Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

"Well said! This is certainly not the end, but a brand new beginning!"

Upon hearing Lin Feng's words, Academician Li Zhenhua's eyes shone even brighter, and he burst into laughter.

The revelry inside the laboratory lasted for quite some time.

After everyone calmed down a bit, Li Zhenhua clapped his hands and announced loudly:

"Everyone has worked hard for the past six months. Don't think about anything today, go home and get a good night's sleep!"

"Tomorrow, I've arranged a celebration banquet for everyone at a hotel in Beijing. Everyone must attend. Let's relax and celebrate!"

"good!"

"Thank you, Mr. Li!"

Cheers erupted again.

My nerves, which have been on edge for six months, can finally relax for a while.

"Xiao Feng, you should go back and get some rest and recharge your energy," Li Zhenhua instructed Lin Feng with a kind look in his eyes.

"Understood, Elder Li." Lin Feng nodded.

The following evening, a bus carrying all members of the Spark Project team headed towards downtown Beijing.

The Beijing Hotel, a historic and elegant building, has always been the preferred venue for important internal celebrations.

Excellent privacy, tight security, and top-notch service.

The group was led into a spacious and luxurious banquet hall.

"Thank you all for your hard work these past six months!"

The celebration banquet officially began, and Academician Li Zhenhua was the first to raise his glass, his voice loud and clear.

"For the sake of the country, no hardship is too much!"

Everyone raised their glasses in response, their faces beaming with genuine joy and pride.

"This second cup," Li Zhenhua raised his cup again, turning his gaze towards Lin Feng's direction, his expression extremely solemn.

Let's all pay our respects to Advisor Lin Feng!

"Without the theoretical foundation and key guidance he provided, we could never have covered in just six months what others might take ten years to accomplish! He is the greatest contributor to this legacy!"

"Consultant Jinglin!"

"Respectfully, Mr. Lin!"

Everyone stood up in unison, their eyes focused on Lin Feng, their glasses full of wine, filled with respect.

Lin Feng stood up, raised his glass in response, his tone calm yet firm:

"Mr. Li, you flatter me. All my colleagues have worked hard."

"The flame of progress is the result of everyone's wisdom and hard work. This toast is to each and every one of us, and to our shared future!"

"Dry!"

The atmosphere instantly reached a climax.

Fine wine and delicious food, laughter and joy.

The long-awaited relaxation allowed everyone to open up, toast each other, and chat about the interesting and thrilling events of the past six months.

As the absolute focus, Lin Feng naturally received a lot of toasts from everyone.

He had a decent alcohol tolerance, but he couldn't resist the enthusiasm of the crowd. After a few rounds, a faint blush appeared on his handsome face, and his head felt slightly heavy.

"Old Li, I'm going out for some fresh air to sober up," Lin Feng whispered to Li Zhenhua, who was sitting in the main seat, when he found a moment to break the silence.

"Go ahead, go ahead." Li Zhenhua nodded with a smile, knowing that Lin Feng had drunk a bit too much.

Lin Feng stepped out of the noisy private room and immediately felt much quieter.

The corridor was covered with thick carpets, the lighting was dim, and a faint sandalwood scent filled the air.

He strolled aimlessly, without a clear direction, simply wanting the cool air to dispel the effects of the alcohol.

This floor seemed to consist entirely of high-end banquet rooms, with waiters occasionally moving about quietly.

As he walked, he came to a quieter corner in the corridor.

The door to a private room ahead was ajar, and it seemed that a banquet had just ended inside, with only a few voices remaining.

Just as Lin Feng was about to turn back, the door was pushed open completely.

Two men helped a young woman, who was walking unsteadily and with her head down, out of the room.

The woman appeared to be drunk, her body almost entirely leaning against the two men.

The man was about forty years old, dressed in a well-tailored business suit, with the refined air of a successful person, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

The other was very young, in his early twenties, and quite handsome, but there was an inescapable air of frivolity about him.

The two appeared to be supporting each other, but the position and strength of their hands caused Lin Feng's brows to furrow imperceptibly.

He didn't stop walking, intending to ignore it.

In such situations, it's not uncommon to see people who have drunk too much, perhaps just colleagues or friends.

However, just as the two were about to pass each other, the woman being helped seemed to struggle slightly, uttering a muffled and weak sound:

"You...let me go...I won't go with you..."

That sound...

Lin Feng paused slightly, a strange feeling stirring in his heart.

That voice...where have I heard it before? It carries a sense of inexplicable familiarity.

Immediately afterwards, the woman seemed to use all her strength to slightly raise her head, her messy long hair sliding to one side, revealing half of her face.

Despite the dim lighting and her unfocused gaze, that fleeting glimpse of her profile...

Shen Moran?

Lin Feng's pupils suddenly contracted.

How could it be her? What is she doing here? And so drunk? These two men…

Countless questions flashed through my mind in an instant.

At that moment, the two men also noticed Lin Feng, who was standing there staring intently, and a hint of wariness and displeasure flashed in their eyes.

"Excuse me, friend," the middle-aged man said, his tone polite but carrying an undeniable urgency.

Lin Feng did not move.

He looked at Shen Moran, who was being half-carried and half-dragged by the two men. She seemed to have lost consciousness again, her head drooping limply.

"What's wrong with her?" Lin Feng asked, his voice calm and devoid of emotion.

"My friend has had too much to drink, we're taking her home to rest," the young man interrupted, his tone curt and impatient. "It's none of your business, get out of the way."

"Drunk on drinks?" Lin Feng's gaze swept over Shen Moran's bloodless face and completely limp body.

This was far more than just being drunk. In his previous life, he had received rigorous training in reconnaissance and interrogation, making him extremely accurate in judging people's physiological states.

This is more like... being drugged!

"Who are you to her?" Lin Feng stepped forward, blocking their path in the middle of the corridor.

"Kid, I'm warning you, don't meddle in other people's business!" The young man's face darkened, and his tone became fierce.

The middle-aged man's face darkened, a sinister glint in his eyes: "Young man, meddling in other people's business might get you into big trouble. Be smart and get lost."

Their reactions further confirmed Lin Feng's guess.

If it is truly aboveboard, why be so outwardly fierce but inwardly weak?

Just then, perhaps hearing the familiar questioning voice, Shen Mo Ran struggled again and barely opened one eye.

With difficulty, I focused my blurry vision and finally made out the tall figure blocking my way.

"Lin...Feng...?"

She practically forced those two words out of her throat, her voice so weak it was like a murmur, yet it carried the urgency and certainty of a drowning person grasping at a piece of driftwood.

It's really him!

The next second, with the last vestige of her sanity, she moved her lips very slightly, in a pleading manner, towards Lin Feng, silently uttering two words:

"Help...me..."

Then, her head lolled to the side, and she lost consciousness completely.

The shape of her mouth when she uttered those two words, and the despair and pleading in her eyes in the last moment, pierced Lin Feng's eyes like an ice pick.

All speculation turned into cold certainty.

A long-lost, chilling aura, belonging to the former king of soldiers, quietly emanated from him.

The air in the corridor seemed to freeze at that moment.

Lin Feng slowly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the two men in front of him whose expressions had suddenly changed.

That look no longer belonged to a slightly tipsy young scholar.

It was like a ferocious beast that had just awakened, concealing all its aura, yet radiating a chillingly dangerous signal.

"Now," Lin Feng's voice remained steady, yet each word was clear and carried an irresistible force.

"Let her go."