Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
The car ascended onto the elevated highway.
Ying Jing kept glancing at Chu Ning from time to time. On the third occasion, when caught during a red light, she suddenly turned her head. “Why do you keep looking at me? Is something wrong?”
Their gazes met briefly, and trying to avoid eye contact now would only make things more conspicuous.
Ying Jing suppressed his inner panic and asked, “I’ve signed the contract—what should I do next?”
Chu Ning gave him an exasperated look. “You’re asking me?”
Ying Jing felt he might have made another foolish mistake, so he simply said, “Oh,” pretending to understand even if he didn’t.
At the northwest gate of C-Hang, Chu Ning truly left this time. Ying Jing stood frozen in place, staring after her until her taillights disappeared into the distance.
Back in the dormitory, Ying Jing took out the contract he had signed that evening and read it carefully. After finishing, he came to one conclusion—it was true. She provided the funds, and he provided the effort. In other words, apart from the money, everything else was up to him.
This responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders, both invigorating and daunting. But soon, the former emotion took over. The enthusiasm of youth was easily ignited, and a broad, golden path seemed to unfold before him. It felt as though a single step forward would lead to soaring success.
Thinking about it, he even felt a little excited!
Ying Jing took several deep breaths, then opened his computer and enthusiastically began drafting a project proposal.
The first step, naturally, was to form a team.
But the question arose—where to find people?
Qi Yu was undoubtedly one. This project had started with feasibility analysis reports created by Ying Jing and him. In terms of familiarity, he ranked among the top three. Moreover, he was a typical hardworking type with solid professional knowledge. There was no better candidate.
When Ying Jing mentioned this to him, Qi Yu agreed without hesitation.
“If you need my help, I’ll definitely assist.”
“It’s not just about helping—you’d be part of the team. Whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t belong solely to me but to ‘us.’” Ying Jing corrected him earnestly.
Qi Yu nodded, considering things comprehensively. “After forming the team, what about using the lab? Will the school approve it? Once we establish our simulation model, we’ll inevitably need to test vehicles, use digital design experience systems, computing systems, and perhaps even future human-machine engineering analysis systems. These devices are complex—where will we put them?”
Ying Jing felt a headache coming on. Placing his hands on his waist, he looked up at the sky. “Let’s take it one step at a time... First, let’s gather the team.”
“But...”
“There are no ‘buts.’” Ying Jing interrupted. “If every step were neatly laid out, it wouldn’t be called scientific innovation.”
It was precisely because of the unknown that courage was needed to take the first step. Without taking action, dreams would forever remain castles in the air.
And so, Ying Jing embarked on the mission of recruiting new members, and the response was unexpectedly enthusiastic!
Many junior and sophomore students were attracted, thinking this was a great opportunity. Regardless of whether they could produce tangible results, having their names attached to the project would give them something impressive to boast about when seeking jobs after graduation.
“Why did you choose to major in aerospace engines?”
The answers varied—
“Because I’ve loved building models since I was young—it’s my hobby.”
“Engineering majors have good job prospects.”
“My dad has connections at X Airlines, so I can work there after graduation.”
“Why do you want to join our team?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend—I need something to do.”
“Senior, do you guys pay salaries?”
“I haven’t joined any clubs yet, and I’m pretty bored. Other clubs aren’t accepting new members.”
By the end of the day, all sorts of bizarre answers had surfaced.
Back in the dormitory, Ying Jing collapsed onto his bed, massaging his throbbing temples. “Talent... real talent is hard to come by!”
Qi Yu flipped through the filtered list of candidates. “Don’t be pessimistic. Aren’t there a few promising ones? Zhang Minglang, Li XX, oh, and this freshman from the Dynamics Department—Wan Pengpeng. Do you remember him?”
After lying down long enough, Ying Jing did five sit-ups in quick succession. Lifting his shirt, his abdomen showed no hint of excess fat. He remembered this person vividly—calm-faced, slim, wearing half-rimmed glasses, quite scholarly.
“Oh, and one more thing.” Qi Yu informed him, “While you were busy recruiting, the class monitor called me—he wants to sign up too. Quite enthusiastic.”
“Zhou Yuan?”
“Mm.”
Ying Jing wasn’t surprised at all by the chubby class monitor’s love for热闹的性格.
“I think he’s suitable. As classmates, we know each other well. Plus, he has good relationships with teachers and a wide network, which might come in handy later.” Qi Yu expressed his opinion and asked, “What do you think, Ying Jing?”
“Zhou Yuan isn’t a problem, but I can’t stand his loudmouthed personality. He’s gossipy and talkative. If you threw him into a square at 7 PM, he’d surely infiltrate the middle-aged and elderly square dance groups and become the lead dancer.”
