She is someone who shares my ideals and beliefs.
"She is someone who shares my ideals and beliefs."
26.
In the final week before the New Year, the laboratories on the twelfth floor were bustling with activity.
On Monday morning, Chongming was suddenly called to a meeting by the director, and in the afternoon he went on a business trip with him. He was gone for a week, so Lanjian went back to his dormitory. With the heavy particle lab missing its big boss, Ma Yue, who was about to go to serve in the military, was jumping around and wanted to party in the lab all day long.
The day before New Year's Eve was a Friday, and also Ma Yuehe's last day working as a research assistant in the lab. He had already handed over his work to Senior Sister Hui and Chongming, and after he left, Xue Xiang would look for a new assistant depending on the situation. Before leaving, Ma Yuehe had a rare serious conversation with Lan Jian.
"You are the last doctoral student admitted to the Institute of Nuclear Energy by the director through special admission, and also Xiang Ge's first doctoral student. We all know that you will go abroad to graduate with a dual degree, but I still hope that you can cherish every day in the laboratory, because I know that you, like me, are attached to this place."
This passage contains a lot of information.
Lan Jian is different from Ma Yuehe. She was not a student that Xue Xiang took in himself. Instead, she went through a lot of hardships before Zhong Shiqing arranged for her to be Xue Xiang's student.
Xue Xiang, Chong Ming, and Lan Jian can be considered direct disciples from the same school. Zhong Shiqing himself has only supervised a handful of doctoral students. He studied and worked abroad until his early forties before returning to Nanlu University. It took him quite a while to become a professor and start taking on students. Xue Xiang was one of the students he watched grow from a junior undergraduate to a master's and doctoral student over more than a decade. After Xue Xiang, Zhong Shiqing took on a few foreign doctoral students, but most of them were jointly supervised with research centers outside the university. He was mainly responsible for providing scholarships to support them. During this time, he took on a doctoral student who was working, but unfortunately, nuclear energy declined too quickly. The student dropped out after one semester and did not return to school for several years, eventually losing his student status.
Although there has always been a shortage of doctoral students, the main team members of Zhong Shiqing's laboratory are all master's students. Of course, the reason why those master's students cannot be retained to continue their doctoral studies is nothing more than the same as that doctoral student who was employed but took a leave of absence - he did not want to get involved in the muddy waters of nuclear energy. After graduation, the students' employment directions are as follows: some work in the semiconductor industry, some work as customs officers at the airport, and some work in the nuclear medicine department of the hospital. A very small number of them went to the fourth nuclear department, and very few people pursued the scientific research route.
By the time Chongming appeared, Zhong Shiqing was already very old, over sixty, and had no desire to take on any more students, waiting for his retirement. Although most professors at the Nuclear Research Institute waited until they were over sixty-five before completely refusing to take on students, Zhong Shiqing had only managed to train Xue Xiang, his "own son," over the years, and now had no interest in taking on any more doctoral students.
Chongming's goal when interviewing Zhong Shiqing was very clear: he wanted to study nuclear physics and go abroad to pursue a doctorate after graduating with a master's degree.
Seeing his exceptional talent, Zhong Shiqing couldn't resist tempting him, "Why don't you consider pursuing a PhD with me?" Chongming refused tactfully, but Zhong Shiqing still understood—if he wanted to pursue a PhD in China, he could directly enter the program from the beginning.
Although Chongming himself didn't mention his family background, given Zhong Shiqing's family connections, even though his father had been dead for many years, his information network was still quite extensive. Since the Lu family had sent a young son to fulfill the last wishes of those who had left years ago, Zhong Shiqing naturally agreed.
As for Meng Lanjian, being taken in by Zhong Shiqing was entirely a matter of fate, directing her to the Nuclear Research Institute. Meng Lanjian graduated from Nanhua University, a top university in the southern part of the country. She had excellent grades and was poised to graduate with a five-year integrated master's program. Although she could have chosen to study abroad, she declined, instead coming to the Nuclear Research Institute with a recommendation letter from her advisor. Nanhua University and Nanhua University are sister schools. The two universities have cooperated closely since their inception, sharing resources, so professors from both institutions are very familiar with each other.
