The rejuvenation of a great nation: from educated youth to national treasure scientist

Lee Sang-hyeok was very dissatisfied and angry.

Because he thinks he's a genius too.

I am Wang Haoran's classmate.

He is now a leading figure in scientific research and an academic giant.

Am I worse than him?
I'm not much worse than him.

Why don't you value someone as talented as me?

Didn't you clearly state in your writing that you would treat all talented people well?
You even welcome foreign talent and will take good care of them.

I saw on Weibo that talented people from Russia, once they go to Russia, are given resettlement housing, citizenship, and their children are arranged to attend the best schools.

I am a true dragonman.

Is this how I'm being treated, just because I was once a citizen of the Great Eagles?

You guys have gone a bit too far.

Lee Sang-hyeok was furious.

However, he dared not show it.

He was very weak.

At most, he would only dare to yell at the weak once or twice.

Lee Sang-hyeok obediently completed the visa application and returned home.

He was in a bad mood throughout the journey.

He'd saved up money for over a decade, and now it's all in RMB.

He was filled with a burning desire to return and serve his country.

However, his former motherland reacted very coldly.

How could this be?
Even if I betrayed you in the past.

But haven't I already reflected on my actions?

Haven't I already apologized for my ignorance?

Why won't they give me even the slightest bit of normal treatment?
After returning home, Lee Sang-hyeok searched for information online.

He wanted to submit his resume to some of the universities and research institutions in the dragon region.

He refused to believe that those organizations would reject him.

Once the work-related issues are resolved, everything else should be easier, right?

Lee Sang-hyeok found numerous job postings from various organizations within the Dragon Kingdom online.

He then sent his resume to the email address provided.

He was extremely confident when he submitted it.

He thought, "I am, after all, a PhD from a prestigious Ivy League university, and I have some influential research achievements and a few well-known papers."

Finding a high-paying job is a piece of cake, isn't it?

He had never checked the recruitment information of the Giant Dragon Organization before.

Because he never intended to go back.

When he first started looking up the relevant information, he was stunned.

Because the treatment they offered was too good!

It's almost five or six times, or even twenty times, more than the giant eagle's side.

It's pitiful that even though he earned his doctorate at the University of the Eagle and had a tenured position, his monthly salary was only seven or eight thousand dollars.

Before the value of the greenback depreciates, this salary is acceptable.

But the value of green paper is depreciating too fast!

If calculated according to the current black market exchange rate, seven or eight thousand dollars is only a little over a thousand RMB!

Meanwhile, the monthly salary of the other party's senior researchers is already at least tens of thousands of RMB.

No wonder people online say that intellectuals in the dragon kingdom enjoy a very comfortable life.

They have high salaries, subsidized housing, and their employers provide ample benefits. Even seeing a doctor is much faster and more convenient for them.

Lee Sang-hyeok didn't really believe these claims before.

He originally thought it was just publicity.

Who would have thought that all of this was actually true?

Lee Sang-hyeok thought sourly: If I had returned to Korea after completing my studies back then, I could easily be earning tens of thousands of yuan a month by now.

Now look what's happened; I'm almost 40 and haven't accomplished anything.

Lee Sang-hyeok sent out notices for all the positions he was interested in.

He specifically went to check the job postings for Pangu Technology Company again.

This company does offer very high compensation.

Typically, the salary is 50% higher than other companies, and top talents often receive double the salary.

Moreover, this company also issues bonus shares.

In other words, if you perform well, in addition to your salary and bonuses, you can also receive stock dividends.

This company is not publicly listed, but it has distributed a large number of shares to its employees.

Lee Sang-hyeok was quite excited watching it.

Yes, it felt like a fire was burning inside him.

In his job application to Pangu Technology, he specifically mentioned that he and Wang Haoran were classmates.

He hoped to receive a personal meeting with Wang Haoran.

Lee Sang-hyeok thought to himself, "I also had some dealings with him back then."

I was also involved in the project team he led.

So, Wang Haoran must remember me, right?
Perhaps my request will be answered.

If I could work at Pangu Technology, he would at least give me a chance to be in charge on my own, right?
Being able to take charge independently is essentially what a project team leader does.

A single project often receives tens of millions in research funding, and the compensation is extremely high.

Lee Sang-hyeok felt that being appointed as a project team leader was a waste of his talents.

