanied by a trace of panting breaths.
…
…
“Hubby, I missed you.”
Two hours later, the car started up, its headlights turning on as it drove in the direction of the military compound.
Returning to the compound, Sheng Wanyan’s legs felt a bit weak as she climbed out of the car, feeling both exhausted and hungry. The family members had already retired for the night. Gu Tingxiao turned off the ignition and stepped out, holding her luggage in one hand while leading her inside with the other.
“Do you want to eat something?” Gu Tingxiao carried the luggage back to their bedroom, then came down to pour a cup of warm water for her, using one hand to massage her waist.
