Chapter 27
Ji Zhixing and the other two took their seats according to their name tags. Lin Lang took out his phone and kept taking pictures of the cup on the table. It was a white porcelain cup, something Lin Lang wouldn't normally buy himself, but it was a classic conference cup, and its symbolic meaning was different.
After the initial novelty wore off, the three of them started to get a little bored. At first, the inexperienced trio sat properly in their seats, but later, seeing other contestants getting up to chat with acquaintances or take photos around the arena, Lin Lang had an idea.
"Shall we find a place to take a picture too?"
To be honest, he still feels a little bit like it's not real.
The word "competition" had never been associated with his life; his participation in the competition was entirely accidental and coincidental. Although Ji Zhixing and Xu Dongyang both aimed for the national first prize, hoping to use it to hinder Wang Sikai's path to graduate school, he actually wasn't very confident about achieving it. In his original expectation, getting a third-place finish in the national competition and being recommended for graduate school at Guangling University would be a stroke of good fortune; he never imagined that he, Lin Lang, would one day win a first prize in a national competition!
This day might just be the highlight of his life, so of course he wants to take photos from every angle to commemorate it. In the long run, when he's old, he can lie in a rocking chair, pointing at the photos and telling his children and grandchildren stories from the past; in the short term, these few impressive photos could save his life during a holiday!
Everyone has their off days. It seems like Lin Lang's brain is always a bit loose, and he'll occasionally slip up and get a beating.
He'd already planned it all out: he'd take photos with the medals and certificates he received. During the holiday, he'd print them out to the size of wedding photos, frame them, and hang them in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and his parents' and sister's rooms. Then he'd make a life-size standee to put in the entryway, ensuring his parents and sister saw his greatest moment as soon as they walked in, hoping it would garner them a little more affection for this poor little guy who's always at the bottom of the family food chain.
Also, a life-size poster should be put up outside his bedroom door, so that when his parents and sister need to wake him up early, they'll remember how much he's worked tirelessly for the competition this semester, and that the holidays are a time for him to rest.
Xu Dongyang also wanted to take some photos to make his mother happy, so that when she argued with Wang Zhanpeng in the future, she could confidently say that her son was much better than Wang Sikai! He had just seen Wang Sikai, but after thinking about it, he decided not to go up to him to show off or say anything harsh, as that would be too childish.
Although Ji Zhixing had no living family members to share this joy with, he felt it would be good to take a few photos and burn them for his grandfather. Hmm, he'd also like to leave a few for his great-grandchildren, so they could see them later and know that their ancestor had indeed made significant contributions.
So the three of them took turns taking photos in the venue.
"Here! Here!"
Lin Lang dragged Ji Zhixing and Xu Dongyang to the defense stage, which was the best spot for taking photos, because behind the stage were the huge words "National Undergraduate Physics Competition Defense Venue," which best highlighted the occasion where the photographer was.
As they had just discussed, Ji Zhixing would be in charge of the defense, and Lin Lang would not be going on stage later, so now was the best time to take a solo photo.
Lin Lang stood on the stage, smoothed his hair, and straightened his collar. Sigh, I should have known he would wear a suit.
Ji Zhixing had already raised his phone to take a picture. Lin Lang raised his hands and made a tree branch shape with his hands, grinning and showing 12 teeth. After thinking for a moment, he felt that this was not mature enough - this is a photo that he will show off to his children and grandchildren in the future!
So he patted his cheeks to bring his overly upturned lips back down, placed his hands firmly at his sides, looked straight ahead, and pursed his lips slightly.
"That's enough, that's enough," Xu Dongyang urged. "You look very composed now!"
As soon as Ji Zhixing pressed the shutter button, Lin Lang burst out laughing, instantly breaking his composure.
After Lin Lang finished taking his photos, Ji Zhixing and Xu Dongyang also went up on stage and quickly snapped a couple of shots. Not yet satisfied, Lin Lang dragged the two of them around the venue looking for places with competition logos to take more photos.
Lin Lang was finally satisfied after taking several hundred photos. Although it was a cold December day, all three of them were covered in sweat when they returned to their seats.
Ji Zhixing looked up at the central air conditioning unit on the ceiling, each vent blasting hot air. December was indeed quite cold, but was it really necessary to turn it on so high? The temperature inside the venue was probably comparable to summer.
"Wow, the capital city is really rich and powerful. They're running the air conditioning and heating like they're free." Lin Lang picked up his thesis and fanned himself vigorously.
Ji Zhixing was also a little overwhelmed and was about to pick up the water glass on the table to drink some water when he suddenly felt something was off.
Why... does the water in the cup seem different from before?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lin Lang and Xu Dongyang also reaching for their water glasses, so she quickly stopped them and whispered, "Don't drink yet!"
