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

It was 5:30 in the morning, and the sky was still dark.

Lin Feng was already awake. He lay in bed, looking at the blurry outline on the ceiling, and could hear his own heartbeat—steady and strong, but a little faster than usual.

Today is a special day.

He sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. The soft light illuminated the room and the clothes hanging on the hanger—a black Zhongshan suit, perfectly pressed without a single wrinkle.

This was delivered by the service staff last night, and the size is exactly as described.

Lin Feng went into the bathroom and washed his face with cold water. The young man in the mirror had clear eyes, but there was a hint of tension in them that he couldn't hide. He took a deep breath in front of the mirror, trying to calm himself down.

Breakfast was delivered to the room promptly at 7:00 AM.

Simple congee and side dishes, accompanied by a small dish of pickled vegetables. Lin Feng ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully. He knew he needed to be at his best today.

At eight o'clock, he started changing his clothes.

The fabric of the Zhongshan suit was very crisp, giving it a dignified and protective feel. He buttoned it up one button at a time, from the collar to the hem, his movements slow and focused. Finally, he stood in front of the mirror, looking at his familiar yet unfamiliar reflection.

The clothes fit him perfectly, making his shoulders and back appear even more upright. The black color added a touch of understated strength to his already composed demeanor.

At 9:30, the secure phone in the room rang.

Lin Feng picked up the receiver, and a gentle yet authoritative voice came from the other end: "Comrade Lin Feng, please wait in the reception room on the first floor. Old Master Li will meet with you at 10:00 sharp."

"OK."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng gave himself a final check of his appearance. His collar was neat, his cuffs were straight, and his shoes were spotless. He pushed open the door; the hallway was quiet, with only the soft rustling of his footsteps on the carpet.

The reception room is located on the east side of the first floor.

When Lin Feng pushed open the door, a staff member was already waiting inside. He was a young man in his thirties, wearing a dark suit, standing upright. He nodded slightly when he saw Lin Feng enter.

"Mr. Lin, please have a seat. Mr. Li will arrive at ten o'clock."

Lin Feng chose a seat by the window. Outside the window was a small garden, where several red maple trees swayed in the autumn breeze, their leaves as red as fire. The sunlight was lovely, streaming through the glass and casting warm dappled patterns on the dark carpet.

Time passed by, second by second.

When the clock in the drawing room struck 9:58, footsteps sounded outside the door. They weren't heavy, but each step was steady.

Lin Feng stood up.

The door was pushed open.

An old man walked in.

He looked the same as he did on TV and in photos, yet he was different. The real Mr. Li was even thinner than in the images, with a slightly hunched back, but he still walked with his back straight. He was wearing a simple, dark gray Zhongshan suit, which had faded a bit from washing.

But what shocked Lin Feng the most were those eyes.

When Old Li looked over, Lin Feng felt an unprecedented pressure—not the oppression brought by power, but a profound weight accumulated over the years, a sharp insight into the world, and a clear understanding of people's hearts.

In that instant, Lin Feng felt that everything about him was laid bare. Past, present, and future—all his secrets, all his thoughts, all his hesitations and resolve—were laid naked before those eyes.

"Elder Li." Lin Feng bowed slightly, his voice steady, but a slight, almost imperceptible tremor could be heard.

"Please sit down." Old Li's voice was gentle, with the hoarseness characteristic of the elderly, yet it possessed a calming power. "Don't be shy."

Old Li sat down on the sofa in the center, and Lin Feng sat down to his side. He didn't sit all the way down, only about a third of the way down, his back ramrod straight.

"I've heard your name many times over the years," Old Li said, looking at Lin Feng with kind eyes. "Every time there's a major breakthrough reported, your name always appears at the top."

Lin Feng opened his mouth, just about to answer.

"I noticed you during the Fuxi Project," Elder Li continued, his tone as calm as if he were having a casual conversation. "So young, yet your theories were so ahead of their time. Although it was shelved due to technical issues, I've kept that report. It was very well written, with clear thinking and a broad vision."

Lin Feng was stunned.

He hadn't expected that Elder Li knew so much about the Fuxi Plan.

"Then came the lithography machine." Old Li picked up his teacup and gently blew on the steam. "The West imposed a blockade on us for decades, and countless experts worked themselves to the bone without making a breakthrough. You led your team and, in just one year, managed to build our own lithography machine. At that time, I thought, I should meet this young man."

