Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Brother Ye took the list and paused. “Okay. Little Junior, you have anything tonight?” He looked up at her.

Being in the same laboratory, Brother Ye naturally knew that Qin Ran was very busy recently.

“Yeah, I might not be able to come back in time.” She lowered her head and glanced at her phone. Her scarf was pulled a little near her chin and muffled her voice.

The Qin family’s primary election was at 7 pm. It was a large family selection and was extremely formal.

Generally, the heirs of large families, like the Fourth Master Qin, would be cultivated per the selection requirements. Out of the different levels of difficulties, he had assigned the highest difficulty for Qin Ling.

Brother Ye stood up and sent Qin Ran out.

Then, he returned to his seat and continued eating.

Holding his chopsticks and staring in Qin Ran’s direction, the roommate turned and looked blankly at Brother Ye. He slammed the chopsticks onto the table. “F*ck, Ye Mingqiao, why didn’t you tell us that Qin Ran is your Little Junior? Are you secretly happy watching us talk about her in the group chat?!”

Previously quite sympathetic to him, the roommate was now staring at him without a hint of sympathy.

He demanded some answers from Brother Ye.

The entertainment industry was actually very realistic. If a person didn’t make any news for a long time, he would gradually be forgotten by netizens, and his so-called popularity would disappear.

Qin Ran didn’t appear in any hot searches now, but it had been over a month, and her popularity was still sky-high.

The roommate looked down at the list. “What project did she give you?”

Brother Ye picked up his chopsticks and glanced at it. “I don’t know.”

“Let me see.” The roommate was a little excited and stopped eating to flip through the list.

At the back were Brother Ye’s basic report and an application form. He found the title and read it aloud, “Nuclear reactor research project. ICNE Finals…”

He suddenly trailed off.

He just looked up at Brother Ye, dumbfounded. “Did I read it wrongly? Ye Mingqiao, you… Read it again by yourself…”

He passed the registration form over.

Calmly eating with his chopsticks, Brother Ye also suddenly paused.

He directly took the registration form.

He naturally knew of Qin Ran’s ICNE competition next month. When Qin Ran said she had a teacher, he guessed that her teacher had helped reserve a place for her in a foreign team.

But now…

He looked down at the last line.

Captain: Qin Ran.

Team members: Nan Huiyao, Chu Heng…

This entire team belonged to Qin Ran?

Sitting in his seat and doubting life, the roommate turned to look at the list again to confirm that he had seen it correctly. “Don’t read it. I’ve already confirmed it for you. It’s the ICNE Finals. She indeed couldn’t use common sense to speculate…”

He would never feel pity for Brother Ye again.

Every year, the top domestic teams in the field of laboratory research would participate in the ICNE finals and would be trained by specialized teachers.

In comparison, Brother Ye’s previous space thruster competition was a drop in the ocean.

The gap between the two couldn’t be ignored.

**

On the other side.

Qin Ran left and saw Cheng Mu’s car parked not far away.

Once he saw her come out, he immediately got out of the car and opened the door of the back seat. “There might be a traffic jam right now.”

He glanced at the rearview mirror.

The laboratory wasn’t too far away from the Qin family’s headquarters and usually took less than half an hour to reach by car.

But it was peak period at 6 pm now and there would be a jam even if he took a detour.

Taking out her headphones from her backpack and putting it on, she said in a casual tired tone, “Call me when we reach.”

She leaned on the back of the chair and supported her hand on the window. Her hoodie was buttoned on her head, hiding her face.

The black headphone cord slid onto her white collar with every movement.

Cheng Mu still had no idea what Qin Ran was doing at the Qin family’s headquarters today. Seeing that she was sleeping, he raised the temperature, turned off the music, and drove quietly.

Suddenly, the mobile phone rang.

It was Cheng Juan.

He directly pressed the Bluetooth headset and answered in a serious voice, “Master Juan.”

On the other end, Cheng Juan took off his gloves and threw them onto the table. “Have you fetched her?” he asked in a low voice.

Cheng Mu glanced at the rearview mirror. “She just got into the car. We’re on the way.”

Cheng Juan stood at the gate of the ancient museum and watched as the lights gradually lit up around him.

After a long while, he looked down. “Okay.”

Behind him, Cheng Jin pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose and summoned his courage to come forward. “Master Juan, it’s time to go. The hall masters…”

Cheng Juan was fiddling with his phone silently.

