Chapter 751: 倒反天罡

“Old Lu…” Yang Xiao pondered for a moment.

“I met Old Lu several years ago at a technology forum in Melbourne. At the time, I didn’t have much presence in the field, but he was already one of the leading authorities in astrophysics in China. In fact, he was at the forefront of the world in cosmic microwave and high-energy astrophysics.

However, he was incredibly humble and steady. He was also exceptionally intelligent, with knowledge across many disciplines, which meant he could converse with almost anyone. He was essentially the spokesperson for our exchange delegation at the time.

Normally, I’m not very good at socializing and don’t usually initiate conversations, but he always managed to steer discussions naturally. Since he was roughly my age and we both came from the Sichuan-Chongqing region, we quickly became close.

After returning to China, we would meet up every Chinese New Year when we went home, discussing our latest achievements and complaining about the general research environment in the country. He also took me to his astronomical observation center several times to observe the stars.”

Hearing this, Chen Ling nodded slightly.

Intelligent, authoritative, humble… these traits were largely consistent with Chen Ling’s expectations. The difference between Lu Xun and Yang Xiao or Su Zhiwei was Lu Xun’s strong social skills; he could get along with anyone. This typically implies Lu Xun has high emotional intelligence and the ability to adapt to different people, which is quite rare for a researcher.

“Hmm… there’s one more thing,” Yang Xiao said after a moment’s hesitation. “He’s a bit… how should I put it? A bit of a sentimental intellectual.”

“…A sentimental intellectual?”

“It means he approaches objective physical laws with a sensitive, emotional perspective. For instance, he would sometimes weep while observing the night sky. He’d even write a eulogy or a poem for a star that he had observed for a long time when it finally died out in the universe. His feelings for the stars were sometimes more intense than his feelings for people.”

Chen Ling’s eyebrows raised slightly. This was something he hadn’t expected.

By all accounts, the essence of scientific research is to explain the world through objective scientific logic. Yet, someone like Lu Xun, who intertwined sensibility with rationality, was something Chen Ling had never heard of. Yang Xiao’s description successfully piqued his curiosity.

“How do we meet up with Old Lu?” Yang Xiao turned and asked.

“We can just drive. Shanghai is next to Suzhou; I checked the drive, and it’ll take about an hour.”

“…Shanghai?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I remember Old Lu’s astronomical observation center is in Anji… Why would he be in Shanghai?”

“Shanghai is fine. To get to Anji, we’d have to take the high-speed train, and I don’t have much time.” Chen Ling floored the accelerator, and a roaring sound immediately followed as the car sped down the road.

Chen Ling had “acquired”—no, bought—this Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe. In sport mode, its power was quite robust. With the surrounding surveillance systems malfunctioning, it was like a wild horse running free.

As Chen Ling was speeding along, a figure suddenly stepped out from the side of the road. One hand was holding a phone as if making a call, while the other was directly outstretched, attempting to stop the vehicle.

“Look out!” Yang Xiao exclaimed immediately upon seeing this.

Chen Ling reacted incredibly quickly. He spotted the person from a distance, braked early, and finally stopped steadily right in front of them.

Yang Xiao gripped the door handle, clearly startled. He frowned, staring at the person, and uncharacteristically spoke with annoyance, “What does he want? Is he trying to get himself killed?”

Chen Ling didn’t speak. He, too, frowned as he scrutinized the person blocking the car. Suddenly, as if sensing something, his eyes narrowed slightly.

It was a young man wearing a windbreaker, with an SLR camera hanging around his neck and sunglasses on his nose, looking very trendy. There was no hint of apology on his face for stopping the car. Instead, he walked straight to the driver’s side and tapped on the window.

The car window slowly rolled down.

The person, tilting their head to hold the phone against their ear, reached into their crossbody bag with their other hand, pulled out a thick wad of cash, and slapped it onto Chen Ling’s chest.

“Here’s thirty thousand. I’m commandeering this car for a day.”

Chen Ling: ???

Chen Ling stared at the thirty thousand cash scattered on him, momentarily stunned.

Yang Xiao, standing beside him, was also frozen. Then, his expression grew subtle, his mouth twitching uncontrollably. It had always been Chen Ling who “borrowed” other people’s cars. Who would have thought he’d be on the receiving end for once?

“What? Not enough?” the young man tutted. “Open Alipay; I’ll transfer another twenty thousand…”

Chen Ling looked him up and down for a few moments, then said seriously:

“I bought this car for a million. What if you drive off and don’t return it?”

“…Don’t be ridiculous. This is just a Mercedes E-Class; at most, it’s worth a little over seven hundred thousand. I’m giving you fifty thousand for one day; you’re already making a huge profit!” The young man had a look that said, “Who are you kidding?”

“Really, I just bought it too.”

“You…”

Just as the young man was about to say something more, a voice came from the other end of the phone. He immediately picked up his phone and replied impatiently:

“I know, I know… But ultimately, wasn’t it your poor surveillance that caused this? Seven or eight people couldn’t even keep an eye on a Ph.D. who spends all his time in the lab, and now I have to clean up your mess… I’m still on vacation; you’ll have to pay more this time!”

Hearing this, Yang Xiao’s pupils constricted slightly.

He instinctively looked at Chen Ling, thinking, *It can’t be such a coincidence, can it?* Meanwhile, Chen Ling seemed to have anticipated this, his expression perfectly calm.

After finishing his call, the young man put the phone back to his ear and spoke to Chen Ling again:

“Alright… How about this: I’ll transfer another six hundred thousand to you. I’m buying this car.”

Yang Xiao: …

*No way. Are people really that rich these days? Instead of going to a dealership, is it now trendy to just buy a car on the street?*

“This… alright.” This time, Chen Ling readily agreed.

After giving the young man his bank account number, six hundred thousand yuan quickly arrived. Chen Ling didn’t procrastinate; he got out of the car immediately and moved aside. He stood by, patted the car body, and let out a long sigh, looking reluctant to part with it.

No one noticed a faint glimmer of light flash from his palm.

“Don’t worry, I have transportation ready. I’ll definitely be there within an hour…”

The young man paid no attention to them. While still talking on the phone, he slipped into the driver’s seat. The next moment, the roaring sound of the accelerator filled the air.

The car sped off down the road.

Yang Xiao and Chen Ling stood alone by the roadside, watching the dust rise. Yang Xiao couldn’t help but ask:

“Is he also after Old Lu?”

“Most likely,” Chen Ling nodded. “That call came from Shanghai, not far from where Lu Xun made his call from a public phone… And he also carried a divine aura.”