Chapter 37

Sure enough, Fu Luoyin obediently went to make potato chips for him.

His culinary skills were not as good as Lin Shuicheng's. Seeing that Lin Shuicheng still had a bowl of soaked potato slices, he didn't hesitate and directly fried them. He knew that Lin Shuicheng preferred less oil, so after draining them, he even used paper towels to absorb any excess oil before serving the crispy, hot chips to Lin Shuicheng. He sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and cumin, making the aroma irresistible.

The third piece of content Lin Shuicheng encountered was not related to his field of expertise, so researching and understanding the model was a more arduous process. Rubbing his eyes, he grabbed a potato chip that Fu Luoyin had brought over.

Only after finishing it did he realize that Fu Luoyin was watching him, seemingly waiting for praise.

After some thought, Lin Shuicheng commented, "They're not as tasty as mine. You didn't blanch the potatoes."

"Oh." Fu Luoyin snatched the bowl back and leisurely continued his meal.

Lin Shuicheng resumed reading his literature, but after a while, he effortlessly reached out for the chips as if it was the most natural thing to do. However, his hand was caught by Fu Luoyin. "My chips taste bad. You're not allowed to eat them."

Lin Shuicheng simply replied, "Oh."

He withdrew his hand, appearing as immovable as a mountain, seemingly having no intention of trying the chips anymore.

Seeing that Lin Shuicheng was now sulking, Fu Luoyin promptly picked a chip and held it to his lips. "Eat, eat, eat. How childish are you? Why are you competing with me over this?"

Lin Shuicheng ignored him and opened his mouth to take the chip, leaving a faint mark of his teeth on the tip of Fu Luoyin's finger.

As Lin Shuicheng was engrossed in reading his documents, Fu Luoyin entertained himself by playing cards while occasionally feeding Lin Shuicheng a chip like he was tending to a cat.

With both hands occupied using an electronic pen, Lin Shuicheng couldn't spare a hand to hold the chips himself, and thus, he obediently accepted Fu Luoyin's offerings without complaint.

Fu Luoyin found the resemblance between Lin Shuicheng and a cat amusing. "Did you give birth to the Chief, Lin Shuicheng?"

Startled by such a bizarre question, Lin Shuicheng gave Fu Luoyin a fleeting glance, and Fu Luoyin was certain that it was a look reserved for fools.

After the two had finished their ablutions, Fu Luoyin took hold of Lin Shuicheng and led him to a change of setting.

Lin Shuicheng was delightfully comfortable to hold, so Fu Luoyin grabbed a pillow and leaned it against his back, positioning Lin Shuicheng to sit in front of him. As usual, he lowered his head and rested his chin on the younger man's shoulder. Lin Shuicheng seemed not to mind having a human cushion behind him, and Fu Luoyin would pull up the blanket to pile it around his waist. Surprisingly, they found an unexpected harmony in this arrangement – one reading documents, the other playing Poker.

Fu Luoyin opened the message and saw a new one from Zhou Heng: "President Fu, the list of contacts you requested us to deliver at the beginning of the month has arrived. Please take a look."

Restarting the B4 project as requested by the Seventh Bureau was no easy task. Although the Fu family held the core technology of the plan, finding an appropriate leader was not straightforward. Back then, Chu Shihan's ascension to the position of project lead as a master's degree candidate was due not only to his personal capabilities but also to the fact that he was the Fu family's very own son—though this was a secret unknown to others.

After Chu Shihan's passing, the paramount question that arose was who would succeed him. Fu's Military-Grade Technology Concern encompasses an abundance of classified information; should any of it be divulged, it would pose a grave threat to the very foundation of the Fu's military-industrial enterprise. Hence, the selection of the successor is of utmost importance.

Zhou Heng provided a list of researchers they had previously collaborated with, people they were generally familiar with.

Fu Luoyin scanned the list and called Zhou Heng. "I haven't been in charge for long, so my dad knows more about our previous partnerships. Did you let him review the candidates? Does he have any opinions?"

Given the sensitive nature of the matter, he ruffled Lin Shuicheng's hair before getting off the bed and stepping out onto the balcony in the living room. As soon as he left, Lin Shuicheng instinctively scooted back, occupying his spot, continuing to ignore the world outside.

