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nTranslator: Legge Editor: Legge

nMeanwhile.

nBeijing.

nAt the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

nIn a conference room, several executives of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were holding a meeting. Just as everyone was frowning unhappily, a call delivering a piece of good news arrived.

n“What?”

n“The problem we had with the algorithm has been solved?”

n“That’s great! That’s really great!”

n“Good work by Old Chi and the others!”

n“Beautifully done! We must award them for that!”

n“This issue has dragged on for two months already! But it has finally been resolved!”

n“Who was the one that came up with the algorithm? Didn’t they say that even the most authoritative mathematicians in the country were stumped by it?”

n“Old Xu, weren’t you there on a work trip just days ago? Surely you should know, right? They brought Zhang Ye over to help them with it.”

n“Zhang Ye? No wonder. I was thinking of who could be skilled enough.”

n“Even within the management, this is a classified topic, so please watch what you all say.”

n“Then what about the honoring of his work with an award?”

n“Let’s note that for Professor Zhang first. We will award it to him when the time is right.”

n“Alright, that’s that, then.”

n…

nThe next day.

nIn the morning.

nThere was a lively atmosphere at the research institute. With a breakthrough in the algorithm that had been stuck for two months, all of their work could finally carry on.

nZhang Ye was up very early, but as there wasn’t any work for him to do, he went jogging, ate breakfast, and then sang his usual “Tears Behind Prison Bars.” Afterwards, he began wandering around the research institute and dropped by the different departments. The reduction of his sentence was the only thing on his mind now. There was already an update from the higher-ups as they responded to Fellow Chi’s application on the very same day it was submitted, and a draft of the documents was even faxed to the research institute. Regarding Zhang Ye’s outstanding contribution towards an important national project during his sentence, the relevant authorities and leaders had specially approved of a reduction of six months and seven days on his sentence after verification.

nThere were even seven days in addition to the full six months of reduction, so he didn’t really understand how it was calculated.

nBut to Zhang Ye, being able to leave even a day earlier was one more day earned for him.

nIn a lab.

nZhang Ye strolled in.

n“Professor Zhang.”

n“Dr. Li, you’re busy?”

n“Yes, I’m currently working on a highway extension project.”

n“Did you encounter any problems?”

n“Ah? No, I didn’t.”

n“Is everything going well?”

n“Yes, it’s all going great.”

nZhang Ye pursed his lips and nodded. “Alright then, that’s all.”

nDoctor Li and a group of researchers looked at one another in confusion.

nIn the research office next door.

nZhang Ye arrived here after turning a corner.

n“Professor Chen.”

n“Aiya, it’s Professor Zhang?”

n“Have you encountered any difficulties?”

n“Ah? No, I haven’t?”

n“No?”

n“Yeah, everything is going swell after completion of the algorithm.”

n“So there’s not even a little bit of a problem then?”

n“Ah? Were you hoping that we would meet with some problems?”

nOf course!

nIf nothing happens, how can this bro get another sentence reduction!

nZhang Ye smacked his lips. “That’s good then, I was just concerned about how everything was going.”

nAll morning, Zhang Ye made his rounds at all of the departments. The first thing he would say when he arrived was “Did something happen?” Many of the researchers did not know whether to laugh or cry, but they did not dare offend Zhang Ye as they knew he had a bad temper. He would always act on impulse, so no one could predict what he might do.

nFinally, Fellow Zhou could no longer watch. He hastily summoned Zhang Ye to his office to have a talk with him.

nFellow Zhou said earnestly, “Professor Zhang, what are you doing?”

nZhang Ye curled his lips. “What’s wrong?”

nFellow Zhou said with a wry smile, “I understand that you wish to do more for the country, but we have only just overcome a difficulty—”

nZhang Ye corrected, “It wasn’t we, it was me.”

nFellow Zhou said, “Right, it was you who helped us overcome the difficulty, so everyone is really motivated right now. How can you keep going around pouring cold water on everyone and affecting the morale of our comrades? We have yet to officially begin the application of the algorithm, so you don’t have to put in so much effort. However, you can still do other things. For example—oh right, it’s almost the new year, and we won’t be able to go home this year either, so we’ll be spending it here at the research institute. Since we have the practice of holding our own gala here, why don’t you take charge of that this year?”

nChi Xue arrived at this moment.

nZhang Ye rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time.”

nTake charge of a gala?

nLike he was in the mood to do that!

nChi Xue laughed and said, “Uncle Zhou, are you trying to get a Spring Festival Gala director to take charge of an internal gala here at the research institute? Aren’t you insulting him that way?”

