Study Monster Cultivation System-Chapter 287 - 286 Fight the toughest battle, attack the highest peak

The main conference room of Aerospace First Institute, the second Reset report meeting had already concluded.

Chen Hongbing and Shen Tinglan, however, had not left.

As before, they reported to sibling institutes on the accident analysis and Reset progress, proposed the next steps, the institutes expressed their positions, and implementation times were given on the spot.

Usually, this kind of inter-institute coordination meeting wouldn’t involve leaders of such high rank attending in person.

But this time was different—the Yellow 2 was too important.

Furthermore, vast as the ocean of stars.

A single fall meant years of wasted efforts.

Its significance had transcended aerospace industry confines and was elevated to the level of national solidarity.

The cascading layers of leaders’ trust also meant mounting layers of pressure.

Racing against the clock might sound exaggerated, but planning by the day was indeed a reality.

In such a scenario, Chen Hongbing could only opt for dragging relevant leaders from various institutes into a meeting, albeit forcefully.

However, his own clout was limited; although he wielded high-level directives, he still found actual coordination somewhat lacking in confidence, which made him look rather embarrassed.

Of course, there were even more troublesome issues.

People.

The projects were numerous and urgent, and everywhere was short of staff.

At such times, borrowing personnel felt like drawing blood.

Even though Chen Hongbing approached leaders and pleaded privately, recruiting personnel still progressed slowly.

It’s not that the sibling institutes were utterly uncooperative, but the personnel lists they submitted... were utterly waiting to die, lacking not just core staff but even one slightly capable worker.

Smack!

Chen Hongbing slammed down the personnel transfer list and cursed on the spot, "Is this a transfer? Are you sending ancestors? All are great granddads and great grandmothers, thinking our cafeteria has too much food, right?"

"Hongbing, maybe report the difficulties to the superiors," Shen Tinglan said more calmly, "You can’t handle this situation alone anymore."

"Isn’t there still you?" Chen Hongbing leaned back on the chair, rubbing his forehead and sighed, "I really don’t know how I’d manage without you."

"Oh, Director Chen also has moments when he can’t bear it?" Shen Tinglan covered her face and laughed, "That should definitely be shown to the comrades."

"Okay, okay, stop it. I also need someone to share my troubles with," Chen Hongbing took a deep breath and straightened up again, blinking forcefully to energize, "You go first, I’ll talk to the dean… No, talking won’t be enough, I need to drag them out for a drink…"

"Drinking again…" Shen Tinglan cursed, "Your wife is already gone because of your drinking, and you still want to drink?"

"Hey, you don’t understand; sometimes work can’t move forward without drinking…"

While they were talking, a greasy-haired engineer carefully pushed the door open and peeked inside, "Director, do you have a moment?"

"Speak, speak quickly," Chen Hongbing tidied his hair and hurriedly cleaned up the desk.

Zhou Chenglong then came over with a computer in a small run, "It’s still about the interviews of those two high school students…"

"Which interview?"

"How could you forget again… Li Zheng and Lin Yujing, I even discussed it with you over lunch."

"Oh, oh, oh…" Chen Hongbing absentmindedly picked up things and said, "Talk to Ting Lan about this, I’m going to find the dean."

"I don’t care…" Shen Tinglan also immediately picked up a notebook and rushed out, head down, "How can I handle this…"

"Wait, wait, both leaders stay," Zhou Chenglong quickly followed them, "Director, aren’t you looking for people everywhere right now, why not check out these two available Divine Generals for free?"

"Ha, ha." Chen Hongbing chuckled dryly, "Divine Generals? Your clerical skills have regressed again, huh."

"Please sit, sit." Zhou Chenglong forcibly pulled Chen Hongbing back to sit down, then turned to Shen Tinglan and said, "Teacher Shen, you should look too; you might be too busy with work to know well about your own daughter…"

"???" Shen Tinglan stared open-mouthed and said, "You probably know her better than I do…"

"Please sit, sit." Zhou Chenglong hastily opened the computer, "We recorded the interview process by the rules, and I can’t really describe it well. Just watch for a few minutes and you’ll understand."