After sending out these resumes, Lee Sang-hyeok began to look forward to it.

Generally speaking, it is normal to receive a reply within two or three days to a week.

Of course, if things go smoothly, you might get a reply on the same day.

The faster the response, the more it indicates that the other party is in dire need of relevant talent.

That evening, around 9 p.m., Lee Sang-hyeok received two replies.

Lee Sang-hyeok initially thought it was a reply inviting him to an interview.

As it turned out, they all politely declined.

"Mr. Li is indeed a rare talent, but we do not have any recruitment plans at the moment, I'm sorry."

"Thank you for applying, Mr. Li. The position you applied for is quite sensitive, and we usually don't offer it to foreigners..."

Both letters were rejections.

This made Lee Sang-hyeok a little flustered.

Because the second rejection reply was actually from Pangu Technology.

Lee Sang-hyeok truly didn't expect that Pangu Technology would reject him.

Shouldn't you give me an interview opportunity?
If I get an interview opportunity, if I can meet Wang Haoran, then I might be able to move him with my emotions.

I'm sure Wang Haoran will be moved by me.

After all, we really did work together in the past.

But now, the other party has refused?

Moreover, the rejection came too quickly.

That's incredibly fast.

This was definitely not shown to Wang Haoran.

If Wang Haoran saw this, how could he possibly not give me face?
Lee Sang-hyeok actually wanted to go to Pangu Technology Company the most.

Pangu's compensation is significantly higher than that of other domestic companies and institutions.

Good pay, good benefits, and who knows, plenty of kickbacks too.

But now, they're refusing.

Lee Sang-hyeok's head was buzzing; he was feeling a bit lost.

At the same time, he was very dissatisfied.

Lee Sang-hyeok decided to call Wang Haoran as an old friend.

I wonder if Wang Haoran's subordinates will transfer the call to him.

Lee Sang-hyeok then called the HR hotline of Pangu Technology.

The first call I made was met with a busy signal.

However, he felt that this was fairly normal, right?

No matter what, it's still the best company in the world right now.

There's no other like it!
Such a great company, I bet the whole world is watching it, right?

Lee Sang-hyeok dialed several more times before finally getting through.

"Hello, this is the Pangu Technology International Recruitment Center."

Lee Sang-hyeok identified himself: "I am Lee Sang-hyeok. I submitted my resume to you before, but you rejected it..."

Lee Sang-hyeok explained the situation.

He just wanted to know if the other party had explained the situation to Wang Haoran. Had Wang Haoran forgotten about him?

After listening to Lee Sang-hyeok's words, the operator said, "I have written down everything you just said."

“Mr. Li, we are not targeting anyone. We will not hire people with foreign nationality for many positions.”

"Even if you are Mr. Wang's friend, the result will be the same."

Lee Sang-hyeok asked, "Have you told Wang Haoran about me?"

The operator said, "Sir, Mr. Wang said he won't answer calls that try to plead for leniency."

"Everything must be done in accordance with the rules and regulations."

"Therefore, we will not tell Mr. Wang about your situation."

Lee Sang-hyeok immediately got a little angry.

What the hell is this?

All I asked you to do was pass on a message to Wang Haoran.
Has Wang Haoran become so heartless that he doesn't care about his old friend at all?

"Then, could you transfer my call to Wang Haoran's office?" Lee Sang-hyeok asked.

"I'm sorry, this really can't be transferred." The other party refused again.

"Could you give me Wang Haoran's phone number? His office number will do," Li Xianghe asked again.

The operator said, "Your request cannot be fulfilled."

“If you are Mr. Wang’s friend, I believe you must have many ways to get his phone number.”

"Please forgive me."

"If you have nothing else, then this call must end."

Clearly, the operator didn't want to waste any more time with Lee Sang-hyeok.

Lee Sang-hyeok had no choice but to say, "Alright, goodbye!"

The call was hung up.

Lee Sang-hyeok was a little frustrated.

I was actually rejected.

This is really not a good sign.

If I rush back, will I not even be able to find a job?

That would be tragic.

On the Giant Eagle's side, Lee Sang-hyeok had made up his mind to settle things once and for all.

He bought the house with a mortgage, and he's already listed it for sale.

He has already submitted his resignation to the school.

It's expected to be approved soon, right?
He now has no way out.

But now he might not even be able to find a job.

