Sixty-two stars
It was late at night when the plane landed in Huaizhou and Lin Tang finally woke up full of energy.
The dim light in the room flickered, and the person next to her had their eyes closed quietly. However, she had gotten enough sleep on the plane, and now she wasn't feeling sleepy at all. She was also feeling gloomy because she had to go to the institute early the next morning to catch up on her work.
The New Year's Day dates for Country M and Country C were different, so just because she was on holiday didn't mean they were off too. Milson and the others had been stuck at the research institute these days, occasionally messaging her with questions, but communication online was difficult, so they decided to return to work early.
Lin Tang had no choice but to say to Feng Chibai, "Feng Chibai, can you knock me out with one punch?"
This was the first time Feng Chibai had heard such a nonsensical request, but he refused: "I dare not, for fear that you would fight back. After all, you have learned a little."
Lin Tang persisted, "If you land a good punch, I won't be able to fight back."
"Don't hold a grudge?" Feng Chibai slowly opened his eyes and met her gaze accurately in the pitch-black room.
Lin Tang suddenly fell silent.
Feng Chibai said sarcastically, "I should have known not to bring you a blanket on the plane. It's going to be hard to fall asleep in the cold air at 8,000 meters."
Lin Tang: “…”
She puffed up her cheeks and pretended to stand up and cover his mouth, saying, "Shut up."
But when she got closer to him, a pleasant cedar scent entered her nostrils. She took a few more puffs openly and asked, "Are you wearing perfume? You wear perfume before you sleep?"
Feng Chibai closed his eyes somewhat at a loss for words and reminded, "Shower gel, you have the same smell too."
"Really?" She subconsciously wanted to smell the scent on her body, but the moment she raised her hand, her body lost its balance and she fell unsteadily, hitting his chest.
Then, her laziness struck her uncomfortably, and she lay down straight, not wanting to move at all.
Feng Chibai groaned and gritted his teeth, "You're quite good at finding the right angle to throw yourself."
Lin Tang knew he was in the wrong, but he still managed to say, "What's wrong with leaning on me? You're being so shy."
Just as she finished her words, someone suddenly grabbed her shoulders. His fingertips moved all the way down to her wrist, pressing against her inner Guanxue point. Lin Tang blinked and stuttered, "What are you doing?"
The next second, his fingers began to rub this acupoint and he whispered, "Close your eyes."
Lin Tang obediently stopped opposing him and closed his eyes, feeling the moderate force on his wrist, as if an electric current had touched his body.
But the amazing thing is that my body gradually relaxed and the sleepiness came back again.
*
After returning to the institute and working on the finishing work for more than ten days, I finally delivered the project before the end of February.
Because the test data in the last few days were very good, which undoubtedly demonstrated the success of this cooperation, the leaders of Country M were very happy and decided to hold a media interview meeting. All scientists involved in the project were invited to attend the meeting, which was held in Country M's conference hall.
The journey to Country M was picked up and dropped off by a special plane provided by the leaders of Country M. In addition to the scientific researchers participating in the project, there were also some people from Country C whom Lin Tang did not know.
According to Milson, those people had a special deal with Country M, but the details were not available. They were traveling to Country M at the special invitation of the country's leaders, who wanted to invite them to witness the press conference and discuss future cooperation during their free time.
Lin Tang was actually not very happy to ride on the same plane with them. After all, those people looked dressed in suits, but their faces looked vaguely fierce, and they kept chattering some vulgar words, which made his ears tingle.
But out of decency, she didn't point it out, so she closed her eyes, sighed, and planned to rest for a while.
Just after she closed her eyes for a while, Milson suddenly said to her, "Hey, Lin, are you nervous?"
"Nervous?" Lin Tang opened his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed, not understanding the origin of this sentence. "Shouldn't I be happy?"
Milson smiled and said, "It's indeed worth celebrating. However, I want to know, what is your impression of our country M?"
Lin Tang raised his head lazily and said in a muffled voice, "He's a pretty good partner."
"That's all?" asked Milson.
Lin Tang's eyes tilted, unconsciously becoming a little sharp, but he still kept smiling: "What do you want me to say?"
"Nothing." Milson suddenly stopped asking, "Lin, remember to get a good rest tonight."
The accommodations arranged by Country M for them this time were a hundred times better than their last visit. The hotel was magnificent, with service staff everywhere. Even at every corner, even if they didn't go up to ask, they would take the initiative to come forward and exchange a few words.
Although he was enthusiastic, Lin Tang felt inexplicably uncomfortable, so he discussed with Milson that there was no need to make such a big fuss.
But Milson didn't hear the resistance in Lin Tang's words, and said in what he thought was considerate manner: "Our leaders don't want this visit to leave a bad impression on you."
Since it was specially arranged by their leader, Lin Tang couldn't say anything more.
The day before the press conference was officially held, Milson suddenly came to the hotel and told Lin Tang that she needed to go to the conference room, and only invited her to go.
In the car, Lin Tang was a little confused and asked, "What happened? Is there a problem with the project?"
Milson shook his head and smiled. "No, it's not about the project. It's something that concerns you. Our leader hopes to have a good talk with you."
He kept the secret, and his words and actions revealed that he didn't want to tell the truth at the moment.
Lin Tang was very smart and he understood what she said, so he didn't ask any more questions.
