“Let’s discuss this downstairs!” The dean coughed, then walked off the stage with Ni Guangnan. He asked helplessly, “My senior brother, what do you mean by this? Does this Tong He have a background at home, or do you genuinely fancy this truant?”
“If this Tong He had a background at home, would his parents be out here making such a spectacle of themselves?” Ni Guangnan glanced at Tong He’s parents, and the dean nodded.
Indeed, if he were Tong He’s parent, he would simply find someone to speak a few words behind the scenes. For example, if he’d only missed a few days of class, even missing a year would be fine. There would be no need to go to such lengths.
Moreover, even if it reached this point, he would never show his face to pressure his child. Instead, he would quietly resolve all issues behind the scenes, giving everyone a graceful exit.
“Then you genuinely fancy this fellow?” the dean asked.
“Yes, I intend to take him as my personal disciple!” Ni Guangnan nodded. “He is a genius, more of a genius than you were back then… by a lot.”
“But I’ve also looked into this fellow’s situation. He’s studied at our school for three years. While his grades are always among the top in his class, he isn’t the absolute best. And rumor has it that as soon as class ends, he’s holed up in internet cafes playing games. Recently, he’s been continuously skipping classes for a week straight. Is such a fellow truly a genius?” the dean asked incredulously.
“Isn’t this being engrossed in playing games and thus wasting his talent? But that doesn’t mean he lacks talent.”
“Also, his skipping class this time isn’t entirely his fault. The main responsibility lies with me. He accompanied me for three days of experiments. Otherwise, he would have only been out for at most one night before returning. If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have actively sought you out, as this is embarrassing enough for me!” Ni Guangnan said with a wry smile.
Indeed, for scholars at their level, behind-the-scenes matters like these were usually resolved over dinner and conversation. They wouldn’t directly come to such an important occasion to pull someone aside to talk.
This meant that if Ni Guangnan didn’t feel he owed a debt of conscience, he wouldn’t have sought out the dean.
“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” The principal felt like laughing and crying. “You two should have said something earlier. If this child had just told me he was doing experiments with you, how could I have let things escalate to this point?”
“Firstly, this child signed a non-disclosure agreement. The experimental matters are not allowed to be publicized, which is why he didn’t say anything. Secondly, even if he wanted to tell you, he couldn’t have reached you. Would you casually meet a child who was being disciplined?”
“Alright, he didn’t dare to say anything, but couldn’t you have called me?”
“I didn’t know. I was constantly conducting experiments, and this child kept it to himself. I only found out last night. I wanted to call you but discovered I didn’t have your phone number. I called your school’s office number, but it was probably after work, and no one answered. So, I decided to come find you myself this morning!” Ni Guangnan explained.
In reality, Ni Guangnan was lying. If he had truly wanted to contact him, he could have asked a few colleagues to find the principal’s contact information. However, Huang He was being uncooperative, and this fellow was intentionally causing Tong He’s school to lose face.
Huang He was a very protective person, and Tong He was now Huang He’s darling. Huang He intended to use the most ostentatious methods to help Tong He vent his anger. Therefore, Huang He stopped Ni Guangnan, saying that the child’s matters should be resolved by the child himself.
Ni Guangnan was helpless. Thinking that he still owed his old classmate, he rushed over to warn his old classmate.
“Fine, I understand. On your account, I’ll hand over his academic record to you. Let him transfer to your Southeast University. He definitely can’t stay at our school anymore, and the other school leaders won’t look favorably upon him!” the principal said helplessly.
“Then it’s settled. You’ll cooperate with me to transfer his academic record!” Ni Guangnan said with a smile.
“Of course. Do you want me to swear an oath?” The principal rolled his eyes. Ni Guangnan chuckled. Southeast University was his alma mater and had always had a good relationship with him. He certainly wanted to help his alma mater gain some benefits.
“However, I advise you not to get your hopes up too high. Geniuses are everywhere in this world. Can this Tong He truly achieve any significant scientific research results? I advise you not to hold out too much hope!” the principal said with a grin.
“That’s not for you to worry about. Because he has already achieved a significant scientific research result, and it’s a tremendous achievement unprecedented in the entire Chinese physics community.” Ni Guangnan smiled.
“What did you say? What achievement?” the principal asked, stunned.
“You’ll know soon enough… Look, it seems they’ve arrived!” Ni Guangnan looked towards the school gate. The principal also looked and saw many people crowding at the entrance, and by the looks of it, there were also many reporters.
Soon, the head of the administrative department also came down from the stage and said to the principal somewhat anxiously, “Principal, the gatekeeper just reported that Huang He, the chairman of Jiangnan Group, has arrived with many reporters. Are we to let them in?”
“What does this capitalist Huang He want?” The principal instinctively felt something was wrong and immediately said, “Don’t let them in yet. Just say that our anniversary celebration is not convenient for outsiders to attend. After the celebration, I will personally greet him. Have them wait in the administrative building first.”
“But Principal, it’s not just Huang He, but also Deputy Mayor Liu. He has also arrived.” the administrative head said.
“Deputy Mayor Liu is also here. Then what are you still standing here for? Come with me to greet him personally!” The principal was greatly alarmed. Deputy Mayor Liu was specifically in charge of science and education, and he was the superior of the principal’s superior. How could he dare to put on any airs? He immediately walked towards the school gate.
In fact, it wasn’t just the principal; everyone on the stage was alerted. Upon hearing that Deputy Mayor Liu had arrived, they all left the stage and followed the principal to greet the distinguished guest, leaving the entire stage eerily empty. The host could only soldier on with the planned proceedings.