"Huh? Why?" Lin Lang asked.
Infected by Ji Zhixing's serious expression, Xu Dongyang couldn't help but whisper, "What's wrong?"
"I have a feeling... something's not right," Ji Zhixing said.
Actually, he wasn't entirely sure what the problem was with the water; he just had a gut feeling that something was off.
Xu Dongyang looked at the water in the glass; it was crystal clear, and he couldn't see anything. Lin Lang brought his nose to the glass and sniffed; there was no smell. However, since Ji Zhixing had said so, they didn't act rashly.
Ji Zhixing carefully examined the water in the cup and recalled the state of the water in the cup before they left to take the photo.
It's different! It's definitely different! A small portion of the water in the glass subtly exhibits a texture different from ordinary water.
Simply put, it's like adding oil to water. Although it doesn't have the same density difference and immiscibility as oil and water, there is indeed a liquid substance in the cup with a different density and texture than water.
Ji Zhixing quietly told Lin Lang and Xu Dongyang about his discovery. The two of them quickly gathered around the cup and stared at it intently, but still couldn't find anything unusual that Ji Zhixing had described.
Ji Zhixing felt that this was related to his long-term systematic training. The "attention" and "memory" training in the system tasks were mostly completed in the brain, and the methods were varied. He usually chose to complete them when he first woke up in the morning or before going to bed.
He hadn't really paid attention to how much his attention span and memory had improved. But when he read in the library, he could stay focused for two or three hours straight. Memorizing English vocabulary also felt much easier than before.
At that moment, he focused intently on his observation and indeed noticed something unusual about the water; he even managed to recall the state of the water in the cup just over ten minutes earlier.
The light and shadow, the dust, the tiny bubbles—everything is completely different now!
Ji Zhixing was unsure of the cause of this anomaly. The most likely explanation was that someone had added something to the water after they left their seats! Was this targeted only at them, or was it an indiscriminate attack on all participating students?
Wang Sikai kept an eye on the three of them out of the corner of his eye the whole time. Seeing them staring at the water glass and whispering to each other, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
He got up as soon as they left their seats, pretending to stretch his limbs, and approached their seats. Then, seizing the opportunity, he quickly dripped the prepared medicine into their water glasses, and then returned to his seat as if nothing had happened.
It was the first time he had done something like this, and he managed to maintain a calm facade, but inside he was panicking and his palms were sweating profusely.
But he had no other choice; this was his last chance! Only if Ji Zhixing and the others made a mistake during the defense could he hope to be admitted to the National First-Class University, then be recommended for postgraduate studies at Yenching University, and obtain the shares that Wang Zhanpeng had promised.
Wang Sikai originally thought that Wang Zhanpeng's company would eventually be his, but after seeing Wang Zhanpeng's heartlessness, he dared not be so naive anymore.
Wang Sikai used to think that Wang Zhanpeng loved her very much, at least more than Xu Dongyang, but he was just bound by that helpless marriage and didn't have many opportunities to get close to her.
However, after Wang Zhanpeng's divorce, he had no intention of getting a marriage certificate with his mother, nor did he become closer to her. He knew that his son probably didn't hold much weight in Wang Zhanpeng's heart.
Wang Zhanpeng disliked Xu Dongyang, solely because of their surname. He himself was relatively more favored, probably also because of their surname. However, after Wang Zhanpeng divorced and shed his status as a son-in-law, he could have more sons with his surname.
After both of Wang Zhanpeng's assistants became pregnant, he and his mother had to make plans early, trying to get as much as possible from Wang Zhanpeng before his biological siblings were born.
However, all he and his mother can do now is appeal to emotions.
Men understand men best. Even though his mother and Wang Zhanpeng were childhood sweethearts, his mother was getting old after all, and no matter how well she took care of herself, she couldn't compare to one young and beautiful woman after another.
As for himself, he had very few opportunities to see his father during his childhood. The so-called father-son relationship was all cultivated by him unilaterally under his mother's guidance and by his own cleverness and obedience. Once his son was born and could spend every day with Wang Zhanpeng and cultivate a relationship from a young age, he would have even less of a place in the family.
His only advantage in relationships now is that Wang Zhanpeng sees his younger self in him. Wang Zhanpeng has always regretted leaving Yenching University too early because of marrying into the family, and not being able to continue his postgraduate studies there. That's why he was so happy when Wang Zhanpeng was admitted to Yenching University, and even promised to give him a portion of the company's shares if he got into Yenching University's postgraduate program. All of this was to use Wang Zhanpeng to make up for his own regrets from his youth.
With the baby due in just two or three months, he absolutely couldn't miss this opportunity to get company shares!
