However, before the congratulations from all sides had officially arrived, Huaguo was the first to release a statement: Academician Ji Ting would not be traveling to Stockholm to attend the awards ceremony for personal reasons.
International public opinion erupted into another uproar.
Although the Nobel Prize winners had unexpectedly been leaked early in April, the official awards ceremony would not take place until October-a full six months later. What personal business could possibly take more than half a year to resolve?
He was practically telling the whole world outright: he did not want to go.
Certain European Union media outlets immediately succumbed to sour grapes. All manner of snide conspiracy theories ran rampant, escalating from "Huaguo scientists lack an international outlook and a spirit of cooperation" to "This is blatant contempt for the Nobel Prize's century of prestige," as they tried to regain some ground from the moral high ground.
Inside Primordial Base, Academician Zhang gave a derisive sneer as he read these arguments on foreign websites.
Ten minutes later, he pushed open the office door. As soon as he entered, he saw Ji Ting sitting behind his desk, holding a pen in one hand and pressing the other against his forehead. He stared at a sheet of paper before him, looking somewhat troubled.
Academician Zhang's nerves abruptly tightened, and he tentatively called out, "Chief Engineer."
Startled out of his thoughts, Ji Ting glanced at him, then swiftly turned over the sheet covered in writing, hiding its contents.
Academician Zhang's heart lurched. Ji Ting had already stood up and asked, "Academician Zhang, did you need something?"
Academician Zhang snapped back to his senses, having nearly forgotten why he had come. He stumbled over his words before remembering. "Ah, well, Academician Cao asked me to check with you. The physics institute