A Special Day, a Boy's Longing

Cancer man are typically very honest and introverted. Even though they want something, they're often too shy to speak up, frequently missing out on fleeting opportunities. Today is my birthday, and 622 is my lucky number. I really wish I could receive 622 monthly tickets as a birthday present! (*▽*)

Shen Qi and Cao Fan approached the service counter and secretly observed the area.

A man over 1.9 meters tall, wearing a conference badge around his neck, bowed deeply to the organizing committee staff. "I would like to receive Professor Shen Qi's paper, please!"

The organizing committee staff reconfirmed the man's conference badge and said apologetically, "Mr. Tachibana, we are very sorry that you are late. All of Professor Shen's papers have been collected. Professor Shen will give a lecture in the main conference hall at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, and his papers will be displayed there. I suggest you go to the main conference hall early tomorrow so that you can get Professor Shen 'Professor Shen papers."

The man bowed again. "I am very sorry for my lateness. I don't know how I can get more of Professor Shen Qi 'Shen Qi paper, but I still want to receive it today. Please!"

The organizing committee staff were quite polite. "We really don't have Professor Shen's paper here. You must have some academic friends who came with you, right? I suggest you ask your friends to borrow Professor Shen's paper."

The man bowed three times. "I came to China alone, without any friends. Please help me, I beg you! I must get Professor Shen Qi's paper today, please help me!"

The attendee had an Asian appearance, and he spoke Mandarin with the staff. He spoke Mandarin quite fluently, though with a slight accent. His conference badge showed that his surname was Tachibana and his given name was Masashi, indicating that he was a Japanese scholar.

The scholars are eager to receive Shen Qi's paper, "Macrocyclic Compounds, Novel Rearrangement Reactions, and the Application of Related Chemical Drugs," today.

This paper has never been published before; this conference marks its first public presentation.

There's a difference of more than ten hours between receiving Shen Qi's paper today and receiving it tomorrow morning.

A qualified scholar can read Shen Qi's paper in its entirety within a dozen or so hours; however, how much he can understand varies from person to person.

But receiving the paper today allows us to at least study it in advance. This is why the Orange Scholar kept bowing.

"So he's a fan of Director Shen. I never imagined there were actually Japanese people with the surname Tachibana in real life." Cao Fan learned the details of this minor dispute.

Shen Qi nodded and said, "This surname is an ancient Japanese noble surname, said to be related to the Japanese imperial family by blood. The Japanese imperial family is a family that loves learning very much, but people with the surname Tachibana are indeed very rare. This chemistry conference has indeed attracted many unusual people."

"Mr. Tachibana, I really can't help you anymore..." The staff member was very principled. Only 288 copies of Shen Qi's first paper were distributed today. It's your problem if you came late and didn't get the paper. Even if you bowed to me 288 times, it wouldn't help.

"Mr. Tachibana, I suggest you..." The patient staff member tried to persuade Mr. Tachibana to leave, but as he did so, he noticed Shen Qi and his students secretly observing from a distance.

Mr. Tachibana the staff member's visibly fluctuating expression, turned his head, and fixed his gaze on Shen Qi.

Sizzle!

An unexpected exchange of glances.

What a powerful aura!

What a charming man!

Shen Qi thought to himself.

Mr. Tachibana is very tall; at over 1.9 meters, he is well above the average height for a Japanese man.

With his sharply defined, chiseled facial features, his eyes and brows exuded determination, confidence, composure, and elegance. If you gave Mr. Tachibana a sword and an apple, Shen Qi felt he would be a modern, taller, and healthier version of Tachibana Ukyo.

Mr. Tachibana walked up to Shen Qi and bowed first. "Professor Shen, hello. I am Tachibana Masashi. Please give me your guidance!"

After Mr. Tachibana stood up straight, Shen Qi extended his hand in a handshake gesture. "Hello, Mr. Tachibana, welcome to China."

Mr. Tachibana said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Professor Shen, I would like to pick up your paper, 'Macrocyclic Compounds, Novel Rearrangement Reactions, and Applications of Related Chemical Drugs,' today, but it's no longer available at the service desk. Could you grant my request?"

"Okay." Shen Qi nodded, then said to Cao Fan, "Xiao Cao, give Mr. Tachibana a copy of the paper."

Cao Fan, carrying a black bag, unzipped it and took out a document titled "Macrocyclic Compounds, Novel Rearrangement Reactions, and the Application of Related Chemical Drugs," which he handed to Mr. Tachibana.

Mr. Tachibana accepted the paper with both hands, leaning forward slightly. "Thank you very much."

Shen Qi looked towards the main conference hall. "Alright, that's all for now, goodbye."

After saying that, Shen Qi and Cao Fan moved to the main conference hall.

Suddenly turning around, Shen Qi discovered that Mr. Tachibana had already disappeared.

Although Mr. Tachibana's surname and appearance were quite distinctive, Shen Qi didn't pay much attention to this unknown person.

Main conference room.

The lecture by renowned Medicinal Chemist Irie Jack began on time.

This man, in his sixties, holds multiple positions: he is the head of research and development at a pharmaceutical company, an Honorary Professor at the Todai, runs his own small company, and is also the president of the American Go Association.

Irie Jack began his speech. "We have experienced the Steam Age, the Electric Age, and the Silicon Age. The leap from one era to another inevitably depends on technological breakthroughs. The era we live in now is undergoing technological transformation. What will be the mainstream technological trend of the future? I believe it will be people-centered."

"A pharmaceutical company whose main business is the research and development and sales of chemical drugs usually has a research and development team of more than a thousand people. After deducting the people in charge of technical quality management and information gathering, the rest are the real researchers. Most of these researchers are carrying out chemical synthesis work according to the orders of the 'boss', and the number of 'bosses' is only a few dozen."

Similarly, in research institutions and laboratories, most researchers follow the plans designed by their "bosses" and conduct their research rigorously and meticulously. However, "bosses" who are in their prime academic years and also hold frontline positions are very rare.

"We can think of 'bosses' as elites in the scientific research industry, or by extension, elites in all walks of life. These elites are the ones who lead technological breakthroughs in various industries."

"The golden age for researchers is only about twenty years, which is very short. Instead of investing a lot of money in researching new materials, new equipment, and new weapons, we should study how to extend human lifespan and the golden age of elites."

"If the golden age of elites were extended to 40, 60, 80 years... or even longer, then technological research and development would inevitably be more continuous, and humanity would be able to create more advanced materials and equipment, even changing an era. Therefore, the most important factor in technological breakthroughs depends on people. Suppose Einstein were alive today and maintained his academic golden age, then... then everyone can use their imagination."

"And human characteristics are determined by genes. Our team is dedicated to the research of gene-based chemical drugs and methods. Now, let's get to the main topic. Please pay attention to the structure of this compound; I dare say it's an unprecedented innovation..."

Irie Jack eloquently on stage, citing a wealth of credible data, making for a very engaging and captivating presentation.

Cao Fan listened intently, finding Irie Jack's words quite insightful. He reasoned that if giants like Einstein had lived much longer and remained in their prime, physics might be very different today. Extending this further, he envisioned that if the lifespans and primes of research elites in various fields were extended, humanity's future would be filled with new opportunities. Irie Jack mentioned that his team specialized in researching chemical drugs and methods to extend human lifespan and prime—it sounded incredibly impressive.

Shen Qi paid less attention to Irie Jack's grand strategic vision on a macro level; he was more interested in the Irie Jack's R&D team.

"Can this strangely structured chemical really be synthesized like this?" Shen Qi fell into deep thought, closing his eyes as he rapidly calculated and deduced in his mind.