78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

Chief Engineer Li. Li Guoliang.

Ye Bingwen's heart skipped a beat, and he reached out to shake hands with him. "What does Chief Engineer Li want with me?"

Sun Jianguo took a file folder out of his canvas bag and handed it to Ye Bingwen.

"Chief Engineer Li said that the factory is very interested in the brushless motor solution you submitted last time. Here are some preliminary evaluation opinions for you to take a look at. If it's convenient, Chief Engineer Li would like to arrange a meeting with you to discuss it in person."

Ye Bingwen took the file bag but didn't open it immediately.

"When is Chief Engineer Li available?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, in the factory's conference room," Sun Jianguo said. "Chief Engineer Li said you can set the time."

Ye Bingwen thought for a moment, "Then let's do it tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock."

"Okay, okay." Sun Jianguo nodded repeatedly. "Then I'll go back and report."

He turned to leave, then stopped, hesitated for a moment, and lowered his voice to say, "Student Ye, Chief Engineer Li asked me to pass on a message to you."

"What did you say?"

He said that no matter what trouble you encounter at school, things at the motor factory will not be affected. We will still cooperate and support each other as before.

Ye Bingwen paused for a moment, then smiled.

Li Guoliang is no ordinary person.

He hadn't said anything, yet Li Guoliang already knew about what happened at school. He even specifically sent Sun Jianguo to deliver this message, the meaning of which was clear: You have powerful backers.

Ye Bingwen tucked the file bag under his arm and pushed open the laboratory door.

The prototype of the brushless motor was still on the table, its rotor gleaming with a metallic sheen in the morning light.

He walked over and touched the cold casing.

Zhou Mingyuan's matter is not over yet, but Ye Bingwen is no longer worried.

With the connection established with the motor factory and progress being made at Institute 601, having real expertise gives us confidence.

He pulled up a chair, sat down, opened the file folder, and began to read the motor factory's evaluation.

Outside the window, the sun rose, and sunlight shone through the glass onto the experimental table, casting a long shadow of the prototype machine.

The laboratory door was suddenly pushed open with a loud noise.

Ye Bingwen looked up and saw Ge Jianjun standing at the door, his face pale and with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night.

"Ye Bingwen," Ge Jianjun's voice was a little hoarse, "I have something to tell you."

Ye Bingwen put down the documents and leaned back in his chair. "Speak."

Ge Jianjun walked in and closed the door. He stood in front of Ye Bingwen, his hands hanging at his sides, clenching into fists, then opening them, then clenching them again.

"I didn't put that note up," he said.

Ye Bingwen remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"But I wrote the whistleblower letter." Ge Jianjun's voice began to tremble. "I...I'm sorry."

The laboratory was quiet, with only the ticking of the wall clock.

Ye Bingwen looked at Ge Jianjun without saying a word.

Ge Jianjun was half a head taller than him, but now he looked shorter. He was trembling all over, his eyes were red, and he looked like he was about to cry at any moment.

"You know about the whistleblower letter; the school has already investigated and found out." Ye Bingwen finally spoke, his voice calm.

"I know." Ge Jianjun lowered his head. "But Zhou Mingyuan made me write it. He promised me that as long as I wrote the letter of complaint, he would recommend me to study for his graduate program."

Ye Bingwen narrowed his eyes. "Zhou Mingyuan contacted you?"

"Yes. He said... he said you stole my thunder, which made me uncomfortable. He said he understood me, and that he felt the same way." Ge Jianjun's voice trailed off. "I acted impulsively and agreed."

"Where's the note?"

"I didn't put the note there. I don't know who did." Ge Jianjun looked up, his eyes pleading. "Ye Bingwen, I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I really didn't expect things to escalate this much. I thought it was just a matter of writing a complaint letter, and the school would investigate and that would be the end of it. I never imagined Zhou Mingyuan would do something else."

Ye Bingwen leaned back in his chair and looked at Ge Jianjun.

