Reborn in 2011, I am the chief designer of aerospace.

After returning from Lao Xu's office, Song Xingye called Qin Rui and Chen Xin together.

"Professor Xu suggested compiling our CTOC winning proposal into a paper and submitting it to the *Journal of Astronautics*. This is a common practice in previous years, and it usually gets accepted smoothly. Are you two interested?"

Song Xingye went straight to the point and asked.

Qin Rui didn't care, taking a rather laid-back approach, but Chen Xin, a junior from the mathematics department, had his eyes light up:

"Can our proposal be submitted to SCI journals?"

Song Xingye nodded: "Of course you can submit it. The hard requirement for graduation with a doctorate at our school is two SCI papers. Lao Qin and I have already done that. You should only need one more, right?"

Chen Xin said, "Hey, I still have two years until graduation, no rush. But I am really worried about what to write. It would be great if we could publish this. We have a ready-made plan, writing a thesis would be a piece of cake!"

"Okay, then write it. Professor Xu can be listed as the corresponding author. But I don't have time to write it. I'm going to a summer camp this summer, and I have a long paper to work on next semester. Just list me as the third author."

Song Xingye said to the two of them.

Qin Rui quickly waved his hand, "No way, it's not like I don't have to write a long paper. I'll just be a third author, show my face and get a sense of participation."

Chen Xin scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed: "Well... the core of the plan was all done by Senior Brother Song, how could I possibly claim sole authorship? How about we share first authorship?"

Song Xingye said, "In that case, the value would be greatly reduced, and it would be considered at most half an SCI paper when you graduate."

Besides, neither Qin Rui nor I have time to write it. And now that the Wolf Clause has come along, it will definitely be more troublesome for Dongguo's submissions to SCI journals to be reviewed. You'll have to put a lot of effort into polishing the main body of the paper and carefully avoid sensitive words.

"The more you work, the more you earn, so it's quite suitable for you to be listed as the lead author; we're basically freeloaders."

Qin Rui couldn't help but mutter, "This clause is disgusting. Since they're targeting us, why is the school still clinging to the two SCI papers requirement? Isn't this just pure sycophancy and eagerly trying to curry favor with them?"

In response to his complaints, Song Xingye could only helplessly shrug and say:

"I asked Professor Xu about this before I came here... but he said that this is the current situation in our country."

On the one hand, SCI journals are indeed more valuable than domestic journals. Everyone talks about breaking the "five criteria" (i.e., the five criteria for evaluation), but when it comes to actual review, they apply double standards and only recognize SCI journals.

On the other hand, domestic journals are plagued by low-quality content, filled with manuscripts submitted based on personal connections... So at this stage, even if Westerners don't like us, we still have to grit our teeth and submit to SCI journals; we have no other choice.

Seeing this, Chen Xin suggested:

"Alright, I'll take charge of the main writing then. But we'll all be listed as first authors. If you guys hadn't guided me, I wouldn't have gotten this half of the paper."

After much back and forth, the three finally agreed to share the title together, and everyone was happy.

That evening, everyone went to a barbecue stall on the dark street and ordered a lot of skewers and beer to celebrate winning the gold medal in the CTOC competition.

In the days that followed, Song Xingye prepared for the summer camp while writing out the first draft of the SCI paper, leaving the rest to his junior, Chen Xin.

In mid-June, the cicadas began to chirp louder.

After finishing all his chores, Song Xingye stood on the platform, carrying his suitcase and clutching his hard-seat train ticket from Shanghai to Jingzhou.

Qin Rui and Chen Xin both rushed to the station to see him off, and before parting, they each offered words of encouragement:

"Go Stephen Chow! You'll definitely make it to the final round. You're the future leader of Dongyu Group's aerospace industry!"

"Senior Brother Song, you've returned in triumph!"

Upon hearing the title "Master Xing," Song Xingye found it rather pleasant to say, so he waved his hand and said:

"Old Qin, focus on preparing for the Ninth Academy's campus recruitment. Chen Xin, concentrate on writing your thesis. When Stephen Chow passes all the tests, he'll bring you back authentic Quanjude roast duck!"

As the train whistle blew, Song Xingye put away his luggage and sat down in his seat.

These days, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has just started trial operation, so green-skinned trains are still the main mode of transportation.

Amidst a series of clanging and jolts, Song Xingye, who had been working non-stop for many days, gradually fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, the train was stopped at Jinling Station, and it was already afternoon.

