Zhou Wen Jie was highly suspicious that Lin Yan had also left to escape the war, but it didn't feel quite right.
Regardless of whether that was the case, he likely would never see the woman who had stirred his heart again. In this tumultuous era, one parting could mean a lifetime of separation.
Lin Yan didn't even know his name yet, and he hadn't mustered the courage to speak a single word to her. He was truly a coward!
However, he would strive to write. Perhaps one day she might read his articles or novels and, through them, understand the unspoken affection he held for her.
His ship ticket had been bought and was for three days later. The Zhou family spent those three days packing their belongings. Compared to when they first arrived in Shanghai, their luggage was significantly more now.
Zhou Wen Jie handed his completed manuscript to Editor Lu and settled his author's fees. For convenience, he exchanged the money for gold bars and British pounds, as precious metals were still a hard currency, and Hong Kong was still under British jurisdiction.
After boarding the ship, he gazed back at the land for a long time. Leaving this time meant it would be a very, very long time before he could return. Perhaps by then, his hair would be streaked with white, but he would return eventually.
"Boom!" came the sound of an explosion. The ground shook violently, and earth and stones flew.
"Mr. Lin, the detonation was ten seconds late," a man in work clothes rushed to Lin Yan's side, shouting.
"It must be a problem with the trigger mechanism. Let's go back and continue our research," Lin Yan said, making notes in her notebook with a pen.
This was their first experiment, and the results seemed quite satisfactory. Seeing the joy on the faces of those around her, Lin Yan didn't scold them; after all, they were just beginning, and minor errors were normal.
Lin Yan's position within the research team was growing increasingly prominent, with many experiments being led by her.
The security around Lin Yan had also become increasingly stringent. From just one or two people initially, there were now at least seven or eight guards by her side daily. Even those who attended to her daily needs were skilled individuals.
Although Lin Yan didn't pay much attention to these people, it wasn't easy to slip away from them. After all, except when she was asleep, there was always someone with her.
In the first few days, guards would even enter to check if she was in her room while she slept. Only after she lost her temper did they stop entering while she was asleep.
While Lin Yan hadn't fully revealed her talents during weapon development, what she had shown was sufficient for the current technology. Of course, Lin Yan didn't let anyone know she was holding back.
As Lin Yan concluded her day's work and returned to her assigned quarters, she saw a plate of familiar pastries on the table.
These were pastries Lin Yan had requested, unique to her birthplace. She had been longing for them for a long time, and now they had finally been made.
She wondered if they had learned to make them, or if her father had already sent someone to meet her.
"Miss Lin is back. Shall we prepare dinner for you now?" the nanny attending to her asked. Seeing her looking at the pastries on the table, she added,
"These Furong crisps are from a new pastry shop on Gutting Road. You mentioned wanting to try them last time. I heard that the pastry chef there is from the same place as you, so I bought some for you to taste. Do they suit your palate?"
"Thank you, Sister Wang," Lin Yan replied gratefully. "Let's serve dinner first. I'm quite tired today, so some plain congee and light dishes will be fine." As she spoke, Lin Yan handed her coat to Sister Wang.
"Certainly, Miss Lin. I'll bring it to you right away." Sister Wang took Lin Yan's coat and hung it on the coat rack. Then, she went out to prepare and serve dinner.
Sister Wang had been taking care of Lin Yan for some time and was familiar with her dietary habits, knowing that Lin Yan generally preferred easily digestible foods in the evening, so she prepared congee and desserts.
By the time Lin Yan returned after washing her hands, Sister Wang had already placed dinner on the table.
Lin Yan didn't start eating her dinner immediately. Instead, she picked up a pastry and took a bite. After tasting it, she said to Sister Wang,
"Sister Wang, could you ask them if they have red bean filling and if the sweetness can be reduced by a fraction?"
She then finished the bitten pastry and did not touch any more of the desserts.
Sister Wang was accustomed to Lin Yan's pickiness. "Of course, Miss Lin. I'll ask for you tomorrow."
Although this Miss Lin was discerning about her food and attire, her capabilities made up for it. She was now someone that various powerful figures vied to curry favor with.
Furthermore, her pickiness was a habit cultivated from childhood. Sister Wang had seen Miss Lin's profile; she had even brought her wet nurse and chef with her when she went abroad to study.
She had the means to be particular, and Miss Lin was only selective about her necessities. Her temper was good, and she was very polite to them. It was said that if people in the labs asked her questions, she would answer them truthfully.
The gap between people was truly immense. This Miss Lin, barely in her twenties, knew so much. It was said that she single-handedly established a munitions factory in Shanghai.
All the technology involved was provided by her. When the news first came back, no one believed it. Now that she was here, everyone realized that geniuses truly existed.
Therefore, from the day she arrived, they had received instructions from higher-ups: all of Lin Yan's requests must be met.
However, this Miss Lin was also relatively easy to please. She only made requests regarding the materials for her clothes and personal items, and the taste of certain foods; she hadn't made any excessively unreasonable demands.
She heard that she had been forcibly brought back from Shanghai, and they had expected her to be uncooperative and make a series of impossible demands.
As Lin Yan ate the dinner prepared for her, she had largely confirmed her suspicions. Her father must have already left Shanghai and sent people to meet her.
These pastries were a specialty of the Lin family; only their chefs made them this way. And this particular flavor was one her grandmother liked.
If the pastry shop could later make the flavor she wanted, then she would be certain that this pastry shop was the one her father had found to meet her.
In the pastry shop that Lin Yan was thinking about, a group of people were quietly discussing.
"We've been open for quite some time now. I wonder if we're really doing it right?" a young man said. He was an employee of the shop and a local.
He had joined the underground party a long time ago but had kept his identity hidden. This time, because the matter was extremely important, he had been activated.
After all, a local young man who was familiar with every corner of the city and had friends and relatives spread throughout it was his best disguise.
A local person was certainly safer than an outsider. Thus, he had remained in the shadows, helping the local underground station relay messages.