The little gramophone from last night was truly remarkable. As soon as Song Mei’er mentioned it, everyone’s eyes converged on it once again.
【Here we go, the “suspected spy” interrogation, though late, has finally arrived.】
Liu Xiyin instantly pulled herself together and brought out her prepared explanation. “Second Concubine, yes, that is correct.”
Song Mei’er looked full of curiosity. “Do you remember what he looked like?”
Liu Xiyin thought about it carefully, appearing troubled. “He had yellow hair, a high nose, and blue eyes. Don’t all foreigners look like that? Second Concubine, do you also know such foreigners?”
Song Mei’er choked. What did she mean by “do you also know such foreigners?” What kind of connection could she possibly have with foreigners?
Song Mei’er curled her lips. “Of course not. It’s just that I know a few ladies from Hong Kong; they are closely connected with foreign countries, and it seems I’ve never heard of such technology existing abroad. I just wanted to know who this foreigner is that the Eldest Young Mistress knows, to be able to casually give you something that even the wives of high-ranking officials have never seen.”
【Of course, it’s because I’m a high-quality person.】
Liu Xiyin remained composed, tilting her head as if in deep thought for a long while. “I don’t know who he was either. I only saved him with some medicinal herbs from the mountains. He wanted to leave as soon as he recovered, and it seemed he was looking for someone named… Professor Wanka?”
“Hiss—”
“It was actually Professor Wanka? Then that’s not surprising.”
“Professor Wanka did indeed come to the country two years ago, and didn’t he take the eldest Miss Liu as his closing disciple? The Young Mistress has actually met him.”
Liu Xiyin knew the name Professor Wanka would work.
Professor Wanka was a top-tier American biomedical expert. He had come to China with an American delegation two years ago for sampling and research, and Liu Xiyin had been in contact with him.
Back then, she hadn’t returned to the Liu family yet; she was simply looking for a “tailwind” to help her own plans. After all, having been reborn into this era with her memories intact, she knew it was beset by internal and external troubles.
As a genius from the 21st century, Liu Xiyin had to lay out her chessboard early and contribute her share.
She had intentionally submitted articles to international journals to build an alias, then waited for the “rabbits” to come to her. As a scientific genius, anything that leaked from between Liu Xiyin’s fingers was enough to drive the scientists of this era into a frenzy; it was just a matter of seeing which rabbit would bump into her and pass her test.
The first rabbit she caught was Professor Wanka. He was the first to verify some of the theories Liu Xiyin proposed, traveled thousands of miles to China with the delegation to find her, and even insisted on becoming her student.
Liu Xiyin: “…”
In your dreams.
Her brain was meant to be contributed to China, not to teach foreigners. However, Professor Wanka was obsessed with science and willing to be the “tailwind” she needed to help China, so Liu Xiyin agreed to form a peer relationship with him, occasionally guiding his research direction and co-publishing a project or two.
Those two results made Professor Wanka even more famous, and Liu Xiyin rode that “tailwind” to turn her alias into a heavyweight figure abroad before slowly feeding the benefits back into the country—after all, Professor Wanka had been famous for a long time and had students everywhere. Anything published jointly with him caused a much larger stir than anything she could do alone.
That was the power of the “academic authority” system. In short, in the eyes of the world, Liu Xiyin’s alias was a peer to Professor Wanka. It made things much easier for her to use that alias to achieve her goals.
However, the Yan family couldn’t know this. Liu Xiyin certainly couldn’t let them know about her alias, so mentioning Professor Wanka was enough. She didn’t even say she knew Professor Wanka, just that the man was looking for him. As for who he was? Let them guess.
Liu Xiyin asked with feigned wonder: “Is Professor Wanka… very powerful?”
A young lady studying at medical school said, “Sister-in-law, he’s incredibly powerful. There is no biomedical scientist in the world greater than him!”
Another young master chimed in, “No, Professor XY is even greater than him. The medicine Mother takes was developed by Professor XY.”
The concubines’ children collectively called Qin Wan “Mother” and their biological mothers “Concubine.”
