Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

The next day, a rumor circulated in the automation building.

In yesterday's stage review, Zhao Guodong received the highest evaluation so far. Many people are discussing it. Some are even speculating whether the person in charge is already a foregone conclusion.

In the cafeteria, Gu Xiaolan recounted the story vividly: "I heard that Director Qin specifically praised him."

Liu Xue nodded: "I've heard about it too. Everyone's saying that Zhao Guodong is going to turn the tables."

Lin Xiuhe lowered her head and drank her soup, remaining silent. She knew that what Zhao Guodong revealed was intimidating, while what Li Mingyuan hadn't revealed was the most reliable.

In the afternoon, the project team held a meeting.

Li Mingyuan remained seated in his usual spot. Quiet. Composed. As if the discussions outside had nothing to do with him.

Zhao Guodong was in high spirits and much more active than usual during the discussion, offering suggestions for improvement several times. The atmosphere was excellent.

Even after the meeting ended and everyone left, Li Mingyuan remained seated, continuing to modify the data. It was as if nothing had happened.

Evening. Laboratory.

When Lin Xiuhe went in, there was only one person inside.

Li Mingyuan. His desk was piled high with documents, and several empty enamel mugs sat beside him, clearly indicating that he had been working on this for a long time.

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Lin Xiuhe asked.

"Soon."

I've heard that phrase a lot lately.

Li Mingyuan laughed: "I learned it from Zhao Guodong."

The lab was quiet. The only sound was the turning of pages.

After a while, Lin Xiuhe suddenly realized something was wrong. Li Mingyuan was redoing the model, and not just a part of it, but the entire model.

She frowned: "You scrapped the original plan?"

"Um."

Why?

"Because it's not good enough." The answer was as simple as talking about the weather.

Lin Xiuhe fell silent. She suddenly recalled many people's evaluations of Li Mingyuan—steady, intelligent, from a good family, and always composed.

But everyone seems to have forgotten one thing: none of those who get into Tsinghua University have it easy.

Li Mingyuan put down the last page of data, rubbed his eyes, and suddenly said, "Actually, I hated it when people praised me when I was a child."

Why?

"Because they always say, 'Your family is well-off, your dad is powerful, of course you're better than others.'"

The lab fell silent for a moment.

"And then?"

"Later I realized that explanations were useless," Li Mingyuan smiled, "so I could only get first place."

These words were spoken softly, yet they stunned Lin Xiuhe.

Because she suddenly understood why Li Mingyuan never argued or explained. Because he had long been used to it.

The next day. The project team conducted the second round of testing.

All three of them arrived. Professor Chen sat in the front row, and Director Qin was also there.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was noticeably more tense than last time, because the final evaluation of the person in charge was not far off.

The first to be presented was Zhao Guodong.

After the optimized architecture was modified, performance improved again. The data was surprisingly impressive. Nodding in agreement was heard throughout the meeting room.

When Zhao Guodong sat down, a slight smile finally appeared on his face.

It was Li Mingyuan's turn. He didn't rush to start, but instead changed the documents first.

Zhao Guodong was stunned. Lin Xiuhe also looked up. Because this was not the previous plan.

For the next twenty minutes, the meeting room grew increasingly quiet.

Li Mingyuan did not pursue higher performance, nor did he seek more radical breakthroughs. He did only one thing—calculate all the risks.

It covers everything from equipment failures and parameter fluctuations to extreme situations.

Finally, a set of results appeared on the screen.

Success rate: 98.7%.

The conference room fell silent for a few seconds. Then, discussions broke out.

Because everyone finally understood why Li Mingyuan wanted to overturn the original plan. He took a different path—not faster, but more stable.

Director Qin looked at the documents without speaking for a long time. Finally, he slowly nodded: "Very good."

It's still just two words. But like yesterday, they carry immense weight.

After the meeting, Zhao Guodong fell silent for the first time. He stared at the data for a long time without saying a word.

Because even he admitted that he couldn't do it.

In the corridor, Li Mingyuan held the documents, preparing to leave.

Zhao Guodong suddenly spoke up: "You were deliberately hiding it?"

Li Mingyuan thought for a moment and said, "I guess so."

Why?

"Because you'll revise it in advance."

Zhao Guodong was stunned for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "You're really cunning."

"Thank you for the compliment."

The two of them laughed at the same time.

Competition still exists. But it's no longer the head-to-head rivalry of the beginning; it's now a contest born from mutual recognition.

Evening. Top floor of the Automation Building.

Lin Xiuhe stood alone by the window, looking at the lights in the distance.

Zhao Guodong erupted. Li Mingyuan also revealed his trump card.

But she suddenly realized that she was the calmest. Because she knew that the real test had not yet begun.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind him. Professor Chen walked over.

"What are you looking at?"

"Beijing."

Professor Chen smiled: "What did you figure out?"

Lin Xiuhe was silent for a moment, then said softly, "There are many experts."

"Scared?"

"no."

Why?

Lin Xiuhe gazed out the window and said slowly, "Because I'm not bad either."

Professor Chen paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. The laughter echoed across the empty rooftop, lingering for a long time before finally subsiding.

Before leaving, Professor Chen suddenly handed her a list: "Take a look."

Lin Xiuhe took it and glanced at it. The next second, she suddenly stopped.

Because at the very top of the list were written a few words—

[List of Candidates Preliminary Qualifying for the Beijing Youth Science and Technology Competition]

The first line contains only three names.

Lin Xiuhe. Li Mingyuan. Zhao Guodong.

There is one more note below:

The person ultimately responsible will be determined at the preliminary review.

A night breeze blew across the rooftop, causing the list to sway gently.

Lin Xiuhe slowly raised her head.

I finally understand, the real battle has begun.