Qin Ran had summarized the underground reactor report.

Having been there for so many years, nothing had been discovered about the underground reactor despite the countless investigations done by research teams at home and abroad.

The founder of the reactor had indeed left research results, but they were just a bunch of code-like words.

After so many years, Fang Zhenbo and the others had invited historians to guess these clueless symbol codes, but nothing ever surfaced.

The reactor consumed energy once it was turned on, so not many people could apply for it.

Most people only went in to gain insights and few wrote any useful experimental reports.

Especially in recent years.

They still had no idea whether the metal could control the reaction energy impact.

No elements on the periodic table corresponded to this metal. Even if it wasn’t in the periodic table, the new elements in the future would have to be created by experimental laboratories.

This was one of the reasons why nobody had an idea about the predecessor who left the reactor.

Many people in the chemical laboratories wanted to synthesize elements with the material, but they couldn’t find any synthetic materials on earth using isotopes.

However, Qin Ran’s report didn’t mention metal. From beginning to end, she only focused on one direction unnoticed by anyone else—

Pressure balance.

“This is indeed the research direction. Maybe Senior Ning wanted to leave this behind for us.” Scholar Lu turned to Scholar Liao. “We need to confirm this in the Research Institute.”

Scholar Lu had come to the laboratory today after hearing that the person who wrote the 25% energy conversion rate was in this laboratory.

Scholar Liao remained silent and solemnly flipped through the observation report.

After reading it, he put the report away and pushed his glasses.

He untied his protective suit with one hand and said to Brother Ye, “Scholar Lu and I are going to the Research Institute for an emergency meeting. You and Little Junior should make preparations, we might ask you to come over anytime.”

Upon hearing this, Brother Ye stared at him, in a daze. “To the Research Institute?”

“For the new research direction of the reactor.” Scholar Lu wasn’t as strict and traditional as Scholar Liao. He reached out to pat Brother Ye’s shoulder. “The research direction of the reactor was written by you and the Little Junior, right? After we discuss it, if it’s feasible, your assessment at the end of the year could possibly reach the fourth-level of the Research Institute…”

He went out with Scholar Liao in a hurry, having a heated discussion on the way.

Qin Ran had been doing micro experiments in the second area of the laboratory.

In the outermost layer separated by glass, Brother Ye almost suspected that he had heard wrongly.

Researchers in the Research Institute were all graded, but there was a standard evaluation at the end of each year. Only those who met the evaluation standards could be rated as researchers.

However, the Research Institute had too many people. Although the fourth-level was the minimum standard, many people had to work hard for ten years to reach it.

As an ordinary student, not to mention having done very little useless research, even those who had could only attribute the work to their professors or others.

Brother Ye had only been a student for a few years. It took at least two to three years to become a formal researcher.

But now, Scholar Lu actually said he might become a formal researcher by the end of this year.

Brother Ye looked up at Qin Ran in a daze.

She put down her measuring instrument and walked over to him, squinting thoughtfully.

“Little Junior.” Brother Ye finally found his voice. “What did you write in the research report?”

Qin Ran recovered from her thoughts and casually said, “I’ve observed the reactor. I’m not sure what’s inside, but I checked the information at home and confirmed that it was a pressure balance. So I wrote about that.”

Returning to her seat, she turned on the computer to click on Nan Huiyao’s message and explained to Brother Ye, “When I was a child, my grandma and I saw similar reactors. My research direction might be a little different from others…”

She wasn’t sure if these things were useful. She had never studied them and only recorded what she found in the underground reactor.

These codes… she understood some.

But judging by their reactions, she realized that it seemed useful to them.

Brother Ye didn’t make a sound for a long while.

He stared at her, at a loss for words.

“Bam—”

Not far away, at Zuo Qiurong’s table, the cup in her hand fell to the ground. She pursed her lips and squatted down to pick it up, unable to lift her head.

At lunchtime.

