Chapter 362

Chapter 362: Picking Violets, Violets Will Stop as Well

“…Until the 611 Institute acquired a large computer system, the workload of simulation calculations was handed over to computers. However, the traditional clay model technique has not been abandoned; many production enterprises in various industrial sectors still retain this design method. Usually, it is executed by professionals, especially for models that require high precision, which can even be scanned into a computer system for 3D modeling.”

As Professor Yan reminisced about the past, his words flowed like the Yangtze River, endlessly pouring out as he got lost in his memories, showering his close disciple with plenty of insights.

“Teacher, your skills are impressive! Can you teach me?” Lin Mo leaned closer to the clay “Falcon,” carefully inspecting it. If it were painted white, it would almost resemble the one that ambushed him earlier.

“Do you want to learn? Sure! It won’t take long; half a day, and you’ll master it!”

The old professor cheerfully agreed, like a child proudly showing off a lollipop that no one else had. Retirement made him fear not the chaos, but loneliness, and Lin Mo’s presence brought him much satisfaction, ensuring his retirement life would not be too dull.

Lin Mo stayed at Professor Yan’s home for three days, and Chen Haiqing’s driver, Little Song, also enjoyed a rare break.

Little Song received a call from his company and, during these days, acted as Lin Mo’s chauffeur, with all expenses covered. It wasn’t until Lin Mo completed his trip to Shenzhen that he finally boarded a flight from Shenzhen Bao’an Airport to Xiaoshan Airport in Hangzhou in a Mercedes van.

Although Chen Haiqing’s sudden departure seemed troublesome, the arrangements from the National Defense Star company worked to Lin Mo’s advantage, as the hour-long ride from the city to Bao’an Airport saved him the time of hailing a taxi.

After a flight of over 1,000 kilometers and 52 minutes at an altitude of over 9,000 meters, the plane began to descend, and Lin Mo could see the gray-white concrete runway below, feeling slight weightlessness and leaning forward. He finally landed on the runway of Xiaoshan Airport.

Upon disembarking, Lin Mo dragged his suitcase toward the exit. To avoid drawing attention, he packed his “Dragon General” tactical armor into two large suitcases, afraid to check in such important items, preferring to keep them with him. This added a fair amount to his personal belongings. Some sharp combat components of the tactical armor were taken off and checked in; otherwise, they wouldn’t have passed security. The main body, however, wouldn’t attract any suspicions during the security check.

“Hey! Hey! Lin Mo! Lin Mo! Over here!”

The exit security check was evidently not as strict as boarding security, and just as Lin Mo was about to head toward the taxi waiting area after dragging his suitcase out of the arrival area, he heard someone calling his name from behind.

Who could it be? It sounded like a girl’s voice.

Lin Mo paused and turned back, looking around, only to find a girl waving excitedly at him, bounding toward him with her suitcase.

Lin Mo focused his gaze and realized it was a familiar face—Miss Qi Fei! What a coincidence!

“Wow, what a coincidence!” Lin Mo stopped, looking at Qi Fei, who was slightly out of breath from running up to him. She hadn’t changed one bit, always bustling about.

“Yeah, what a coincidence!” Qi Fei grinned and playfully punched Lin Mo on the shoulder before asking, “Where did you come back from?”

They stood at the exit, distinct from the departure hall.

“I just got back from a business trip to Shenzhen,” Lin Mo replied with a smile.

“Shenzhen? I’m just the opposite! I just returned from Beijing, having just completed a big deal.” Her tone implied that this “big deal” sounded more like a heist on some wealthy tycoon.

“Seems like you’re doing well,” Lin Mo said, shifting his gaze behind Qi Fei. He noticed a young man in a light gray suit, carrying a laptop bag and dragging a suitcase toward them. From his trajectory, he was definitely approaching them and Lin Mo raised his chin to say, “What’s this? Got a boyfriend now?”

With a pilot’s keen understanding of movement, Lin Mo easily predicted the young man’s next step.

“Boyfriend?” Qi Fei turned her head to glance back, then gave Lin Mo another playful punch, laughing, “What nonsense! That’s my assistant! Really! You always have something negative to say. Come, let me introduce you.”

Qi Fei often showed her ability to turn things around with cleverness.

