On How To Defeat Dr. Qing Leng Chapter 4

Chapter 4 An Unwelcome Gathering

The grandeur and disappointment of Mount Everest felt like a distant memory.

Inside the small office at the end of the third floor of the Institute of Geological Sciences building, the only sounds were the faint tapping of a keyboard and the rustling of papers. The leaves outside the window were beginning to yellow, and autumn was deepening. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting a warm glow.

Wen Yelan had been back for nearly a week.

The recovery of his ankle injury was better than expected, but the Institute’s decision remained unchanged. He was temporarily prohibited from participating in all fieldwork projects. The Qilian Mountains survey had been completely handed over to another colleague, and he was responsible for processing the preliminary data and samples collected at the base.

Spread out on his desk was a glacier distribution map of the Mount Everest North Slope, accompanied by thick observation records and preliminary ice core analysis reports. Every page, every piece of data, felt like a tiny needle, lightly pricking his nerves.

The samples he should have personally retrieved from the summit, the atmospheric monitoring he had planned to complete at specific Altitudes… were now mere theoretical exercises, to be finished by others, while he was relegated to basic organizational work here.

“Yelan,” Professor Zhang, who shared the office, walked over with a teacup, glancing at the documents on his desk. His tone carried a mix of regret and something else. “Still organizing these? Don’t dwell on it too much. The Institute is looking out for you; fieldwork is risky, and since your foot just healed, taking a rest is appropriate.”

Wen Yelan’s fingers paused on the keyboard. He didn’t look up, only offering a faint “Mm.”

Professor Zhang seemed about to say more, but seeing his cool, detached profile, he finally shook his head and walked away. From the other side of the office, hushed conversations could be vaguely heard. Though indistinct, fragmented words like “Mount Everest,” “impulsive,” “Pei family,” and “Qilian” still drifted into his ears.

The full story of the accident had spread, and various versions of rumors were proliferating.

Wen Yelan ignored them, refocusing his gaze on the data curves on the screen, trying to immerse his full attention in the work. He was long accustomed to this environment. Since childhood, the only things he could control were the work in his hands and the knowledge in his mind. He had long learned to use silence and superior results to block out external noise, misunderstanding, and even malice.

He thought he could adjust quickly this time too. However, a persistent shadow lingered in a corner of his heart: the bone-chilling cold on Mount Everest, the complex and unreadable eyes of Pei Yan during the rescue, and the heavy sense of unwillingness when forced to retreat early.

Wen Yelan sighed. The hand reaching for his cup trembled slightly.

Just then, the office door opened, and Xiao Li, the project group’s administrative assistant, poked his head in. His eyes scanned the room, finally landing on Wen Yelan.

“Dr. Wen, Director Chen would like to see you in his office.”

Wen Yelan looked up, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Director Chen primarily handled administration and external relations and usually wouldn’t directly summon a frontline researcher like him.

“Alright, thank you.” He stood up, feeling a slight ache in his left ankle as he moved.

The Director’s office was at the other end of the corridor. When Wen Yelan knocked and entered, Director Chen was on the phone, his face wreathed in polite smiles.

“Oh, CEO Li, you’re too kind… Don’t worry, we’ll make all the arrangements… Excellent, excellent, see you tonight!”

Hanging up the phone, Director Chen turned to Wen Yelan, enthusiastically gesturing to the chair opposite him. “Yelan, come in, sit down. How’s your foot injury?”

“Much better, thank you for your concern, Director.”

“That’s good. Young people recover fast.” Director Chen smiled warmly, sizing him up from head to toe.

“I called you in because of something important. The Institute is hosting a crucial banquet tonight to thank the entrepreneurs and foundation representatives who provided funding for several of our major projects in the first half of the year. This is vital for maintaining our research funding sources. Look…”

A sense of foreboding rose in Wen Yelan. He instinctively wanted to refuse. “Director, I’m not very good at these kinds of events, and my work is not…”

“Ah, precisely because I know you’ve been busy with work lately, you need to relax a bit!” Director Chen interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. “This banquet is high-profile; many Institute leaders will be attending. We can’t just send the leaders and administrative staff; we need some excellent young scientist representatives to showcase the vitality and achievements of our Institute, right?”

He narrowed his eyes, letting his gaze linger on Wen Yelan’s handsome face for a moment, and his smile deepened. “Yelan, you have a great image, excellent demeanor, and outstanding professional ability. You’re the perfect person to represent our young generation. Just show your face, briefly discuss your research direction, and who knows? You might secure sponsorship for the next project. This is part of the job, too.”

Wen Yelan frowned. He loathed such occasions, the insincere socializing, and especially being treated like a decorative vase to be discussed. He would rather pull an all-nighter analyzing data in the lab than force smiles in a brightly lit venue.