He recalled when he first joined the research group, Ge Jianjun questioned him in front of everyone, asking if he had gotten in through connections. At that time, Ye Bingwen was not angry; he simply used finite element analysis to prove himself.

Later, Ge Jianjun apologized, and their relationship improved considerably. Ye Bingwen thought that Ge Jianjun was just a little petty, but not a bad person.

Now he understands that being petty to a certain extent is evil.

"Do you know what Zhou Mingyuan asked me to do?" Ye Bingwen asked.

Ge Jianjun shook his head.

"He had Deputy Director Zhao write a note and post it at the school gate, saying I plagiarized. He wanted to ruin my reputation and make it impossible for me to stay in the Mechanical Engineering Department." Ye Bingwen's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "Do you know what this means? If my reputation is ruined, it will affect my future job search, promotions, and project work. He's not just ruining my present, he's ruining my entire life."

Ge Jianjun's face was as white as paper.

"By writing the whistleblower letter, you're handing Zhou Mingyuan a knife." Ye Bingwen stood up and walked to Ge Jianjun. "Have you thought about what I would do if that knife actually came down?"

Ge Jianjun opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"I know why you wrote the complaint letter," Ye Bingwen continued. "You feel resentful because you, as a graduate student, are being outshone by a freshman. But have you considered that your problem isn't that others are too strong, but that you are too weak? Instead of trying to improve yourself, you try to drag others down. Is this what you've learned in graduate school?"

Ge Jianjun's tears finally fell. He raised his hand to wipe them away, but he couldn't stop; the tears flowed even more freely.

"Ye Bingwen, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"What good is an apology?" Ye Bingwen's voice turned cold. "If the school hadn't investigated thoroughly, if Principal Liu hadn't spoken up for me, I would already be expelled. What can your apology get me?"

Ge Jianjun squatted down, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders shrugged.

Ye Bingwen looked at Ge Jianjun, who was squatting on the ground, and remained silent for a long time.

He recalled an incident from his past life. He had supervised a graduate student who accidentally made a mistake in the data during an experiment, resulting in the publication of an incorrect paper. After Ye Bingwen discovered this, the student voluntarily retracted the paper, redid the experiment, and spent more than half a year correcting the data.

That student later became his best collaborator.

Making mistakes is not terrible; what is terrible is not daring to admit them.

"Ge Jianjun." Ye Bingwen's voice softened somewhat.

Ge Jianjun looked up, his face covered in tears.

"I don't forgive you," Ye Bingwen said, "but I won't report you."

Ge Jianjun was stunned.

"Zhou Mingyuan has already been dealt with. Dragging you into this will only add another person to the punishment; it won't serve any other purpose." Ye Bingwen turned and walked back to the lab bench. "But remember, you owe me today. From now on, do your job properly in the research group. Don't get any more ulterior motives."

Ge Jianjun slowly stood up and wiped his face with the back of his hand. His lips were trembling, but his eyes had changed.

It wasn't the timidity and guilt I felt before, but something indescribable. It was like gratitude, yet also like determination.

"Ye Bingwen, I..." His voice was still hoarse, but much more steady than before. "If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know. I, Ge Jianjun, owe you my life."

Ye Bingwen didn't turn around, he just waved his hand.

"Let's go back; we still have experiments to do tomorrow."

Ge Jianjun stood at the door for a while, bowed deeply, and then pushed the door open and went out.

After the door closed, the laboratory fell silent again.

Ye Bingwen sat in front of the experimental table, staring blankly at the brushless motor for a long time.

He's not a saint. He doesn't want to forgive Ge Jianjun, but he also doesn't want to ruin someone's future.

Ge Jianjun was the lead writer of the whistleblower letter, but Zhou Mingyuan was the real mastermind. It's difficult for a graduate student to say no when faced with pressure and temptation from the department head.

Ye Bingwen had seen too many people like this in his past life. They weren't bad people, just weak. So weak that they were easily taken advantage of, so weak that they only regretted their mistakes afterward.

But weakness is no excuse.

What Ge Jianjun owes him, he will have to pay back sooner or later.