Yan Anqing followed the sound and saw an elderly man with snow-white hair but a vigorous spirit.
The man wore a Zhongshan suit, had a close-cropped haircut, and sharp eyes.
Judging from the old man's bearing and features alone, one could roughly infer that he had been quite handsome in his youth.
Unfortunately, times had changed and years had passed. The age spots on his skin and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had robbed him of his former elegance.
The old man studied Yan Anqing for a while, then asked the young man beside him, "What is his name?"
Hearing this, the refined young man beside the old man, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, immediately replied, "Yaoguang Section special service officer Yan Anqing. He only joined yesterday and has no official staffing position."
"I see."
As he spoke, the old man strolled over to Yan Anqing, looked him over, and his eyes brightened slightly. "Not bad, young man. Quite a fine-looking fellow!"
Yan Anqing's gaze moved between the old man and the refined young man beside him, and he understood.
Yan Anqing knew who the two men before him were.
The snow-white-haired elder was an honorary academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—Academician Zhao Hongyun!
The seemingly refined young man was Mojuke's highly anticipated rising star researcher—Qu Li!
Any other newcomer would probably have eagerly latched onto them and tried to curry favor by now.
But Yan Anqing was not good at flattery or sucking up to others.
Neither servile nor overbearing, he replied, "I am merely average-looking. You flatter me, sir."
He killed the conversation at light speed. The atmosphere became a little awkward.
A playful female voice suddenly rang out.
"Elder Zhao, my senior isn't very good at talking, but he's a good person. And he's very lucky, too..."
Hearing this, Yan Anqing raised an eyebrow and turned his gaze toward Jiang Xinyue, who had appeared at some point and suddenly spoken up.
He did not understand why this roommate of his had randomly emphasized "lucky."
Judging by Jiang Xinyue's demeanor, she should have been an ally.
"The little girl is right!"
Zhao Hongyun seemed to agree strongly with Jiang Xinyue.
His gaze toward Yan Anqing grew even kinder as he said warmly, "Since the Blood Moon Incident, Yaoguang Section has carried out seventy-five missions and found only thirteen Golden-Eyed Ones. Yet you... acted alone and brought back three in one go! Who would deny that you're a lucky charm?"
Watching the old man speak with such seriousness, Yan Anqing quickly realized where the issue lay.
Compared to ability, appearance, character, temperament, and other factors, Elder Zhao seemed to prefer getting close to and nurturing lucky young people.
And Yan Anqing was precisely such a lucky person.
Before Yan Anqing could say anything, Zhao Hongyun continued, "I'm old. When I first heard the name Yan Anqing, I didn't react right away."
"You're the 'protector' that little Xie Zhe keeps mentioning, aren't you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Academician Zhao's gaze toward Yan Anqing became even more affectionate.
Birds of a feather flock together.
That saying was certainly not without basis.
A friend sincerely recognized by a lucky genius like Xie Zhe could not possibly be some mediocre nobody.
Besides, Zhao Hongyun had always believed that luck was one of a person's greatest talents!
He had lived for so many years and seen countless gifted individuals!
But of those who ultimately achieved something and finished well, how many were there?
Upon hearing Elder Zhao's words, the facial muscles of the refined young man with the ever-present smile twitched slightly as he silently wrote Yan Anqing's name into his little black book.
Qu Li's mouth twitched as he muttered, "Protector..."
To hell with this protector!
The moment that unbearably embarrassing title appeared, Qu Li placed Yan Anqing on his list of mortal enemies.
That bastard Xie Zhe always called himself the Cult Master of the Church of Science.
Every time Qu Li outmaneuvered him, he would stubbornly threaten, "If the protector were here, he'd beat you until you couldn't take care of yourself!"
A friend's enemy was an enemy. There was nothing more to say.
It was not merely that their positions shaped their thinking—Yan Anqing also had a genuine conflict of interest with him!
Because Academician Zhao Hongyun had often conducted radioactive experiments without adequate protection in his youth, his fertility had been damaged. He had no descendants throughout his life and had never considered adoption, so he was especially fond of supporting young people he liked.
And in the eyes of the outside world, Qu Li was equivalent to one of Zhao Hongyun's last disciples...
The other was Xie Zhe.
Elder Zhao was getting old. After he passed away, his reputation, legacy, and network within the field would be inherited by either Qu Li or Xie Zhe.
Previously, although Xie Zhe was excellent at research and had endless wild ideas, his emotional intelligence was appallingly low.
Under Qu Li's guidance, Xie Zhe had offended nearly every leading figure of the seventeen special departments.
So Xie Zhe had never been Qu Li's match.
Unfortunately...
After the Blood Moon Incident, that fellow, who possessed only high intelligence yet was always lost in fantasies and unwilling to strive, had actually become a Golden-Eyed One!
Although no one knew what was special about Golden-Eyed Ones, in Elder Zhao's eyes, this was proof of Xie Zhe's "great luck."
The person Qu Li had never taken seriously instantly became a highly competitive rival.
Recently, Zhao Hongyun had been taking Xie Zhe with him more and more often.
At that thought, Qu Li's gaze toward Yan Anqing became increasingly dangerous.
One Xie Zhe had already given him enough of a headache. If Yan Anqing joined in as support...
Inheriting Zhao Hongyun's legacy?
He could keep dreaming!
"Heh..."
Yan Anqing discreetly glanced at Qu Li and saw through his thoughts at once.
He was just a low-level scheming man who had barely mixed in society and worked in an uncomplicated circle.
Yan Anqing could not even be bothered to spare any thought for someone like that.
"Elder Zhao, there is something I would like to ask for your help with."
Yan Anqing sensed Zhao Hongyun's goodwill, so he seized the opportunity and shamelessly said, "I would like to apply for a dedicated laboratory."
The moment those words left his mouth, the jaw muscles on the side of Qu Li's face abruptly tightened.
Damn it!
This guy really flourished with even the slightest encouragement!
Had he even known Elder Zhao for more than half an hour?
Even ranked researchers could only assist the big shots; they did not have permission to open independent dedicated laboratories.
How did Yan Anqing, a Yaoguang Section field agent without official staffing who did not even have a professional title, dare overstep and ask someone for such a favor?
He had never seen anyone so shameless!
However...
"A trivial matter!"
Zhao Hongyun was clearly in a take-charge mood. He showed no hesitation toward Yan Anqing's request and laughed heartily. "When you return, write an application in the proper format. Mojuke happens to have several vacant laboratories. Letting them sit unused serves no purpose, so they might as well be left to you to create value."
"Little Qu, I'll leave this matter to you."
Qu Li felt as though he had swallowed a fly. The disgust in his heart was indescribable.
The crucial point was...
He had no choice but to handle this matter properly and flawlessly.
Feign compliance while secretly defying him?
Qu Li had not even considered it!
Judging from Yan Anqing's shameless behavior, if Qu Li dared pull any tricks, Yan Anqing would immediately report him to Zhao Hongyun.
When that happened, he would be the one punished!
"Elder Zhao, don't worry."
Qu Li forced a stiff smile onto his face, extended a hand to Yan Anqing, and said against his will, "From now on, we're colleagues. Let's improve together."