Qi Yu chuckled at this analogy. “So?”
“So, I think he’s not suitable.”
Ying Jing sat cross-legged on the bed, the two discussing opinions at different heights. “Working on a project isn’t child’s play. Party A is investing real money—possibly a company’s quarterly profit. If someone loses interest and starts blabbing randomly, it could jeopardize confidentiality.”
Qi Yu looked suspicious. “Hmm? Your tone sounds very... worldly.”
“...Does it?” Ying Jing suddenly realized he had unconsciously mimicked Chu Ning’s tone.
That steel warrior woman—she was downright toxic.
Qi Yu still felt sorry. “But we’re all classmates. Isn’t it a bit harsh to reject him outright like that?”
Ying Jing wanted to say that his comments weren’t meant as rejection but rather casual venting among friends.
“We’ll see.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, BANG! The half-closed dormitory door was kicked open. Ying Jing nearly fell off the bed. “Holy crap! Who is it?!”
Upon seeing who it was—ah.
The protagonist of their earlier conversation, Class Monitor Zhou Yuan, appeared angrily at the door. Hands on his hips, his round face was visibly furious. With a roar:
“No need to see anymore! I’m withdrawing automatically! I won’t sign up! Who cares about you guys anyway! Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t come!”
“...”
“...”
Things got awkward—his private criticism had been overheard.
“I’m talkative, I’m gossipy, go to hell! You think you’re so great? Being nice to everyone just makes you a pushover!” Zhou Yuan was fuming, skipping any indirect jabs and confronting him directly.
Qi Yu quickly tried to explain, “Yes, Ying Jing’s words were poorly considered, but he didn’t mean any harm.”
“Hmph.”
“Just like your earlier words were spoken in anger. We’ve joked around plenty during our three years as classmates.”
“You shut up—I don’t believe you.” Zhou Yuan saw right through Qi Yu’s true intentions. “Hmph, don’t think I don’t know—you always side with him.”
Ying Jing thought speaking frankly wasn’t such a big deal and couldn’t understand why the other person reacted so strongly.
So, they remained at a stalemate. Expecting him to apologize was out of the question.
Zhou Yuan slammed the door and left. Ying Jing, stubborn-faced, pointed at the door. “What a joke—I can’t live without him?!”
Qi Yu, stressed, shushed him. “Say less.”
Alright, the team hadn’t even been formed yet, and internal conflicts were already fierce.
Young hearts—sensitive, fiery, bright. Lacking social experience, their likes and dislikes were expressed directly, matter-of-factly, but lacking tact. Attending such a prestigious university, their foundations weren’t weak, and they carried a bit of arrogance compared to others.
Starting from the same line, why should you look down on me?
Perhaps it was this mentality—like bumper cars, colliding with flashes of lightning and sparks.
Zhou Yuan no longer visited Ying Jing’s dormitory and acted like a stranger when they crossed paths on campus. Young boys’ hearts—twisted, peculiar, yet extraordinarily soft.
On Ying Jing’s side, recruitment continued, but in reality, the difficulties were immense.
Some came for the salary, others to embellish their resumes for future job prospects. None of these aligned with Ying Jing’s needs.
Diverging from the core philosophy meant they weren’t suitable.
Finally, a few promising candidates emerged. Ying Jing included them as provisional members for the second round of screening. Wan Pengpeng, the scholarly freshman from the Dynamics Department; Zhang Minglang from the Computer Science Department; and two juniors from the same major—one of whom was fair-skinned and nicknamed “Flower Butterfly.”
Alright, despite setbacks, there was progress.
Just as Ying Jing was about to breathe a sigh of relief, one evening, returning from the lab, he spotted Flower Butterfly lurking suspiciously near the dormitory entrance, peeking left and right while whispering into his phone.
For some reason, Ying Jing, usually carefree, suddenly grew wary. He slipped behind a large locust tree, pretending to pass by casually.
Flower Butterfly’s voice was faint, but when he got excited, it became audible.
“Their recruitment is almost complete—students from the Dynamics and Computer Science Departments, three of them, yes, three... Their grades are good, but they’re quite naive...”
“Yeah, Ying Jing seems to have had a falling out with their class monitor... Mm-hmm, don’t worry, Cousin. I’ll inform you if anything happens...”
“Of course, their level is far from your Design Department’s...”
Holy crap—an infiltrator in their ranks!
Too worldly!
A gust of cold wind swept past, and Ying Jing shivered, utterly speechless.
Flower Butterfly had to go—acting all girly, tsk! Not good at all.
A few days later, another junior said he had reconsidered and prioritized academics, deciding not to participate.
