Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 300 Time Always Moves Forward
Chai Jing did not answer Lu Wei's question.

The reason for this is roughly that "it was included in principle, but not fully implemented."

The commentator, whose complexion was already not good, became noticeably more friendly.

Yes, people tend to smile sweetly when they're embarrassed.

Zhai Da laughed; the little wooden boy knew how to ask a question in return.

He gave Lu Wei a look that said, "You've got your snack," and then calmly said, "So, Ms. Chai, can we end the discussion about education now?"

Is there anything we can talk about?

"As a layman, haven't we gone off-topic?"

Chai Jing's smile gradually faded. Although Zhai Da didn't say who was an amateur, it could be interpreted as "everyone is an amateur."

But how could a famous commentator like her not be able to tell the difference between "yin and yang"?
Before bringing up this topic, she certainly didn't expect it to turn out like this. Even without Lu Wei's decisive move, Zhai Da's reasoned and analytical abilities made her, as a reporter, appear dull and highly purposeful.

An idea popped into her head.
Before the station decides whether to use this interview, I should probably try to stop it.
Or pay attention to the editing.
The two-hour interview became quite tedious in the second half due to the heated exchange in the middle. Chai Jing's facial expressions made her seem more like an interviewer than a reporter, while Zhai Da and Lu Wei's answers became increasingly brief.

After it was all over, Zhai Da stretched.

Lu Wei is probably going to be on the news broadcast; it's not Chai Jing's place to comment on that, it's her job.

But the interview on "Face to Face" was a bit risky; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an "interview mishap."

Since this woman has the ambition to "stand out," she must also have the desire to protect herself. Celebrities have a great influence in this era.

This applies to both the public and the television station.

After the interview, the interview team, along with Zhai Da and Lu Wei who had changed into casual clothes, filmed some scattered shots on campus, but Chai Jing did not reappear.

On a lawn, the photographer said to Zhai Da, "You just flip through the book, I'll find the angle."

Zhai Da thought to himself, "Who would sit on the lawn reading a book? Isn't that just showing off?"

After flipping through "How Long Will I Love U" for a while, Zhai Da still hadn't heard the cameraman's instructions. He looked up at the extremely distant camera and shouted, "Is the angle right yet?"

Where have you retreated to?
The photographer shouted, "I've found the right spot! I'm waiting for the wind to blow so the shot will look better."

Zhai Da:
While we were speechless, a figure came to the lawn, carrying a large book in his hand.

The code name for "π" is "Turing". Programming genius Cheng Mo thought today was a good day to show off. He came to a familiar spot, only to find that there was already someone under the big tree.

"President?"

Zhai Da shaded his eyes with his hand: "Did you come here just to show off?"

Cheng Mo said awkwardly, "You can't say it like that, it's just reading a book. Besides, didn't the president choose this place?"

Zhai Da pointed to the camera in the distance: "I'm not. Lu Wei is going to be on the news, so I'm being filmed here too."

Cheng Mo was taken aback when he saw the Yang City logo: "News Broadcast? The chairman is going to be on the News Broadcast?"

Zhai Da waved his hand: "No, I just might be on 'Face to Face'."

Cheng Mo: Isn't this even more awesome?!
To show off, you have to look to the guild leader; even a slight move from him is already the limit for most of us.
"Let's go somewhere else, the photographer is already waving people away."

Cheng Mo quickly moved aside to avoid being in the shot.

Zhai Da shouted from behind, "Don't forget the party tomorrow, there's entertainment!"

"Boxing match?"

"The enemy."

Small, indistinct flying insects darted about in front of him, and Zhai Da waved his hand.

Suddenly, a dark shadow approached rapidly from behind. Zhai Da realized what was happening when he heard the sound of the wind, but it was too late to take out his "bird whistle".

"Don't"

With its massive wings folded, Little Black landed steadily on Zhai Da's shoulder, its scarlet eyes seeming to hold a hint of pride, as if to say:

I didn't disobey orders; I simply chose to appear from behind.
From afar, the photographer was startled. If he hadn't seen it clearly through the viewfinder, he would have thought it was an eagle!
What kind of bird is so big?
But then I immediately thought, "Wow, this scene is great!"

So I chose to keep my mouth shut while filming.

Dozens of meters away, Zhai Da quickly glanced at the camera and said, "Get out of here, go play somewhere else!"

Little Black: "Gaga!"

Okay, okay, so you're pretending not to understand now?
Zhai Da could only pull a peanut out of his pocket and flick it away into the distance. Little Black, after all, had wings that were faster than its brain and flew away after the peanut.

This scene was captured entirely by the camera.

Sunshine, big trees, a boy, and a big bird.

This scene would need special effects even in a movie.
The photographer nodded with satisfaction. Although he was just an employee, it didn't mean he had no pursuit of "aesthetic appeal in the lens".

It wasn't until around 3 p.m. that everything was over. Zhai Da and Lu Wei, who had split up, reunited. The situation was even worse for Xiao Mutou. The film crew found a lecture hall and made Lu Wei write the entire contents of her paper, "Sensitivity Conjecture," on a huge blackboard.

The little wooden boy stared blankly for almost an hour while drawing on the blackboard.

Finally, everything settled down, and all filming was completed.

