IMAO Chapter 116

Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy the extra chapter!

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Xu Chen naturally couldn’t claim credit for the design, and said seriously, “It should be this kid’s own design.”

Upon hearing this, the senior researcher was slightly stunned. After a brief pause of two seconds, he seemed to understand something and patted Xu Chen’s shoulder, saying, “Lao Xu, I need to have a word with you about this. This won’t do. You can’t spoil these kids. I know this child is gifted and you’re very fond of him, otherwise you wouldn’t have agreed to teach at the military academy for his sake. However, using your own design to elevate him, I believe it will actually hinder his future development.

“Let’s do this. We’ll add his name to this mecha design. His starting point when he comes to work at the Chinese Academy of Sciences will already be much higher than others. You shouldn’t claim this ingenious pressure structure was made by this kid.

“Even if you say so, who would believe it? Who wouldn’t think it’s just you as his teacher trying to promote this student? When you show favor to this child, others will follow with flattery. Don’t ruin a perfectly good kid with excessive praise. Appreciating talent is good, but you can’t be overly indulgent.”

Xu Chen: “I do appreciate talent, but I never thought about promoting him!”

The senior researcher glanced at Xu Chen and said with a grin, “Never thought about promoting him? Then why did you suddenly call him to help in the laboratory? It could have waited until he graduates and officially joins.

“Isn’t it because you want to leave his name on the ‘White Throne’?”

Xu Chen was momentarily speechless, unable to refute. He had indeed called Jiang Yuan to help in the laboratory with this intention. The White Throne was a mecha he designed specifically for the border planet Snow, and after years of continuous refinement, it was approaching perfection. Now it had basically entered the final stage and could be put into production at any time, but because he hoped it could be even more perfect, he had delayed until now.

But now he couldn’t delay any longer. They had to produce the first generation mecha first, then continuously improve it like Thunder, developing second and third generations.

Calling Jiang Yuan to help did have some personal motives.

Jiang Yuan was indeed gifted, but talent wasn’t everything. As a researcher, one must have solid research achievements to establish a firm foothold in a research institute. Major projects don’t just appear whenever you want them to. Perhaps there would be such projects in the future, but how long would that take? Could they really make Jiang Yuan wait three to five years?

That was impossible, knowing this kid…

Scene after scene of competitions flashed in Xu Chen’s mind. Although he was quite troubled by Jiang Yuan’s unwillingness to transfer departments, he had to admit this kid’s talent in mecha was frighteningly strong. He didn’t miss a single one of those competitions. He watched them all.

Seeing Xu Chen’s silence, the senior researcher thought he had hit the mark and chuckled, then quickly grabbed the homework Jiang Yuan had taught from Xu Chen’s hands and transferred it to his own system in no time. “Alright, Lao Xu, I won’t say more. I can’t wait to try this new solution! Lao Xu is still Lao Xu. Why don’t I have your brains?”

After saying this, the senior researcher half-walked, half-ran out, while several young researchers nearby followed with suppressed smiles. As they walked out the door, they continued talking in low voices.

“I never would have guessed that Director Xu would do something like this!”

“I always thought Director Xu was an emotionless work machine. I used to be terrified whenever I saw him. Who knew he had such an indulgent side with students?”

“Do you think those two professors’ design results might have had the Director’s help too?”

“Oh… that’s possible!”

Although they spoke in hushed voices, Xu Chen still heard them. He helplessly rubbed his temples. Heaven knows he had never done such a thing before. Research was very serious business, and he had always been meticulous about scientific research. He had never done anything like this! It was a pity that taking on just two students had made him subject to such suspicion.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan was unaware of what was happening in the laboratory. He was seriously learning about metal material properties from a researcher named Wang Li.

The whole morning passed like this. Actually, Jiang Yuan had completely understood the material properties just from reading the documents, after all, Alphonse wasn’t just for show. It was a groundbreaking invention.

When lunchtime came, Wang Li had originally planned to take him to meet his teacher, but when they went over, all the senior researchers were busy, apparently with something very important. They were all so busy their feet barely touched the ground, and Wang Li didn’t dare disturb them with Jiang Yuan in tow.

“It’s this late. Aren’t they going to eat?” Jiang Yuan glanced at everyone still working. These people showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, they all seemed energetic.

“They probably came up with a new solution. Researchers are all like this. When Professor Xu was young, he would even do experiments for three days and nights without sleep!” Wang Li said matter-of-factly.

Jiang Yuan nodded, feeling somewhat admiring.

Indeed, technological development was inseparable from these researchers.

As they talked, they arrived at the cafeteria, where Wang Li ran into some acquaintances and greeted them.

“Oh, it’s him.” Jiang Yuan was slightly startled to see Su Lan. Thinking of Su Lan’s relationship with Ji Yang, he immediately waved to Su Lan, calling out, “What a coincidence meeting you here!”

Noticing that Su Lan was instinctively looking around, Jiang Yuan mistakenly thought he was looking for Ji Yang and promptly said, “Don’t bother looking. Ji Yang didn’t come today, it’s just me. Yesterday I was showing him around.”

After a brief pause, Su Lan gave a dry laugh and nodded, “I thought he might have come today too.”

Jiang Yuan spread his hands. “Nope.”

“You know each other? Come, come, sit together!” Wang Li immediately called out.

Standing next to Su Lan, Cheng Yufeng’s eyes were gleaming as he stared at Jiang Yuan. Seeing this, Su Lan immediately covered Cheng Yufeng’s mouth. He was genuinely afraid his unreliable childhood friend would suddenly ask Jiang Yuan, “Handsome, can I be your sugar daddy?”