“...”
Prioritizing academics, my ass! Why didn’t you think this through before signing up?!
Forget it, forget it!
Ying Jing was so frustrated he could only manage to eat two bowls of rice.
Late at night, unable to sleep, he tossed and turned in bed like a fish being fried in oil.
Starting from scratch was proving to be such a difficult task.
His roommates gradually drifted off to sleep, their slightly heavy breathing sounding like muffled hammer blows, echoing in Ying Jing’s heart. He buried himself under the covers, inhaling the faint scent of Blue Moon laundry detergent on the sheets, and lay awake.
Morale plummeted. Staring at his grandiose project plan, Ying Jing felt it was nothing but a joke.
He shook his head. “No, no, pull yourself together!”
Ying Jing ruffled his hair, took a deep breath, and picked up his phone.
When Chu Ning received the call, she was just leaving the factory. Work had gone smoothly, and she was driving onto the Fourth Ring Road. Her tone was still relaxed: “What’s up?”
Ying Jing pinched his thigh to sound cheerful. “Nothing much, I just want to treat you to hot pot! Brother Qiang’s place has a new hot pot base. How about it—shall we go?”
The other end of the line was quiet.
He could almost hear her soft breathing.
Ying Jing pinched his thigh harder.
When Chu Ning spoke again, it was the same sentence: “You have something on your mind.”
This time, it wasn’t a guess—it was a statement.
Ying Jing’s breath hitched, then deflated. His tone turned dejected. “I’ve hit a snag and don’t know what to do.”
Chu Ning asked, “Are you at school?”
“Mm.”
She checked her watch. “Wait for me at the southeast gate in twenty minutes.”
Arriving five minutes earlier than expected, Ying Jing was surprised to find he had arrived even earlier. Today, he wore a flight-suit-style jacket, dark blue jeans with fashionable knee holes. Tall and striking, leaning against the roadside, he garnered quite a few glances.
Chu Ning parked her car in front of him, rolled down the window, and removed her sunglasses. Seeing her, Ying Jing finally smiled for the first time that day.
They found a nearby café.
Saxophone music played softly, the retro-European decor adorned with peacock feathers on the tables.
A perfect place for conversation.
Chu Ning leaned back in her seat, one hand resting on the chair back. “Alright, tell me about your problem.”
Ying Jing glanced at her, finding her equally focused.
As if finding an outlet, a torrent of words spilled out.
He spoke quickly but clearly, pausing slightly when excited, creating a rhythmic flow.
“...That’s how it is. Don’t you think Zhou Yuan is overreacting? Damn, I’ve said this kind of thing countless times before, joking around with everyone.”
Chu Ning wasn’t interested in these private friendships. She simply asked, “How capable is this Zhou Yuan?”
Ying Jing answered objectively, “His academic performance is excellent. He’s outgoing, has good relationships with teachers, serves in the student council, and knows a lot of people.”
Chu Ning replied, “If I were you, I’d find a way to retain talent.”
In front of her, there was no need to be awkward.
Ying Jing sighed. “But his flaws are obvious.”
“Who doesn’t have flaws? You do too.”
“What flaws do I have?!” Feeling fired up, Ying Jing felt somewhat defeated.
“Impatient, unable to focus, straightforward without tact.” Chu Ning was blunt.
Silence lingered.
Surprisingly, Ying Jing didn’t argue.
He turned his head, extending his index and middle fingers as if gouging his own eyes. “Ah, why did I even talk to you and invite humiliation!”
Chu Ning smiled. “But you have many strengths too—solid expertise, enthusiasm, and upward ambition. These qualities are the most precious during the project process.”
Weighing pros and cons, prioritize accordingly.
Once you grasp this principle, priorities naturally fall into place.
Ying Jing felt elated by her praise and seemed to understand something, experiencing a sudden clarity—a wonderful feeling.
He remembered something and asked, “If you hold me in such high regard, why that night at the bar did you threaten me, saying I could sign or not sign the contract?”
Chu Ning lowered her hand from the chair back, folding them on the table. Her nails, painted with translucent pale pink polish, accentuated her fair hands.
Looking at him, she softly said, “What else could it be? I was angry with you.”
Ying Jing’s heart fluttered slightly, like a cat’s paw gently scratching.
“What if... I really hadn’t signed the contract? What would you have done?”
It was a test, an impulse to seek an answer—he wanted to know.
After a pause of several seconds, Chu Ning’s gaze remained calm. “What else could I have done... I’d come to coax you the next day.”
Her calm tone struck like thunder.
At this moment, Ying Jing’s breathing quickened, feeling as though he were about to reach climax.
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