After listening to Shu Lanzhou's deductions, He Xin frowned deeply:
"That's just your speculation. It's not solid evidence. We can't condemn someone as a criminal just based on that!"
Stealing research data from an institute—if taken seriously—was indeed a criminal act.
Shu Lanzhou's eyes darkened slightly:
"Finding out the truth shouldn't be difficult. I heard the institute installed hidden surveillance devices to prevent research leaks. We can check the surveillance footage."
"Good point." He Xin stood up. "Follow me. Let's go find Captain Li."
An hour later, the three of them stepped out of the surveillance room.
Their expressions were all grim.
Back in the office, He Xin reminded them sternly:
"Until the director concludes the investigation, everything you saw today stays with you. Not a word of this goes outside."
Shu Lanzhou and Wu Cheng exchanged glances and nodded in unison. "Understood."
As soon as He Xin left, Wu Cheng strode over to Shu Lanzhou:
"Did you already know what kind of people they were? Is that why you left their team so decisively? Was that why you urged me to file the patent—because you knew they'd come after us?"
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "Not exactly. I left the team because I had no choice. But yes, it did have something to do with their personalities. After working with them for a while, you get a sense of who they are."
"But I never expected them to go so far as to steal research data. I only suggested you file the patent because I know Han Weicheng—he's desperate for success."
"He's always been good at using the media. Even the smallest research achievement, he'll make sure the world knows. Since our two groups have similar research foundations, it's not impossible they'd figure out our methodology. If they filed for a patent first, we'd be out of luck."
In the end, Shu Lanzhou had simply been cautious—but who could have expected their data would really be stolen?
This time, Guo Jialiang's behavior had once again shattered her expectations of how low he could sink.
Wu Cheng sighed. "Now I understand the saying: 'Never do harm, but always guard against it.' I've learned my lesson. Next time, I'll be more careful."
"Thank you, Shu Lanzhou. You really are more attentive than all of us. Come on, let me treat you to dinner. Ding Yuejiao and Yi Ming are coming too."
Such an outstanding girl couldn't be left to someone else. No matter what, he had to help his bro out—Yi Ming, you better not mess this up!
Unaware of Wu Cheng's ulterior motives, Shu Lanzhou happily agreed:
"Sure. If we don't eat, I don't think you'll be able to sit still. Senior, we're all part of the same team now. Helping you is helping myself. You should know—I really dislike those people."
"I get it. Don't worry—whoever you hate is automatically our enemy. We've got your back, always!" Wu Cheng held out his fist like a pledge.
Shu Lanzhou bumped it lightly with her own. "I'll hold you to that."
"I'm serious!" Wu Cheng said with a half-laugh, half-grimace.
Shu Lanzhou was genuinely happy. She knew how much that promise meant—it meant she now had a solid group of allies on this research path.
The institute's cafeteria had a private section where people could order made-to-order dishes—more expensive than the standard fare, but worth it.
Shu Lanzhou didn't want to go out hunting for a restaurant, so she suggested they eat there.
Everyone gathered at the cafeteria.
From afar, Ding Yuejiao rushed over and hugged Shu Lanzhou tight. "You guys are amazing! I saw the paper—it's blowing up!"
In just one day, their paper had eclipsed every other recent publication in medical journals. And with those two prefaces attached, it was now the subject of heated academic debate!
"Hey Wu Cheng, how did you convince Professor Gu to write our preface? I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it!" Yi Ming was all smiles.
Wu Cheng waved it off. "That wasn't my doing. After we met Professor He yesterday, he brought it up himself. Oh—and you guys do know, right? Professor Gu is Professor He's mother-in-law?"
"Yeah, we know. She's married to Professor Mu. But most people probably don't," Shen Mo chimed in.
Mu and He had always kept a low profile. Only those close to them knew they were married.
Wu Cheng nodded. "Then let's keep it that way. The Mu family likes to stay under the radar, and we should do the same. This small success isn't something to brag about."
"Absolutely, low profile, low profile!" Ding Yuejiao lowered her voice. "Come on, Shu Lanzhou, let's go pick the good stuff!"
The conversation pivoted with zero warning, but somehow didn't feel awkward at all. Shu Lanzhou chuckled—they were a steady bunch who knew how to carry themselves.
She felt incredibly lucky she'd decided to help them. It seemed she hadn't misjudged them after all.
But just because they wanted to stay low-key didn't mean others would let them.
After all, they were in the institute. They had barely sat down before a number of researchers started coming over to greet them.
Most of them were unfamiliar faces—people whose names they didn't even know.
"You young folks are something else. It hasn't been that long, and you're already producing results. Wu Cheng, impressive!" An older researcher clapped Wu Cheng on the shoulder.
"You and your team are doing great work. I heard you signed with the institute through a special university award?"
Wu Cheng stood up politely. "Yes, sir. I needed a place to intern, and Professor He selected our project, so we signed on with the institute."
"Well, I have to admit—Professor He made a sharp call this time. Ha..." The jealousy in the man's tone was barely concealed.
Wu Cheng was sweating bullets—he had no idea who this man was and didn't dare speak carelessly. All he could do was smile politely:
"We were just lucky to have such a good mentor."
Then the man's tone shifted: "You're all from the same major?"
"Not really. We've got a mix of specialties," Wu Cheng said, starting to catch on to where this was going. "For example, Shu Lanzhou is studying acupuncture."
The man gave Shu Lanzhou a glance. "I've heard of her. But you know, Traditional Chinese Medicine doesn't have the best prospects. Cellular biology and clinical medicine are still the real power tracks."
"What do you all think?"
A trap. He was baiting them into a trap.
Shu Lanzhou just focused on eating, ignoring the man. She was different from Wu Cheng's group—she wasn't part of the institute. And honestly, no one in their right mind would want to recruit someone from her field.
"We think it's best to focus on the research in front of us," Yi Ming chuckled. "We don't know how the results will turn out, but since we initiated it, we've got to see it through. We're just interns—we're not in a position to judge the future of medicine!"
"Exactly!" Wu Cheng nodded. "We're more concerned about our current experiments."
A flicker of annoyance crossed the man's face, but he didn't lash out. Instead, he chuckled:
"It's good that young people want to focus on their work. But graduation's around the corner, isn't it? You should start thinking ahead. The bar to stay at the institute is very high."
His meaning was clear: don't think that working under He Xin guaranteed you a future here. Choose the wrong side, and you might not even get to stay.
Holy crap—this wasn't a recruitment pitch, this was a full-on threat. He was trying to force them into joining another research group!
Shu Lanzhou frowned slightly, feeling a flash of irritation.
Once the man left, Wu Cheng finally dared to sit back down. "Everyone be careful. Watch what you say and do—don't draw unwanted attention."
"But we're just interns. Isn't that a bit much?" Ding Yuejiao said, puzzled.