Chapter 228 - 173: Contributing to the Country
Jin tapped a tablet a few times, apparently looking something up, then raised their head to continue their report. "There was a talent development conference in the first half of the year. Assuming there haven’t been any major leadership changes at the Ministry of Science and Technology, the person specifically in charge of the ’Ten Thousand Talents Plan’ selection process should be Vice Minister Qiu."
Hearing this, Vice Minister Xie’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Vice Minister Qiu..."
He mused for a moment, then shook his head with a hint of resignation. "We’ve had no professional dealings."
That was putting it mildly.
In bureaucratic circles, "no professional dealings" was essentially the same as "not acquainted," or even "strangers."
Seated beside him, Feng Yunhai and Gongtan exchanged a glance, wry smiles appearing on both their faces.
The universities they represented did have some dealings with the Ministry of Science and Technology.
For instance, the National Key R&D Program, which came from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
While the mathematics department rarely served as the lead institution for such major national research projects, it was quite common for them to participate.
Another example would be participating in the research, consultation, and planning for the national science and technology development strategy, which also frequently required them to coordinate with the relevant departments and divisions of the Ministry.
Comparatively, Gongtan, whose research leaned toward applied mathematics, had even more dealings with the Ministry of Science and Technology than Feng Yunhai, who was in pure mathematics.
But ultimately, their rank was still too low.
The highest-ranking officials they typically interacted with were at the level of department or division director.
As for the vice-minister level, forget being on familiar terms—they rarely even got to meet them.
Just as the atmosphere sank back into a subtle impasse, Academician Liang Tianshi, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up slowly.
"I’ll find a way to handle this."
His voice was not loud, and his tone was as placid as ever.
Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Xie, Feng Yunhai, and Gongtan all nodded in unison.
The National Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Science and Technology had a very close relationship.
The breadth and depth of their professional interaction and cooperation were exceptional.
With Academician Liang’s status and network in both academia and the government, if he said he had a way, then he definitely had a way.
Vice Minister Xie didn’t ask any more questions, simply stating again with sincerity, "Then we’ll have to trouble you, Elder Liang. As soon as I get back, I’ll report this situation to Minister Cheng.
Chen Lin has brought great honor to Huaxia’s academic community and to our country at this conference. The organization will certainly take this seriously! Let’s work together and do our best to make this happen!"
"Mm." Academician Liang Tianshi gave a slight nod and said no more. He simply picked up the cup of long-cold tea before him and took a small sip.
His gaze returned to the center of the hall, where a glamorous, lively banquet was in full swing, with elegant figures mingling and toasts being made.
Yet Academician Liang’s gaze seemed to pierce through the clamor, settling on some distant, more profound place as he fell deep into thought.
.....
.....
By the time Chen Lin and Shen Yan emerged from Jinmen South Station, it was already past nine in the evening.
The night wind carried the chill of late autumn, and the feel of it on their faces was invigorating.
Chen Lin hailed a taxi and dropped Shen Yan off at the entrance of Yannan University first.
"I’m heading in, then," Shen Yan said, standing by a lamppost near her dormitory. Her usually cool features looked especially soft in the warm yellow light. "Be safe on your way back."
"Don’t worry," Chen Lin said with a smile and a wave. "You should get some rest too. You probably didn’t sleep well these past two days in the Imperial Capital."
Shen Yan hummed softly in agreement, the corners of her lips holding the faintest hint of a smile as she turned and walked onto campus.
Watching her figure recede into the distance, Chen Lin turned, got back into the taxi, and gave the driver the name of his residential complex.
"Driver, to Liuzhuang Xinyuan."
Back in his familiar little one-bedroom apartment, Chen Lin tossed his backpack onto the sofa and collapsed into it with a comfortable sigh.
’Nothing beats my own little nest.’
As he mused to himself, he planned to take a hot shower, crawl into bed, and sleep straight through until noon the next day.
However, just as he took off his jacket and was about to head to the bathroom, his phone, which was sitting on the coffee table, rang without warning.
Chen Lin picked up the phone, puzzled. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number from the Imperial Capital.
His first thought was that it was a telemarketer, but then he reconsidered. ’That doesn’t seem right.’
’After all, very few people have this number besides a handful of people I know.’
After a moment’s hesitation, he answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Is this Chen Lin?" a familiar, elderly voice asked from the other end.
Chen Lin froze. He recognized the voice instantly and quickly adopted a respectful tone. "Academician Liang? Hello! Yes, this is he."
’He was a bit surprised. Why would he be calling at this hour? The math conference had just ended this afternoon; shouldn’t an old gentleman like him be resting?’
"Academician Liang, is there something I can help you with, calling so late?" Chen Lin asked politely.
"There is something, yes." Academician Liang Tianshi’s voice held a hint of a smile. "I hope I’m not disturbing you?"
"Not at all, not at all. Please, go ahead."
"It’s like this," Academician Liang said, getting straight to the point. "I want to nominate you for this year’s ’Ten Thousand Talents Plan.’ Specifically, I want to nominate you directly for the ’Outstanding Talent’ category."