52: Chapter 52 The Big Boss Who Resides in Xishan

"Elder Long is over there, waiting for you."

As these words fell, the originally relaxed atmosphere in the lounge stiffened slightly.

The gazes of Wei Jiancheng, He Yicheng, and several other veteran scientists all converged on Lin Yuan.

Their expressions varied, but deep within their eyes, the same kind of shock was surging.

How long had it been since the press conference ended?

Elder Long wanted to see him already?

This efficiency, this level of importance...

The veteran scientists exchanged complex looks; no one spoke, but the thoughts turning in their minds were much the same.

Who was Elder Long?

He was a figure standing at the very pinnacle of Great Xia's pyramid.

His schedule was always calculated in minutes, and every document he reviewed contained top-tier secrets concerning the national economy and the lives of hundreds of millions.

Forget using a phrase like "waiting to see him," even for these veteran academicians who were revered as national treasures,

or even for someone of Dean Chen's level, the head of the Academy of Sciences,

if they wanted to meet him, they would have to report through layers of bureaucracy and wait in line.

Ultimately being granted ten-odd minutes for a report was already a heaven-sent honor.

And what about Lin Yuan?

The press conference had just ended, his seat wasn't even warm yet, and that side had directly sent someone to fetch him.

What did this mean?

It meant Elder Long had been watching this press conference all along, watching Lin Yuan.

How was this an ordinary summons?

This was clearly an eager wait!

Lin Yuan took in everyone's changing expressions, but his face showed no excess surprise; he merely gave a soft chuckle.

"Well, we can't keep Elder Long waiting too long then."

He rose composedly and gave a slight nod to the seniors present, who all wore complex expressions.

"Seniors, I'll head over there first."

"As for the follow-up matters of the press conference, I'll have to trouble Dean Chen and everyone else."

Chen Jingshan nodded, saying nothing more.

Wei Jiancheng and He Yicheng reacted similarly; their mouths twitched, but in the end, they didn't say anything extra.

The words that needed to be said and the stances that needed to be taken had already been pushed to the limit during this entire press conference.

As for the core secrets to be discussed with Elder Long, that was a dimension they could no longer touch.

To the side, Lin Jixian grinned and rubbed his hands, cupping them toward Chen Jingshan and the veteran scientists.

"Dean Chen, everyone, then I'll be borrowing this treasure of yours for a bit."

He spoke with three parts humor and seven parts seriousness, the intimacy in his tone perfectly measured.

Immediately after, he added another sentence.

"It's hard to say how long it will take. You all can head back to the Xia Academy of Sciences first. I'll personally escort him back later, not a single hair missing."

Chen Jingshan accepted on their behalf and gave a slight wave of his hand.

Lin Yuan didn't linger and followed Lin Jixian's lead; the two walked out of the lounge side by side.

The corridor was so quiet one could hear their own heartbeat.

The soft, thick carpet swallowed all footsteps.

Lin Jixian led the way half a step ahead, his figure steady as he familiarly navigated through several closed passages that required top-tier clearance to open.

Lin Yuan followed behind, his expression calm.

He had walked this path once before.

Last time, he had nothing, carrying a secret enough to subvert the world, gambling his own fate and the future of this country.

That was a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble.

But this time, he held a perfect answer sheet that had shocked the world.

This was a triumphant return after a total victory.

A subtle curve rose silently at the corner of Lin Yuan's lips.

Soon, that familiar heavy door appeared before them.

Lin Jixian stopped, straightened his collar, and raised his hand to knock three times on the door.

The rhythm of the knocks was clear and steady.

"Enter."

A brief and majestic response came from inside.

Lin Jixian gripped the bronze handle, pressed down, and pushed the door inward.

Soft light instantly filled his vision.

In the center of the room was a large desk, with documents piled like mountains, uniformly arranged.

Long Zhenguo, wearing a deep gray Mao suit, sat behind the desk.

To the right of the desk was a reception area with several sets of brown leather sofas.

On the single sofa near the inner side sat another old man.

The old man wore dark casual clothes; his figure was thin, but his back was held extremely straight.

His hair was cut very short, almost a buzz cut, half gray and half white.

His facial features were rugged, with prominent cheekbones and deep nasolabial folds; his entire face exuded a coarse texture left by years of exposure to the elements.

His eyes weren't large and were currently half-closed, his eyelids drooping, making him look at first glance as if he were indifferent to everything around him.

But with just one glance, a faint tingle ran down the back of Lin Yuan's neck.

That feeling was hard to describe.

It wasn't the majesty settled on Elder Long from being in a high position and being used to great storms.

Rather, it was a more restrained, deliberately gathered sharpness.

This person was extremely unusual.

Lin Jixian stepped in and stood two meters before the desk, leaning his upper body forward.

"Elder Long, Elder Yang. I've brought him."

Long Zhenguo closed a document in his hand and laid it flat on the desk.

He looked up at Lin Jixian and gave a small nod.

"Mm, alright, Little Lin, you may head out now."

"Yes."

Lin Jixian didn't hesitate at all, bowed, retreated, and closed the door behind him.

*Click.*

A soft sound isolated the inner and outer worlds.

In the room, it was so quiet that only the breathing of the three people remained.

Long Zhenguo's gaze fell on Lin Yuan, scrutinizing him for several seconds.

"Sit."

Lin Yuan did as told, taking a seat on the sofa with a straight posture, facing the mysterious old man from a distance.

Long Zhenguo picked up a teacup and took a sip, his movements unhurried.

"I watched today's press conference."

Lin Yuan waited quietly for what followed.

"Not bad."

Long Zhenguo set down the teacup.

"The timing and rhythm of the announcement, including the way you responded to those external doubts on stage..."

Long Zhenguo paused for a beat.

"...were all very well-handled."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly, his response equally concise.

"Thank you for the affirmation, Elder Long."

In front of such a figure, any extra pleasantries or humble words were a waste of each other's time.

Long Zhenguo placed the teacup back on the desk, then raised his hand to gesture toward the sofa nearby.

"Let me introduce you."

His gaze turned toward the old man in dark casual clothes who had been sitting silently since Lin Yuan entered.

"Yang Tongan."

The name was very ordinary.

But Elder Long's next sentence caused Lin Yuan's entire body to tense slightly.

"A busy man, usually impossible to invite."

"He is primarily responsible for guarding Xishan."

Xishan.

The moment those two words came out of Elder Long's mouth so casually, Lin Yuan felt his heart skip a beat.

He quickly suppressed the stormy waves surging in his heart, and his expression returned to normal.

Then, he turned to Yang Tongan and gave a slight nod, his posture respectful but not subservient.

"Greetings, Elder Yang."

Yang Tongan did not respond immediately.

From the moment Lin Yuan pushed the door open until now, this old man guarding Xishan had maintained that half-closed eyelid posture, neither standing up nor making any extra movements.

Quiet, steady, and motionless.

But when Lin Yuan's words fell, he slowly lifted those half-closed eyelids, and his gaze fell on Lin Yuan with a sharpness that felt tangible.

Then, Yang Tongan spoke.

His voice was low and raspy, carrying the coarse quality unique to a long-time smoker, and he spoke unhurriedly.

"Lin Yuan."

He first called out the name.

Immediately after, the second half of his sentence fell.

"I've heard Zhenguo introduce you."