Jiang Yuning nodded, looking serious. That look wasnât often seen on his face.
âWhat are you gonna do?â Nian Xi panicked. âDo you have other drafts? Can you repeat one of those speeches that youâve made back in China?â
âNo,â said Professor Wang. âThat wouldnât be a problem if weâre at a domestic conference. However, this is an international meeting. If we donât have a new and creative project, people might think the technological development of our country is falling behind. It might affect our international reputation. These people canât possibly make up their speeches in a couple of days. They might have spent years, or even over a decade on their projects. The ones who have attended this conference are all elites, from all over the world. Every speaker was strictly selected.â
Professor Wang paused briefly, then took out a speech draft of his own from his bag and said, âI prepared this for the physics conference thatâll take place in Qinghua University next month. Take a look at it. Itâs not as good as yours, but youâll at least have something to talk about.â
Jiang Yuning glanced at the draft, then shook his head and said, âYouâve been working on this project for years. I canât take it.â
âAre you aware of our situation now...â Professor Wang got anxious.
âBe quiet. Iâll come up with another draft,â Jiang Yuning said, then closed his eyes.
Professor Wang wanted to say something else, but Nian Xi stopped him and whispered, âNever mind. I think heâs confident, or he wouldnât say that. I believe he knows what he can and cannot do.â
Professor Wang paused briefly, then gave Nian Xi a glance with a weird expression and said, âYeah. Iâve known him for a long time. He is young and very talented. Girl, Iâm surprised that you trust him so much. No wonder he chose you to be his girlfriend. He never had a girlfriend before, and now he has you.â
Nian Xi blushed awkwardly.
He turned to see Jiang Yuning from time to time but found him as quiet as an eminent monk who was immersed in meditation.
After the Japanese scientist, a physicist from Singapore was about to finish his speech as well.
Nian Xi was so nervous that her palms were sweating. Jiang Yuning stayed motionless. She couldnât tell if he could do it or not.
It wasnât like yesterday.
Losing that argument yesterday would be no big deal, yet if he failed the speech today, he would bring shame on his country.
As the Singapore scientist finished his speech, the host said in English, âNext, letâs welcome Jiang Yuning, a physicist from China. Coincidentally, he is going to talk about the Nano border theory too. As Mr. Jiang made his way here, I believe the result of his study is not the same as what Mr. Oda has, or, he might have made a new breakthrough.â
Nian Xi was angry. Those shameless people stole the work of someone else, and made it sound so reasonable.
There was an applause.
Jiang Yuning opened his eyes, and slowly stood up. He walked past Nian Xi, and down the stairs, step by step.
The light poured on his back. He was wearing a suit, looking slim, but composed and humble. He seemed far away from the mortal world.
Nian Xi clenched her fists and looked at his back. He did not have a muscular body, yet at that moment, she felt that he was standing high and tall.
Jiang Yuning walked onto the stage and stood behind the microphone. With a deep voice, he began speaking. âYes, I was going to talk about the Nano border theory, which I have spent three years working on. However, Mr. Oda has made a speech about that already.â
Once his voice faded, the people on the scene started whispering to each other.
He was clearly trying to say that Mr. Oda stole his work.