Chapter 38: Clues

"Academician Tang, I am very sorry to trouble you amidst your busy schedule, but I have encountered a major difficulty and truly found no other way, which is why I have come to seek your guidance."

"You are Professor Ge's student, Meng Hua, aren't you? I have already been briefed on the specifics." The elderly man, whose hair was as white as his predecessor's, smiled to reassure Meng Hua. "The motherland will never forget your teacher, and you, too, should take up his banner and continue to forge ahead."

"Yes, once I finish the work at hand, I will continue my advanced studies."

"A child worth teaching." Academician Tang looked at Meng Hua with a gratified expression. "Tell me, where exactly does the difficulty lie?"

"Well, it is like this: when my teacher was previously researching special corrosion, he utilized a large number of instruments and recorded his conclusions in his notes. However, his notes are... for some reason, completely incomprehensible. Therefore, the only clues remaining are the records and reports of the experiments he asked us to conduct."

"And you intend to?"

"Yes, I want to use the experiments Professor Ge asked us to perform to reverse-engineer what he had discovered. Although he requested many simultaneous tests at the time, he paid special attention to a few specific ones; he likely had a target of suspicion even then. I have ruled out routine tests, such as carbon-14 dating for artifacts, and finally discovered that Professor Ge seemed to be involved in matters related to high-energy physics."

"Not bad. To think you could come up with such a method." Academician Tang nodded. "However, while this is not quite like looking for a needle in a haystack, it is close enough. In scientific research, even a subtle direction can consume the lifespan of countless researchers."

"I do not fear a wrong direction; I only fear having no direction at all. This matter is of great importance."

"Very well, give me the materials you have compiled."

"Yes." Meng Hua picked up a bound booklet from the side. Upon opening it, one could see dense combinations of data and letters; for an ordinary person, it would be a perfect sleep aid. If left in a restroom, one would not even glance at it, preferring to read shampoo ingredients instead.

However, Academician Tang only flipped through it briefly before taking an aged pair of glasses from his breast pocket, putting them on, and examining it meticulously.

He read very slowly, yet no one in the laboratory dared to disturb him. To ensure experimental precision, few of the instruments made any sound—after all, any mechanical noise would imply a lack of precision. Consequently, the only sounds in the lab were the breathing of those present and the occasional rustle of Academician Tang turning a page.

Finally, Academician Tang finished the entire document. Meng Hua watched him with anticipation.

Academician Tang removed his glasses and shook his head. "I did find a few anomalous data points, but they do not seem to have any correlation. I need to take this back and look at it more closely."

"Yes, of course."

"However," Academician Tang flipped to one of the pages, "what is going on with this spectral data?" His face showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

Meng Hua took it to look, but could not see any issue. He glanced at Academician Tang cautiously, much like a primary school student who had made a mistake.

"Either you failed to follow proper operating procedures, or the sample was contaminated. How could such absurd data appear?"

When Academician Tang reprimanded them, everyone in the conference room remained submissive. After all, no one present held a higher scientific status than he did; if he found fault, one could not really argue.

***

Meng Hua had not expected him to be so meticulous about scientific research, showing no mercy whatsoever. He broke into a cold sweat as he searched for the error Academician Tang had mentioned.

Finally, he noticed that a portion of the measured data was negative; he had previously mistaken the sign for a stray horizontal line. This was a low-level error, and being scolded for it was fair.

"Academician Tang, this is my fault. I will lead my colleagues to redo it immediately."

Seeing Meng Hua’s prompt admission of guilt, Academician Tang’s expression softened slightly. He waved his hand, saying, "No need. Since Professor Ge did not ask you to redo it, he likely reached a conclusion elsewhere, and this data is unimportant..."

Meng Hua nodded.

"Hm? There are two more sheets on your desk. What is written on them?" While organizing the materials, Academician Tang noticed that Meng Hua had not given him everything; he had only handed over the bound booklet, and there were other items in the original spot.

"These are records of what Professor Ge said to Xu Chen. I felt they wouldn't be of any use to you..."

"Bring them here!"

Meng Hua presented them respectfully.

Academician Tang put on his glasses again. He only glanced at them before showing surprise. "Interrogation records?"

"Oh, the top one is unorganized; the bottom one is the compiled version."

Academician Tang pulled out the final page and scanned it—the text was indeed sparse—and his brow furrowed immediately.

"'It is boundless, chaotic yet wonderful, with matter and time solidified into a tiny piece, scattered like stars?'" Academician Tang murmured to himself, falling into deep thought.

"'Matter and time solidified into a tiny piece?'"

"Is such a thing possible?"

Academician Tang fell into silence. He stared unblinkingly at the conversation left behind by Professor Ge in his final moments, as if he were looking at the most profound mathematical problem in existence.

He pondered for longer than expected. Meng Hua checked his watch, and finally, unable to hold back, he stepped up to interrupt him.

"Academician Tang? Academician Tang? It is already noon. Shall we go eat and come back to look at this later?"

Academician Tang emerged from his endless train of thought. He looked at Meng Hua, his expression incredulous. "No, no need. I already have some ideas; I just need to verify them."

Meng Hua looked at Academician Tang with pleasant surprise. "Have you already guessed what my teacher was thinking?"

***

Academician Tang looked at Meng Hua, nodding and shaking his head at the same time. "I cannot be certain, and I cannot tell you..." He then seemed to think of something and shook the bound materials at Meng Hua twice.

"Do you have a backup of this material?"

Meng Hua nodded.

"Good." Academician Tang grabbed a sheet of paper, compared it with the documents, and began flipping through the materials while writing something on the paper.

Meng Hua leaned in to look. Academician Tang would glance at the documents and then write down a string of three two-digit numbers. In the blink of an eye, a dense sequence of numbers was completed.

He shoved the paper into Meng Hua's hand. "I will verify some things after I return. If there is news, I will tell you, and this string of numbers will not be needed."

He then surveyed the laboratory as if mourning something, followed by a look of relief. "If I go missing, or... if I become like your teacher, then these numbers are the clue I have left for you."

Meng Hua was struck with terror. "Academician Tang..."

Academician Tang stopped him from continuing. "What are you panicking for? Nothing has happened yet, so don't worry for now. What you need to do is study thermodynamics and find some talent in that field. Wait for my news. Understand?"

"...Understood."

"If I become like your teacher, once you decipher these numbers, report them to the authorities. They will understand what is going on."

"...I understand."

Academician Tang patted Meng Hua on the shoulder in encouragement, and without another word, hurried away with the materials.

He had a premonition that he would follow in Academician Ge's footsteps. That mysterious entity possessed a power that was impossible to resist, but someone had to do this work. He just wondered how enraged the country would be if two academicians were lost.

When that time came, he would serve as the bell-ringer.

The state apparatus would be fully awakened; no one would want to face such an entity.

Even the powers across the ocean would not want to provoke a furious lion.

He thought about the information he had left for Meng Hua, ensuring it was concise and unambiguous—unlike the cryptic words of Professor Ge—and having ensured nothing was left out, he hurried his pace.