Nobody called Qin Ran and Brother Ye to go to the Research Institute.

It seemed like Brother Ye wasn’t rated as a fourth-level researcher.

Zuo Qiurong heaved a sigh of relief.

Brother Ye wasn’t disappointed. After all, he had only helped Qin Ran organize the data for this observation report.

**

At noon, Zuo Qiurong and Brother Ye’s research team ate together while discussing the research process.

Brother Ye casually mentioned Qin Ran.

The other two male teammates heard that her paper was of the same category and were stunned to learn it had been taken by the two scholars. They exchanged glances in shock. “Brother, why is your Little Junior so impressive?”

Brother Ye didn’t hesitate to praise her. “She’s better than me.”

A strong leader was of utmost importance in a team.

The two boys didn’t expect the Little Junior they assumed was inconspicuous to be so impressive. “Brother Ye, who is she?”

Brother Ye lightly said, “Qin Ran.”

Because of Zuo Qiurong, he hadn’t mentioned her name to the team, and the form had been torn before they even saw her name.

“Wait, it’s her?” One of the boys widened his eyes. “This year’s Freshman King who went to the variety show. When she came back to participate in the laboratory assessment, the one who took four hours to get the E to S grades?”

Brother Ye was taken aback. “Oh, you guys know her too.”

“Of course, you have no idea how famous she is in school,” the boy excitedly said. “If I had known earlier…”

Halfway through, the other boy patted him in a reminder.

He glanced at Zuo Qiurong and immediately swallowed his words.

Zuo Qiurong slammed her chopsticks on the table and turned to Brother Ye. “What the hell do you mean?”

“Nothing.” Brother Ye gave her a light look.

“If you like your Little Junior so much, go and find her.”

The other boy’s expression changed. “Senior Sister…”

A team was most afraid of the split of people’s minds. Brother Ye also knew that there was now a gap between him and Zuo Qiurong. She deliberately avoided him for all the experiments and reports she did recently.

The space propulsion experiment was very important to him, and he had sacrificed a lot for it, but Zuo Qiurong seemed to be guarding against him.

Sitting on the stool, Brother Ye was silent for a long while before turning to them. “I’ll give you my research content when I go back at noon. From today onwards, I won’t participate in the remaining research, and I will declare my withdrawal from the team.”

He put down his chopsticks and left.

The two boys hurriedly said, “Brother Ye, the research is already coming to an end. If you give up now…”

“Do you guys want to leave with him?” Zuo Qiurong looked up at them.

Now that the aerospace propulsion race was almost completed and Brother Ye had already done his part, his withdrawal did not affect Zuo Qiurong’s team. Instead, he absorbed the greatest impact.

Upon hearing this, the two boys bowed their heads and didn’t dare mention him. Brother Ye was very courageous, but they lacked the courage to quit this race for reputation.

**

At three o’clock in the afternoon.

The three people in the laboratory were divided into three corners.

Qin Ran did her research experiment as always. Brother Ye stayed in the innermost area, helping Scholar Liao with the research, while Zuo Qiurong sorted through the report that Brother Ye passed to her.

Qin Ran felt the tense atmosphere between them.

Taking advantage of the gap when Zuo Qiurong went to the bathroom, she handed the prepared data to Brother Ye and casually said, “Are you and Sister Zuo okay?”

Brother Ye took the datasheet and shook his head. “We’re okay.”

When he didn’t say much else, Qin Ran thoughtfully glanced at him and nodded.

She returned to her seat, thought about it, and clicked on Principal Xu’s profile—

“Can I add another person?”

Principal Xu: “…”

At the same time.

A middle-aged man knocked on the door and came in.

Zuo Qiurong just came out of the bathroom.

She heard the middle-aged man say, “Is Ye Mingqiao and Qin Ran here? Scholar Liao and Scholar Lu lost track of time. Director Fang asked me to come to find you. The car is waiting at the entrance of the laboratory.”