Chapter 97: Jiang Lai and Lin Shutong Meet Face to Face at the Research Institute

The guard nodded.

Not long after, he saw Professor Cheng's car again, the window rolled down, and Professor Cheng asked him the same question.

He nodded again.

Professor Cheng frowned, Xiao Qian in the passenger seat was dazed, unable to believe it: "No, it can't be?"

Professor Cheng rolled the window back up, paused a moment, and still had Xiao Qian use her own phone to send a message to Ji Lao as he instructed.

Xiao Qian was somewhat reluctant.

"Professor Cheng, why?" she muttered softly, "If Ji Lao comes, wouldn't he speak up for Expert Lin?"

"What can we do?" Professor Cheng said helplessly, "Jiang Lai is too blunt; confronting Expert Lin head‑on would only bring her harm, no benefit. Xiao Qian, do you think academia is pure? This place is all about seniority and cliques."

"Old Cui is gone, and Elder Shen is no longer active in the circle; we find it hard to protect her, who comes from humble origins."

"Oh." Xiao Qian lowered her eyes, after sending the message she handed the phone over, "All done."

"Mm, go ahead and submit it."

They handed over all electronic devices, walked to the experimental building, and indeed the lights were on inside.

The two hurried inside, saw no one else, only the door of the inner lab standing wide open.

Professor Cheng and Xiao Qian immediately went in.

The two saw Jiang Lai but didn't recognize her—her smooth straight hair hung loose, and she wore a mask that completely covered her face.

If it weren't for seeing Jiang Lai's fingers flying over the keyboard without triggering any alarm, they would have suspected another rich young lady had been placed in the lab.

"How is it?" Professor Cheng walked over and asked, seeing on the computer screen a surveillance clip—Jiang Lai was copying it.

In the black‑and‑white footage, Lin Shutong's face appeared unmistakably.

Professor Cheng had a headache.

Really, not surprising at all.

"The lab's surveillance was briefly cut off, but I installed a micro‑monitor on my computer." Jiang Lai spoke calmly, her hand movements decisive, seeing she was about to forward the video as an email to the institute's higher‑ups.

Professor Cheng reached out and pressed down.

"Now isn't the best time; besides, she hasn't seen the data. Offending Ji Lao would make your future impossible, and even if Lin Shutong leaves this project she'll just move to another—she'll inevitably stay in this circle. Ji Lao will cover for her, so her reputation won't suffer, but others will act according to his mood and keep their distance from you."

Jiang Lai refused to release the mouse.

Professor Cheng urged her: "I know that regarding Lin Shutong, you feel bad both publicly and privately. At least wait until this project ends; if someone is singled out now, the project will be halted immediately—this is Old Cui's painstaking work."

Those last words made Jiang Lai loosen her grip.

Professor Cheng personally deleted the email, "Keep the video, don't delete it. Did you run into Lin Shutong when you came?"

"No, she must have discovered something and left right away." Jiang Lai stood up and stepped aside; Xiao Qian silently pulled her away, out of sight, out of mind.

Ji Lao's residence is close to the institute; he arrived quickly, and upon entering saw the three standing there.

"I heard someone tampered with your lab's data? Do you know who?"

He certainly wasn't here to take charge; he seemed more like he was gathering information.

Jiang Lai lifted her gaze: "The institute's security is tight; anyone approaching within two kilometers, even snapping a phone photo, gets taken in for investigation. To enter our lab smoothly and trigger the alarm must be someone from the institute."

"Didn't see anyone?" Ji Lao's gaze was stern. "Was the data lost or not?"

Jiang Lai: "No."

Ji Lao secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as it's not lost, that's fine."

If it were lost, the matter would be serious.

"Ji Lao, aren't you going to investigate thoroughly?" Jiang Lai countered.

Ji Lao's eyes paused, then he said calmly, "A full investigation would delay progress; Dr. Jiang wouldn't want that, would she?"

Jiang Lai met his gaze calmly.

Ji Lao was actually a little afraid of her stare—someone like Jiang Lai, who climbed up from the grassroots, carries an aura of barefoot fearlessness; if it came to a fight to the death, Jiang Lai originally had nothing and wouldn't mind starting over.

"Alright, let's leave it here." Ji Lao appeared in person, simply wanting to suppress their urge to investigate.

"Ji Lao." Jiang Lai said evenly, "Please also restrain Expert Lin's conduct."

Ji Lao paused, his composed gaze turning back, and he rebuked: "Don't make baseless accusations."

"Actually, an investigation isn't that hard—each project has its own lab. Besides you few leaders who can come and go freely, the other labs are accessible only to project members. I've checked: every member of my team has an alibi, except Expert Lin." Jiang Lai's words left Ji Lao speechless.

Professor Cheng pretended to be deaf and mute.

Jiang Lai felt angry inside and needed to let some of it out.

Xiao Qian, already insignificant and unheard, dared not interject; she merely listened silently, which only gave the impression of "we're many."

Ji Lao knew Jiang Lai could ruin his granddaughter's prospects; his face turned livid with anger, he offered no rebuttal, only throwing down: "This ends here."

Once investigated, not only would his future be ruined, he'd end up in prison.

Fortunately, nothing was stolen.

Ji Lao left.

Xiao Qian finally dared to take a deep breath.

Professor Cheng then said: "This time Ji Lao will discipline Lin Shutong."

Lin Shutong sat in her grandfather's office, looking tense.