It is said that Harbin Institute of Technology also hosted a dinner for the "Yang City" group. Jiang Xiaobai asked Zhai Da about it, but Zhai Da directly refused.

He may still have dealings with them in the future, but at least for this group of people, he is not interested in socializing with them.

Whether or not it will be on "Face to Face" depends on the situation; it's up to fate.

Perhaps one day in the future, he will truly sit in his own studio as a "big shot" and chat with an interviewer he doesn't dislike so much.

Looking back on the past and discussing the present, the river of time rolls ever onward, and he, a visitor from later generations, will eventually see the world return to the era he knows.

Or perhaps, it will become a better era.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, in northern Beijing.

In a certain old "dormitory" area, an aged giant was writing something on his sickbed. Next to the bed was a small desk piled high with countless documents.

A golden oriole landed on the windowsill and peered through the glass at the old man inside, seemingly wondering why he could never leave this room, no matter how many autumns and springs came.

Spring has arrived outside the window, but the old man's physical comfort has not improved as a result. Since the beginning of spring, he has been spending more time and energy every day than before.

Until the shrill alarm clock rang, startling the oriole away and summoning the old woman.

Mr. Qian's wife pushed open the door and said, "It's time. I need to pack your things."

Old Qian wearily raised his head: "Did the alarm ring? I didn't hear it?"

"It was originally meant for me to hear."

Give me five more minutes.

The old woman didn't urge him. She had been with her lover for sixty years and knew very well that some work couldn't be stopped just like that.

Of course, there will be no shortage of nagging.

"Why is someone who's almost a hundred years old still busy with these things?"

Old Qian chuckled weakly, "No matter how old you are, you can't just breathe all the time."

He pointed to his head with his aged hand and said, "What can I do if it won't let me stop?"

My lover sighed and said, "At your age, writing letters to the country is just creating trouble for no reason."

Professor Qian shakily took off his glasses: "That's why we need to be serious, that's why we need to do more research and think more."

As he has been away from frontline work for a longer period of time, he has not expressed any opinions or written any letters for a long time.

Because we must be realistic and pragmatic, we have no right to speak without investigation. If we can no longer think, read papers, and understand the real-time dynamics of the academic community as intensely as before, we should not arbitrarily express our opinions.

But this time, he really couldn't help but want to write something.

By chance, after reading a book by a young man, Qian Xuesen became very interested in the near future described in it, especially the development of science and technology industries.

The giant on the mountaintop lowered his gaze, not merely to admire, but his mind was also rekindled with interest, and began to work with great enthusiasm.

However, if we want to obtain meaningful and valuable content, rather than just spouting nonsense based on past achievements and positions, we still need to explore many things.

So he asked someone to bring him a lot of materials, which piled up in his not-so-spacious home, and he was busy with paperwork every day.

Until his partner intervened, he now only has one hour of "working time" in the morning and one hour in the afternoon each day.

But this was also useful; he saw more details than what was in the news and also saw a lot of good news.

The lover said helplessly, "If you're really that interested, why don't you invite Xiao Zhai over for a chat? It's almost Qingming Festival, and the young man will be on holiday then."

Old Qian squinted and smiled, "These random thoughts of mine have long since deviated from Xiao Zhai's book. They're all complicated matters. Let's wait and see."

Mr. Qian closed the letter, or rather the notebook, in front of him. The cover was handwritten with the words: "Two or Three Suggestions on Industrial Development during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan Period".

The notebook was handed back to his partner; as agreed, he could no longer work today.

With a soft sigh, the giant suddenly asked a question: "Lately you've been saying I'm almost a hundred years old. Do you really think I can live that long?"

The lover paused in packing up her notes.

"At our age, we don't really have any regrets about living a long or short life. It's just that living to 100 sounds better, giving us something to look forward to."

“I always think that you have already had so many titles in your life, so adding another one, ‘centenarian,’ seems quite fitting, doesn’t it?”

The old woman placed her hand on Mr. Qian's forehead:
"Then you wait a few more years, until I'm a hundred years old too. When we're both over two hundred years old, that's a rare sight in the whole world, isn't it?"

Mr. Qian laughed heartily and said, "Yes, indeed. Not to mention the whole world, it's not common even in history."

But soon the laughter turned into coughing, one cough after another, like a broken bellows.

"Cough cough. Lately, my lungs haven't been feeling too comfortable..."

My partner immediately said, "Then get plenty of rest and take your medicine on time."

Old Qian waved his hand: "I haven't missed a single dose of my medicine, but at this age, it's not very effective."

"You just said you're almost a hundred years old and have no regrets. Actually, I do have some."

Mr. Qian looked out the window, and the oriole flew back, tilting its head and looking into the room.

He regrets that his youthful dream of "interstellar travel" has yet to be realized.

He regretted not being able to witness the Chinese people's journey to the moon.

He regretted that his old friends had all passed away too early.

It's also a pity that new things came too late.

As the old man Qian stared into thought, an idea popped into his mind.

During the Qingming Festival, perhaps we can invite that young man to visit northern Beijing.

The two have known each other since childhood and have been together for nearly a century. She knows very well that the other person likes to chat with young people, but just doesn't want to cause trouble for others.

(End of this chapter)