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

Lin Feng returned to Harbin Institute of Technology and walked along the main road of the campus, his pace much slower than usual.

The principal's office door was ajar.

Tang Guohong was reviewing documents when he looked up and saw Lin Feng standing at the door. His pen paused. He put down the documents and took off his glasses.

"Come in."

Lin Feng walked into the office and sat down on the guest sofa. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a patch of light at his feet.

"Is there a problem with the project?" Tang Guohong got up, poured a cup of tea, and placed it in front of Lin Feng.

The tea was warm, and wisps of steam rose gently.

"No." Lin Feng took the teacup and held it in his hand. "It's because our country's technology hasn't reached that level, so the project can't continue."

He spoke calmly, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

But Tang Guohong sensed the undercurrent beneath the calm.

"Technological barriers..." Tang Guohong sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh. "That's normal. In many fields, we are indeed lagging behind those developed countries."

He paused, then looked at Lin Feng: "Like the Fuxi project, wasn't it also forced to stop because of this?"

Lin Feng nodded without saying a word.

The office was quiet for a moment.

"But I believe," Tang Guohong's voice rang out again, firm and powerful, "that one day our country's technology will surpass that of any other country. This is not blind confidence, but a historical inevitability—we have talents like you, millions of researchers working tirelessly in the lab, and the determination of the entire nation."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Lin Feng: "So, don't be discouraged."

Lin Feng looked at the principal's retreating figure and suddenly smiled.

That was his first real smile of the day.

"I know, Principal." He took a sip of tea, the water temperature just right. "I came back this time to be a student for a while."

Tang Guohong turned around, somewhat surprised.

"Since coming to Harbin Institute of Technology, I haven't actually attended a class yet." Lin Feng put down his teacup. "I want to clear my mind and think carefully about what direction I should research next."

He paused, then added, "Since we're temporarily blocked by technological barriers, let's try a different approach. But... I need time to find that direction."

Tang Guohong stared at Lin Feng for a long time.

The young man's eyes held disappointment and resentment, but more than anything, a calm that had settled. Like the sea after a storm, seemingly tranquil, yet concealing a deeper power.

"Okay." Tang Guohong walked back behind his desk. "I agree with this idea."

He put his glasses back on and wrote something on a sticky note: "You've been working too hard these past few years. Jumping from one project to another. It's time to stop and take a breather."

After writing on the note, he tore it off and handed it to Lin Feng: "This is the Dean of Academic Affairs' phone number. I'll have someone arrange the dormitory arrangements."

Lin Feng took the note: "Thank you, Principal. By the way, I'd like to move into the regular student dormitory. Since I'm going to be a student, I should live with my classmates."

"Where is your apartment now?"

"I'll leave it empty for now. I might need it again once I figure out what to do next."

Tang Guohong nodded: "Okay, the apartment will be reserved for you. I'll have someone arrange a dormitory, but the conditions might not be as good as the apartment, you..."

"It's alright." Lin Feng stood up. "The student dorms are fine."

He walked to the door, then stopped and turned back to look at Tang Guohong: "Principal, I'm leaving."

"Um."

The door closed gently.

Tang Guohong sat back down in his chair, but did not continue reviewing the documents. He stared at the closed door for a long time, then sighed softly.

I hope you can get through this on your own.

He knew that for someone like Lin Feng, the biggest setback was not failure, but seeing the path clearly, only to be told by reality that the path was temporarily blocked.

That sense of powerlessness is enough to destroy the confidence of an ordinary researcher.

But Lin Feng is no ordinary person.

Therefore, Tang Guohong believes that all he needs is a little time.

After leaving the administration building, Lin Feng found Zhao Weiguo in the laboratory building.

The bodyguard and assistant was standing by the corridor window, watching the students coming and going downstairs. Hearing footsteps, he turned around.

"Brother Zhao," Lin Feng said, "I'll be a student for a while, so there shouldn't be any danger. You can go home and rest for a bit."

Zhao Weiguo shook his head, his expression unchanged: "Mr. Lin, my responsibility is to protect you. Whether you are a researcher or a student, this responsibility will not change."

He paused, then added, "Once you become a student, I'll protect you secretly. It won't affect your normal life."

Seeing the determination in Zhao Weiguo's eyes, Lin Feng knew that persuasion was useless, so he smiled and nodded: "Alright, then thank you for your trouble."