A large crowd surged onto the platform. A girl struggled to squeeze through the crowd and carefully tugged at his sleeve to show him her ticket.

It turned out to be my neighbor.

So Song Xingye stepped aside to make way, and after hearing the girl whisper "thank you," he clutched his ticket tightly and shrank into a window seat.

She put on her headphones and quietly began reading a book.

The two then stopped communicating.

The train traveled north, and by the time it passed Xuzhou and Bengbu, it was already night. Song Xingye, rubbing his rumbling stomach, went to get some hot water to make instant noodles.

The girl sitting next to me was quietly munching on a bag of bread.

If it weren't for the movement in her cheeks, Song Xingye would have thought the girl was fasting.

These days, taking a green-skinned train is a very painful and agonizing experience.

After finishing his instant noodles, Song Xingye had nothing to do, so he crossed his arms and looked around to pass the time.

As the train stops at more and more stations, the carriages that were empty when it departed from Shanghai Station are now overcrowded and filled with noise, just like a vegetable market.

I can't sleep when I want to, and I have nowhere to stretch my legs when I want to wander around, so I can only sit with my butt stuck in the ground.

Fortunately, after entering Jiaodong Province in the latter half of the night, the carriage became a little quieter, and most people couldn't resist the drowsiness and fell asleep in various places.

The girl next to me was also wearing headphones and was curled up in the corner of the seat to rest.

Song Xingye also fell asleep.

……

"Cangzhou Station has arrived! Those who need to get off, please prepare!"

The train conductor's loud voice woke Song Xingye up.

The sky outside the window was bright with sunlight.

One more stop and we'll be in Tianjin; the destination is in sight.

He stretched comfortably, but accidentally kicked the girl next to him, so he quickly apologized.

The girl didn't mind; she simply pulled her foot back and shook her head to indicate that everything was alright.

Song Xingye felt that this girl had a bit of a pushover quality, and then looked around and sniffed.

After stopping at more than a dozen stations, the carriages were packed with people.

The passengers who had bought standing tickets huddled together, staring at those who had seats with envious and resentful eyes.

The air was filled with the smells of Master Kong braised beef noodles, scallions with dipping sauce, chive pancakes, cheap liquor, and freshly taken-off shoes.

The complex scent rushed into Song Xingye's nostrils, like a textured mist, sticky and enveloping his eyes.

He unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, gulped down more than half of it, and then got up and squeezed towards the bathroom.

As soon as he left, people rushed over as if they had spotted prey, quickly taking his place and letting out a smug sigh of relief.

It seems that being able to claim this space, which is only a few tens of centimeters wide, as one's own gives one a great sense of accomplishment.

Song Xingye walked into the restroom.

He opened the window and took a deep breath of fresh air.

June is already the height of summer. The train has just passed through a field of emerald green rice paddies, and a few low bungalows occasionally flash by outside the window. In the distance, the Taihang Mountains are faintly visible.

Then she washed her face, looked up, and looked in the mirror.

The person in the mirror has a strong and tall figure, prominent features, and straight, sharp eyebrows, making him a rather spirited young man.

"It's great to be young. Even after sitting on a slow train for 24 hours, you can still be full of energy."

Song Xingye grinned.

Just then, there was a loud banging in the bathroom.

"Is it over inside? Did you fall into the pit? Hurry up, you can't hold it in anymore!"

Song Xingye's vanity was interrupted, so he simply tidied his hair again before pushing the door open and going out.

"You're taking your time going to the toilet..."

The person who knocked on the door rushed in impatiently. Song Xingye smiled apologetically and turned to walk back.

From afar, he saw the man who had taken his seat, now slumped over the table, seemingly asleep.

The girl sitting next to him suddenly widened her eyes, her face showing fear and shame, and she kept shoving the man, trying to drive him away.

Every time you push away a little distance, the latter will use the swaying of the car body to shamelessly stick close again.

Song Xingye frowned.

The girl tried her best to dodge, and looked around with pleading eyes, hoping someone would lend a helping hand.

However, the people around her only glanced at her and then turned away. No one responded to her plea for help, and no one stopped the man's actions, as if they all understood each other without saying a word.

As the man drew closer, tears began to well up in the girl's eyes.

"Hey buddy!"

A hand slammed heavily on the man's shoulder.

Song Xingye stood in the aisle, looking down at the other person, and gestured with his chin toward the seat, "This seat is mine."

The man immediately looked up, his face showing annoyance at being interrupted.

"So what you say goes? Did you write your name on it?"