Under Zhou Chenglong’s insistent request, the two finally sat back down at the table and reviewed the recent interview together.

After watching, Chen Hongbing pondered deeply.

Lin Yujing was okay, but Li Zheng’s responses really struck him.

Unrelated to technology, the righteousness seen in Li Zheng’s eyes was certainly not feigned to curry favor.

In fact, Chen Hongbing hadn’t encountered such a person for maybe a dozen or twenty years.

These days, people were more calculating about gains and losses, focusing on salary and benefits.

Yet, someone like this, who simply for a cause offered their dedication, and did not feel embarrassed, boldly stated it, such fervent enthusiasts were mostly questionable in competency.

Li Zheng was different; a dual champion, still not asking about the future but only discussing dedication, that was truly rare.

Chen Hongbing’s previously somewhat teasing demeanor gradually turned serious.

"Putting personal relationships aside, just speaking of proficiency, how are they?" he asked Shen Tinglan.

"Hmm… if the standard for an intern is 60 points…" Shen Tinglan also returned to a serious tone, "Lin Yujing would be about 70 points, while Li Zheng is above 85 points. How much exactly higher, these questions didn’t assess."

"That’s not the key point…" Zhou Chenglong said with widened eyes, "They decided to intern after directly witnessing the launch of Yellow 2, with a maximum preparation time of only three weeks. This learning ability is crucial; typically interns take half a year to familiarize with the work, but these two should be sufficient in three months."

"From their current performance… maybe only one month is needed," Shen Tinglan nodded slightly conflicted, "Setting personal relationships aside, I think they can be accepted."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Chen Hongbing stood up excitedly, "After such bad luck for so long, finally something good has come. Let’s go and evaluate our potential in-laws together."

"Director!!!"

"What son-in-law? ... " Zhou Chenglong had just spoken when he suddenly slapped his forehead and glared at Shen Tinglan, "So that’s how it is, Li Zheng is our department’s son-in-law."

"Zhou Chenglong!" Shen Tinglan scolded, "I might not be able to discipline the director, but can’t I discipline you? You just lost your performance review!"

"Ah..." Zhou Chenglong covered his mouth and said, "Could it be... Teacher Shen isn’t satisfied with Li Zheng?"

"Ah Ah Ah!!!" Shen Tinglan, holding a notebook, ran out.

Of course, she was eventually caught.

As the son-in-law’s final assessment was taking place, her presence was mandatory.

...

In the reception room, Li Zheng and Lin Yujing had been waiting for a full hour before the visitor arrived.

The moment Chen Hongbing saw Li Zheng.

Both men were visibly shaken.

To Li Zheng, Chen Hongbing was not a typical technical leader, but more like a military officer.

With a trim and upright figure, he exuded a commanding presence, and the recent graying at his temples added a touch of depth.

Actually, Li Zheng wasn’t wrong; Chen Hongbing indeed graduated from the Rocket Army Engineering Academy. Since joining the workforce, he had been a perfect technical military officer. After his transfer to the Aerospace First Institute, his career had soared, rising swiftly to become the youngest director and general commander.

Of course, his journey was inseparable from his partnership with the youngest chief designer, Shen Tinglan.

Without a doubt, this duo was the best choice for making aerospace breakthroughs.

As for Chen Hongbing, he also saw in Li Zheng a trim and upright demeanor, an authority that didn’t need to show anger to be felt, and a recently sun-tanned skin that added a touch of toughness to his appearance.

However, this toughness wasn’t the somewhat rigid kind found in military officers but rather a more natural, inborn ease.

Heroes cherish the young.

The young respect the heroes.

But, the emotions stirring within each of them were different.

Li Zheng: "This guy is awesome!"

Chen Hongbing: "He truly is our son-in-law!"

Lin Yujing, however, didn’t have so much drama in her heart, merely greeting him normally, "Director Chen."

Only then did Chen Hongbing pull his gaze away from Li Zheng.

"Ah, Jingjing." He instinctively wanted to embrace and pat her, but he quickly withdrew his hands, gesturing as he spoke, "I haven’t seen you in years... Oh, incredible, incredible."

