Early in the morning.
The campus gate was bustling with people, full of lively energy.
Rong Wangtian personally drove Rong Ruoyao to school, then headed to the academic office to meet Pei Yaru, the homeroom teacher of Class 20.
"Why has Rong Yu’s father suddenly come to school?" Pei Yaru asked in surprise. "Is there something you need?"
Rong Wangtian replied, "I’ve been busy with work lately and haven’t paid much attention to my child’s studies. Today, I wanted to learn more about Rong Yu’s performance at school."
Pei Yaru, currently teaching a senior-year class, was swamped with endless exam grading and had no time to follow entertainment news. Naturally, she was unaware that Rong Yu had trended online the day before. In her eyes, Rong Yu was an exemplary student—and when it came to exemplary students, she had plenty of praise to share.
She quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to him, smiling. "Since transferring to Class 20, Rong Yu has been diligent and hardworking, setting a strong academic example for the entire class. Every student has shown significant improvement..."
Rong Wangtian spoke calmly, "If she’s so outstanding, then why was she ranked last in the previous monthly exam?"
"The next monthly exam is coming up soon," Pei Yaru said. "Rong Yu isn’t just excelling in physics—her grades in all other subjects are outstanding as well. She’ll likely rank in the top three of the entire school."
In truth, she was being modest.
In her opinion, first place wasn’t out of reach either.
Rong Wangtian inhaled sharply.
Top three in the entire school?
Rong Yu had studied in the countryside for over a decade, where her grades had been unremarkable. After just two months in Haicheng, she could rank in the top three?
But her exact ranking no longer mattered. With her gold medal in physics, she had already secured a recommendation for admission to Tsinghua or Peking University—though it remained unclear which one she’d choose...
After a pause, he said, "Could I trouble you, Teacher Pei, to take me to Rong Yu’s dormitory?"
Pei Yaru hesitated. "Rong Yu did apply for a school dormitory earlier, but she never actually moved in. Does that mean Rong Yu’s father wasn’t aware of this?"
Her expression was full of disbelief.
Was this really her biological father? How could he be so uninvolved that he didn’t even know where his own child lived?
No wonder Rong Yu avoided talking about her family. If it were her, she’d probably do the same.
But where had Rong Yu been staying these past two months?
A pang of guilt struck her—as her homeroom teacher, she had failed in her responsibilities!
Rong Wangtian’s face darkened instantly. "Teacher Pei, summon Rong Yu to the office immediately. I want to speak with her in person."
It was the first period of morning self-study, and the sound of students reciting lessons buzzed faintly from the classrooms.
"Rong Yu has taken leave," Pei Yaru said. "Whatever matter you have, Rong Yu’s father, perhaps it can wait until she returns."
Rong Wangtian’s expression grew even sterner. "Leave? What kind of leave? Personal leave? Sick leave? Where has she gone?"
Pei Yaru pressed her lips together.
Early that morning, Rong Yu had sent a message saying Professor Lin Rang had asked her to come in.
The fact that Rong Yu and Lin Rang were senior-junior siblings was known only to a few school administrators—it was to remain confidential for now.
If Rong Yu had chosen not to tell her family, then it certainly wasn’t her place as a teacher to reveal it.
Carefully choosing her words, she said, "Rong Yu is handling something very important. She’ll likely return by tonight or tomorrow. At that time—"
Rong Wangtian let out a cold laugh. "So, you’re saying I can’t even see my own daughter, and I have no idea where she is? This school is utterly ridiculous!"
He pulled out his phone and dialed Rong Yu’s number.
But the call wouldn’t connect.
Furious, he nearly smashed his phone. "I want to see Rong Yu within half an hour. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to call the police—"
Meanwhile, Rong Yu was at the Fourth Aerospace Research Institute.
Inside the core research area, signal jammers blocked all phone reception.
Lin Rang had summoned her because a project she had previously submitted had entered its simulation phase, but a data issue had arisen, requiring her input.
Rong Yu was deeply interested in the simulation and, after resolving the problem, chose to stay and observe.
As Lin Rang’s junior and the last disciple of Professor Yun Xiaoyuan, her presence was unquestioned. Moreover, everyone there had witnessed her brilliance firsthand and was more than happy to have her stay—it eased their workload.
And so, Rong Yu worked late into the night.
"The computer needs at least eight hours to process the data," Lin Rang said. "Xiao Yu, why don’t you rest for a while?"
Wang Xiaoli smiled. "Academician Yun has arranged a single dormitory for you. Sleep for a few hours, and I’ll wake you when it’s time. You won’t miss the critical moment."
Exhausted, Rong Yu followed Wang Xiaoli to the dormitory. The room was fully furnished, and she collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.
It felt as though she had just closed her eyes when someone gently shook her awake. "Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu, time to get up. We need to head back to the lab..."
Rong Yu jolted upright. Checking the time, she realized she had slept a full eight hours.
Wang Xiaoli handed her a toothbrush with toothpaste already squeezed on it. "No rush. It’s only a little past five in the morning. Many people haven’t arrived yet. Take your time freshening up."
Just as she finished changing, Lin Rang walked in with breakfast. After eating, the group made their way to the research lab.
The project Rong Yu had submitted was titled: Eagle Eye – Space Radar Network.
It involved deploying polar-orbiting satellites to form an interferometric radar array, utilizing 77GHz millimeter waves and dual-mode LIDAR laser detection to identify and track space debris—with the ultimate goal of retrieving space junk.
This was a long-standing research topic in aerospace science, but due to its low urgency, progress had stalled—until Rong Yu proposed a concrete operational plan. The institute director had then greenlit the simulation.
The project required interdisciplinary collaboration: mathematics, physics, mechanical engineering, materials science, aerospace engineering...
The moment Rong Yu stepped into the lab, she was met with enthusiastic greetings.
"Xiao Yu, you’re here! Sit over here."
"The data results are in—they’re very close to our projections."
"Press the start button. Let’s see how it performs."
"Thank you, everyone." Rong Yu walked over and pressed the green button.
In the simulation chamber, the Eagle Eye radar network activated. The system responded within a second, and robotic arms swiftly and precisely collected space debris, adjusting their approach based on material composition...
Gasps of amazement filled the room.
Lin Rang smiled. "Xiao Yu, this project is rock-solid. I’ll nominate you for the Special Contribution Award."
Awards weren’t Rong Yu’s priority, but recognition never hurt.
By the time the simulation concluded, it was already noon. She had spent over a full day here—it was time to return.
Lin Rang escorted her out, chatting as they walked.
Just beyond the institute’s gates, three figures sat on a bench near the flowerbed: the principal of Haicheng No. 1 High School, Pei Yaru, and Rong Wangtian.
All three looked exhausted—clearly, they had been waiting there for hours.
Which meant they had arrived the day before… and had stayed until now.