Therefore, he painstakingly chose the path of securing a place in graduate school through competitions, and even endured humiliation to please that unassuming junior student. If it weren't for her grandfather being a long-time competition judge, he would never have chosen a woman like that; heaven knows how long it took him to mentally prepare himself before he could bring himself to kiss her.
Despite all the effort and meticulous preparation, he still couldn't get the national first prize. His heart sank when he heard the news.
But how could he possibly give up so easily!
Before the official list is announced, the thesis defense is the last chance. Although this stage is largely a formality, it's not without room for manipulation. He subtly asked Lü Xu to make things difficult for Ji Zhixing and his group during the debate, but was refused.
“Sikai, I deliberately favored you during the selection process, but their project had both technical skill and luck. Winning the national first prize was well-deserved. Sometimes, many things are beyond human control.”
Lü Xu was well aware that his efforts to suppress the zero-gravity seat project during the judging process had already aroused suspicion and dissatisfaction among many judges. The relationship between Wang Sikai and his granddaughter was also known to many, but people refrained from directly exposing his favoritism out of consideration for others.
If he makes another mistake during the thesis defense, then he might lose face on the spot at the hands of the committee chairman, Wen Zhengyang.
Wang Sikai was extremely unwilling to accept the rejection and didn't sleep a wink all night, his mind filled with all sorts of chaotic ideas. He certainly wouldn't dare to commit murder or arson, but what if he could just cause them the slightest physical harm...
Moreover, this isn't unprecedented, and this precedent even originated from Guangling University. Doesn't it seem reasonable for a junior to repeat the mistakes of his senior?
He went to great lengths to buy the desired drug from a certain website and successfully administered it. He was initially worried that they would drink the spiked water before their defense, as they were taking endless photos like country bumpkins.
But now, seeing their suspicious looks at Shui Qi, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful. He shouldn't have acted so rashly.
"What's wrong with your eyes?" Someone gently nudged him from the side.
Wang Sikai was on edge when he was suddenly bumped, which startled him so much that he almost jumped up.
His teammates were next to him. Seeing that Wang Sikai seemed distracted, they kept turning to look at him. Then they saw that his dark eyes kept slanting to the side, almost popping out of their sockets as if he were possessed.
"It's nothing, I'm just too hot, my eyes are a little cramped," Wang Sikai said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Can being too hot cause eye cramps? Wang Sikai's teammates were a little confused, but it was indeed very hot in the venue today.
"Isn't this central air conditioning set way too high?"
"Probably... considering that the judges are all older and more sensitive to the cold..." Wang Sikai touched his nose guiltily, which was actually his handiwork.
He had carefully considered his plan when he decided to drug Ji Zhixing and the others. To ensure they would actually drink the water, the most effective method was to make them feel hot and thirsty. He hired a hacker from a website at a high price to hack into the defense venue's control system, disrupt the monitoring signals, and rewrite the central air conditioning's operating program. This way, whenever the power was turned on, regardless of how the staff operated it, the central air conditioning would automatically adjust to the highest heat setting.
The defense requires a large electronic screen to display the PowerPoint presentation, so even if everyone notices the central air conditioning is malfunctioning, they can't simply cut off the power. This way, they'll be hot and thirsty, and voluntarily drink water!
After making excuses to his teammates, Wang Sikai still kept glancing at Ji Zhixing and the others out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that the three of them were still staring at their water glasses and whispering to each other, he became very anxious.
No, they couldn't possibly have discovered there was something wrong with the water.
He bought the drug on the dark web; it's a psychotropic drug, generally used on women. According to the seller, just one drop in water will quickly disrupt a person's central nervous system upon ingestion. Although they may appear outwardly normal, their mind will be completely confused, and their speech will become incoherent.
Most importantly, it is absolutely colorless and odorless; even if dropped into pure water, it will not cause any noticeable abnormalities. Furthermore, it is metabolized quickly; the medication will be excreted from the body through sweat within two or three hours, and even if a hospital check-up afterwards, no problems will be detected.
Wang Sikai tried his best to calm himself down, recalling the seller's description. But when he saw Ji Zhixing get up and talk to a staff member, while Lin Lang and Xu Dongyang remained in place, staring intently at the cup, he knew he had been discovered.
His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of his throat.
"You mean your water has been drugged?" The staff member was extremely surprised when he heard Ji Zhixing's words.
“It might not be medicine, but something was definitely added to the water,” Ji Zhixing said.
The staff member followed Ji Zhixing to check the water in their three cups: "It seems... there's nothing wrong with it?"
However, Ji Zhixing insisted that he saw a substance in the water glass that was different from water.
Just then, the judges entered the venue. The staff, unsure of what to do, reported the situation to Wen Zhengyang, the chairman of the judging panel.
