At dusk, the sun sets in the west and night falls quietly.
Lin Zhixia placed a stack of documents on the table and read from the first page to the last. Jiang Yubai happened to pass by her. She distracted herself and called him, "Jiang Yubai."
Jiang Yubai stopped where he was: "What's wrong?"
Lin Zhixia patted another chair, motioning Jiang Yubai to sit next to her. Jiang Yubai had just taken a step closer when Lin Zhixia pulled up his sleeve. Jiang Yubai raised his hand to support her, and she fell on him.
He hugged her for a while before saying, "I'm going on a business trip abroad next week."
"What city?"
“Frankfurt, London, Manchester.”
Lin Zhixia thought thoughtfully: "When will you come back?"
Jiang Yubai answered truthfully: "Early next month."
With this calculation, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai would not be able to see each other for another week. She began to cherish the time they spent together. Jiang Yubai asked her to sit on his lap, and she agreed. He put his left hand around her waist and went through the lab report with her.
Lin Zhixia introduced calmly: "This is the research data that my student Fang Yiwen produced before."
Jiang Yubai turned a page: "What's the current situation?"
"Now, this is what I am talking about," Lin Zhixia said, "I have run into a little trouble, and I want to ask you something."
Before Lin Zhixia finished speaking, Jiang Yubai leaned close to her ear, and the hot air from his breath sprinkled on her ear, making her feel numb and itchy. She subconsciously raised her head and continued, "Fang Yiwen's former mentor was named Qian. Teacher Qian established a key laboratory. This summer, Teacher Qian changed jobs, and his laboratory was assigned to Teacher Qu by the college..."
Before Lin Zhixia finished speaking, Jiang Yubai guessed the whole story: "Teacher Qu doesn't agree to you using his laboratory?"
"Yes." Lin Zhixia admitted.
She was a little troubled: "I have seen Fang Yiwen's experimental design. If we give up Professor Qu's laboratory, Fang Yiwen will have to change a method and start collecting data from scratch, which will delay her a lot of time. She is only in her second year of doctoral studies this year, and her time should be spent on more valuable things."
Jiang Yubai thought for just a few seconds and asked, "Is Mr. Qu the subject leader of your college?"
Lin Zhixia turned her head and looked at him: "Do you have an idea?"
Jiang Yubai suggested that Lin Zhixia find the higher management department and ask about the specific arrangements of Qu Zongyi's laboratory. Then, give the laboratory schedule to Qu Zongyi and discuss the material costs with him.
Lin Zhixia realized: "I understand. When I talk to him about money, it is just like a business matter. It can also be approved by the leaders of the hospital."
Jiang Yubai explained in more detail: "Sign an Agreement for Borrowing Key Laboratories."
Lin Zhixia was eager to try: "Okay, I'll take action tomorrow. If I don't succeed..."
She was about to say "I'll think of a way", but Jiang Yu replied calmly: "Just build a better quantum chemistry laboratory in the company."
"No, no, no," Lin Zhixia immediately refused, "This laboratory is very expensive."
Jiang Yubai asked inquiringly: "How expensive is it?"
Lin Zhixia suddenly became curious, so she whispered to him, "How much money do you think is considered a huge sum?"
Lin Zhixia's straightforward question only meant that she wanted to know the answer, and had no other meaning. She remembered that when she was a child, she asked Jiang Yubai this question, and Jiang Yubai replied at that time, "One yuan is a huge sum of money, because currency is the foundation of the economy and society." Now, Jiang Yubai called her "Teacher Lin."
Lin Zhixia listened attentively: "I'm here."
“Don’t worry about the funding,” he said.
Lin Zhixia held up his hand and said, "Before our quantum technology company turns a profit, don't spend a lot of money on it. If the rate of return is not high enough, you will lose a lot."
She played with his fingers as she spoke.
She gently lifted his fingertips, stroked his joints, and scratched his nails. He held her hand, and she looked up at him. He explained: "In the first two years after Jiangke Software was established, it was losing money every quarter. The Internet industry has high profits and higher risks."
Lin Zhixia confided in him: "Quantum computing is gaining popularity in various countries, and I'm not sure how far it will develop in the next few years."
"We'll take it one step at a time," Jiang Yubai held her fingers tightly, "I have great confidence in you."
Lin Zhixia nodded solemnly.
At nine o'clock the next morning, Lin Zhixia arrived at school on time.
She went straight to the laboratory and equipment management department of the "Frontier Interdisciplinary College" and retrieved the experimental plans of all graduate students in the college for this week. She used the school's internal LAN to execute the Windows system command line program to establish a weekly updated database and successfully synchronized all those files to her own computer.
Afterwards, Lin Zhixia wrote a crawler file and quickly made an experimental schedule related to "Qu Zongyi".
She printed out the form and took a closer look - she was surprised to find that from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning, there was not a single student in Qu Zongyi's laboratory. If that was the case, why did he tell Lin Zhixia that the laboratory was occupied 24 hours a day
Four o'clock on Monday afternoon happened to be Qu Zongyi's "office opening hours".
