The considerations of the bosses

“Everyone, please calm down.” Dean Li finally brought the situation back on track.

“We are all people nearing retirement, long past the age of charging into battle. It’s rare to still have an opportunity to contribute our strength now, so let’s consider it a perfect end to our careers…

“Old Li, you’re still as smooth-tongued as ever.” Director Wang interrupted Dean Li, “We’ve been old brothers for many years, and we’ve worked together on the same front. Let’s just speak frankly.”

Professor Zhang took over, “What else could he be thinking? He just wants to advance another half-step. He wants to become the full Dean and is even eyeing the Vice Principal position.”

Dean Li’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Director Wang, “The path we and Old Zhang walk is different. What he wants is students all over the world; we don’t have that opportunity anymore, and even if we regret it, it’s too late. Old Wang, you’ve worked hard for half your life, at the end, do you want to retire with more dignity?

Alas, in times of peace, it’s one person per position, there aren’t many opportunities for people to shine.”

Director Wang’s expression was normal; he made no comment, but after a moment, he still spoke, following Dean Li’s lead, “What exactly have you got your hands on?”

“Actually, we haven’t got anything extraordinary at the moment. The other party’s methods are still common: under the guise of providing research funding, they scout and recruit university personnel. It’s just that this time the pretext is ‘free provision of large computing power equipment,’ and compared to what we’ve encountered before, it’s at best just a change of packaging, not the core.

The key here is…

In the past, their targets were almost always professors or higher. This time, however, they cast a wide net; Lin Yuan is still just a graduate student.”

Director Wang immediately pressed, “Did they actively seek out Lin Yuan?”

“Not exactly.” Dean Li then motioned for Lin Yuan to speak for himself.

Lin Yuan organized his thoughts, “I was originally interning at Good Group. To achieve something there, I needed large computing power equipment, but the school couldn’t provide it immediately. So, inspired by my mentor — to take food from the enemy — I meticulously searched through a bunch of emails he forwarded to me and found this organization called OCR.”

Director Wang chuckled, “That certainly fits Old Zhang’s usual style.”

Lin Yuan continued, “I discovered this organization was suspicious, so I deliberately exposed that I was a graduate student at Zijin Aviation School, and even had the opportunity to enter some relevant laboratories. Thus, I naturally obtained the free computing resources they provided.

Since then, I’ve maintained contact with The Other Shore until now.”

“I see,” Director Wang responded, “No wonder the dossier stated you were involved with an overseas NGO. So you were the one who connected with them.”

Dean Li interjected, “That’s exactly what happened. When you write up the dossier later, make it clear that this OCR matter wasn’t something you discovered incidentally while monitoring Lin Yuan, but rather that Lin Yuan had already connected with OCR, and you merely became aware of it incidentally.”

“I understand.” Director Wang said loudly, “Old Li, are you already so eager to discuss credit with me?”

“Well, it’s better to clarify it beforehand, isn’t it?”

“Heh, why do I feel like something’s not right?” Director Wang suddenly seemed to realize.

“What’s not right?”

“Did I ruin your good thing?”

Dean Li’s expression immediately turned a bit grim, but Professor Zhang was quite calm, “I don’t think so.”

“That’s it then,” Director Wang finally somewhat eased the awkwardness Lin Yuan’s ‘nail-pulling’ had caused him, “Hahahaha…”

“It seems I haven’t lost out. Old Zhang, I still have to thank you. If it weren’t for your apprentice inheriting your desire to show off, this good thing wouldn’t have fallen to me. With Old Li’s style, if he can hog it all himself, he’d never come to reminisce with me.”

Thus, the situation changed dramatically, and Director Wang and Professor Zhang immediately reconciled.

Professor Zhang said nonchalantly, “I’ve long wanted to cooperate with relevant departments, and you’re an old acquaintance. I had already mentioned it to Li Youcai.”

Dean Li’s intentions were exposed, and his face was ashen.

Lin Yuan, from behind the iron bars, listened in stunned silence. Damn, there were so many hidden agendas among these big shots.

Dean Li quickly composed himself, “Now that it has come to this, everyone must work together with one heart.”

These words seemed to imply: Since you’ve seen it, I’ll just have to share the cake with you.

“I knew it. Old Li, you always avoided telling me the details of this matter, dragging it out until now and still being evasive. So you were feeling the pinch, huh? Hahaha~~~”

Professor Zhang, at this moment, very mischievously joined in the loud laughter. After all, he and Li Youcai had always been frenemies.

The laughter quickly subsided, and Director Wang immediately pressed, “Just now you said Lin Yuan is just a graduate student, so why would The Other Shore put effort into him?”

Professor Zhang patted Dean Li’s shoulder, seemingly comforting him, “You forgot what school he and I are from.”

Director Wang suddenly understood, “You are a national defense military industrial university!”

“That’s right. We are a national defense military industrial university on the sanctions list. And look at the situation in recent years; we’re launching warships like dumplings. The Other Shore’s navy only launches one big ship every many years.

Besides the naval field, the air force is the same. Our new aircraft are coming out one after another, while The Other Shore’s F22 production line has been dismantled. How could they not be anxious?

Our school also specializes in helicopters and drones.

Look at the fighting up north now, drones are flying everywhere.”

Director Wang finally understood, “You suspect The Other Shore is anxious to figure some things out, and then they threw money at it, getting a bit desperate?”

“That’s my guess.”

“Then this is something we can work on. Tell me, how do you need me to cooperate?”

At this moment, Lin Yuan, inside the iron fence, felt his eyes opened. He initially just needed tens of thousands of yuan to rent computing equipment, so he used the system to cheat once, searching for the OCR organization through big data.

The result was so many things.

It gave Dean Li hope of advancing another half-step, no wonder this old man had been exceptionally good to him recently, subtly insisting on taking him as an apprentice.

Lin Yuan deeply felt at this moment: he was still too young.

Although the three people in front of Lin Yuan were not high-ranking and powerful, for ordinary people, they were definitely big shots.

At this moment, these three were huddled together, discussing intensely, moving further and further away from Lin Yuan as they spoke, until they reached a corner nearby. And their voices became softer and softer, until Lin Yuan could no longer hear them clearly.

Lin Yuan assumed these three were exchanging information and discussing details of future cooperation.

Fortunately, one of the three was his mentor, and Lin Yuan had great confidence in his mentor. With his mentor there, he wasn’t afraid of being sold out by the other two. Mainly, it was the occasional glimpse in Director Wang’s and Dean Li’s eyes that made Lin Yuan feel a bit eerie.

Moreover, those two, as they chatted, would occasionally turn back and glance at Lin Yuan. Ugh~, Lin Yuan got goosebumps.

After a long while, the three finally finished their discussion.

“You two go first; give us master and disciple a few minutes alone.”

Lin Yuan looked at the retreating figures of Dean Li and Director Wang. He had an idea: he thought he should make public the fact that Dean Li had taken him as an apprentice. After all, with the master-disciple relationship, that old man would have to consider appearances no matter what, and he would have to think about Lin Yuan to some extent.