"I'm fine with whatever," Chu Yang replied in a low voice. "I'm really sorry to have you worrying about me."
He never expected that his small action just now would cause such a massive commotion.
"It's fine. Just wait for my word," Wang Weimin snorted. After hanging up with Chu Yang, he immediately flipped through his contacts and dialed the head of the Ministry of National Security. "Hello, this is Wang Weimin!"
******
Ministry of National Security.
As Huaxia's highest-level counterintelligence and domestic political security agency, the director's office on the top floor was currently a scene of fury.
Liu Changqing, the Minister of National Security, was blazing with anger as he looked at the reports uploaded by his staff. "What is wrong with all of you? Get someone to scrub the internet clean of everything related to Chu Yang right now! And I want you to immediately investigate whether there are foreign intelligence operatives fanning the flames behind this. I am giving you ten minutes. If I still see any information about Chu Yang online after ten minutes, you can all consider yourselves finished!"
As a domestic genius research scholar—the chief designer who, at just eighteen years old, developed a 1nm precision photolithography machine for Huaxia—Chu Yang's personal file was directly linked to the highest security protocols of the Ministry of National Security.
Any agency attempting to access Chu Yang's records would instantly trigger a security alert.
Yet never in his wildest dreams had he expected that this time, it wouldn't be just a single individual or a single organization querying Chu Yang's identity. Countless clueless netizens were actually spreading information about Chu Yang all over the internet.
If Chu Yang suffered any harm as a result, every single one of them would be in deep trouble!
Huaxia could afford to be without him as the Minister of National Security, but the Huaxia scientific research community could never, under any circumstances, afford to be without Chu Yang!
After dressing down his staff, Liu Changqing gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath, "Some of these celebrities and their fans are getting completely out of hand!"
After the incident, the surveillance footage from the airport elevator and all on-site recordings had been sent straight to the data analysis department of the Ministry of National Security.
Acting like a diva was one thing, but for heaven's sake, open your eyes and see who you're acting like a diva in front of!
Expecting a research scholar who was about to become the country's youngest academician to give up an elevator for you—who do you think you are?
Just as his voice trailed off, however, his personal cell phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, Liu Changqing's face instantly dropped. He took a deep breath and answered nervously, "Old Wang, this is Liu Changqing!"
The person calling was none of the others, but Wang Weimin himself.
Back when the Huaxia scientific research community was suffering from a generational gap and elite researchers were growing scarcer by the day, those old codgers might have been willing to tear each other apart over the rights and wrongs of projects at national-level research seminars, but when it came to shielding their own, every single one of them was an expert!
And that went doubly for someone like Wang Weimin, the head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Although administratively they held the same rank, in terms of seniority, Liu Changqing was a full generation behind him.
Just as he anticipated, the moment the call connected, Wang Weimin launched into a fierce tongue-lashing. "Liu Changqing, what on earth are you doing as the Minister of National Security? Such a huge mess has blown up online, and your ministry has no measures in place? And that celebrity involved—how do you plan to handle this? Let me tell you, if Chu Yang's identity is exposed, I don't care about my old face anymore; I'm coming right down to your office to raise hell!"
Liu Changqing wore a bitter expression. "Old Wang, please calm down, calm down. I've already arranged for people to handle this. Ten minutes—within ten minutes, all the posts online will be completely taken down."
"And that celebrity?"
"I am immediately going to summon the responsible officials from the Cultural Development Department. Rest assured, I will give both you and every research scholar at the Chinese Academy of Sciences a satisfactory explanation!"
"Good, I'll wait for your news!" Wang Weimin muttered and abruptly hung up the phone.
Liu Changqing took a deep breath, sitting in his office and grinding his teeth. "Dammit, I've been in the Ministry of National Security for so many years, and this is the first time I've been chewed out like this without being able to say a word in defense."
With that, he picked up the desk phone. "Notify the head of the Cultural Development Department and tell him he has half an hour to get to my office, or I'll go down to the General Administration of Cultural Development and drag him here myself!"
******
Airport departure lounge.
Chu Yang had just finished replying to Wang Weimin's message when a group of heavily made-up, flashy young women marched up to him. "So you're the damn Chu Yang?"
Chu Yang was momentarily startled and looked up at the sudden arrivals. "I am Chu Yang. Is something the matter?"
One of the girls looked him up and down before sneering, "You look human enough on the outside. Didn't you say you were in a hurry? Why are you still sitting around waiting in the departure lounge? Sitting is sitting—why didn't you let Hanhan have the elevator earlier?"
The others immediately chimed in:
"Disgusting. I bet you just saw how famous Hanhan is and wanted to ride on her coattails for clout!"
"Since you're so desperate to be famous, we Hanhan fans are going to help make you famous!"
"You make me sick to my stomach. Stop looking to get cursed at and bringing shame on your parents—you look like some fatherless, motherless loser!"
As the words left her mouth, one of the girls holding a bottle of mineral water unscrewed the cap and poured the entire contents straight over Chu Yang's head.
It was too late for Chu Yang to stand up; he was drenched through and through.
Instead of getting angry, Chu Yang looked at them with a hint of pity. "Are you finished? If you're done, you can leave now."
They were already in their twenties. As adults, they lacked the independent thinking and judgment expected of grown-ups.
How pathetic.
Airport security had also witnessed the scene and rushed over to Chu Yang. "Hey, what are you girls doing?"
Exchanging glances, the young women immediately turned and bolted.
By the time the airport security guards arrived, they only saw Chu Yang pulling a pack of tissues from his bag and quietly wiping the water from himself.
Seeing this, a guard asked with concern, "Sir, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Chu Yang replied, shaking his head. He looked up and smiled at the guard. "Go back to your work. Sorry to trouble you, thanks."
At that moment, the screen of the phone lying beside him suddenly lit up.
Lin Qingxue, who hadn't sent him a single message in years, quietly sent a text: "Are you... alright?"