His childhood friend really would dare! Cheng Yufeng was the type who couldn’t move his feet when he saw someone good-looking!

“Damn it, Su Lan, you…”

“What are you doing! Let go!”

Pulling Cheng Yufeng aside, Su Lan immediately said, “Don’t get any ideas about him, okay?”

Cheng Yufeng slapped Su Lan and said, “I know.”

Su Lan: “You know? Then why were your eyes shining while staring at him just now? I don’t think you know at all!”

Cheng Yufeng raised his eyebrows and said disdainfully, “Please, I may be messy in my private life, but I have principles!

“Was that shining? That was admiration for someone strong!”

Su Lan gave Cheng Yufeng a suspicious look. “Hmm, if you say so.”

Although Su Lan said this, he was still a bit worried about Cheng Yufeng. This guy was a wingman who would flirt with anyone, and a self-proclaimed player. But really, he was more like a small-time fish than a big shark.

“Bro, I can!”

Just as Su Lan was thinking, he suddenly heard Cheng Yufeng’s voice beside his ear. Turning his head, he saw Cheng Yufeng staring at Jiang Yuan, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

The cafeteria temperature had been turned up quite a bit, and Jiang Yuan took off his jacket, folding it in half and placing it on the chair.

Su Lan followed Cheng Yufeng’s gaze and noticed that Jiang Yuan had taken off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, revealing well-defined, attractive muscle lines…

“Can my ass!” Su Lan grabbed Cheng Yufeng and said, “Isn’t living good enough for you? Don’t even think about it. If Ji Rong finds out, he’ll definitely kill you!”

Cheng Yufeng sneered, “Can’t I even think in my own head? It’s none of his business.”

As more people joined in, the conversation grew livelier. Su Lan, Cheng Yufeng, and several other researchers were older than Jiang Yuan. Their discussion gradually shifted from research topics to more adult content.

“Hehe, I’m going to have a good rest at home in a few days.”

“What, you want to take time off? The lab’s been busy as hell these days, and you want time off? Dream on!”

“Hey, I have a legitimate reason!”

“What legitimate reason?”

“My wife needs me—” the young researcher winked at everyone.

“Damn, those of us without wives can’t even take time off. I wish I had a wife to spend her heat with too!”

Cheng Yufeng, who came with Su Lan, immediately joined the conversation. The content became increasingly risqué. Su Lan really wanted to cover Cheng Yufeng’s mouth, but since everyone was mature and not children anymore, the topic seemed appropriate enough.

“Ahem, guys, don’t talk about these things. Jiang Yuan is still a student!” Su Lan thought for a moment before patting Cheng Yufeng’s shoulder.

Although the warning was clearly meant for Cheng Yufeng, he ignored it and turned to Jiang Yuan with a grin. “Jiang Yuan, you don’t mind, right?”

Jiang Yuan shook his head.

Cheng Yufeng leaned an arm on Su Lan’s shoulder. “See? You’re worrying over nothing. Haven’t you caught the scent of Jiang Yuan’s pheromones? We’re just sharing experiences here!”

Su Lan: “…”

Jiang Yuan just smiled without speaking, his thoughts drifting to that morning when Ji Rong pulled him in for a kiss at the dorm.

Why did he kiss him?

With Cheng Yufeng present, the conversation even turned to which brand of condoms offered better sensation.

Su Lan was getting a headache.

“Jiang Yuan, which brand do you prefer?”

Jiang Yuan snapped back to reality to find Su Lan’s friend looking at him with a grin, completely serious.

“Which brand of what?” Jiang Yuan asked, confused. He hadn’t been paying attention at all, just eating with his head down while thinking about what happened that morning.

Su Lan quickly jumped in. “Nothing! Nothing!”

Jiang Yuan didn’t mind and just nodded, “I need to use the bathroom.”

Su Lan: “Go ahead, go ahead!”

After Jiang Yuan left, Su Lan smacked Cheng Yufeng’s back hard. “Stop pushing your luck! Please, I don’t want to have to deal with your corpse!”

Cheng Yufeng: “Tch, it’s not that scary.”

Cheng Yufeng said this casually, but he knew Su Lan meant well. He’d been beaten up before over relationship drama. He steered the conversation back to condoms.

Su Lan deeply regretted bringing his childhood friend along when he watched Cheng Yufeng pull out a box of condoms from his pocket and hand one to each person.

He knew this guy was trouble!

This guy was truly wild. He was going to get himself into trouble one day!

“These are absolutely great. I guarantee you’ll love them!”

By the time Jiang Yuan returned, the adult conversation had ended.

After chatting with Jiang Yuan briefly, Su Lan left with Cheng Yufeng. He’d finished everything he needed to do, and there was no point staying longer. Plus, he was worried about his friend saying something outrageous, so they just went back to the hotel.

“Here, Su Lan, take this!”

Not long after Su Lan returned to the hotel, Cheng Yufeng parked and came up, handing him a box. Su Lan took it without thinking, only to realize it was a whole box of the same condoms his friend had given out one by one at dinner.

“You sure have a lot of these…” Su Lan said helplessly.

“Of course! When I say I’ll give one to everyone, I mean everyone! I didn’t have extras on me then, this box was in my car! I keep my word!”

Su Lan joked, “Keep your word? But Jiang Yuan wasn’t there when you handed them out, right? You didn’t give him one either. Here, take these back. I don’t need them.”

Cheng Yufeng: “Who says I didn’t? I gave him one!”

Su Lan: “???”

Su Lan: “When did you give it to him? I didn’t see that?”

Cheng Yufeng said casually, “When he went to the bathroom, I slipped it into his clothes bag.”

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