nFellow Zhou suddenly thought so too. “Indeed, that might really be making trivial use of great talent.”

nChi Xue said, “But it’s true that there isn’t really anything much for mathematicians like me and Professor Zhang to do here at the research institute other than things related to the algorithm.”

nZhang Ye said, “I can do other things too.”

nFellow Zhou laughed. “We mostly handle physics research projects here. It’s not that I am underestimating you, Professor Little Zhang, but there’s really not much you can help us with here.”

nZhang Ye said, “That might not necessarily be true.”

nChi Xue gave a wry smile at that.

nFellow Zhou also laughed while shaking his head. He opened the drawer and took out a dozen or so stacks of documents. “Alright then, you can take a look at these. These are the projects that the research institute has piled up over the past few years, some of which have proven to be failures while others have been put on hold indefinitely. There are also some that are being worked on currently but have yet to make any progress. Why don’t you take a look at which of the projects you think you can help out with? They’re all physics or experimental research. Just have a look at them and you’ll know what I mean.”

nZhang Ye flipped through them.

n“No. 23 (Unnamed) Gravitational Experiment”

n“Quantum Mechanics Experiment (Test No. 58)”

n“No. 5 Radar Measurement Project”

nAnd so on.

nWhat were all these!

nZhang Ye constantly rolled his eyes!

nFellow Zhou smiled and said, “So?”

nZhang Ye held up one of the documents. “How much can I reduce with this?”

nFellow Zhou was taken aback. “Reduce what?”

nZhang Ye said, “Reduce my sentence, of course.”

nFellow Zhou said, “Ah? The hell would I know?”

nZhang Ye said, “Roughly by how much?”

nFellow Zhou said, “We won’t be able to conduct the quantum mechanics experiment by ourselves. That will require the coordinated research efforts of many organizations. If you can get that done, the reduction will definitely be a lot.”

nZhang Ye took out another one. “How much can this reduce my sentence by?”

n“Pfft.” Chi Xue burst out laughing. “Professor Zhang, this is the first time I’ve seen anyone try to categorize a project by asking how much time it can reduce a prison sentence. You really won’t be able to take on any of these projects. Moreover, they’re not projects that you can complete in a year or two.”

nZhang Ye was not having any of it. “This bro just wants to make it back home quickly. I don’t care what they are. I’m going to give it a try anyway. Which is the most difficult project that you all have here? The type that can reduce my sentence by the most. The type that can shock the world if it gets completed and would allow me to get released the very next day!”

nShock the world?

nGet released the very next day?

nFellow Zhou and Chi Xue looked at one another and could sense the helplessness in each others’ eyes.

nSeeing how Zhang Ye was still unwilling to give up, Fellow Zhou said, “We do have the kind of project you mentioned. Alright, I’ll let you have a look then.” He rummaged through his drawers and found a thick project book that he placed onto the table. “Here it is. If you can get this done, they would definitely allow your sentence to be reduced by however many years you wish!”

nZhang Ye exclaimed, “Whoa, it’s that bad?”

nFellow Zhou laughed and said, “Yes, because this is something that the country needs the most right now. Moreover, no one in the country has managed to do this in all these years.”

nWhen Zhang Ye flipped the book open and scanned through it, he was stunned.

nChi Xue smiled. “What’s the matter?”

nFellow Zhou also smiled and said, “So do you get it now?”

nThey had thought that Zhang Ye had been scared silly by it.

nActually, Zhang Ye’s reason for being stunned was that he found the title of this project rather familiar!

n“New Generation Fighter Engine Manufacturing”

nIt sounded familiar!

nIt sounded too familiar!

nWhere did he hear this name?

nZhang Ye was stunned for a bit as he remembered. Didn’t he draw something like that from the lottery a long time ago? At that time, he still thought that this skill was pretty much useless and had grumbled about how he would have been better off with an excavator repair skill than this aircraft engine manufacturing skill. He had believed that this lousy skill would never come in handy in his lifetime, but who could have thought that after such a long time, there would actually be a place where he could put this skill to use?

nHe had this skill!

nAnd he even “ate” a lot of the skill experience books!

nZhang Ye got a very excited look as though he were injected with adrenaline!

nZhang Ye said, “This is it!”

nFellow Zhou was speechless.

nChi Xue rolled her eyes.

nThey were thinking that Zhang Ye was ribbing them, but never did they expect that Zhang Ye would actually know how to do this!

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