Lee Sang-hyeok was unwilling to accept this.

So he continued searching online for Wang Haoran's personal email address or phone number.

As it turned out, he actually found Wang Haoran's phone number.

However, it's really hard to say whether it's true or false at the moment.

Lee Sang-hyeok then made this call.

He didn't expect the call to go through so easily.

And surprisingly, the other party answered the phone: "Hello, who is this?"

Believe it or not, the voice really is Wang Haoran's.

Lee Sang-hyeok was very excited and quickly said, "Mr. Wang, it's me, Lee Sang-hyeok. Did you recognize me?"

“We were classmates back then, and I even participated in your project group, the research group that tackled phased array radar.”

Wang Haoran said, "Oh! It's Lee Sang-hyeok."

"Is there anything you need?"

Lee Sang-hyeok said with a forced smile, "Didn't I go abroad later?"

"I want to go back to China to develop my career, and I wonder if my old classmate can help me out..."

Before he could finish speaking, his phone beeped.

Lee Sang-hyeok was taken aback.

He quickly took the ear away and glanced at it.

A warning dialog box popped up: "The number you dialed is a scam call..."

The red lettering is particularly eye-catching.

By the way, this warning dialog box is from a mobile anti-fraud app from Pangu Technology that Lee Sang-hyeok downloaded.

He had only installed it recently.

The reason he carried the device was that he saw someone recommending this small software when he was learning about Pangu Technology Company.

The other party said that it has a very powerful analytical and warning function against fraudulent phone calls.

Any call that is a scam will immediately display a warning message after you answer it.

Moreover, this small software has a very large number of downloads.

After all, fraud is far too common.

In fact, countless fraud cases occur at Giant Eagle every year.

Anyway, there are all sorts of scams, and they keep coming up one after another.

Even the smartest person can be deceived.

"Hey?! Old classmate, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Actually, I was just looking for you too."

"I bought a small house near the Giant Eagle, and I'd like to sell it through you..."

The voice on the microphone was still speaking.

Lee Sang-hyeok thought to himself, "It seems he really is a fraud."

Because look how badly Wang Haoran was punished by the giant eagle...

Why would Wang Haoran buy a house in Giant Eagle?

Lee Sang-hyeok hung up the phone immediately.

He thought, "I'd better just go back."

I'll talk to Wang Haoran when I get back.

Perhaps, there is still a chance for me to turn things around.

After all, I'd consider myself a fairly decent experimental physicist, wouldn't I?
They need physicists.

I'm sure I'll find a place to use my skills! I definitely will!
With that in mind, Lee Sang-hyeok decided to return to Korea immediately as planned.

Two days later, Lee Sang-hyeok boarded a plane back to Gyeongryong.

He was incredibly excited at the moment the plane took off.

He has been studying in the United States since he came from the country more than ten years ago, and has never returned to the country since.

He initially maintained contact with his parents and family.

Later, even contact was lost.

He felt that contacting people in China was pointless and, on the contrary, risky.

After all, for a long time, eagles distrusted scientists like themselves who came from dragons.

That kind of distrust is terrifying.

Lee Sang-hyeok felt that he was being ostracized.

This kind of exclusion is disturbing.

At that time, he hated his origins: Why am I not white? Why the hell am I a dragonborn?
So, cutting off contact with family might be the best option?
Because of this thought, he hadn't contacted his family for a long time.

He had no idea what the situation was like at home.

When he went back this time, he initially planned to say hello to his parents and family.

Later, he finally didn't fight.

He didn't know how to tell his family about it.

After a long flight, the plane finally landed at the Giant Eagle Capital Airport.

Lee Sang-hyeok had already viewed the city's night view through the porthole as the plane began its descent.

Skyscrapers stand side by side, brightly lit, neon lights flashing...

The night view is absolutely stunning.

Moreover, its prosperity is no less than that of any city in the Giant Eagle.

Even New York probably can't compare.

Lee Sang-hyeok was shocked.

That's where he went to the giant eagle back then.

The capital city was quite backward back then!

It's only been a decade or so, but things have changed so drastically!
It's almost surreal.

The ten years or so that he was away were actually the period when the dragon developed the fastest.

He thought that arriving at the giant eagle was like arriving in heaven.

Unexpectedly, after struggling for more than ten years, he returned to find that he had missed the greatest opportunity of his life... (End of Chapter)