Chapter 87

Feng Xia found the voice familiar, turned around, but didn't recognize Cao Yunyun.

Cao Qingjin's base was up north, so seeing Cao Yunyun here wasn't surprising, but running into her in a city as vast as the capital—one had to admit, it was fate.

Today, Cao Yunyun wore a gray-blue Dacron long-sleeved shirt and pants, with glossy black braids resting on her shoulders, a round face and almond-shaped eyes, her smile gentle and amiable. Feng Xia, with her robust constitution, had come out in just a sweater—a dark green one paired with black pants. Though a strikingly lovely young girl, she stood there with an air of casual ease, exuding an aura like jade trees in the wind or a mountain on the verge of collapse, dazzling and almost intimidating to behold.

Not just strangers, but even Cao Yunyun couldn't help but marvel. The girl had once carried a hint of fierceness, like a jagged piece of strange rock, but now that fierceness had been polished away, revealing the warm, clear beauty of fine jade—how captivating.

One couldn't help but sigh: this was truly the power of knowledge. Day after day immersed in mountains of books and seas of problems, even the most turbulent energy would sink into the rhythm of literature. Added to that, Feng Xia was deliberately suppressing her superpower, which made her seem almost transformed.

Just as Cao Yunyun called out to Feng Xia, before she could speak, the young man and woman beside her chimed in: "Yunyun, who is this? Aren't you going to introduce us?" Cao Yunyun ignored them, stepped forward, took Feng Xia's hand, and circled her, eyes sparkling with admiration: "You've grown so refined, I almost didn't dare recognize you." Feng Xia remained with a faint smile, completely at ease.

It was only then that Cao Yunyun noticed the woman beside Feng Xia. Her heart tightened—this person was far from ordinary, her presence so well concealed that had Cao Yunyun not been naturally sensitive to auras, she wouldn't have detected her at all.

Moreover, Cao Yunyun discreetly glanced at Zhang Ying's waist—the bulky bulge there was probably a gun, wasn't it? She didn't know exactly what this person’s role was, but she understood that Feng Xia's status was indeed unusual—perhaps even elevated to a new level.

She slightly lowered her gaze, but her face still wore the joyful expression of meeting an old friend in a distant land.

"This is the Feng Xia I've told you about, the good little sister I made in Shanxi Province. Feng Xia is as dear to me as a real sister—don't you dare bully her. Even my brother acknowledges her as a sister." She introduced Feng Xia to her friends, then asked, "Since we've met by chance, why don't we hang out together? My family has a house here—want to come over and sit for a while?"

Feng Xia shook her head, gesturing to Zhang Ying. "This is my cousin. We've just come back from a stroll. Today, I still plan to visit an elder at Huaqing, so I can't join you for now, Yunyun."

Cao Yunyun wasn't upset by the refusal. Her smile remained bright, her voice gentle: "Alright, where are you staying in the capital? I'll come find you when I have time."

Feng Xia recited Professor Zhu's address. Cao Yunyun subtly clenched her palm—she knew that place. It was a state-owned research institute, heavily guarded, home to scientists. For someone like her, with ties to the gray world, getting in there on an ordinary day was harder than reaching the heavens. This Feng Xia was indeed extraordinary.

Cao Yunyun thought a lot, but on the surface she only spoke warmly: "Alright, alright, I'll come find you in a couple of days. Don't get annoyed with me—we haven't seen each other for ages, so we have plenty to catch up on. Since you're busy today, I won't hold you up. Let's get together next time!" With that, she waved to Zhang Ying, said "Goodbye, cousin," and led the young people away, her movements decisive and efficient.

That was exactly what Feng Xia appreciated about Cao Yunyun. She and Zhang Ying turned in the opposite direction—her excuse about visiting an elder at Huaqing wasn't just a pretext. Feng Xia remembered her mentor's instructions and had long wanted to call on Professor Jin Zhaozhong.

Huaqing, like Peking University these days, was quiet and desolate. The once bustling campus was now still and sparse, with only a handful of students around. Teachers were actually more common than students—a lamentable sight.

After asking a few students, Feng Xia and Zhang Ying easily found Professor Jin's office. The office was dark, the lights off, an elderly man hunched over his desk writing something. The door was open. Feng Xia knocked twice, but when the old man didn't respond, she pushed the door open and entered.

Only after Professor Jin finished writing that passage did Feng Xia speak up to disturb him: "Professor, hello. My teacher, Wan Fulin, asked me, his student Feng Xia, to visit you. I'm really ashamed that it took me until today to come. I hope you'll forgive me, Professor Jin." Upon hearing Wan Fulin's name, Jin Zhaozhong immediately looked up at the person standing before him. The old fellow had written to him, saying his little disciple had come to the capital and asking him to look after her. Jin Zhaozhong had been wondering why Feng Xia hadn't shown up, and now that he saw her, he felt somewhat relieved.

The old gentleman warmly invited her to sit down, personally poured two cups of tea, and was very courteous.

"Your teacher said you were seconded by the research institute. Have you been busy with research lately?" Jin Zhaozhong asked.

"Yes, I was busy with an experiment a while back, and then I got tied up with a new project for the past two months, so it slipped. I'm really sorry for not visiting you sooner," Feng Xia said.

Jin Zhaozhong waved a hand, smiling kindly. "Your teacher also asked me to make sure you don't neglect your books. What have you been reading recently?"

Feng Xia paused to think for a moment. "Fluid Mechanics, An Overview of Fluid Mechanics..."

The string of book titles Feng Xia listed left the old man stunned. What was all this? These were all fluid mechanics books! Wasn't this girl studying mechanical and weapons manufacturing under Lao Wan? How had she jumped fields?

When Feng Xia finished, the old man asked, "Are you thinking of switching fields?" Feng Xia shook her head, saying she was just interested in the subject—changing fields was out of the question. That relieved the old man a bit. Lao Wan valued this student immensely; if Feng Xia got poached right under his nose, Lao Wan would surely come to the capital to fight him.

Still uneasy, Professor Jin asked a few questions related to her original field. Feng Xia answered fluently, and before they knew it, they were deep in discussion. Zhang Ying, sitting off to the side, watched Feng Xia hold her own in a debate with the old professor, her eyes full of admiration. Truly a genius, incredibly impressive.

Jin Zhaozhong, too, grew more and more appreciative of the young girl. At such a young age, with such a wealth of knowledge—she had probably read nearly every available book in the field! Lao Wan sure was lucky to have found such an outstanding student.

The old man couldn't help feeling a pang of envy. Why didn't he have a genius student like her?

Just as they were talking, a knock came at the door. A rough male voice spoke cautiously from outside: "Teacher, are you in? We seem to have run into a small problem with the experiment."