He took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and said, "Before we could even arrange the results, you came up with an anti-cancer drug."

Looking at Lin Feng, Old Li's eyes were full of admiration: "Three times, Lin Feng. Three major breakthroughs, three times changing the country's situation in key areas. This can no longer be described as genius."

"Mr. Li, you flatter me," Lin Feng said. "I just did what I was supposed to do. And every breakthrough wasn't my achievement alone, it was the result of the entire team..."

"I know," Professor Li interrupted him, his tone gentle but undeniable. "I know the importance of the team, and I know the contributions of those unsung researchers. But I also know who pointed out the direction and who solved the most critical problems at every crucial juncture."

He paused, then slowly said, "Young man, humility is a virtue. But you must bravely shoulder your honor. This is not for yourself, but to set an example for those who come after you—to let them know that the country will not forget those who contribute to it."

Lin Feng fell silent.

The reception room was quiet, with only the ticking of the grandfather clock.

"Our country," Old Li's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of heaviness, "is indeed weaker than the West. In many areas, we are still catching up. Therefore, we must be cautious about some things."

He looked at Lin Feng: "Take you for example. Your contributions, your name, cannot be made public for the time being. It's not that we don't want to, it's that we can't. Once it's made public, you'll become the target of public criticism, your safety will be in question, and your research will be interfered with."

"I understand," Lin Feng nodded.

"But we will give you everything we owe you." Old Li took out a red-covered certificate from his briefcase, placed it on the coffee table, and pushed it in front of Lin Feng.

The certificate cover is very simple, with only a national emblem in gold foil.

Lin Feng took a deep breath, took it with both hands, and opened it.

Inside are four large handwritten characters: Unparalleled National Hero.

The characters were written with a brush, vigorous and powerful, seemingly penetrating the paper. Below was the official seal of the Elders' Council, bright red and eye-catching.

Below the certificate was a check. Lin Feng glanced at the number—ten million. Not US dollars, but RMB.

"The certificate was approved by the entire Elder Council." Elder Li's voice was calm, but every word carried immense weight. "From today onwards, you are a nationally recognized unparalleled hero. Only fifteen people nationwide have received this title so far. You are the sixteenth, and the youngest."

Lin Feng's hands were trembling.

It wasn't excitement, but a heavy sense of responsibility that weighed him down, making it almost impossible for him to hold the thin certificate.

"Mr. Li, this is far too precious." Lin Feng's voice was somewhat hoarse. "Mr. Qi, Principal Tang, and the others have struggled their entire lives to achieve this..."

"Qi Zhenguo received it at sixty-five," Old Li said, looking at him. "Tang Guohong hasn't received it yet. Do you know why?"

Lin Feng shook his head.

"Because the title of 'Peerless Hero' is not based on seniority or age, but on contributions," Old Li said, emphasizing each word. "Within three years, you have accomplished three breakthroughs that are enough to change the fate of the nation. This contribution deserves this title."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Lin Feng: "Of course, with a title comes responsibility. The country hopes you can continue to move forward and achieve breakthroughs in more fields. If you encounter any difficulties, you can report them directly, and the country will provide full support."

Lin Feng also stood up, holding the certificate as if it were a mountain.

"I will." He said only three words, but each word was firm and resolute.

Old Li turned around, looked at him, and stared at him for a long time. In the old man's eyes, there was relief, expectation, and a solemn sense of entrusting him with an important task.

"Alright, go ahead." Old Li waved his hand. "Go back and work hard. Remember, the country needs you, the people need you."

Lin Feng bowed deeply, then turned and walked out of the reception room.

The door closed behind me.

The corridor was quiet, sunlight streaming in from the window at the end, casting a golden path on the floor. Lin Feng walked along this path, his steps steady, but his heart pounding.

He returned to his room, closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh.

The certificate in my hand felt both light and heavy.

He walked to his desk, opened the certificate, and looked at those four words again—"Peerless National Hero."

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling directly on the certificate. The large, gilded characters gleamed in the light, and the red seal was as vibrant as blood.

Lin Feng stared at it for a long time.

Then he smiled.

It wasn't loud laughter, nor was it maniacal laughter; rather, it was a relieved, gratified, and acknowledged laugh.

Everything over the years—countless sleepless nights, countless failed experiments, countless times of helplessness due to technological barriers—has gained meaning at this moment.

worth it.

It was all worth it.