At that moment, the young man in the gray suit, around twenty-four or twenty-five, arrived behind Qi Fei, smiling gracefully at Lin Mo and nodding, “Hello, I’m Qi Fei’s assistant. My surname is Yang, Yang Zhenwen. You can call me Xiao Yang.”

“Wow, men can share more common language!” Lin Mo responded with a grin, “This is my assistant Xiao Yang, just returned with me from Beijing. He’s a pretty hardworking guy,” Qi Fei added, summarizing Xiao Yang’s introduction with just three words: “pretty hardworking.”

Yang Zhenwen kept a gentle smile on his face, exuding a calm demeanor, likely making him very popular with the girls.

“Hello, I’m Lin Mo, Qi Fei’s university classmate! Nice to meet you.” Lin Mo extended his hand for a handshake, then turned back to Qi Fei, “Why did you change to ‘Qi Fei CEO’? I remember you used to work alone, now you’ve upgraded so fast.”

“That’s for sure! My talent and character are simply unmatched!” Qi Fei boasted, like a proud Persian Cat, twirling her delicate fingers through her hair, “Six months ago, I landed some big contracts with a company ranked in the world’s top 500, made quite a fortune, saved up some money, and then I started my own design company. This trip to Beijing was to conduct onsite inspections for some work I finished a month ago, and I’m wrapping up a job in Hangzhou in the next couple of days. I’m super busy!”

Her self-referral to “super busy” evoked a slightly awkward smile from Yang Zhenwen. The usually smart, serious, and meticulous female manager had this surprisingly carefree side.

In an instant, Qi Fei’s enormous contrast seemed like a different person to Yang Zhenwen.

Lin Mo couldn’t help but tease, “Looks like business is booming for you! You must be swimming in money now! Creative and wealthy, you must have loads of suitors, right?”

It was surprising to see this university friend thrive in just six months, hitting such heights in her career while many graduates were still searching for stable jobs.

A freelance designer in Hangzhou typically earns around six to seven thousand a month, with the better ones making around ten to twenty thousand. Yet, relying on old clients, their means were limited, earning primarily through hard work, struggling during busy times and being idle at others.

Securing significant contracts in a competitive field like that, meant relying on either strong internal connections or exceptional talent, but Lin Mo suspected that Qi Fei probably fell under the latter.

Professionals in the design sector truly depend on talent; in technical fields, talent is often the foundation for success.

More importantly, Qi Fei was a woman, and her struggles likely surpassed those of her male peers many times over.

“Of course! Even if it’s not a battalion, it could still be a company!” Qi Fei proudly declared, sizing Lin Mo up. Despite knowing he was just joking, she became slightly defensive. “Come on, you must have a significant other by now! When can we meet?”

Using her feminine wit, Qi Fei deliberately shifted the conversation.

Before confirming her own relationship status, no woman would foolishly disclose how many male friends she had; after all, modern women embraced broader social networks.

No one wanted to commit to a man who would be a burden for life, struggling between dirty dishes and countless diapers.

“Meet? What does that even mean? Is it a mule or a horse?”

Qi Fei’s choice of words became sharper, causing even Yang Zhenwen to appear somewhat at a loss for how to respond, his eyes full of sympathy for Lin Mo.

Lin Mo shrugged, pointing toward the inside of the exit, “If I were a civil aviation captain, I would definitely attract flight attendants. Unfortunately, I’ve always been a solo flyer, just like before.”

Using the phrase “solo flyer” with double meanings to explain his situation impressed Qi Fei and made her see him in a different light.

“I just knew you’d be like this. Sigh, I wonder which girl can appreciate you,” Qi Fei said, almost in a cliche tone that felt familiar. She patted Lin Mo’s shoulder, seemingly recalling some bad memories with a hint of lingering fear on her face, “I’ve had it rough lately; my family’s been pushing me to go on blind dates over a dozen times! Oh my god, the weirdos they introduce! Lin Mo, I bet when you get back to Hangzhou, your family will pressure you to find someone too. May God bless you.”

“…” Lin Mo felt speechless. He wanted to tell Qi Fei, “You’re so nosy,” but given his position as a Dragon Knight, such words were quite inappropriate. He could only bottle up his frustration inside.