“I’ll recalibrate the equipment.” Xie Zhecheng looked away and began typing new parameters on the keyboard. “I’ll test it again before we head back tonight.” He paused, then suddenly added, “Your coffee is getting cold.”
Yu Jiuyuan glanced down at the latte in her hand; the milk foam had already collapsed by half. Just as she was about to speak, Rong Shenghan pushed the door open and came in, carrying a bag wrapped in tin foil, the aroma of which immediately filled the room.
"The beef jerky was freshly grilled. Secretary Lin specifically asked me to share some with everyone." He smiled like a cat that had just stolen some cream, but his eyes darted between Yu Jiuyuan and Xie Zhecheng. "President Xie, would you like to try some? It's said to be high in protein and can boost brainpower."
Xie Zhecheng didn't even look up: "No need, I'm allergic to processed foods."
Rong Shenghan wasn't embarrassed at all, and handed the beef jerky to Yuan Xu: "Then Yuan, eat more. Your bacterial strain might need nitrogen supplementation."
Yuan Xu's eyes lit up immediately. She took the package, opened it, and even shared a piece with Yu Jiuyuan: "Try it, it's really delicious!"
Yu Jiuyuan took a small bite; the meat was firm and had a faint smoky pine flavor. Just as she was about to praise it, Lin Yanran walked in from outside. Seeing the beef jerky in Yuan Xu's hand, her face instantly darkened: "I bought that!"
"Didn't you tell Rong Shenghan to distribute them to everyone?" Yuan Xu said, her mouth full of dried meat, her words muffled.
“I told him to share…” Lin Yanran’s words caught in her throat. Looking at the bits of meat stuck to Yu Jiuyuan’s lips, she suddenly blushed. “…So what if he shares it? Who cares?”
He turned and sat in the corner furthest from everyone, took out his phone and pretended to check messages, but the screen was dark, clearly he was secretly observing them.
Yu Jiuyuan wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth with her fingertips and suddenly found the scene amusing.
Four teenagers, each with their own agendas, are drawn together by invisible threads, engaging in a childish tug-of-war around her.
She only needs to raise her hand occasionally to control the string.
“By the way, President,” Rong Shenghan suddenly spoke, breaking the silence of the wooden house, “the student council is holding a winter fundraising event next week. Secretary Lin said his father is willing to donate a batch of winter supplies, but…”
He drew out his words, looking at Lin Yanran in the corner, "It needs to be named after the Lin Group."
Lin Yanran suddenly looked up: "I didn't say that!"
"Oh?" Rong Shenghan feigned surprise and picked at his ear. "You clearly said at the convenience store just now..."
"Shut up!" Lin Yanran's face turned bright red, and she almost jumped up.
Yu Jiuyuan raised her hand and pressed it against his shoulder, feeling the instant tension in his muscles as she touched him.
She looked at Lin Yanran, her tone just the right amount of gentleness: "It's a good thing that the Lin Group is willing to donate, and naming the company is also reasonable." She turned to Rong Shenghan and said, "Vice President, please take note of this and draft a naming agreement when you get back. I will confirm the details with Uncle Lin."
Lin Yanran was stunned. She opened her mouth, wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.
On the system panel, his negative emotion value plummeted from 25 to 15. A small "+1" appeared after the "3" in the favorability column. Although it quickly returned to 3, it was like a fish under the ice, revealing its tail for a fleeting moment.
“You’ll still grow up to be sensible.” Rong Shenghan smiled and handed Yu Jiuyuan a wet wipe. “Wipe your hands. The oil from the beef jerky will cause frostbite if it gets on your hands.”
His fingertips brushed against the back of her hand, the warm touch sending a jolt through her like an electric current. On the system panel, Rong Shenghan's favorability rating was 63, and the red progress bar moved forward again.
Xie Zhecheng suddenly closed his laptop: "The calibration process has started and will take two hours." He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the noisy room before finally settling on Yu Jiuyuan. "There's a viewing platform outside with a great view."
This was the first time Yu Jiuyuan had heard Xie Zhecheng suggest a place to go. She glanced out the window; the sun was shining brightly, and the distant snow-capped peaks gleamed brilliantly under the blue sky.
"Okay." She put down her coffee cup and straightened her skirt as she stood up. "Yuanxu, do you want to come along? Your strain should be safe in the incubator."
Yuan Xu immediately shook his head: "I have to protect my bacteria! What if the temperature fluctuates?" He hugged the incubator and shrank back, like a mother animal protecting her cubs.
Lin Yanran turned her face away, pretending not to hear.
Rong Shenghan smiled and waved his hand: "I have to keep an eye on President Xie's computer, in case the program malfunctions?" He winked at Yu Jiuyuan, a knowing smile hidden in his eyes.
In the end, only Yu Jiuyuan and Xie Zhecheng walked side by side on the snowy path leading to the viewing platform.
The snow was ankle-deep, and it crunched softly underfoot.
Xie Zhecheng walked on the outer side, his steps as even as a metronome, each step almost perfectly timed.
Looking at his footprints in the snow, Yu Jiuyuan suddenly felt that this perfectionist's life was like a pre-programmed program, precise, but also boring.
"Why is President Xie so concerned about an error of 0.3 nanometers?" she suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
Xie Zhecheng paused. "An error is an error, and a mistake is a mistake. Errors are allowed, but mistakes cannot be tolerated." He turned his head, sunlight falling on his eyelashes and refracting into tiny dappled patterns.
"Just like observing the aurora, a deviation of 0.3 nanometers can result in seeing completely different particle trajectories."
Yu Jiuyuan raised an eyebrow: "It sounds like some kind of philosophy."
“It’s science,” Xie Zhecheng corrected, his tone serious and unwavering. “Science doesn’t need any ambiguous middle ground.”
When the two arrived at the observation deck, a group of photography enthusiasts were setting up their equipment.
The snow-capped peaks were reflected on the frozen lake, like a symmetrical oil painting. Xie Zhecheng walked to the railing, took out a monocular telescope from his pocket, and adjusted the focus with his fingers steady without the slightest tremor.
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