Another month passed, and the ship was finally about to arrive at the port of Haishi.
Everyone came up to the deck, their hearts pounding with excitement as they watched the coastline draw ever closer.
The 26 researchers were even more excited than the day they boarded the ship, and they couldn't help but burst into tears.
The person who has been away from his homeland the longest is Professor Jia, who has been away for more than 40 years. The shortest time is more than ten years. He was full of ambition to go abroad to learn advanced technology and come back to serve his country. Little did he know that once he left, he would be unable to control his own destiny.
Over the years, they have been like trees without roots, seemingly growing stronger in a foreign land, but all of that is just to hold onto their research results—something more important than life itself, the confidence that allows their motherland to stand tall.
Countless nights, the laboratory lights stayed on until dawn; countless times they collapsed from exhaustion beside the instruments, but they did not give up. They continued to work hard, supported by a belief that one day they would return.
Finally, that day has arrived!
Cheng Yanqiu wrapped the urn in his arms again, and it seemed as if he could hear the repeated instructions from his two elders before their deaths.
"Yanqiu, you must bring Grandpa (Daddy) home."
With tears welling up in his eyes, he murmured, "Grandpa, Daddy, do you see? I've finally brought you back."
At this moment, the cold wooden box seemed to have gained warmth, as if responding to the familiar land it was about to step into, with the slight rocking of the ship.
Lu Yuan was deeply moved as he looked at the group of people who were supporting each other and crying like children.
At this moment, they are a group of children who have been away from home for a long time and have finally returned to their mother's embrace.
They can shed all pretense and defenses, temporarily put down the burdens on their shoulders, and head towards home to tell their motherland about the hardships and longing they have endured over the years.
Cry, cry your heart out, and then smile as you step onto that land you've always longed for.
Closer and closer, the ship finally docked.
Everyone had composed themselves and, with smiles on their faces, carried their luggage and set off for the land they had longed for.
Lu Yuan, holding Sanbao and Sibao, grinned foolishly.
The moment their feet touched the shore, everyone felt a sense of relief.
The news of their impending return had already reached the country, and the higher-ups had sent people to wait for them at the dock; these were members of the special forces.
They don't know exactly when they will arrive; they have been waiting at the dock for a week now.
Today, we finally saw familiar faces disembark, and the team members who were waiting here were very excited.
"Director Lu, Captain Su, Captain Chen, you're finally back."
There were only two people guarding the place. There was no way they could move all the stuff on the ship. One of them said, "Director Lu, I'll go make a call right now."
Lu Yuan and his group waited at the dock for about half an hour before the armed forces department sent people and vehicles to pick them up.
Lu Yuanxian, along with his two children, Cheng Yanqiu, and 26 researchers, went to the guesthouse to settle in. Su Tingxiao and the others stayed behind to hand over their work, report on their tasks, and handle the follow-up matters.
The Jinjiang Hotel, the best hotel in Shanghai, was arranged for Lu Yuan and his group.
The Jinjiang Hotel is best suited to entertain high-ranking domestic officials and foreign guests, and operates under a dual-track system.
Accommodation for high-ranking officials in China is usually charged at a nominal price, mainly based on a letter of introduction to verify their status, generally ranging from five to ten yuan.
However, at that time, ordinary guesthouses only cost five or one yuan, while charging five or ten yuan here was obviously very expensive.
However, if foreign guests stay at the hotel, the price will be several times higher, basically between 40 and 60 per night. The price of a suite is even higher, possibly reaching 80 per night, and foreign exchange certificates are required.
Although the Foreign Exchange Certificates and Chinese Yuan were nominally equivalent, the Foreign Exchange Certificates were actually worth more. Foreign Exchange Certificates could be used to buy sought-after imported goods and high-quality items at the Friendship Store, but Chinese Yuan could not.
Although the rooms arranged for Lu Yuan and his group were standard rooms rather than suites, they were still much better than those in ordinary guesthouses.
Ordinary guesthouse rooms don't have bathrooms; you have to go to the public toilet at the end of the corridor to wash up and use the restroom.
But this place is different. Even the standard rooms have private bathrooms, so you don't have to go out to wash up or use the toilet.
It also has 24-hour hot water, making washing and showering very convenient. It's similar to hotels in later generations.
Another advantage here is that it's very convenient to eat. When you arrive at the restaurant, you just go downstairs to the dining area to eat. For this group of people, it's all free; they pay for everything.
After drifting on the ship for so many days, none of us had had a proper shower. The first thing we did when we got to the hotel was to take a shower and freshen up.
Lu Yuan was no exception. He went into the space to take a combat bath on New Year's Eve, and then didn't have a chance to go in again, so he has been holding back until now.
Even in winter, he felt like he was about to spoil.
After taking a good bath with my two sons and changing into clean clothes, I finally felt much better.
I went out of the room to find everyone to go downstairs for dinner. After filling my stomach, I went back to the room and took a good nap.
I slept straight through to noon the next day.
They thought they could go back to their hometown after waking up, but they received a new task: to help appease the group of researchers who came back with them.
"Appease? What do you mean?"
Lu Yuan asked Su Tingxiao, puzzled.
Su Tingxiao pursed his lips before frowning and explaining the reason for the matter.
The families of these 26 individuals were all implicated because of their overseas connections and were relegated to various localities.
"grass!!!"
Lu Yuan couldn't help but swear.
"During the months we were away, didn't they even think about clearing the name of the family members?"
Chen Beilin wiped his face and sighed, "Their information was incomplete before. We only reported their family's situation in detail after we came back. We investigated their family's situation overnight, and this morning we sent back the news of everyone. That's the situation. No one has been exonerated yet."
Lu Yuan was speechless, not knowing what to say!
What kind of situation is this? People work so hard outside, trying to achieve something and come back to contribute, but their families suffer because of them. How are they supposed to feel?
Lu Yuan couldn't even guarantee that their beliefs wouldn't collapse after they learned the truth.
Lu Yuan rubbed his face hard; he was too ashamed to go and tell them these things.
"Has the $20 million been handed over?"
"I've paid it," Su Tingxiao answered truthfully, wondering why he suddenly asked about it.
"Did the document say what we should do to appease them?"
Su Tingxiao immediately understood that their Director Lu wanted to appease them with money.
"They haven't said anything yet, only that they hope we can find a way to appease them, and that they will issue the exoneration document as soon as possible."
Lu Yuan waved his hand, "Go and apply for funding, at least $1.3 million. Just say it's a reward for their group of researchers. Also, the research equipment and books they brought back should be charged separately. Those equipment are worth at least a million or two."
"Yes, Director Lu."
Su Tingxiao gave a military salute before turning and leaving.
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