"Director..." Shen Tinglan coughed once, "Let’s get serious and start."

"Right." Chen Hongbing retracted his hands and looked at the two, "Well then, ladies first, Yu Jing, you go first."

Li Zheng then nodded and stepped out to wait.

The doors closed and Chen Hongbing, Shen Tinglan, Zhou Chenglong, and Liang Yu sat in a row, beginning the final assessment.

Though familiar, Chen Hongbing did not take anything lightly, asking questions in a structured manner.

"The first question, a primary concern."

"Lin Yujing, do you have any plans to study or emigrate abroad?"

"You know, for national defense security, our country restricts core technical personnel from going abroad."

"This is not just our concern but yours as well, affecting your life’s decisions. Please consider it carefully."

Facing this question, Lin Yujing was as resolute as ever.

"I assure you, I will not study abroad, nor will I emigrate."

"My ambition is in astronomy, and I selfishly hope that one day, I can study the universe through our country’s astronomical telescopes."

"Hmm." Chen Hongbing nodded, "Then you must also know that the success of Yellow 2 is a prerequisite for our country to launch astronomical telescopes, an essential step for the next phase in our space endeavors."

"Hmm!"

"Alright, that’s all from me," Chen Hongbing turned and said, "It’s your turn now."

The three others were silent for a moment.

They’re really pampering our girl.

But that’s alright, the focus still needs to be on the son-in-law.

Just when everyone thought Shen Tinglan was going to casually pass her as well, she suddenly became serious.

"The director made it clear, joining the First Division of the Aerospace First Institute will make it very difficult for you to travel abroad even with a legitimate reason," Shen Tinglan asked slowly and clearly, "You are likely to join the national team for the Physics Olympiad and compete in IPHO. If you must give it up because of this, can you accept it?"

"Hmm…" Lin Yujing’s brows visibly tightened.

Moments later, she lowered her head, biting her lip and said, "I accept."

"The honors from IPHO are lifelong, and you have already put in a lot of effort, but here, you can only stay for one or two years," Shen Tinglan pressed on without stopping, "Are you sure it’s worth it?"

"Hmm… no matter what, IPHO is just an exam, and isn’t the purpose of an exam to prove oneself in order to do what one truly wishes?" Lin Yujing spoke and then suddenly raised her head and smiled gently, "Now, I am already doing what I want to do."

Seeing this smile, everyone was momentarily uplifted.

Shen Tinglan then covered her face and turned her head, "Okay, that’s all from me..."

Following this, Zhou Chenglong had no questions, and it was finally Liang Yu’s turn.

Liang Yu also encountered a high school student for the first time and had no choice but to ask insistently, "We initially plan to sign a one-year internship contract, which conflicts with your current status. May I ask if your school would agree?"

"Hmm... knowing the principal, he would probably celebrate with gongs and drums..."

"Then... the internship salary ranges from 2000 to 3000 yuan..."

"Wow! That’s a lot!"

"Okay... I’ve asked everything." Liang Yu turned to Chen Hongbing and said, "Director Chen, we haven’t gone through this process before. If you confirm it... you’ll need to give the institute a heads up..."

"No problem." Chen Hongbing solemnly stood up and extended his right hand, "Lin Yujing, welcome to join the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Aerospace Systems Engineering Research Institute."

"!!!" Lin Yujing stood up excitedly, moving forward to shake hands with everyone, "Thank you, thank you!"

This was Lin Yujing’s first time hearing the full name of the first department.

He never expected it to be at this moment.

After Lin Yujing left, they didn’t immediately call in Li Zheng.

Chen Hongbing could see that Shen Tinglan was always somewhat conflicted.

It wasn’t because he was afraid of working with his daughter, but for another reason.

While Liang Yu and Zhou Chenglong were filling out forms, Chen Hongbing quietly asked, "What’s the matter, Tinglan, why scare our girl so fiercely? It’s just an internship; going abroad to compete and bringing glory to the country isn’t impossible to approve."

"I... I just..." Shen Tinglan kept shaking his head, "I’ve never managed her studies since she was young... I didn’t even want her to study so well... Who knew... she still chose this path..."