Fortunately, this segment was for outstanding student speeches. The absence of leaders on the stage did not affect the continuation of the celebration ceremony.
However, these leaders came and went quickly. After an outstanding student finished their speech, the principal and other leaders, escorting Deputy Mayor Liu, ascended the stage. Deputy Mayor Liu warmly held Huang He’s hand.
“Mayor, the microphone is for you. Do you have anything you’d like to say to our students and school?” The principal proactively handed the microphone to Deputy Mayor Liu.
“No, I just have one sentence!” Deputy Mayor Liu smiled, then took the microphone and said, “Dear teachers and students, and all staff members, hello. I am very pleased to attend today’s centennial celebration. This is a joyous occasion. I should have come today, but I had a more important joyous event to attend to temporarily.”
“But unexpectedly, things have worked out well now. Two important events have coincided, making it a joyous occasion upon a joyous occasion.”
“So, what exactly is this joyous occasion? I won’t say. I’ll ask Mr. Huang He to tell everyone personally!” After speaking, Deputy Mayor Liu voluntarily handed the microphone to Huang He beside him.
“Thank you, Mayor Liu!” Huang He smiled honestly and then said into the microphone, “I am indeed here today to announce a great piece of good news: your school’s student Tong He has won our first Huang He Physics Prize. I heard that student Tong He is here now, so I have specifically come to present the medal and the bonus!”
Huang He snapped his fingers, and two beautiful禮儀小姐 (lǐyí xiǎojiě - etiquette ladies) carried a huge check for 10,000,000 RMB in cash onto the stage.
“What, this is the prize money for the Huang He Prize!” The school leaders behind them, who were already somewhat dazed by the appearance of Deputy Mayor Liu, became even more dazed upon seeing this enormous cash check.
They had already learned about the Huang He Prize. In fact, almost the entire Chinese scientific research community knew about the Huang He Prize almost immediately.
After all, it was a massive prize money of 10,000,000 RMB, even surpassing the prize money of the Nobel Prize. From this aspect alone, the Huang He Prize instantly became one of the most famous awards in the country.
Everyone hoped to win the prize, as the “gold content” of this award was truly undeniable.
They only hoped that the leaders clearly understood that whether it was them, the leaders, or the experts and professors in the audience, they were all incredibly far from winning the Huang He Prize. They were merely envious and had never imagined that the Huang He Prize, along with the 10,000,000 RMB cash check, would actually appear before them.
But who was this Tong He? There wasn’t a single expert or professor named Tong He at their school!
Only at this moment did a few people in the entire school realize who the award-winning Tong He was. The principal, who had been enlightened by Ni Guangnan, looked at Ni Guangnan beside him in shock, and Ni Guangnan nodded.
“Please, Mr. Tong He, come to the stage to receive your award!” Huang He said in a clear voice. However, after saying this, no one came onto the stage.
So, Huang He turned his head and looked at Tong He, who was by the side of the stage, and winked. “Mr. Tong He, do you plan to keep me waiting here until you come to the stage?”
“Oh!” Tong He finally came to his senses and then, with a hesitant demeanor, walked to Huang He’s side under the astonished gaze of all the teachers and students, and asked in a low voice, “Chairman, what’s going on?”
“Nothing much. I just created a research award, and your research success won the Physics Prize!” Huang He turned off the microphone and whispered, “Do as I say, and don’t refuse!”
“Oh!” Tong He nodded blankly. Then Huang He turned the microphone back on and said in a very loud voice into the microphone, “Student Tong He, although currently only a third-year undergraduate, has discovered a stereoscopic three-dimensional structural material of a silicon element’s hybridized structure at the age of maturity.”
“This material, with its unimaginably remarkable properties, has broken through the attributes of single-crystal silicon, becoming a superior basic material for semiconductors. This is an unprecedented material, a great material capable of shattering the existing computer chip structure and building entirely new, grander chips!”
“This will powerfully fill the gap in our country’s research and development work in the computer materials industry, change the chip research and development and manufacturing processes that have continued for 60 years, and lay an unparalleled foundation for our country to achieve technological breakthroughs in the chip field.”
“As the saying goes, achievement is not dependent on age. Just as Huo Qubing was enfeoffed as Marquis Champion at the age of seventeen, it is fitting that Tong He, at eighteen, receives my Huang He Physics Prize today. My Huang He Prize never looks at age, only at the magnitude of the research results!” Huang He said resolutely.
Whether it was the students and staff in the audience or the leaders on stage, they were all dumbfounded.
“Old Ni, is this multi-structure crystalline silicon what you were referring to as the important experiment?” The principal gasped and asked Ni Guangnan beside him.
“Yes!” Ni Guangnan’s face turned slightly red, but he still nodded. “That’s right.”
“Does the multi-structure crystalline silicon material you mentioned truly surpass single-crystal silicon by far, as the award speech stated?”
“Not by far, it completely crushes it. The gap is like trying to smash a stone with an egg!” Ni Guangnan said.
“……Ni Guangnan, I understand now!” Suddenly, the principal roared, “You did this intentionally! You’re trying to trick my student. This is our school’s top alumnus! We’re counting on him to take care of the alma mater in decades to come. Give him back to me!”
The principal grumbled, and at this moment, a banner hanging near the school stage, reading “Today I am proud of my school, tomorrow my school will be proud of me,” fluttered brilliantly in the wind.