Chapter 325 - 252: Meeting and Summary

Chapter 325: Chapter 252: Meeting and Summary

"Old Fu."

Chen Lin stood up and shook his hand.

"Professor Chen." Fu Yangqing nodded and sat down across from him.

A cup of coffee sat in front of each of them.

But neither man touched his.

"I asked to see you today because there are some things I wanted to bring you up to speed on."

Chen Lin got straight to the point, forgoing any small talk.

Fu Yangqing sat up a little straighter, his gaze becoming focused.

"Go on."

For the next half hour, Chen Lin recounted to Fu Yangqing, in detail, every suspicious incident he had encountered over the past few months.

"First is the ’Amy Howard’ incident."

Chen Lin began:

"About two months ago, someone claiming to be from a consulting firm in the USA contacted my company through an online second-hand marketplace, saying they wanted to consult on a technical problem."

"The price they offered was very high—one million US dollars."

"But during the video conference, I noticed several suspicious things."

Chen Lin tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop as he spoke:

"First, although the problem they presented was framed as an engineering challenge, in their description, they deliberately stripped away all the engineering aspects, leaving only a pure mathematical problem."

"That’s a very strange way to do things. A normal engineering consultation would never be completely detached from its engineering context."

"Second, when I told them ’this problem has no solution,’ their reaction was far too calm."

"Someone who spent a million US dollars on a consultation hears the words ’no solution’ and doesn’t get anxious at all?"

"It doesn’t follow normal business logic."

"Third, I looked up their information afterward."

"There is indeed someone named Amy Howard at Stanford University, but the photo didn’t match."

"The person in the video was not the real Amy Howard at all."

Fu Yangqing listened while taking quick notes in a notebook he carried with him.

His brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

"We already had some intelligence on this matter."

Fu Yangqing looked up at Chen Lin.

"But you know some details better than we do."

"Continue."

"The second thing was the interview request from a *Nature* reporter."

Chen Lin continued:

"About ten days ago, someone claiming to be a special correspondent for *Nature*’s Asia-Pacific region called me."

"They said they’d read my paper and wanted to schedule an exclusive interview."

"This person was very insistent, constantly trying to arrange an in-person meeting."

"I felt something was wrong right away."

"Normally, interview requests from academic journals come through official channels first. They don’t just call you directly on your personal phone."

"So I refused to meet and asked them to contact me by email instead."

"And then?" Fu Yangqing asked.

"And then..."

Chen Lin’s expression grew grim.

"I sent an email to *Nature*’s official address to ask if they had such a reporter."

"As it turns out, I received a reply from *Nature*."

"The reply confirmed the reporter’s identity and even included a link to her profile on the official *Nature* website."

Fu Yangqing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"So, you’re saying the email appeared to be legitimate?"

"Yes."

Chen Lin nodded.

"On the surface, there were no flaws to be found."

"But I still felt that something wasn’t right."

"The reporter’s tone and attitude made me very uncomfortable."

"So I chose to postpone contact."

Fu Yangqing jotted down a few more notes in his book, then looked up.

"What about the third incident?"

"The third was an invitation from the Cray Mathematics Institute."

Chen Lin said:

"The day I got back from the Imperial Capital, the director of the Cray Research Institute called me personally."

"He said he was inviting me to a mathematics conference in Seattle next February."

"As a special guest, to give a 45-minute presentation."

"The terms they offered were extremely generous—first-class plane tickets, the presidential suite at a five-star hotel, a private car and driver, a personal assistant for the entire trip..."

"And an ’attendance stipend’ of Fifty Thousand US Dollars."

Fu Yangqing’s brow furrowed even more tightly.

"Fifty Thousand US Dollars?"

"That’s right."

Chen Lin sneered.

"I may not have attended many international academic conferences, but even I know that figure is completely beyond the normal scope of academic exchange."

"Even a Nobel Prize laureate wouldn’t get such a high ’stipend’ for attending an ordinary academic conference."

"Their purpose in offering me that price is self-evident."

Fu Yangqing was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Your assessment is correct."

His tone grew more serious.

"The Cray Research Institute itself may be fine, but we can’t rule out the possibility that someone is using their name to do certain things."

"Understood," Chen Lin said. "That’s why I didn’t accept."

"There’s a fourth thing."

Chen Lin’s voice dropped a little lower.

"Yesterday, Sunday, I went to the mall to buy something with one of my employees."

"While I was there..."

He paused.

"I felt like I was being followed."

Fu Yangqing’s gaze sharpened instantly.

"How did you know?"