Chen Hongbing was stunned for a moment, then sighed, leaning back in his chair, "With your family, your and his intellect... many things are inevitable..."

"That’s exactly what I’m afraid of." Shen Tinglan stared blankly at the table, "I’m afraid she’ll end up like me..."

"Afraid of what, I’m also divorced, right?" Chen Hongbing laughed, "It’s okay to be busy with work."

"But you got divorced over drinking!"

"Still for work-related drinking."

"Anyway... I don’t want Jingjing to be like us... Though we can fully immerse ourselves now, we will grow old eventually... and rockets won’t keep us company then."

"So, indeed." Chen Hongbing glared, "Isn’t it even more necessary to properly evaluate our potential son-in-law?"

"..."

Chen Hongbing took the opportunity to call out, "Li Zheng, come in."

Unconsciously, he strangely used the tone he had when he was in the military.

Even more bizarre was...

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"Here!"

Li Zheng responded in the same tone, then sat upright, his gaze intense.

Chen Hongbing was extremely pleased.

"First question, going abroad?"

"No!"

"Good! I’m done asking."

"Hmm!"

It was like military commands being passed, and in an instant, it was all settled in two exchanges.

The other three were instantly stunned.

Director was just speaking so gently with Lin Yujing, how did it suddenly switch to this scenario?

Weren’t they supposed to carefully evaluate the son-in-law? Was that it?

Thus, the burden fell on Shen Tinglan again.

Shen Tinglan also didn’t dare to look Li Zheng in the eye and after a long struggle, finally asked.

"If you go abroad to participate in the IPHO, it requires special approval from the headquarters, and it’s possible that the approval might not come through. Could you accept that?"

"Yes!" Li Zheng answered immediately, then suddenly thought of something, "Then can I send things abroad? I still have some stuff from a Russian friend..."

"That’s possible... you just need to bring the items for review first."

"Hmm, then no problem."

Shen Tinglan then closed his notebook, "Ah, then... I’ve also finished asking..."

This just got more awkward...

He was so harsh with his daughter just now, why did he turn into a meek rabbit upon seeing Li Zheng?

You all talk about evaluating the son-in-law, but in the end, why does everyone seem to offer him a free pass!

No choice then...

Zhou Chenglong, inwardly took a deep breath.

Director Chen is the leader, not good to make it too hard on someone.

Teacher Shen is the mother-in-law, the more she sees, the more she likes, that’s also unavoidable.

This tough role, can only be taken by me, Zhou Chenglong.

Zhou Chenglong then cleared his throat and asked, "Our institute actually has its own graduate school named Long March Academy. If your performance during the internship is outstanding, would you like to stay on for further studies and eventually work at the institute?"

Facing this question, Li Zheng hesitated.

A moment later, Li Zheng spoke bluntly, "I don’t think so."

"Why?" This question was asked by Chen Hongbing.

"In my understanding, rocket technology is just the applied end of science, a painstaking task of meticulous calculation," Li Zheng explained methodically, "I’m not averse to tough tasks; true scientific research is also a tough task. However, I personally believe what determines the level of our country’s rockets is not the Aerospace Research Institute, but the overall reserve of scientific and technological research. If possible, I would like to engage in more fundamental research in the future, creating more fuel for various industries."

Zhou Chenglong visibly gaped.

In his first interview, Li Zheng had already made some terrifyingly ambitious claims.

Now it had escalated to another level.

Even if you look down on our Rocket Academy, keep it to yourself!

Unexpectedly, however, Chen Hongbing and Shen Tinglan nodded simultaneously, affirming Li Zheng’s view.

"Li Zheng, your understanding is correct," Chen Hongbing stated seriously, "The leap in our country’s aerospace technology in recent years is exactly because of our several institutes, this group of people who work overtime to deal with these meticulous tasks. The depletion of our technical reserve is not a matter of the last one or two years; this is precisely why Yellow 2 is being launched with 90% new technology, against the norm."

Continuing, Shen Tinglan asked, "Beyond aerospace, which area of research are you more eager to pursue?"