Meng Lanjian originally wanted to study nuclear medicine under Professor Huang Yi, but Professor Huang Yi had too many students. Furthermore, the scholarship system for students from Beiluan University differed from that of local students. While a two-year master's program might be manageable, a doctoral program was a lengthy process, and if she were assigned a less qualified student, she wasn't sure she could afford to support them. Therefore, she passed the buck to Xue Xiang. Xue Xiang disliked forcing people to do things they weren't supposed to.
I asked another professor in the department with whom I had a good relationship what his intentions were, and he said that the professor had strong political leanings and would never accept students from Taipei.
In the end, out of consideration for his old friend, and because he had personally interviewed Lan Jian and was so impressed with her, Zhong Shiqing decided to keep her, making her the last doctoral student he would take on before retiring. However, he had no say in the matter. If Lan Jian wanted to stay at the Nuclear Research Institute, she could contact Xue Xiang; if she wanted to return to Peking University to do her previous research, he could still help her by being a nominal advisor.
Lan Jian thought for a moment and said, "I don't want to go back to Huada University. If Professor Xue is willing to accept me, I want to stay!"
Xue Xiang, with his kind and easygoing nature, readily became the small boss of Lanjian without hesitation. He was the rising star of the Nuclear Research Institute, whose work not only preserved the institute's traditions but also collaborated with other physics units and even some medical units. He had many research projects, so he also paid for "Meng Bo's" upbringing. Zhong Shiqing, acting as a hands-off manager, was always more kind and benevolent towards Lanjian than others.
Why is Chung Shih-ching considered a special exception to admit Meng Lan-chien? Because the Nuclear Energy Research Institute is required to admit one student from Taipei Luan every four years, a rule stipulated in the Nuclear Peace Treaty. The Nuclear Peace Treaty states: "Nuclear energy research institutes in the North and South must admit at least one student from each other every four years to facilitate friendly exchanges and research in nuclear energy development."
The Nuclear Peace Treaty officially came into effect on January 1, nineteen years ago. It wasn't until September of the following year that each of the nuclear research institutes on both sides enrolled one student. Around the eighth year, nuclear energy became a hot topic in both places. The Nanlu Nuclear Research Institute enrolled students from Beilu University for two consecutive years. When Meng Lanjian applied to Nanlu University's Nuclear Research Institute, it was the eighteenth year since the Nuclear Peace Treaty was implemented. The institute had just had one Beilu student graduate the previous year, and the total number of students had already reached five, so it was no longer necessary to provide places for Beilu students.
The Nuclear Engineering Research Institute (NERRI) accepts students from Taipei and Luannan for university studies. The number and method of acceptance are governed by an agreement between the Ministry of Education and National Hua University. However, the NERRI's acceptance of graduate students from Taipei and Luannan must be strictly in accordance with the Nuclear Peace Treaty. Although the students are still students, their special status will prolong the entire process in terms of administrative procedures.
Moreover, at that time, the nuclear research institute had already put its dissolution on the agenda under the new president's consideration.
At that time, Zhong Shiqing felt that given Meng Lanjian's qualifications and determination, it was unfair for the Nuclear Research Institute to reject her. The Nuclear Research Institute was no longer officially associated with nuclear weapons; it was neither a classified academic institution nor a popular major. Therefore, he overruled the objections and admitted Meng Lanjian.
As the director, he wasn't without selfish motives.
On the one hand, Meng Lanjian represents the principles behind the Nuclear Peace Treaty. On the other hand, just as his generation hoped, the Nuclear Research Institute will always be the spark that protects the southern foothills. He does not want the Nuclear Research Institute to be dissolved so quickly. As long as the Nuclear Research Institute still accepts students, and students that it has no choice but to accept, then the Nuclear Research Institute has a reason to continue to exist.
Although this significance cannot last much longer.
Thus, Meng Lanjian became the last doctoral student admitted to the Institute of Nuclear and High Energy Physics. After her, all master's and doctoral admissions were decided jointly by the Institute of Nuclear and High Energy Physics and the Institute of High Energy Physics.
In other words, Meng Lanjian was the last student at the Institute of Nuclear Energy.
Everyone on the twelfth floor knew that the entire heavy particle laboratory was headed by Director Zhong Shiqing's protégés. Xue Xiang was a given, and Chongming, who had returned from studying abroad, was his darling. As Zhong's nominal last disciple, it was only natural that Meng Lanjian was favored by him among his classmates.
