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

The day after Zhou Mingyuan left, the official document from the Provincial Department of Education was issued.

Zhou Mingyuan's disciplinary warning within the Party remained unchanged, but he was removed from his position as head of the Physics Department and transferred to the Provincial Institute of Education as a regular instructor. Zhao Zhiguo was transferred from the library to the warehouse manager position in the logistics department. Ma Kui hadn't expected the punishment to be more severe than before.

"It was thanks to Principal Liu's efforts." Ma Kui lowered his voice. "The Education Department originally only wanted to uphold the original verdict, but Principal Liu slammed his fist on the table and said that a department head who framed a student should be severely punished to uphold the school's reputation."

Ye Bingwen looked out the window. Most of the poplar leaves had fallen, and the bare branches stretched towards the gray sky.

"When Zhou Mingyuan left, someone saw him standing at the school gate for a long time," Ma Kui said.

"He's thinking about how to come back."

Ma Kui paused for a moment. "You think he can come back?"

"I don't know. But if someone feels wronged, they'll try to turn the tables." Ye Bingwen turned around. "Any news from Zhao Zhiguo?"

Ma Kui pulled an envelope from his pocket. "He had someone give this to you."

Ye Bingwen opened the letter. Zhao Zhiguo detailed everything Zhou Mingyuan had made him do: withholding scholarships for international students, falsifying professional title evaluation materials, intercepting high-scoring candidates' files, and fabricating teaching evaluation data. Each item included a time, place, and witnesses. The letter ended with: "Ye Bingwen, I'm sorry. I should have handed these things over long ago, but I was afraid. Now I'm not afraid anymore."

Ye Bingwen folded the letter neatly. "Give it to Principal Liu."

Ma Kui took the envelope and hesitated for a moment. "If this letter is handed over, Zhou Mingyuan will be completely finished."

"He shouldn't have been able to turn things around in the first place."

In the afternoon, Ye Bingwen went to Zhang Guangyuan's office.

"Professor Zhang, I'd like to go to Institute 601 next week."

"Okay. How many days will you be gone?"

"Three days."

Zhang Guangyuan took off his glasses. "When you get there, observe more, listen more, and speak less. Your plan is better than theirs, that's a fact. But sometimes the truth is the most hurtful. Be humble, and say things like 'Let me think about it some more' or 'It might not be right.'"

Ye Bingwen nodded.

"Also, I've reviewed the contract with the motor factory. The payment method has been changed to 'monthly reconciliation, payment by the 5th of the following month,' and a technology confidentiality clause has been added."

Ye Bingwen took the file folder. "Thank you, Professor Zhang."

"You're my student, if I don't help you, who will?"

In the corridor, Ye Bingwen ran into Ge Jianjun. He had lost a lot of weight, his eyes were sunken, and he looked like he had been drained dry.

"I've applied to withdraw from school." Ge Jianjun's voice was calm. "The department knows about the whistleblower letter, and I told Director Cai about it."

Ye Bingwen looked at him. "Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind. My mentality isn't suited for scientific research; I can't stand seeing others do better than me." Ge Jianjun raised his head. "I'm going back to my hometown to take the teacher qualification exam and become a middle school teacher."

"Secondary school teachers also need a good mindset."

Ge Jianjun paused for a moment, then smiled. The smile was bitter, but sincere. He extended his hand. "Ye Bingwen, thank you."

Ye Bingwen grasped his hand. "When you get there, do a good job."

Ge Jianjun turned and left. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting patches of light on the floor. Ye Bingwen watched his figure disappear at the top of the stairs, a feeling he couldn't quite describe. It wasn't forgiveness, nor relief, but more of a weariness.

That evening, Zheng Shuyun handed Ye Bingwen a letter that had been sent from Daxing Village.

The father's handwriting was crooked, but he wrote each stroke carefully: "Everything is fine at home. Your mother is much healthier than last year. This year's harvest is 30% more than last year. We received the money you sent back; the two of us old folks won't spend much. Can An'an walk now? Send a photo back when you have time."

Ye Bingwen folded the letter and put it in the drawer. Zheng Shuyun leaned closer, "Dad's handwriting is better than before."