As the two walked out of the laboratory building, Lin Feng's phone rang.

It was a call from my undergraduate advisor, Professor Zhang.

"Lin Feng, the principal told me. Where are you now? I'll take you to your dormitory."

Ten minutes later, Professor Zhang appeared before Lin Feng on his electric scooter. The professor, who was nearly fifty, was wearing a simple jacket, and his eyes were deeply wrinkled when he smiled.

"Get in the car, I'll take you to see your dorm."

The electric scooter drove through the campus and stopped in front of a six-story dormitory building. The building was built in the 1990s, and the exterior walls were somewhat mottled, but it was well maintained.

"Room 308," Teacher Zhang led Lin Feng upstairs, "a three-person room. The other two students are your classmates, but since you haven't been to class for the past three years, they might not recognize you."

The dormitory is at the end of the corridor on the third floor.

Pushing open the door, a smell mixed with the scents of books, clothes, and the unique aroma of a boys' dormitory hits you.

The room wasn't big, with three bunk beds and desks underneath. The spot by the window was empty—that was Lin Feng's bed. A complete set of third-year textbooks was already laid out on the desk, as neatly as if they had just been handed out.

"The logistics department will deliver the bedding and daily necessities this afternoon." Teacher Zhang patted Lin Feng on the shoulder. "If you need anything, just give me a call."

He walked to the door, then turned back and said, "By the way, classes officially start next Monday. The schedule is at the top of the textbook."

The door closed.

Lin Feng walked to the window and opened it. Downstairs was a basketball court, where several students were playing basketball, their shouts and the sound of basketballs hitting the ground drifting in from afar.

The sun is shining brightly.

He sat at his empty desk and opened the top textbook—"Advanced Mathematics (Volume 2)." The pages were brand new, and the ink smelled strong.

So this is what life is like for an ordinary college student.

He suddenly felt a little dazed. For the past three years, he had been shuttling between national-level laboratories, discussing the Fuxi spaceplane, cancer treatment, lithography machines... those cutting-edge topics in the world.

And now, he will sit here and study advanced mathematics, university physics, and linear algebra.

This contrast gave him a strange sense of peace.

Like a traveler who has finally found a rest stop after a long journey.

At 5:30 p.m., the dormitory door was suddenly pushed open.

"I'm exhausted, today's class was absolutely awful..." A tall male student walked in complaining, but before he could finish speaking, he froze.

A thin boy wearing glasses, who was following behind, also stopped.

The two stared at Lin Feng, who was sitting at the desk, their eyes slowly widening.

"Holy crap!" The tall guy was the first to react. "You...you're Lin Feng? That top scorer in the college entrance exam?"

The skinny boy pushed up his glasses, his voice trembling slightly: "Master? You actually came to the dorm?"

Lin Feng stood up, smiled, and extended his hand: "Hello, I'm Lin Feng. I was sent abroad for exchange studies by the school for the past three years, and I just came back."

The tall boy quickly grasped Lin Feng's hand: "Zhang Haohan, a local from Harbin." He pointed to the thin boy next to him, "Qin Feng, a rich second-generation from Shanghai."

"Screw you, rich kid." Qin Feng laughed and cursed, then shook hands with Lin Feng. "You're that legendary top scorer? Our dorm has been empty for three years, so we were waiting for you."

Zhang Haohan leaned closer, looking Lin Feng up and down: "Master, what were you studying abroad for the past three years? We haven't heard a thing!"

"Some advanced studies in basic disciplines," Lin Feng answered vaguely, changing the subject. "We'll be roommates from now on, please take care of me."

"Absolutely!" Zhang Haohan slapped his thigh. "By the way, have you eaten? It's almost lunchtime, shall we go out for a bite?"

Qin Feng immediately agreed: "My treat! Let's celebrate that everyone in our 308 dorm is finally all here!"

Lin Feng glanced at their expectant eyes and nodded: "Okay."

As the sun set, three boys walked out of their dormitory building, through the campus where the ginkgo leaves were turning yellow, and headed towards the snack street outside the school gate.

Zhang Haohan was on the left, excitedly recounting the interesting things that had happened on campus over the past three years; Qin Feng was on the right, complaining about how strict his professors were; Lin Feng walked in the middle, listening, laughing, and occasionally responding.