She had finally managed to glimpse the password others used to enter the inner lab, thinking she only needed to glance at the data and jot it down on paper.

They set a password, yet also installed an alarm—doesn't that mean besides Dr. Jiang, nobody else can look?

Isn't this monopolizing the results?

How come no one steps forward to oppose it?

Or is it that only she doesn't know the password?

Just as she was thinking that, the door opened.

Seeing Ji Lao, Lin Shutong immediately stood up.

"Grandfather."

Ji Lao glared at her angrily; it was the first time he lost his temper with her since Lin Shutong returned to the country.

"Do you know that if Jiang Lai reports you for stealing secrets, your whole life will be ruined! It will also bring misfortune to me and your parents!"

"Stealing state secrets is a capital offense punishable by execution!"

Lin Shutong flinched at the shout, feeling aggrieved, and said, "They don't know it was me. Besides, I'm part of this project; it's not theft at all—she's been keeping it from me."

"Are the police dead? With all the surveillance in the institute, are they dead? Do you think cutting off whatever in your lab makes you untouchable?" Ji Lao never expected her to be so foolish. "I sent you abroad, and you came back having learned these things? Instead of focusing on your own abilities, you learned how to steal and cheat."

Lin Shutong, humiliated by the scolding, retorted angrily, "Grandfather! How can you berate me like this? Aren't you the one who kept urging me to publish papers? Weren't you the one who expected me to achieve fame? I was just impatient this time; I had to help Ah Xun. Helping Ah Xun is also because I hope that one day the two of us can earn your approval."

"Didn't I tell you to hold off on the paper for now? It's because of that Shen Xun, right?" Ji Lao glared at her, "You haven't even gotten married yet and you're already leaning outward. You've mentioned him to me before; I'll also put effort on the evaluation day. Why are you always so impatient?"

"Really!" Lin Shutong's eyes lit up. "Grandfather, you'll help Ah Xun, right?"

She stepped forward, her face beaming with happiness.

Ji Lao still wore a stern expression, but to Lin Shutong it held no intimidation; when Grandfather is truly angry, he becomes silent and ignores people, not just flaring up like this.

"You risk ruining your own future for him; what else can I do?" Ji Lao said. "Besides, I also have high hopes for him. This bidding focuses on actual capability, not background."

"Grandfather, I was wrong, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have looked at the core data without permission." Even though an alarm sounded at the time, she didn't panic much; Grandfather would definitely protect her.

What made her nervous was that Grandfather would be angry; she didn't know how angry he would get.

From childhood to now, Lin Shutong's most respected and feared person has always been her Grandfather.

"Dr. Jiang is truly angry this time; don't resort to underhanded tricks again, or next time I won't be able to protect you." Ji Lao gave her an ultimatum.

Lin Shutong pursed her lips and did not answer immediately.

Ji Lao took a deep breath: "What are you planning to do now?"

"Can I be the representative at the signing ceremony?" Lin Shutong said directly what was on her mind.

Ji Lao decisively refused: "No."

"Why?" Ji Lao, looking serious, said, "As the chief engineer, Dr. Jiang is still here, so it doesn't go to anyone else. Even if she's not present, it's Professor Cheng, and it still doesn't belong to you."

Lin Shutong lowered her face.

Ji Lao looked at her: "It's not that there are no chances to appear. I'll find a way to move you to the central position, taking Professor Cheng's spot; he'll gladly hand it over to a younger person."

"Professor Cheng is, after all, a senior; that's not right, is it?" Lin Shutong wasn't completely arrogant; she just knew Dr. Jiang was close in age to her and felt unwilling to accept it, especially since she wasn't lacking herself.

Especially after returning to the country, she had been kept out by Dr. Jiang, intensifying her desire for victory.

Most importantly, she claimed publicly to be the person in charge, especially to Ah Xun; she couldn't lose face in front of Ah Xun.

With Grandfather around, Ah Xun's company would certainly be selected. She wanted to meet Ah Xun at the pinnacle, to let him know that only she deserved Mrs. Shen's position, and quickly push Jiang Lai aside.

"What's so bad?" Ji Lao, who despised Professor Cheng, said, "He's just smooth-talking, married a well-connected wife who supports him; otherwise how could he have a place in the circle? Someone like Old Cui, a noble who climbed to the top, is a rarity, one in a thousand."

Lin Shutong's eyes flickered as she formed her own plan, and she smiled while saying, "Got it, thank you, Grandfather. I promise I won't act recklessly again."

"This project doesn't welcome you, Jiang Lai; I'll place you into a better project. If she leaves this project, she won't go far on her own merit." Ji Lao glared at her again. "Behave, follow the path I set for you honestly, and your future will be bright."

"Thank you, Grandfather." Lin Shutong leaned on him, "Grandfather, let's go back. Ah Xun taught me how to cook noodles; I'll make a midnight snack for you."

The grandparent and grandchild laughed and chatted as they walked out.

They ran into Professor Cheng and two others coming down from the lab building; Jiang Lai was in the middle.

Caught off guard, they faced each other directly.

Lin Shutong lifted her gaze and stared unblinkingly at the woman in the middle.

The last time her covert filming failed, this time she finally collided head‑on, and it was her first face‑to‑face encounter.

Lin Shutong examined the woman from head to toe.

She was tall, with good fashion sense, but...

Why does she feel like I've seen her somewhere before?