After a long while, he grabbed it and looked up with calm eyes. “Let’s go to the Qin family’s house first.”

Nearing 7 pm, Cheng Juan’s car stopped in front of the Qin Corporation’s headquarters.

“Master Juan?” Cheng Mu, sitting in the driver’s seat, saw the car parked beside him and proceeded to open the driver’s door in surprise.

Getting down from the back seat with his extremely long eyelashes hanging down, Cheng Juan stood in the cold wind, tall and slender. He stared at the Qin headquarters, but his usual laziness was wiped off, leaving behind only alienation.

He stood there for a long while before looking away and turning to Cheng Jin. “Give me the key, I’ll go to the airport myself.”

Cheng Jin immediately handed the key to him.

He drove the car in the direction of the airport.

“What happened?” Cheng Mu only dared to ask after the compelling and imposing atmosphere had disappeared.

Cheng Jin rubbed his nose and turned to him. “After the Xu family broke into Continent M, the other big families are all on the move. The Cheng family has also held many meetings over this matter. The Second Hall Master went with the First Hall Master to Continent M a few days ago, but we haven’t heard from them since yesterday. It’s rumored that the Eldest Master is still looking for Ouyang Wei for 129 to check on their information…”

If 129, especially those senior members, could make a move, they would definitely get some news on them.

Intermediate members like Ouyang Wei didn’t specialize in taking orders, so it would be difficult.

It would take Cheng Juan at least 10 days to arrive at Continent M.

“Don’t tell Miss Qin about the Cheng family,” Cheng Jin instructed. “Master Juan said she’s going to be too busy nowadays. I think she’ll be participating in some competition next month…”

Cheng Mu nodded. “Don’t worry!”

**

On the other side.

At the Qin family’s headquarters.

Qin Ran had already entered the gates. It was at night, but the headquarter was still brightly lit, and the workers were around.

She took out the card Butler Qin asked Cheng Mu to copy for her and pressed for the 12th floor in the elevator.

The large conference room was on the 12th floor.

In the middle was a long table. Fourth Master Qin, the shareholders, Butler Qin, and Qin Xiuchen were all sitting apprehensively.

Most people were accompanied by their secretaries.

“Butler Qin, why isn’t the Eldest Lady here yet? Have you told her the time?” whispered Ah Wen, who was standing between Butler Qin and Qin Xiuchen.

This matter had always been Butler Qin’s responsibility.

Qin Xiuchen didn’t intervene too much in it, because he didn’t know much about the procedures, and also because… he was ashamed.

He should have returned to Continent M to resume shooting after Qin Ling had woken up, but he had stayed and waited for Qin Ran to participate in the election.

Butler Qin also looked down at the time on his phone. It was 6:58 pm. He originally planned to burn one’s boats but was a little anxious at this time. “I specifically told the Eldest Lady the time and even let Mr. Cheng Mu repeat it several times. Mr. Cheng Mu won’t forget, right…”

“Probably not.” Qin Xiuchen had spent the most time with Qin Ran. He shook his head. “Ran Ran has always been very punctual. Let’s wait two more minutes.”

These three people were a little anxious.

The group of shareholders sitting at the conference table were becoming a little impatient. “Sixth Master, is the Young Master coming?”

The Fourth Master Qin saw the impatience in their eyes.

The door opened and the Fourth Master Qin’s subordinate came in to whisper something in his ear.

Fourth Master Qin smiled.

Putting down his file and standing up, he put his hands on the table and turned to Qin Xiuchen and the others with a lukewarm expression. “Butler Qin, as far as I know, the Young Master is still recuperating in the hospital. Are you sure he will come?”

He pulled back his chair and turned to the shareholders, bending over slightly, and smiling widely. “I’m afraid that everyone wasted their trip today. Nobody will come. I’ll apologize and make it up to everyone tomorrow, please return.”

The shareholders exchanged glances and frowned at Qin Xiuchen, their expressions tinged with anger. “Sixth Master, you made us wait for half an hour here…”

At 6:59 pm.

Before they finished speaking, the conference door opened.

The group of people turned to the door and saw a girl come in. She was carrying a coat in her hands and was dressed in a white sweater. As she entered with her chin slightly raised, her gaze lightly swept the crowd.