Zhou Heng replied, "General Fu has already looked over the candidates. He favors either Professor Pei Rui or Professor Fan Feng, leaving the final decision to you."

Looking at the information again, Fu Luoyin asked, "Are all my brother's postgraduate classmates students of Yang Zhiwei?"

"Yes, Mr. Fu. I'm currently with General Fu. Do you want to speak with him?" Zhou Heng hesitantly passed the phone over—after listening for a moment, Fu Kai reached out for it, indicating that he wanted the device.

"I've reviewed the profiles," Fu Kai said. "Yang Zhiwei has worked with us before, and he was also your brother's doctoral supervisor. In that case, I feel more at ease. Pei Rui and Fan Feng are both capable, but the final decision is yours."

"Dad, they're my brother's classmates, but they aren't my brother," Fu Luoyin pointed out. "With Alliance missions, people can't refuse. They all need to eat, so they might not be more reliable than outsiders. Besides, B4 requires a multi-disciplinary genius. If you only consider their academic lineage, it's uncertain if they're suitable for B4."

After patiently listening, Fu Kai pondered for a moment. "What's your opinion then? Or should we directly ask Yang Zhiwei? You make a valid point, but we must be cautious with our core technology. Being too casual isn't appropriate."

Fu Luoyin responded, "Yang Zhiwei isn't an option. He's needed by the extraterrestrial station, with both Section 7 and the Alliance Security Agency vying for his expertise. He won't have the time or energy to start from scratch with B4. However, I have an idea that you might want to hear."

Fu Kai said, "You say you're the chairman and CEO, I won't interfere." His words seemed to be directed more at himself than at his son, as if hypnotizing himself into not interfering with his son's decisions.

"Fu Luoyin," he continued, "I was actually thinking of utilizing someone from our old European division, Jin Li. It's quite coincidental; I mentioned him to someone today."

Despite his earlier restraint, Fu Kai couldn't hold back his anger and roared, "Nonsense! This person has never had any connection with us! How can we entrust such a crucial project to an outsider?"

Fu Luoyin spoke calmly, "With Jin Li or someone familiar to us, like Fan Feng or Pei Rui – I'll need to assess them further. B4 can't function like before, relying solely on one leader for efficiency. A primary and secondary lead would be better. When my brother's incident occurred, the project ground to a halt, proving the need for dual oversight. Jin Li is someone you haven't interacted with, but I'm aware that apart from a few minor issues, his professional capabilities are impeccable, and he has a strong commitment to contracts. He consistently delivers results, but securing his involvement might be challenging given his likely busy schedule. We'll have to explore further."

Fu Kai remained silent, seemingly rendered speechless by his son's reasoning.

Fu Luoyin continued, "If you have no objections, Dad, I'll proceed to establish contact with Professor Jin Li. As for the other candidate, I'll keep searching. Honestly, I'm not entirely satisfied with these two options, so I might need to start anew."

Sighing, Fu Kai replied, "Then it's settled. Follow your decision. I'm getting old, and your ideas are better than mine."

Despite his words, Fu Luoyin knew that his typically authoritarian father had made a significant concession – in a family business, who would truly entrust their most critical technologies to others?

Fu Kai added, "That's it then. Will you come home for the New Year? I'll be able to return this year."

Fu Luoyin responded, "I'm afraid I'll have to be at Base Seven."

Another moment of silence ensued.

In Fu Luoyin's memory, their family had only celebrated the New Year together once, when Fu Kai was temporarily transferred back to Star City from his job in the Jiangnan branch. That was during Fu Luoyin's third year of junior high.

Since then, he no longer needed to shuttle between two places, and that year, they barely managed to have a family reunion. Fu Kai's work became busy again after that, preventing him from returning home. Now, Fu Kai wasn't as occupied, but Fu Luoyin was.

"I still suggest you come back if possible. The house is rather desolate," Fu Kai said again.

Fu Luoyin fell silent for a while before responding, "Alright, I'll see what I can do. Take care and rest."

The call ended.

On the other end, Fu Kai restrained the emotions that were just about to overflow – as he grew older, it seemed he became more vulnerable and attached to these formalities, such as a family gathering for the New Year. Only after sending off a black-haired child before his white-haired parents did he realize how painful the phrase 'rare meetings and frequent partings' truly was.

