Before and after the hospital bed
The message from Shen Zhiyan was like a sudden stop, shattering Jiang Mo's newly ignited determination to fight. Heart attack, emergency treatment… these words carried an undeniable seriousness, instantly dispelling any previous suspicions about the "methods," leaving only the most instinctive worry. She immediately replied: "What do you need me to do? Keep in touch."
He didn't reply, presumably he was on his way to the airport.
Back in the lab, the atmosphere became somewhat strange due to Shen Zhiyan's abrupt departure. Researcher Zhou privately told Jiang Mo that the inspection team seemed dissatisfied with the previous data security review results, hinting at potential "undisclosed external connections," which cast a shadow over the project's prospects. Xiao Chen was deeply worried, concerned both about Professor Shen's father and the lab's future.
Jiang Mo forced herself to calm down. She completed her recording as usual, communicated and coordinated with the production team for follow-up arrangements, and even took some time to visit her parents, who were being closely protected by Linda. She appeared flawless, and only when she returned to her empty apartment and faced the silent gray avatar on the encrypted software did a barely perceptible trace of concern appear in her eyes.
The encryption software didn't light up again until late at night. Shen Zhiyan's message carried a sense of weariness from his journey:
[Arrived at the hospital. Condition stable; mild palpitations triggered by overexertion; requires observation and rest.]
Jiang Mo felt a sense of relief and immediately asked, "Are you alright?"
[The situation is acceptable. Medical resources have been coordinated and are in place.]
His reply remained concise, but Jiang Mo could imagine the situation he was facing at that moment—his father, who needed comforting (and maneuvering) in his hospital bed, the possible presence of eyes and ears from various parties in the hospital, and the turmoil within himself.
The next day at noon, Jiang Mo received an encrypted call request from Shen Zhiyan. His voice came through the receiver, deeper and hoarser than usual, against a background of the muffled noise typical of a hospital.
"Taking advantage of his illness, he asked me to temporarily take over the management of several investment sectors related to cutting-edge technology under 'Mingyan Capital'." Shen Zhiyan got straight to the point, his tone devoid of emotion, but his speech was slightly faster than usual. "His reason was that he needed to rest, and I am the person who understands technology trends best."
Jiang Mo's heart sank. This wasn't a handover; it was a binding. Once Shen Zhiyan took over, regardless of his own wishes, from the outside world's perspective, he would be deeply tied to "Mingyan Capital." His father's capital operations operating in the gray area could very well become weapons used against him in the future.
"You agreed?"
“No,” Shen Zhiyan answered decisively. “I explicitly refused. I told him that I couldn’t afford to be distracted by my lab and research projects.”
A barely audible sigh came from the other end of the phone, very soft, yet it struck Jiang Mo's heart heavily. "Then, we had an argument. He thought I was stubborn, lacked a sense of proportion, and didn't know how to utilize resources... still the same old thing."
Jiang Mo listened in silence. She could sense the suppressed disappointment and anger beneath his calm tone. It wasn't the disappointment over his father's illness, but rather the helplessness he felt towards his loved ones who consistently failed to understand him and even tried to distort his life choices.
“Do you know?” Shen Zhiyan’s voice suddenly carried a rare, almost bewildered tone. “When I was little, he wasn’t like this. He would take me to architectural exhibitions and tell me about the power and beauty behind those lines and structures. He had many philosophy and history books on his bookshelf… Later, those books disappeared and were replaced with business reports and financial statements.”
This was the first time he had voluntarily revealed such a private past to her. Jiang Mo didn't interrupt, but simply listened quietly, as if she could touch that lonely figure in the hospital corridor, gradually fading from the warm image in her memory, through the airwaves.
"Jiang Mo." He suddenly called her name, his voice very soft.
"I am here."
"If... if I ultimately fail to achieve the 'success' he approves of in academics, will my life be worthless in his eyes?" This question doesn't seem to come from the ever-rational and steadfast Dr. Shen, but rather from a young man who has been puzzled for a long time.
“Of course not.” Jiang Mo answered without the slightest hesitation, her voice clear and firm. “Your value is determined by the knowledge you create, the principles you uphold, and yourself. It never needs anyone else, including your father, to give you recognition.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. So long that Jiang Mo thought the signal had been lost.
“…Thank you.” He finally spoke again, his voice regaining some of its usual composure. “The situation here is under control for now. I will finish up and return as soon as possible. Stay vigilant in the lab and… other matters.”
"I understand." Jiang Mo paused, then added, "You yourself... be careful too."
The call ended. Jiang Mo stood by the window, her hand on the hot phone, her heart heavy. Her entanglement with her family of origin was more about finances and responsibilities, while Shen Zhiyan faced a tearing apart of values and the emotional blackmail of family, which was perhaps even more cruel.
Over the next two days, Jiang Mo maintained intermittent contact with Shen Zhiyan through encrypted software. He no longer mentioned his argument with his father, only sharing necessary information, such as that his father's condition was stable and he was expected to be discharged soon, and that he had booked his return flight.
Linda's investigation also made progress. She used some unconventional connections in the financial world and vaguely discovered that "Mingyan Capital," through that foundation, had frequent and unclear financial transactions with several shell companies with complex backgrounds overseas. However, she couldn't find any more concrete evidence. Jiang Mo compiled this information and sent it to Shen Zhiyan.
The night before Shen Zhiyan returned, Jiang Mo received a message from him that was completely different from his previous ones:
[In the hospital garden, I saw a climbing rose whose climbing pattern resembled the clustering algorithm you used in data analysis. I took a picture.]
Along with the message came a somewhat blurry photo: under the dim streetlights, deep red flowers climbed along the pergola, and the winding vines indeed presented a unique and vibrant distribution pattern.
Jiang Mo stared at the photo for a long time, then slowly smiled. The usually calm and composed Shen Zhiyan, amidst his father's illness and the struggles of capital, actually found the time to notice a flower and share it with her in his unique "language."
She replied, "As elegant as the Dirac equation. I'll wait for you to come back and verify it."
That afternoon, the day Shen Zhiyan returned, Jiang Mo ran into Xiao Chen in the lab corridor. Xiao Chen mysteriously pulled her aside and whispered, "Ms. Jiang, before Professor Shen came back, he asked me to remotely clean up the cache and temporary files on his office computer, saying he was worried about security risks while he was away. While I was doing that, I discovered… I discovered that his father's assistant seemed to have previously tried to remotely access Professor Shen's computer using some kind of hidden privilege. Although it was blocked by the firewall, it left a trace…"
Jiang Mo's heart tightened suddenly. So, even while ill, Shen Huaiming's hand never stopped probing?
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