"He's been practicing. He used to have someone else write his letters, but now he's writing them himself, which means he misses us."

Zheng Shuyun pressed her head even closer. An'an took two unsteady steps on the carpet, plopped down on the floor, and then got up again. Ye Bingwen smiled.

"When An'an is a little older, we'll go back home and let Mom and Dad see their granddaughter."

The next morning, Ye Bingwen went to the motor factory to sign the contract.

Li Guoliang was waiting for him in the conference room, with the factory director and a legal representative sitting next to him. The contract was in triplicate, and Zhang Guangyuan had made all the necessary changes. Both parties signed and stamped the contract.

"We'll make ten prototypes for the first batch. Come check on the progress once a week." Li Guoliang held his hand tightly and pulled out a piece of paper from the folder. "It's the application guide for the provincial science and technology department's key technology research projects. Your brushless motor meets the requirements, and the factory can apply jointly with you. The project funding is about 50,000 yuan, and you'll receive a portion of it after it's approved."

Fifty thousand yuan. A worker's monthly salary is only thirty or forty yuan, so fifty thousand yuan is enough to save for a hundred years.

What materials are needed?

"You have the technical solution. The factory will write the feasibility report and budget for you; you just need to sign them."

Emerging from the motor factory, Ye Bingwen took a deep breath. A project grant of 50,000 yuan, a 5% profit share, and an invitation from Institute 601. Everything was moving in a positive direction. But he knew in his heart that the faster these things came, the more people would be watching him. Zhou Mingyuan was gone, but there were Zhang Mingyuan and Li Mingyuan. He had to run even faster.

Back at school, Ye Bingwen asked Cai Xun for leave.

Cai Xun signed the leave slip. "Do your best at Institute 601. Don't embarrass the Mechanical Engineering Department."

No, it won't.

"And another thing." Cai Xun looked up, his expression serious. "After you left, someone from the province called to ask about your situation, asking very detailed questions. I didn't say much, but you should be mentally prepared."

Ye Bingwen's heart tightened. "Who is it?"

"I don't know, the other party didn't reveal their identity. But someone who can call the principal's office can't be an ordinary person."

Ye Bingwen fell silent. He recalled the letter Zhou Mingyuan had left before he left—"You'll find out sooner or later." What exactly did Zhou Mingyuan know? Or was he just saying it casually?

Cai Xun waved his hand. "Don't think too much, just focus on doing the task at hand well."

That evening, Zheng Shuyun wrote her essay under the lamp. The deadline for the provincial competition was fast approaching, and despite revising it several times, Section Chief Sun was still not satisfied.

"He said it was too bland and lacked any highlights." Zheng Shuyun put down her pen in distress.

Ye Bingwen picked up the manuscript and read it through. "It's not that it's bland, it's that it lacks specificity. You say 'Old Wang's family's life has improved,' but how has it improved? What did they eat before, and what do they eat now? The more specific the details, the more powerful the article will be."

Zheng Shuyun picked up her pen again. Ye Bingwen stayed by her side; An'an was already asleep, and the room was quiet.

Halfway through writing, Zheng Shuyun suddenly looked up. "Bingwen, do you think if this essay wins an award, Section Chief Sun will look at me differently?"

"Yes."

"What if you don't win an award?"

"It doesn't matter if I don't win an award. The article is written primarily for my own benefit."

Zheng Shuyun leaned on his shoulder and sighed softly.

Outside the window, autumn in Harbin is deepening. Leaves have fallen to the ground, rustling softly in the wind.

Looking out at the night sky, Ye Bingwen suddenly had a thought. Zhou Mingyuan's matter was temporarily over, but the person who called from the provincial government made him uneasy. Who was that person? And why were they inquiring about him?

The table lamp flickered and then went out. The room was plunged into darkness.

Zheng Shuyun said softly, "The power's out again."

Ye Bingwen stood up in the dark and walked to the window. The staff dormitory building across the street was also dark; the entire campus was shrouded in darkness. Only a single light shone from the distant school gate, its dim yellow glow swaying in the wind.

Under that lamp, there seemed to be a figure standing.

Ye Bingwen squinted, trying to get a better look, but the figure turned and left, disappearing into the night.