Even the two joint doctoral programs that the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology and foreign universities have agreed upon each year will undoubtedly go to Meng Lanjian. This was something that Zhong Shiqing had agreed upon when he handed Meng Lanjian over to Xue Xiangdai.
A dual-degree doctoral program is a collaborative program where doctoral candidates, after passing the qualifying exams, simultaneously hold doctoral degrees from two universities, with the consent of both supervising professors. Meng Lanjian expects to complete her qualifying exams by next May and then go abroad to continue her doctoral studies after summer—almost everyone in the faculty and students on the 12th floor knows about this.
Chongming also knew.
However, when Zhong Shiqing suddenly brought up the matter of the Lanjian Shuanglian, Chongming was momentarily dazed.
Zhong Shiqing was the only person in the institute who knew that the two were the ones who brought together the North and South in the news.
His two beloved youngest students actually got married right under his nose. After Lan Jian's identity was revealed, this old man, well past sixty, began to sigh at the mysteries of fate.
"Although Xue Xiang went to Hawaii, he should also take the opportunity to finalize the Lanjian Shuanglian matter before returning. Chongming, last time you went to the United States to see off your ex-girlfriend, this time, you should also be prepared to send your... junior sister to the United States."
Zhong Shiqing suppressed the urge to use the phrase "the wife of a political marriage" and instead referred to her as "junior sister." Chongming and Zheng Xuerou had just separated, and he assumed there was no romantic feeling between Chongming and Lanjian.
But after he finished speaking, Chongming's expression changed for the first time, and he stood there stunned and speechless. After a long while, Chongming seemed to wake up from a dream and called him "Teacher". Zhong Shiqing looked at him, this student who was like a prodigy, born into a military family, and naturally possessed a heroic air.
However, he has a low-key and calm personality, and his mindset is as peaceful as that of a monk or Buddha.
"I think I will respect Lan Jian's decision."
But Chongming was never a monk or a Buddha; he had all the emotions and desires of life.
"Even just thinking about it now makes me a little reluctant to part with it."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Shiqing was somewhat surprised, "You like Lan Jian?"
Chongming did not answer directly. "Teacher, you may not know, but I am with Xue Rou because she does not want to marry the son of a high-ranking official in the garrison as Professor Huang wishes. I used my identity as Chongming to protect her until she went abroad, which is more than enough. She has had a hard time along the way. It was not easy for her to be able to study in the United States and escape the protection and control of her family. When I went to the United States, I met with her to congratulate her on finally being able to pursue her own independence and freedom."
Chongming didn't elaborate, but Zhong Shiqing understood his intentions.
The Zheng family's influence is far-reaching. The garrison camp is not a military camp, but a faction composed of core leaders in the southern foothills. If Zheng Xuerou had not sought the protection of Chongming, she would have become the next Chongming or Meng Lanjian, forced into a political marriage.
"But Lan Jian is different."
"To me, she is not only my wife, but also my junior colleague."
"She was the last PhD in our nuclear research institute, and she was also our last hope for preserving the institute."
Zhong Shiqing, who had thought Chongming was interested in Lanjian and was going to confess his feelings to him, was also stunned.
"On the day those students caused trouble, on our way home, Lan Jian said to me..."
Chongming recalled what Lan Jian had said to him very seriously after he saw off the special project student that night.
She said, "Chongming is very important to me, especially the Nuclear Research Institute. I will never allow anyone to tarnish it in any way before it disappears. I want it to live its life under glorious responsibilities and become an indelible part of history."
Chongming had no idea whether his long-standing, indelible yet vague affection for Meng Lanjian was a lustful impulse born from the near collapse of reason after a celibate person was put to the test, or an unavoidable intimacy stemming from his duty as a senior brother to take care of his junior sister.
But then one day, Lan Jian told him that the nuclear research institute was very important to her. Suddenly, Chongming understood why.
"She is someone who shares my ideals and beliefs."
@Author: See! It's because your ideas are so "noble" that you've been unable to get any meat (meat)! You'll definitely get tortured later!
@Chongming: Because we share the same ideals, no matter how opposed our positions and identities may be, we will never drift apart.
@Lanjian: Okay, my love.
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