"Intuition."

Chen Lin didn’t explain that he possessed super vision and super hearing.

For something like that, the fewer people who knew, the better.

"I saw a mixed-race woman in the coffee area on the second floor of the mall."

"She had long auburn hair and was wearing sunglasses. She had a very cool, glamorous air about her."

"I glanced at her and got the feeling she was looking in my direction."

"Even though she pretended to be looking at her phone afterward, my gut told me something was off about her."

After listening, the expression on Fu Yangqing’s face became even more solemn.

But he didn’t speak immediately, remaining silent for several seconds.

Then—

"Your feeling was correct, Professor Chen."

Fu Yangqing looked up, meeting Chen Lin’s eyes directly.

"You were indeed being followed."

"Our people, who are protecting you covertly, also spotted that woman."

Chen Lin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Although he had been mentally prepared, hearing the news confirmed still made his heart beat a little faster.

"Can you find out who it is?"

"We’re still on it."

Fu Yangqing shook his head, his expression serious.

"Her counter-surveillance skills are very strong."

"After she left the mall, our people followed her. She switched cars in the underground parking garage, drove around in several circles, and finally disappeared into a surveillance blind spot."

"Afterward, we pulled the mall’s surveillance footage and ran facial recognition on her."

"But—"

Fu Yangqing’s tone became heavier.

"We couldn’t find her information in any public database."

"It’s impossible for a living person to leave no trace in all the systems."

"Unless..."

He paused and lowered his voice.

"Unless her identity has been deliberately concealed."

Chen Lin fell silent.

He, of course, understood what that meant.

Concealing an identity to that extent was not something an ordinary person or organization could accomplish.

There had to be a greater power pulling the strings from behind.

Most likely... a state-level intelligence agency.

"So..."

Chen Lin spoke, his voice calm, but his eyes held a chilling glint.

"The people targeting me are organized."

"And this organization is far from simple."

"Correct."

Fu Yangqing nodded.

"Professor Chen, your current situation is more complicated than I had anticipated."

"But you don’t need to worry too much."

His tone became firm.

"As long as you remain in the country, we can guarantee your safety."

"However—"

Fu Yangqing looked at Chen Lin, his tone solemn.

"I have a few recommendations that I hope you will consider seriously."

"Go ahead."

"First, do not leave the country in the short term."

Fu Yangqing said, enunciating each word carefully:

"Avoid even the Guangdong Province Greater Bay Area or border cities with close ties to the outside world."

"The moment you leave the mainland, our ability to protect you will be drastically reduced."

Chen Lin nodded.

He had already figured that much out.

’Go abroad? Not a chance. He wasn’t that reckless.’

"Second, reduce the number of your public appearances."

Fu Yangqing continued:

"Your public profile is too high right now. The National Science and Technology Award, top-tier journal publications, the large AI model... any one of these is enough to become a trending topic."

"High visibility is a good thing, but it also means you’re an easy target."

"In the future, for any events, interviews, and so on, try to notify us in advance."

"We will assess the risk based on the situation and prepare a security plan."

"No problem," Chen Lin agreed readily.

"Third..."

Fu Yangqing took a small black cube from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Chen Lin looked down.

It was a small box, about two centimeters square, with a smooth surface and a single small button.

"This is an emergency panic button."

Fu Yangqing said:

"Press this button, and we will be at your location within three minutes."

"No matter where you are, day or night."

"Three minutes."

He looked at Chen Lin, his gaze earnest.

"Carry it with you, twenty-four hours a day."

Chen Lin reached out, picked up the small cube, and weighed it in his hand.

It was very light.

But he knew this small object carried a weight far greater than its physical mass.

"Thanks, Old Fu."

Chen Lin put the panic button into his pocket.

"It’s our duty."

Fu Yangqing stood up and straightened his clothes.

"Professor Chen, take care of yourself."

His gaze held a note of concern.

"You are more than just a scholar now, and more than just an entrepreneur."

"You are a vital national asset."

"Whether for your own sake or for the nation’s, your safety is the top priority."

Chen Lin also stood and shook Fu Yangqing’s hand.

"I understand."

After watching Fu Yangqing leave, Chen Lin sat alone in the corner of the cafe, silent for a long time.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the table.

He looked down at the small black cube in his pocket, his expression profound.

"Heh."

Chen Lin let out a cold laugh.

He lifted his head, his gaze passing through the window toward the distant skyline.

The winter sun was bright, but a biting chill still hung in the air.

Just like his mood at that moment.

Calm.

But with a sharpness, coiled and ready to strike.