When Lu Zhou arrived in Jiangling, it was already late at night. Although he was eager to return home, he thought that his parents were probably asleep, so he didn't go home. Instead, he rested for a night in the downtown area of Jiangling. The next morning, he asked Wang Peng to drive him home.
There was a knock on the door.
The sound of footsteps getting closer and faster was heard as the door was pushed open.
When Fang Mei saw the familiar face at the door, her eyes were filled with tears of excitement and joy.
"Son! You're finally back. "
"Mom!" Lu Zhou gave his mother a hug and looked at his father walking out from the room connected to the balcony. He took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice, "Dad, I'm back!"
How long has it been since I last came here?
Maybe three years, maybe four years. It was so long that Lu Zhou couldn't remember.
Lu Bangguo looked at his son standing at the door and smiled. "It's good that you're back. Are you tired? Come in and have a seat … This is?"
Lu Zhou took half a step away and said, "Wang Peng, my driver. You guys have met before."
"Oh, I remember now. Look at my memory, so it's Xiao Wang …" Lu Bangguo smiled and said enthusiastically, "Don't stand at the door, come in and have a seat."
Lu Bangguo led the two into the living room and politely brought over a cup and a teapot.
If it was just his son, there was no need to be so polite. However, there was a guest here. Although Wang Peng had repeatedly said that it was fine to pretend that he didn't exist, he couldn't really leave such a big living person there.
"The house has changed a lot …"
Lu Zhou took a sip of the hot tea made by his father. He looked at the renovated house and spoke emotionally.
The TV was replaced with a 48-inch screen. The clock hanging on the door frame was also replaced and moved to another wall.
Perhaps it was because life had improved, or perhaps it was because he was too idle, but the anti-theft net on the windowsill was filled with small pots of flowers and plants. Lu Zhou even saw a few onion sprouts and garlic leaves.
In his field of vision, there were many places that no longer matched up with what he remembered.
But the only thing that hadn't changed was the familiar smell of home.
Fang Mei smiled and said, "You and Xiaotong aren't here, and your father is a troublemaker, so we planned to renovate the house. Although a lot of the furniture and decorations were changed, I thought about when you guys would come back, so I didn't let you and Xiaotong's room be touched."
"Really?" Lu Zhou said with a smile, "That's great. I came back this time thinking of looking at the old things and reminiscing about them."
Looking at Wang Peng, who was sitting cautiously on the sofa, Lu Bangguo said with a smile, "Xiao Wang, why don't you stay for dinner? I'll go buy a fish later."
"No, no," Wang Peng waved his hand politely and said, "I still have something to do, so I won't disturb your family reunion."
"What else do you want?"
Wang Peng coughed softly and said, "After sending you safely, I still have to register … and some other things."
Lu Zhou didn't ask in detail. Instead, he nodded.
"Alright, I'll follow you out."
When he left Lu Zhou's house, Wang Peng raised his hand and rubbed the corner of his eye.
Noticing this action, Lu Zhou couldn't help but ask.
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing," Wang Peng shook his head. "Just … a little sad. As a national treasure scholar, you've done too much for science and for this country. "
This tall and sturdy man, who looked like he had experienced some hardships, was actually choking on his words.
Lu Zhou didn't know what to say for a while.
"…"
Actually, he wanted to say, "You don't have to feel that way, at least I'm enjoying it", but seeing how this guy was so moved, he couldn't say it.
Let it be a misunderstanding, it's not like I'm going to lose anything.
Lu Zhou changed the topic and said, "Do you want to find a place to stay for the next few days? I'll pay for your accommodation … "
Wang Peng: "No need, I'll just stay at a nearby hostel."
Lu Zhou shook his head and said, "No way, you don't have to be so polite with me. How much is the accommodation fee? If you're feeling better, I'll feel better when I'm in the car."
Wang Peng coughed and said, "You have a misunderstanding about a hostel … Actually, the conditions there are quite good. If we travel on official business, our meals are reimbursed. You don't have to worry about that."
Most importantly, with the nature of their work, it wasn't convenient for them to stay in a hotel with a mix of people. Compared to Lu Zhou, who only considered comfort when staying in a hotel, he had to consider security, confidentiality, and the convenience of his work …
Hearing this, Lu Zhou didn't try to persuade him and let him be.
…
Lu Zhou watched the black sedan disappear into the neighborhood. He then turned around and went home.
His mother was already preparing lunch, and his father went out to buy fish. Even though Lu Zhou wanted to help in the kitchen, his mother kicked him out.
Lu Zhou was bored, so he took his laptop bag and went to his room.
Even though he decided not to work for three days, he didn't have anything to do other than work.
As expected, he couldn't stay idle.
He took out his laptop from his laptop bag and placed it on the old but clean desk. As he looked around, Lu Zhou couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
Just like his mother said, nothing had changed here.
It was the same as when he left, and it was the same when he returned. The only difference was that the spotless desk seemed to have been cleaned frequently.
Lu Zhou picked up the photo frame on the corner of the desk.
It contained his high school graduation photo.
Up there were his best friends, his deskmate, his teacher, and even the girls he once liked or was liked by … and of course, himself.
When he looked at the young man in the photo, he couldn't help but smirk.
At that time, although he was a little ignorant and confused about the future, that kind of carefree happiness seemed to be quite nostalgic.
But on the road to the truth, there was always something to lose.
After reminiscing for a while, Lu Zhou put the photo aside and looked at his laptop.
"I'll take care of this before lunch."
Lu Zhou's hands began to move on the keyboard.
Suggestions for Jiangcheng Carbon-Based Semiconductor Industrial Park (First Draft)
After typing this title, Lu Zhou gently tapped his finger on the table. After organizing his thoughts, he wrote down his suggestions for the carbon-based semiconductor industrial park.
Time quickly passed by, and soon, he had written five pages of paper.
After making sure he didn't miss anything, Lu Zhou opened his email and sent the report to Chen Yushan and the State Administration for National Defense. He then leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"There should be no more problems."
However, he was about to turn off his computer and go for a walk when an unread email flew into his inbox.
Lu Zhou subconsciously opened the email and looked at the sender's location. It was an unfamiliar name.
Paul Robin Krugman … Note: Princeton Economics Department?
Lu Zhou stared at the name for a while and began to frown.
What …
Who is it?
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