Liu Xiyin remembered that in the book, Qin Wan suffered from gout, and in the later chapters, she was tortured to death because Song Mei’er switched her medication.
One of the first things Liu Xiyin had published with Professor Wanka was a medicine for gout, because her adoptive mother in the countryside also suffered from it, and she wanted to make her life more comfortable.
Wanka had been decent enough to let Liu Xiyin take the primary credit and even opened a pharmaceutical company with her, where Wanka provided production equipment and Liu Xiyin handled the R&D. The relevant business had already been expanded into the domestic market two years ago.
She hadn’t expected the medicine to arrive in the Marshall’s mansion before she did.
Qin Wan revealed a rare smile upon hearing the name Professor XY and nodded. “Professor XY’s medicine is very effective. She and Professor Wanka are both extraordinary people.”
Liu Xiyin controlled her emotions well at that moment, not letting a single thought slip, only blinking her eyes. “So that means the person I saved back then was very likely a colleague of Professor Wanka and Professor… A-A-X…”
She stuttered as if she couldn’t pronounce the English word, a flush of embarrassment appearing on her face.
Qin Wan held her hand. “Professor X. I heard they are Chinese.”
Liu Xiyin lowered her head. “I don’t know. If I had known that person was so important, I definitely would have asked a few more questions so I could have known more powerful people.”
Yan Ting lit another cigar and spoke with authority. “You are fortunate to have had such an encounter. The little gramophone he gave you has great utility; the Military Government will count it as a credit to you.”
Liu Xiyin’s ears turned red. “I am very happy to be able to help Father.”
【Hmph, let’s see who dares to call me a spy now. If you have the guts, go ask Wanka? Wanka has already returned to his country; he wouldn’t care about you lot.】
Unless Liu Xiyin sent him a telegram, Wanka was famously aloof.
Liu Xiyin glanced sideways at Yan Changye.
【I’m signaling you, Big Villain. You actually suspected I was a spy just because the things I have are advanced—you have no insight.】
Yan Changye: “…”
Matters concerning the greater good were at stake; not suspecting her would have been a sign of his incompetence. Especially in these troubled times…
But hearing these two thoughts, Yan Changye looked at Yan Ting first.
Yan Ting’s expression was shrouded in smoke, making it hard to see clearly, though his posture was very relaxed, and he seemed to be in a good mood.
Was he faking it, or…?
The little bride knew Professor Wanka. That was certain. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought up his name. Moreover, in her inner thoughts, she referred to Professor Wanka by omitting “Professor,” and she knew he had already returned home.
Professor Wanka and Professor XY held significant weight in the international arena. If Father heard that his little bride knew him, he would surely take measures.
Yan Changye lowered his eyelashes and signaled for another cup of tea.
Song Mei’er’s face looked ghastly. Song Shiyun had said that even France didn’t have such high-end technology, and she had intended to guide the conversation in front of the Marshall to imply that Liu Xiyin might be a foreign spy. Who knew that this wretched girl would be so lucky as to have encountered someone associated with Professor Wanka?
Professor Wanka was internationally renowned. Although he was a biomedical expert, what was wrong with someone who knew him possessing some other techniques? To those around Professor Wanka, anything casually leaked might overturn human perception—what was a little gramophone compared to that?
Because Liu Xiyin mentioned people related to Professor Wanka, the younger brothers and sisters who had previously kept their distance from her all gathered around, emboldened to ask about that person’s appearance.
After all, if they could get close to someone from Professor Wanka’s circle, it would be a heaven-sent opportunity for them. The eldest Miss of the Liu family, Liu Mingyue, had gained fame in the country specifically because she became Professor Wanka’s closing disciple, and she was even hailed as the number one socialite in Ancheng.
One could see the influence of Professor Wanka.
Liu Xiyin casually described the appearance of one of Wanka’s assistants, which sounded extremely authentic to the listeners.
Song Mei’er’s mouth was practically twisted in anger. She had worked so hard to orchestrate this situation, only to end up making a wedding dress for the eldest branch, allowing her to become familiar with the other sisters.