"I’m not quite sure yet," Li Zheng answered truthfully, "My initial plan is to enter Yingpei College at Ji University, touch on all aspects, and... I’m also going to a biology competition next week... "

Zhou Chenglong asked with a frown, "I know you have strong learning capabilities, but aren’t you afraid of being distracted?"

"I’ve already done my best to minimize my biology study time," Li Zheng nodded, "And in actual learning, I’ve found that as the breadth of knowledge widens, the efficiency of learning new knowledge increases. For example, after mastering chemistry, many biological problems are solved easily, and in physics, areas like Mechanics, particle physics, etc., also correspond with chemical knowledge. Interdisciplinary study isn’t as distracting as you think, teacher; instead, it often provides new insights from a different perspective, leading to new inspirations."

"Hmm..." Zhou Chenglong scratched his face awkwardly, "Well... after all, you’re a champion in competitions... Perhaps my understanding is too shallow..."

Chen Hongbing turned and asked, "Have there ever been champions in both physics and chemistry before?"

"No," Shen Tinglan shook his head, "Although Li Zheng is still just a high school student, he might be one of the top talents we’ve encountered. Usually, people of this caliber don’t come around very often... "

"Cough!" Chen Hongbing coughed pointedly, giving a sharp glance at Shen Tinglan.

You, don’t undermine our prestige even if you are favoring your son-in-law!

"Liang Yu, ask him," Chen Hongbing hurriedly nodded at Liang Yu, to prevent Shen Tinglan from praising Li Zheng further.

Liang Yu then asked, "Ah, regarding the contract, we anticipate a one-year term, with a salary ranging from 2000 to 3000, including lodging and meals, is that alright with you?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Zheng negotiated, "If Yellow 2 launches successfully within a year, can we end the contract early?"

"Um... This..." Liang Yu looked somewhat aggrievedly towards Chen Hongbing.

Director, control him! Quick, control him!

"Of course, of course," Chen Hongbing revealed a mysterious smile.

Kid, you’re thinking too much.

Though the order was for 300 days, everyone knows just the reset might take half a year.

As for a re-launch, at the fastest, it would start no sooner than a year and a half.

To finish everything within a year would require at least another Shen Tinglan and fifteen Zhou Chenglongs, all from different fields of expertise.

Li Zheng naturally didn’t perceive the meaning behind this smile and continued to negotiate, "Also, I might need to take occasional leaves for the information and math competitions... Half a day each time should suffice."

"Fine, fine, that’s all manageable," Chen Hongbing quickly agreed, "Any other concerns?"

"No more."

"Great!" Chen Hongbing stood up straight and extended his right hand, "Li Zheng, welcome to joining part one of the Aerospace First Institute. The First Institute fights the toughest battles, and part one tackles the highest peaks. Do you have the confidence?"

"Yes!" Li Zheng stood up eagerly, rushing forward to shake hands, "Thank you, Chief!"

"Director, director," Chen Hongbing laughed, holding Li Zheng’s hand.

"Right, right, thank you, Director..."

Li Zheng then shook hands with Shen Tinglan, "And thank you, Teacher Shen!"

"Hey," Chen Hongbing laughed heartily, "Why be so formal with your in-laws? Listen to me, just call her ’Mom’!"

"Ah?"

"Director!!!" Shen Tinglan once again covered his ears and fled.

It was then that Li Zheng realized that Lin Yujing’s fleeing posture was also inherited.

He then shook hands with Zhou Chenglong.

"Li Zheng, I know you’re a legend in the competition circuit, but we can’t treat you differently because of that," Zhou Chenglong grinned, "We are part one of the First Institute, number one in everything. I’ll say it upfront, the brothers in the department will definitely be tender towards Lin Yujing but will not go easy on you."

Li Zheng gently patted Zhou Chenglong’s hand and laughed, "Fair enough, Brother Long. I won’t be easy on the brothers either."

"..."

At that moment, Zhou Chenglong had no idea who he was talking to.

Competition champion? Academic prodigy? Guaranteed admission to Yingpei at Ji University?

No.

All these were just superficial halos.

Deep within this man’s soul, he was still a demon.

While they were tired from the 996 work schedule,

the demon only resented that 24 hours weren’t enough, and hated that a week was too short.