Just after four o'clock, Lin Zhixia brought Fang Yiwen and stepped into the door of Qu Zongyi's office.
Qu Zongyi had just finished a group meeting. There were more than a dozen students in his group, all gathered together in a lively atmosphere. It was an extraordinary occasion. He glimpsed Lin Zhixia through his thick glasses and greeted her in a friendly manner: "Hello, Teacher Lin. Is there anything I can do for you?"
All of Qu Zongyi's students are older than Lin Zhixia.
When the group of students saw Lin Zhixia, they all responded, "Hello, Teacher Lin."
Lin Zhixia smiled and said, "Hello."
It seemed that the students did not want to stay in Qu Zongyi's office for even a second longer. They smiled at Lin Zhixia and rushed out of the room. When Lin Zhixia heard their footsteps drifting away, she went straight to the point: "Teacher Qu, I came to see you today because of something in the laboratory."
There is an enamel water cup on Qu Zongyi's desk. The paint on the side of this cup has peeled off. He has used it for many years without changing it. He picked up the cup and made a cup of hot tea. Lin Zhixia said, "My student Fang Yiwen spent a whole year on a paper. The experimental data has been collected, the model has been completed, and the only thing left is a verification step... Teacher Qu, it is not easy for students to study for a doctorate. Can you arrange an opportunity for Fang Yiwen before the end of this year? She will not affect other students. She can borrow equipment for about four days."
Qu Zongyi pulled his glasses down an inch, half hanging on his nose, like a dull old scholar. He answered slowly: "At the end of the year, December, I will try my best."
Fang Yiwen stood behind Lin Zhixia without saying a word.
Lin Zhixia added: "The money for the experimental materials can be deducted from my funds. I downloaded the "Agreement for Borrowing Key Laboratories" from the college's official website. Of course, the agreement is just a formality. When it comes to specific implementation, I will definitely have to ask for your consent first."
Hearing the word "Agreement", Qu Zongyi raised his head.
Lin Zhixia took out a "This Week's Laboratory Schedule" and placed it on Qu Zongyi's desk.
Qu Zongyi took off his glasses and flipped through the pile of documents. Lin Zhixia didn't know if he could see clearly without his glasses. Anyway, after a minute, Qu Zongyi said, "Student Fang Yiwen, come to the laboratory on Saturday morning and ask my student to get the key."
Apart from this, Qu Zongyi had nothing else to say.
Lin Zhixia felt that the matter had been resolved satisfactorily.
After leaving Qu Zongyi's office, Lin Zhixia made a list of her tasks for the week in her mind - she had settled Fang Yiwen's experimental equipment, and next, she would deal with the undergraduate students' course withdrawal issues, review the new product launch of the quantum technology company, read Feng Yuan's latest research progress, and complete her own quantum algorithm experiment... Finally, she would go to the airport to pick up Tang Tingting and Luo Ying.
Tang Tingting quit her job in Beijing, and Luo Ying completed her doctorate abroad ahead of schedule. Both of them are going to join Lin Zhixia's quantum technology company, and Lin Zhixia is very much looking forward to becoming their colleagues.
Tang Tingting is smart and cute, and senior Luo Ying is gentle and intellectual. They are not only Lin Zhixia’s classmates, but also friends who have known Lin Zhixia for many years.
Lin Zhixia told Jiang Yubai the news about Tang Tingting and Luo Ying.
She also said that she had made an appointment with senior Luo Ying to take her to visit the university town and the laboratory. Jiang Yubai happened to be on a business trip to Europe next week, so she had plenty of time to receive her.
Jiang Yubai said something that seemed to be inexplicably moving: "I will return home as soon as possible."
Lin Zhixia said in a relaxed tone: "Just focus on your work, don't be too anxious, follow your usual pace, and make sure to take a break. This is what I say to my students as well."
It was eleven o'clock in the evening. Jiang Yubai glanced at the clock and turned off the light. He opened his arms to Lin Zhixia, and she threw herself into his arms, smiled quietly twice, and then said, "You are so warm."
Jiang Yubai unbuttoned his pajamas, removing the thin layer of clothing that blocked his body heat more directly. The cold wind of the autumn night whistled through the window, and the drizzle of rain hit the window, but Lin Zhixia only felt cozy, warm and comfortable, as if she was soaking in a pool of warm water. She yawned and said to herself: "I am going to reform my "Quantum Bit and Computer" course..."
Jiang Yubai asked patiently: "How to change it?"
Lin Zhixia was half asleep and half awake, so she didn't pay much attention to her wording: "Change it so that even you can get 70 points..."
Jiang Yubai's lips curled slightly.
It’s been so many years, it’s a long-lost feeling.
He followed her meaning and whispered: "My foundation is quite weak, the teacher has to give me individual lessons."
Lin Zhixia repeated his words: "Private tutoring..."
Lin Zhixia's voice was too soft for Jiang Yubai to hear clearly. As soon as he leaned over, she tilted her head and kissed him. He was stunned for a moment, and she kissed him twice before saying, "It's fixed. Good night."
Jiang Yubai leaned over slowly and kissed her forehead silently. He replied in a whisper: "Good night, Xia Xia."