However, she did not suspect anything and just thought it was a matter of work handover. After all, when she was in Country C, Dean Zhang would talk to her from time to time.
Neither of them spoke again until the entire way to the conference hall.
When they arrived at their destination, Mr. Dyson was already waiting there. Mr. Dyson was the leader that Milson had mentioned, and he was also the person in charge of their research institute.
This wasn't the first time Lin Tang had seen him. He had been there last year when they came to discuss a collaborative project to improve the wide-field optical spectrometer. But back then, he had acted like the boss, speaking to them in a haughty manner.
But now, he actually stood up politely to welcome Lin Tang's arrival, and even took the initiative to pour her a glass of water and put it in front of her.
Lin Tang was a little surprised by his sudden change of attitude, but he didn't ask any more questions. He just said, "You looking for me?"
Mr. Dyson smiled and nodded. He briefly exchanged pleasantries with her about what had happened at the Huaizhou Astronomical Research Institute before continuing with a rather roundabout way, "We've always heard that Ms. Lin is an exceptional scientist. However, from what we've heard, the compensation offered by Country C doesn't seem to be commensurate with your talent."
Hearing this, Lin Tang narrowed his eyes and looked straight at Milson who was standing next to Mr. Dyson.
From the previous greetings, she wondered how Mr. Dyson, having never personally visited Country C, knew so much about what was happening inside the research institute. Someone must have told him everything without reservation, and that person could only be one person.
Seeing that Lin Tang didn't respond, Mr. Dyson continued, "We're thinking of hiring Ms. Lin as a foreign researcher at our institute. What do you think?"
The scientific community is not lacking in examples of scientists engaging in international exchange and integration, but the implication of his words gave Lin Tang a vague sense of foreboding. Her brows were sharp, and she sneered, "What do you mean by 'foreign researcher'? Are they here to discuss further collaboration, or are they just here to serve you?"
"Also, have you sought consent from our institute on this matter, or are you just asking for my opinion?" She asked her questions in an orderly manner and waited for the answer.
Mr. Dyson's eyes shone with shrewdness. "We hope that Ms. Lin will become a member of our research institute. As long as you agree, everything will be easy."
He didn't point it out directly, but Lin Tang completely understood what he meant. His expression suddenly turned cold, and his tone was also a little impatient: "I'm sorry, I don't have such an idea."
Mr. Dyson said slowly, "Ms. Lin, please don't jump to conclusions. We offer very generous treatment to foreign researchers here."
"I heard that Miss Lin doesn't have her own real estate in Country C. Don't worry, we in Country M will provide you with all the daily care." He seemed to have enough patience to tell the story.
"In addition, you can host any major astronomical projects in Country M if you wish. From what I understand, it would be very difficult for Ms. Lin to get the right to host a project given her position in Country C."
He was like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue, wrapping around people in circles with great interest, and enjoying watching people hesitate and struggle for what he said.
But unfortunately, the scene he expected did not happen to the person in front of him.
Lin Tang's patience had reached its limit. The constant travels had already worn her out, and she had no desire to engage him. She pursed her lips and said firmly, "I've troubled you with all this talk, but unfortunately, I still don't have this idea. It's not just me; I think the rest of the entourage feels the same way."
Mr. Dyson wasn't angry; this outcome was within his expectations. But he continued, "We don't care about them. We only care about Ms. Lin's opinion. I know you might feel sorry for your country right now, but don't we all live for ourselves in this world? Does our stance really matter?"
"I think Miss Lin is a smart person who knows how to weigh the pros and cons and consider her own situation, so I hope you can calm down tonight and think carefully." He was always good at getting to the point.
He also has enough confidence. After all, the treatment he offers is attractive enough. He feels that no one can stick to the so-called "unchanging" heart in the face of interests.
On the way back to the hotel, the chill emanating from Lin Tang was almost oppressive. Milson sensed it, but he still managed to persuade him, "Lin, I know you're in a difficult situation right now, but I'm sure you can tell that our leaders value you. Plus, we've worked together for a while, so I hope..."
"No, not at all." Lin Tang's eyes were full of aggression as he interrupted him directly, "Please tell him that I won't agree."
But Milson just thought she was speaking out of anger because he hadn't discussed it with her beforehand. He kept saying, "Lin, are you afraid of being called a traitor? But as scientists, isn't research our primary priority? Do those outside voices matter?"
"What's more, Country C treats talents like you very poorly, even worse than some people in the entertainment industry. Aren't you unwilling to accept this?"
"Betrayal?" Lin Tang snorted coldly. "Please don't accuse me of anything. Besides, my country has treated me well. You keep saying that it doesn't matter what you stand for, but if it were you, what choice would you make?"
Without hesitation, Milson said, "Of course I will act in my own self-interest."
Lin Tang found it ridiculous: "I'm sorry, we are different. To me, the benefits gained in this way are extremely humble."
She almost gritted her teeth and uttered the last four words.
Invisible smoke filled the air, and the silent confrontation continued until the car stopped in front of the hotel.
There was another voice in the car: "Lin, I hope we can become a very tacit partner."
But this time, Lin Tang did not continue to be polite as before, he just slammed the car door and left.
After she disappeared, Milson did not leave immediately. He stared at the direction that had long been empty, with a complicated expression.
Suddenly, the hotel's head waiter came to him and warned him, "Pay attention to her behavior and don't let her leave early."
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