Wen Zhengyang frowned. Ji Zhixing and his team had finally managed to stand out in the competition; they wouldn't deliberately cause trouble in this final stage. Since Ji Zhixing said he had discovered something unusual, it was highly likely that something had indeed happened.
Wen Zhengyang and several judges went over to examine the three glasses of water, but no one could find anything unusual. However, out of a sense of responsibility to the students, Wen Zhengyang still asked the staff to call the police immediately.
Because it involved a national college student competition, the police took the report very seriously and dispatched Jing Chai, who has many years of criminal investigation experience, to lead a team to the scene.
The three cups of water were immediately sealed and sent to a specialized laboratory for analysis.
The on-site technical police became even more vigilant after discovering that the venue's surveillance system and central air conditioning system had been deliberately altered, indicating that this was definitely a premeditated action.
The lab quickly reported back that, in addition to water, the cup did indeed contain a psychoactive drug, although it had almost completely evaporated, some traces remained.
The police officers present then split into two groups: one group examined the evidence at the scene, and the other group questioned the students, judges, and staff present.
As the first person to notice something amiss, Ji Zhixing was naturally the focus of his interrogation.
"How did you figure out that the water was wrong?" Jing Chai asked.
The police officers present, including Jing Chai himself, had looked at the three cups of water and couldn't see anything other than water.
Ji Zhixing avoided mentioning the system's existence and replied, "I have been doing some scientific attention and memory training, so my observation and memory skills are relatively good."
Jing Chai asked a few more questions, and then moved on to the next person.
After being questioned, Lin Lang was still a little shaken: "Wow, Officer Jing's eyes are even sharper than an X-ray."
X-rays can see through a person's genitals, and Officer Jing could practically see into a person's heart. Just now, that single glance almost made him blurt out the story of how he wet the bed in third grade and framed his father!
If Lin Lang, who has a clear conscience, is like this, then Wang Sikai, who feels guilty, is even more so. Even if he is more shrewd than his peers, he is still child's play compared to a veteran police officer who has dealt with criminals for years.
Even though Wang Sikai tried to remain calm, Jing Chai still noticed his unusual behavior. What happened next was simple. Even without witnesses or surveillance footage, there were clues to Wang Sikai's online drug purchases and hacking activities. Even though he deliberately used several proxy servers, the police technicians could easily find the information.
Wang Sikai was immediately detained and taken away by the police.
Because of the chaos, the subsequent presentations were abruptly ended. The award-winning students were not in high spirits, especially Wang Sikai's two teammates. Although they were not implicated, they were still very heavy-hearted.
Ji Zhixing and the other two were lucky to escape unscathed, but the thought of the possible consequences of the psychotropic drug kept them from getting excited.
Other contestants were either frightened by the drugging incident happening around them, or they were too nonchalant to take it seriously but were too intimidated by the atmosphere to show their joy.
The awards ceremony was as somber as a funeral, and the staff were scratching their heads in worry. This won't do. Will the photos be presentable?
The CUPT competition has always been the most important competition for undergraduate physics students in China. Therefore, every year, reporters come to take photos at the award ceremony and release a news article.
Ji Zhe had been in charge of this work for several years, and this was the first time he had seen such a disheartening awards ceremony. Originally, he didn't take it too seriously; it was just a routine matter, and such competition reports wouldn't really attract much attention.
But his eyes widened when he saw the list of winners. The name "Ji Zhixing" has been the focus of news recently, with several related terms trending on social media.
Ji Zhe was secretly delighted; perhaps today's news could even help him achieve his monthly KPI!
Can't everyone please smile and cheer up? Each photo is so somber; who would believe this is an awards ceremony?!
Fortunately, the staff also felt that such a photo archive would look bad in the history of the CUPT competition, so they tried their best to stir up everyone's emotions.
"In addition to receiving medals and certificates from the organizing committee, winners will also receive prizes from the sponsors!"
Prizes? Oh right, I've heard from previous participants that the six winning groups, totaling 18 people, will all receive the same prizes. Although the sponsors change every year, the prizes are always quite substantial. I wonder what the prizes will be this year.
Seeing the staff shouting so enthusiastically, Ji Zhixing and the others smiled in response, showing their anticipation.
"The prize is—" The staff member displayed the row of exquisite boxes on the table and solemnly opened one of them.
Ji Zhe also placed his hand on the camera button, ready to capture Ji Zhixing's joy at the moment he learned about the prize.
The staff member announced in a loud voice: "The prize is a Rolex Ocean Star watch worth 110,000!"
Ji Zhe frantically pressed the shutter button, then looked at the photos and thought, "Huh? Why does he look so speechless?"
Ji Zhixing stared at the Rolex—what kind of karmic entanglement did he have with watches?!
A note from the author:
Ahem, the first prize in a certain physics competition was actually a watch...
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