Liu Yi’an looked at Deputy Director Li, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.
“Deputy Director Li, the way you put it makes it sound as though I came here to cause trouble.” Her tone was calm. “I’m only here to take back what belongs to me.”
“Something that belongs to you?” Deputy Director Li’s face turned livid. “Researcher Liu, do you have any evidence?”
“The evidence was burned.” Liu Yi’an repeated herself. “But I’ll recreate it.”
“Recreate it?” Deputy Director Li sneered. “Research isn’t child’s play, Researcher Liu. Do you think writing a few pages of paper will prove anything?”
“Then are you saying I should just accept this?” Liu Yi’an retorted.
Deputy Director Li paused. “That’s not what I mean. But you also need to consider the institute’s reputation. Director Wei’s research report has already been submitted to the higher authorities. If a plagiarism scandal breaks out now, it would be a blow to the entire research institute.”
“So you want me to give up my own research results for the sake of the institute’s reputation?” Liu Yi’an’s voice grew colder.
“I didn’t say that.” Deputy Director Li frowned. “But you need to provide evidence. You can’t just make unsupported claims.”
“I already told you. At the review in one week, I’ll submit a complete research report.”
“A review?” Deputy Director Li shook his head. “Researcher Liu, you can’t simply decide to participate in the review process yourself. It requires approval from the institute.”
“Then will you approve it or not?” Liu Yi’an looked him straight in the eye.
Deputy Director Li felt uneasy under her piercing gaze. “Well… that needs to be discussed at a meeting.”
“Discuss what?” Liu Yi’an sneered. “Discuss how to suppress this matter, or discuss how to make me shut up?”
“Researcher Liu, that’s going too far.” Deputy Director Li’s expression darkened.
“Too far?” Liu Yi’an stood up. “Deputy Director Li, let me ask you something. If it weren’t me standing here today, but your own daughter if someone stole her research and she was nearly burned to death what would you do?”
Deputy Director Li was rendered speechless.
“Would you tell her to swallow her anger for the sake of the so-called ‘bigger picture’?” Liu Yi’an asked, enunciating every word. “Or would you tell her to fight with everything she had to get justice?”
The crowd gathered in the hallway fell silent.
Liu Yi’an glanced toward the doorway. “Everyone, I’ve made everything clear today. At the review in one week, I’ll submit a complete research report.”
“By then, everyone will know the truth.”
“Now, please leave. I need to rest.”
Her tone was calm, but there was an unmistakably firm edge to it.
Deputy Director Li’s expression shifted several times. Finally, he took a deep breath. “Researcher Liu, you’d better be careful.”
He turned and left, and the crowd gradually dispersed as well.
Only Fu Yanchen, Wei Qing, and Mrs. Fu remained in the hospital room.
“Mom, let’s go too,” Fu Yanchen said in a low voice.
Mrs. Fu glanced at Liu Yi’an, looking as though she wanted to say something, but ultimately sighed and helped Wei Qing, who was still kneeling on the floor, to her feet.
“Qingqing, get up.”
Wei Qing wiped away her tears and stood up. Before leaving, she shot Liu Yi’an a glance, a trace of resentment flashing in her eyes.
“Yi’an, you’ll regret this,” she whispered.
Liu Yi’an ignored her.
After the three of them left, the hospital room finally fell quiet.
Liu Yi’an leaned against the headboard and closed her eyes.
In her previous life, this was exactly how she had been crushed by the pressure of public opinion.
But in this life, she would never back down again.
Over the next few days, Liu Yi’an shut herself inside the hospital room. Aside from eating and having her dressings changed, she barely left.
The drafts on the table piled higher and higher. The injury on her hand had not completely healed, and it still throbbed faintly whenever she held a pen, but she gritted her teeth and persisted.
On the morning of the fifth day, a nurse pushed open the door. “Researcher Liu, some people from the institute have arrived. They said they’re here to visit the research institute. Deputy Director Li has asked all the researchers to gather in the main hall.”
Liu Yi’an put down her pen. “I’m still on medical leave.”
“Deputy Director Li said you have to go too.” The nurse looked troubled.
Liu Yi’an frowned, but eventually changed clothes and followed the nurse to the research institute’s main hall.
Quite a few people had already gathered there. Wei Qing stood at the front, wearing a polished, pleasant smile.
As soon as Liu Yi’an entered, she heard Wei Qing’s sweet, delicate voice. “Deputy Director Li, my research has been progressing very smoothly lately. I’ll be able to submit a new report next week.”
“Excellent, excellent.” Deputy Director Li beamed. “Qingqing, you’re the pride of our research institute.”
Liu Yi’an watched coldly from the sidelines.
The doors to the hall opened.
A tall figure in military uniform entered first, standing ramrod straight like a pine tree. His shoulder insignia reflected a sharp, cold gleam under the lights.
The moment he entered the hall, his face seemed to be inadvertently obscured by the shadow of the doorframe and the people following behind him, making his features impossible to see clearly.
Walking closely beside him was another military officer, also in uniform. He had a stern expression and appeared to be in his thirties, looking like the man’s subordinate.
Liu Yi’an looked up. Just as she was about to get a clear look at the leading man’s features, a researcher who was usually close to Wei Qing happened to step sideways and start talking to her. The thick stack of documents in his hands almost completely blocked her view.
“Researcher Liu, about the filing of those experimental data from last time, I think we need to go over them with you again…” His tone was deliberately difficult, and his body subtly shifted angles whenever Liu Yi’an tried to move.
Liu Yi’an sneered inwardly, knowing that this was one of Wei Qing’s little tricks. She patiently tried to move around him, but the man was like a moving curtain, stubbornly blocking the line of sight between her and the group of people at the entrance.
When she finally hardened her expression,
Using her eyes to force the persistent researcher to back off, Liu Yi’an looked toward the front of the hall again. By then, Deputy Director Li had already hurried over with a broad smile plastered across his face and was enthusiastically exchanging pleasantries with the stern-looking military officer serving as the deputy. “Deputy Officer Chen, welcome, welcome! And for Commander Zhou to come here in person as well it truly honors our research institute!”
The officer known as “Deputy Officer Chen” remained expressionless and merely gave a slight nod. He then stepped aside, revealing the tall commanding officer behind him, who had remained silent all this time, his face still obscured by the shadows of the crowd. The commanding officer did not speak. He simply swept his calm gaze across the hall. The invisible pressure carried by that gaze quickly silenced the previously somewhat noisy hall.
All inquiries and conversations with people outside their immediate group were handled by Deputy Officer Chen on his behalf.
Deputy Officer Chen’s voice was steady, yet carried a cold, strictly businesslike edge. “Deputy Director Li, I’ve heard that the institute has achieved remarkable results recently. Commander Zhou has come today specifically to learn more about your work, particularly… your progress in optimizing the high-temperature resistance of aerospace materials.” His gaze seemed to casually, yet deliberately, sweep over Wei Qing.
Deputy Director Li hurriedly ushered Wei Qing to the front. “Yes, yes, exactly! This is Director Wei Qing, one of our institute’s directors. Her recent research has focused precisely on this area! Qingqing, quickly brief Deputy Officer Chen and Commander Zhou!”
Wei Qing forced herself to remain composed and stepped forward. The smile she managed to put on looked somewhat stiff as she began reciting the prepared speech she had long since memorized. “Deputy Officer Chen, Commander Zhou, my research primarily focuses on the mechanisms of high-temperature-resistant coatings for new composite materials…”