klisemfg Chapter 182: Rooted by a Wild Boar
Chapter 182: Rooted by a Wild Boar
He tossed and turned in bed that night, unable to sleep, his mind racing.
The more he thought, the more he felt that the world outside was full of complicated people and that young folks were impulsive and naive.
In the end, he decided he had to take matters into his own hands and vet potential partners for Shanshan.
He treated it like a serious mission, starting by earnestly combing through the young men in his own family.
He sifted through them one by one, checking them off as if reviewing personnel files.
He didn’t even spare the young men from his sisters-in-law’s side of the family.
As long as they were the right age and seemed somewhat mature, they were all added to his list of candidates.
The whole family was stunned.
No one could understand what had gotten into him; it was as if the sun had risen in the west.
It was Ling Zhiwei who hit the nail on the head.
"My uncle’s in a rush to find a husband for Shanshan. He’s afraid she’ll make a bad choice on her own and get duped."
After speaking, he let out a deliberate sigh and tossed the shell in his hand onto a small plate.
"Our family’s little white flower... looks like she’s about to be snatched up by some wild boar."
"You’re a grown man, stop talking such nonsense. Don’t blame your uncle when he kicks you later."
Jing Shu Cui couldn’t help but roll her eyes and glare at her son.
But Ling Zhiwei just shrugged nonchalantly.
"Let him kick me. I’ve been kicked so many times I’ve practically developed muscle memory for it."
He said, inching his butt backward slightly.
When his words reached the ears of the three sisters-in-law, they immediately huddled together to discuss the matter.
They murmured to each other while washing dishes in the kitchen after dinner, and the more they talked, the more they felt something was wrong.
Shanshan had just become an adult. Her academic path wasn’t even set yet, and her career was just beginning.
How could they be arranging these things for her so early?
What if it affected her development? Wouldn’t that ruin her future prospects?
After coming to an agreement, the three of them automatically formed a defensive line, decided on a unified script, and reached a consensus.
If anyone came asking about Shanshan’s personal situation...
...whether it was a relative making inquiries or a matchmaker testing the waters, they would turn them all away.
Unfortunately, while they could fend off people at home, they had no control over the outside world.
Although Shanshan spent most of her time holed up in the lab and rarely saw outsiders...
...it couldn’t stop the relentless stream of suitors.
The more mysterious she was, the more people wanted to get a closer look.
And so, all sorts of tactics came into play.
Even Shanshan’s advisor, a man nearing sixty...
...discovered for the first time in his life that he didn’t have to worry about funding for his research.
A detection system he had only ever seen in academic papers could now be procured with just a single phone call.
The international supplier, upon hearing it was for a key national project...
...not only expedited the approval process but also sent a technical representative to be on-site to support the installation and calibration.
If he so much as mentioned needing a certain model of high-precision spectrometer...
...within days, the machine would literally be installed at the lab’s entrance.
The logistics information showed it was shipped directly from Frankfurt, Germany, without passing through any transit warehouses.
The installation team wore matching uniforms and came with the original factory calibration certificate and operating manuals.
The whole process was so efficient it was hard to believe.
"Sigh. Shanshan, I really feel bad about this," her advisor said.
"Don’t worry about it, sir. This is all legitimate collaboration. If the project succeeds, they stand to gain even more."
Shanshan’s eyes were still fixed on the microscope, her tone light.
She didn’t look up, her fingers steadily adjusting the focus knob as she recorded the cell viability data of the current sample.
’She’s right. This project has huge potential and is on the verge of a breakthrough.’
’They’re investing money and resources now, all for a piece of the pie later, right?’
’The market demand is clear. Once the technology is implemented, the path to commercialization is obvious.’
’The investors aren’t fools. They can read the data and understand the trends.’
’This current investment is just an early move to secure future returns.’
With that thought, the advisor immediately felt at ease.
He turned, walked to his desk, and opened the latest confirmation slip for received funds.
Just then, her senior lab mate pushed the door open, her gaze fixed on Shanshan.
"That Guo Wei is here again. He says there are some details in the contract he wants to discuss with you in person."
He came fully prepared this time, not only bringing a hard copy of a supplementary agreement but also having his legal counsel accompany him.
The few people in the room exchanged glances. They all knew what was going on.
This Mr. Guo was, by far, the most impressive of all her suitors.
He had a solid academic background, a sharp mind, and was socially adept.
Unlike the others who were flashy and brash, he always maintained a respectable distance.
"Tell him I’m busy. We can talk some other day."
Shanshan rejected him without even looking up.
The sample’s reaction window was only thirty minutes.
If she missed it, she would have to prepare it all over again, wasting two whole days.
"Oh, don’t worry. Mr. Guo said he’s free and will just wait for you downstairs."
The senior lab mate softened her tone, trying to ease the tension.
Shanshan worked at her own pace and didn’t like to be interrupted.
"..."
Shanshan finally tore her eyes away from her work, staring at her lab mate with a speechless expression.
She had been working at high intensity for a week straight and simply had no energy to deal with extra social interactions.
"He insisted. What was I supposed to do?"
The senior lab mate threw up her hands with a helpless look on her face.
The man had a formal appointment confirmation and had already passed the security system’s identity verification.
According to regulations, reception staff couldn’t unilaterally cancel an approved visitor’s appointment.
Besides, Guo Wei’s company was indeed one of their partners, giving him a legitimate reason to request a meeting.
’How could I refuse him?’
’He’s the type who’s handsome, good-natured, and incredibly wealthy.’
’If I had rejected him rudely, it would have made our research group look unreasonable.’
This meeting was unavoidable today. She had no choice but to call for reinforcements.
Shanshan closed her lab notebook and pulled off her gloves with a crisp, decisive motion.
In her contacts, there was a pinned entry with the nickname "Fourth Bro."
Shanshan casually picked up her phone and hit a speed dial key.
The phone rang only once before it was answered, and a familiar voice came through the receiver.
"Zhiwei, come pick me up at the lab entrance in an hour."
"Alright, got it."
Ling Zhiwei’s response was sharp and immediate, without a single follow-up question.
He had long since gotten used to it. There was never a quiet moment around his little sister; all sorts of weirdos were always trying to get close to her.
People showing up with gifts, using any excuse to strike up a conversation, pretending to discuss academics just to get familiar—the tactics were endless.
He would just switch into protective mode. If anyone dared to get too close, he was ready to chew them out mercilessly.
Most people were scared off and fled in disarray.
The few who remained were either there on legitimate business or were so outstanding that even he couldn’t find fault with them.
But he rather enjoyed playing this role.
Over time, Shanshan’s first instinct whenever she ran into trouble was to call for her "Fourth Bro."
Although things had quieted down considerably, the rumors outside had started to turn nasty.
At some point, a rumor began to circulate around the university.
That there was an arrogant and difficult girl in the biomedical lab.
New students and gossipmongers heard it and believed it without a second thought.
The rumor snowballed, and the guys whose advances she had rejected, feeling resentful, embellished the stories to slander her mercilessly.
Shanshan herself didn’t care. People could say whatever they wanted.
She continued to run her experiments and read her papers, not even batting an eye.
But Ling Zhiwei couldn’t stand it. Her advisor and the senior students in the lab couldn’t sit by either, and one by one, they stepped up to speak in her defense.
Eventually, the situation escalated to the point that it even alarmed the university president.
The university administration tracked the IP addresses of the forum posts and brought in several of the students who were leading the smear campaign for questioning.
The investigation revealed that some of the malicious posts originated from the same off-campus computer, indicating an organized smear campaign was at play.