He composed himself and instructed Zhou Heng, "You can attend to your tasks now."

Zhou Heng nodded.

Rubbing his eyes, Fu Kai began examining the documents presented on the table. For the new candidate of Project B4, they had scoured the entire alliance for accomplished researchers, ranging in age from eighteen to eighty. Following his earlier instructions, his subordinates had specifically gathered information on a group of young students.

These young students were the cream of the crop in their respective fields and were essentially the talents that all mentors fought over, possessing the ability to undertake independent research projects.

Among this list of students, there was one name he had circled and crossed out deliberately.

There was something he hadn't told Fu Luoyin: Fan Feng and Pei Rui weren't his most suitable choices. According to all his criteria for selection, there was actually another person more fitting for Project B4.

Fu Kai reached out to feed the paper into the shredder. The inked "Lin Shuicheng" quietly disintegrated amidst the buzzing of the machine.

After finishing his call, Fu Luoyin returned to bed and continued sending messages to have his subordinates choose candidates. He sat beside Lin Shuicheng, who glanced up at him and shifted forward, leaving a spot behind him.

Fu Luoyin: "?"

Seeing that he didn't understand, Lin Shuicheng patted the sheet behind him, still gazing at Fu Luoyin with sparkling eyes.

"You're getting addicted to using me as a cushion?" Fu Luoyin stretched out his hand, pulling Lin Shuicheng into his embrace. Caught off guard, Lin Shuicheng's tablet tumbled into the cloud-like duvet.

Reaching for it, even his wrist was caught by Fu Luoyin, who held him tightly in his arms.

Fu Luoyin shifted slightly, flipping Lin Shuicheng over to lie on top of him. He tilted his head to kiss Lin Shuicheng's eye. "Choose between your husband's hug or your literature."

Lin Shuicheng seemed to be in a dilemma, pondering the question earnestly.

Fu Luoyin never expected him to find it difficult – a mix of frustration and amusement prompted him to tousle Lin Shuicheng's soft, disheveled hair. He then heard the answer: "I want... my husband to hug me."

As those words left Lin Shuicheng's lips, a smile involuntarily curved at the corners of Fu Luoyin's mouth.

It was a delight to witness the contrast between Lin Shuicheng's usual aloofness and his gentle submission in his presence. The sense of accomplishment was not unlike when a usually aloof kitten suddenly snuggled into one's bed.

Lin Shuicheng lay quietly against his chest.

Holding him, Fu Luoyin gazed down at his long, curled lashes, and an idea struck him: "...Good student, would you be interested in taking on a major project?"

He suddenly realized that Lin Shuicheng might be an excellent candidate.

He hadn't known much about him before, but since returning to Star City and moving in with Lin Shuicheng, he had belatedly discovered that his lover was an academic standout. According to Zhou Heng, Lin Shuicheng had initially studied chemistry before transferring to the Quantum Analysis department.

Given that he was Yang Zhiwei's student, he would likely meet the criteria even better.

Lin Shuicheng was taken aback: "I'm not interested."

Fu Luoyin tempted him, "If you work with me, chances are my office will be right next to yours."

Lin Shuicheng replied, "...No interest."

Fu Luoyin didn't persist in teasing him. Instead, he mentioned Lin Shuicheng's change of major, "Why did you suddenly switch your major? Wouldn't it have been better to stay under Yang Zhiwei's guidance if you were studying chemistry?"

"To earn money," Lin Shuicheng sounded a bit drowsy, his voice carrying a hint of sleepiness. "Chemistry is exhausting, while quantum analysis is an easier way to make quick cash."

After some thought, Fu Luoyin found the logic in that.

Lin Shuicheng must have been desperate for money when he had approached him initially. Making money was the simplest and most convincing reason, and Fu Luoyin could understand that.

He knew that Lin Shuicheng's younger brother relied on life support in the ICU.

Gently hugging the person in his arms, he said softly, "There's no need to push yourself so hard. If...if you still want to go back, just switch back to studying chemistry. Don't worry about the money."

In that instant, a strange feeling emerged in his heart – he rarely made promises like this.

The last person to whom he had uttered those words was now long gone from his life.

Yet, Lin Shuicheng didn't respond; he had fallen asleep.