Ye Wenjie, watch my moves closely.

Chapter 12 Report

Over the next few days, children came to Radar Peak one after another to ask Ye Wenjie questions.

Some came from villages and towns even further away than Qijiatun.

The number of children attending the classes increased from three initially to seven, and at its peak, there were fifteen.

There was also a teacher from the town's middle school, over fifty years old, with a weathered face and so thin he was unrecognizable.

But on his back was a bag full of books, weighing nearly 100 pounds.

It's hard to imagine how a frail old teacher could carry these books over dozens of miles of mountain roads.

When Ye Wenjie first met the old teacher, her burlap sack had broken open, and the books inside had fallen to the ground with a clatter. Ye Wenjie squatted down to pick them up and discovered that there were not only physics books, but also math, chemistry, and even Chinese books inside.

"The town's middle school is short-staffed, so I teach everything."

The elderly teacher pushed up his foggy glasses and introduced himself somewhat embarrassed.

After class, Ye Wenjie heard the old teacher on the way down the mountain calling to the students, "Scientist, kids, this is a real scientist!"

His words were filled with respect and admiration.

Nearly a month passed, and more and more children came to ask questions. The guard post was no longer big enough, and many children had to squeeze outside, stand on tiptoe, and strain their ears to listen.

Ye Wenjie wanted to move to a larger place, but she was not allowed to; outsiders were not permitted to enter the Red Coast Base.

With Lei Zhicheng absent, no one could make the final decision on this matter.

Just when I was worrying, Lei Zhicheng... came back.

That afternoon, Ye Wenjie took her teaching application and went to Lei Zhicheng's office.

Before he could even knock, a loud shout came from inside:

"Cheng Lihua, you son of a bitch!"

------

Ye Wenjie was aloof and never liked gossip, but upon hearing Cheng Lihua's name, she inexplicably refrained from knocking and sat silently on the bench near the door.

Lei Zhicheng was not the only one in the room.

But the other person remained silent, and Ye Wenjie couldn't tell what he was saying. She could only hear Lei Zhicheng cursing and swearing about his experience at his superiors.

The train from Radar Peak into the city only runs once a week. Taking into account the round-trip time, it took Lei Zhicheng a full two weeks to report.

In the past two weeks, Lei Zhicheng has reported virtually nothing.

After the gatekeeper announced his arrival, Lei Zhicheng was told that Cheng Lihua had a meeting and that he should return to the guesthouse to wait.

This wait lasted for three days.

Lei Zhicheng had something on his mind, so he couldn't stay for more than three days. He went to the gatehouse at the entrance of his workplace to report every morning and afternoon.

Finally, on the third day, when he got off work, he saw Cheng Lihua in the crowd.

The other party smiled and told him that it was almost the weekend, and they could talk about it next week. They also instructed their secretary to let him take Lei Zhicheng sightseeing over the weekend.

As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face; Cheng Lihua's attitude made it difficult for Lei Zhicheng to retaliate.

Forced to take a ten-day vacation, Lei Zhicheng finally entered Cheng Lihua's office.

"Political Commissar Lei, it's been ten years since we last met."

"Director Cheng."

Lei Zhicheng greeted him.

Cheng Lihua smiled and gestured for Lei Zhicheng to sit down, "Political Commissar Lei wasn't this polite with me last time, please sit down."

Lei Zhicheng sensed the barb in her words. Back then, when he and Lao Yang were trying to rescue Ye Wenjie, they had indeed used the name of the Red Coast Base to pressure Cheng Lihua.

Back then, the Red Coast Base held a truly prestigious position. It had dedicated military aircraft for its own use, and telegrams could be sent directly to Beijing, unlike what we see now.

Lei Zhicheng sighed deeply.

After more than ten years of twists and turns, Cheng Lihua actually became her superior.

Thinking about it is one thing, but the important things still need to be done.

Lei Zhicheng was extremely anxious after being delayed for more than ten days.

He took out the revised proposal for the Hong'an Base project and solemnly handed it to Cheng Lihua.

"Director Cheng, I can guarantee you that once this project is completed, my country will definitely win a Nobel Prize within twenty years."

"The Nobel Prize?"

Cheng Lihua adjusted her glasses, glanced at the materials in her hand, and frowned. "Those are all things produced by capitalism. Why are we rushing to join in? Political Commissar Lei, your thinking is dangerous."

Lei Zhicheng's excited expression froze instantly.

He hadn't expected this reaction.

He thought that Director Cheng, being from a political work background, had little academic background and might not understand the status of the Nobel Prize in academia, so he explained the Nobel Prize again in simple terms.

Little did she know that Cheng Lihua waved her hand impatiently. The investment in the renovation of the Hong'an Base was huge. If she submitted this document, she would be scolded a lot.

This thing is a complete money-burning project.

It takes twenty years to see results?

What guarantees did Lei Zhicheng provide?

Even if it's true, so what?

She can't wait.

"Political Commissar Lei, don't treat me like someone who doesn't know anything. I know everything you're saying."

"But have you considered what stage the country is going through? The whole country is focused on economic development. You want the country to spend so much money on stargazing? What will the return be? A Nobel Prize winner within twenty years? How many people could that Nobel Prize money feed?"

"Besides, are you so sure you can get it? Don't forget, we are staunch materialists, and we speak with evidence."

"Political Commissar Lei, you are in charge of the Red Coast Base. How can you say such irresponsible things?"

Cheng Lihua smiled and said, "Is it because of Ye Wenjie's influence? She's not a clean intellectual, you should be careful."

"Director Cheng,"

Lei Zhicheng smiled ingratiatingly, "What does this have to do with Ye Wenjie? It's all written in black and white in the materials, it's all true. You can find someone, get someone from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to verify it. It is indeed a cutting-edge international project that can greatly fill..."

"Alright, alright, Comrade Xiao Lei, no rush."

Cheng Lihua interrupted Lei Zhicheng, pushed the materials to the corner of her desk, and said, "You called me here just for this?"

Seeing her attitude, Lei Zhicheng felt a chill run down his spine.

Cheng Lihua didn't value something so important at all.

After a moment's thought, Lei Zhicheng realized that he might have taken too big a step.

Cheng Lihua is nearing the age of retirement, so she needs to play it safe. If such a large project goes wrong, she could be implicated.

But Lei Zhicheng had no choice; the Red Coast Base couldn't wait.

If no changes are made, they will be laid off in a few years.

Fortunately.

Lei Zhicheng sighed inwardly.

There is a second thing to report.

This matter will definitely attract enough attention.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to wait for someone from higher up to come and then propose improvements to the Red Coast base at an appropriate time.

"There's one more thing."

Lei Zhicheng's expression turned quite serious. He glanced around, stood up, closed the door to Cheng Lihua's office, and lowered his voice, saying, "We...we really have discovered an extraterrestrial civilization!"