“Director, I really…”

“This is an assignment, Wen Yelan.” Director Chen dropped his smile, his voice gaining a serious edge. “The Institute just held a meeting emphasizing the importance of external communication and fundraising. While your Mount Everest incident was understandable, it did create a somewhat negative impression. Consider this an opportunity.”

With the conversation reaching this point, Wen Yelan knew there was no room for negotiation. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched slightly, his nails digging into his palm, before slowly relaxing.

“…I understand. What time? Where?”

Director Chen immediately smiled again, handing over an exquisite invitation card. “Seven o’clock tonight, Joy Hotel penthouse ballroom. Dress formally. Oh, and here is the list of important guests and their background information. Take a look so you don’t mistake anyone.”

Wen Yelan took the invitation, feeling as though it weighed a thousand pounds.

…

Meanwhile, in the Fanyue Apartment at the China World Trade Center in Beijing.

Pei Yan listlessly scrolled through his phone screen. The contact list on WeChat stubbornly showed no red dots.

“What are you looking at? You seem distracted.” On the sofa, his friend Li Yu crossed his legs, swirling the red wine in his glass. “Still thinking about that scientist you picked up on Mount Everest? It’s been days since you returned. Is he straight? Why haven’t you sealed the deal yet? That’s not like Young Master Pei’s style.”

Pei Yan lazily lifted an eyelid and tossed his phone aside. “What do you know?”

“What do I not know?” Li Yu scoffed. “He’s just some geologist, right? Good-looking, sure, and that cold demeanor is kind of hot. But is he worth all this? You, Pei Yan, just crook your finger, and you can find anyone. It’s been days, and you haven’t even added him as a friend?”

Pei Yan didn’t reply, but his mind conjured the image of Wen Yelan’s pale face in the snowstorm, those slightly blue, glacier-like pupils, and the undisguised disgust and stubbornness when he pulled his hand away.

“He’s different from others,” Pei Yan said flatly.

“How is he different? Does he have an extra eye or an extra leg?” Li Yu was unimpressed. “If you ask me, you’ve eaten too many delicacies and find a simple bowl of porridge and side dishes refreshing for a change. I’ve seen plenty of people like him—acting all high and mighty on the surface. It just means the price hasn’t been set high enough. Just throw money at him, or have his superior pressure him. Won’t he fall in line then?”

Pei Yan’s gaze turned cold. “Don’t apply your methods to him.”

Li Yu paused. Pei Yan looked serious. He shrugged. “Fine, fine. Young Master Pei is serious for once. So what now? He didn’t even tell you his real name, did he? Wen Ming? I asked around, and there’s no one by that name on the Institute of Geological Sciences’ recent Mount Everest roster.”

Pei Yan frowned. He had vaguely suspected this. The momentary hesitation when the man gave the name “Wen Ming” in the tent was not a mistake.

But, what if?

His phone suddenly rang, interrupting Pei Yan’s thoughts. The caller was Lin Mo. The guy had been whisked away by his family to recuperate right after descending Mount Everest and hadn’t contacted them until now. Pei Yan pressed the answer button.

Lin Mo’s anxious voice came through the phone. “Brother Pei, save me. There’s a party tonight…”

“Not going,” Pei Yan replied curtly.

“It’s just a thank-you banquet hosted by the Institute of Geological Sciences to thank the bosses who sponsored them in the first half of the year. My old man invested in some paleoclimate research project of theirs and insists I represent the company and show my face. But I have a date tonight—someone I absolutely cannot stand up. Please have mercy.”

Afraid he would hang up, Lin Mo spoke quickly. “Help me out. You’re bored stiff anyway. Just go, grab a meal, and show your face. The process is simple: just eating, drinking, listening to those old academics brag, shaking hands with a few leaders, and you’re done!”

Pei Yan rejected him again without thinking. “No interest. Why should I go for your family’s investment?”

“Don’t be like that!” Lin Mo wailed. “I just got back and have been locked up by my family for days. If I don’t get out soon, I’ll become a monk! Your name is much more impressive than mine, Your Excellency. If you go, the old man definitely won’t scold me! Just help a brother out? And…” His tone shifted. “It’s an Institute of Geological Sciences banquet, you know. Maybe, just maybe, our savior will be there?”

Pei Yan paused the motion of hanging up the phone.

Li Yu, hearing this, chimed in, “Yeah, even if you don’t run into him, gathering some information is better than just waiting around here, right?”

After a moment of silence, Pei Yan finally conceded. “Time and location.”

“Seven o’clock tonight, Joy Hotel! I have the invitation here; I’ll have someone send it over to you!” Lin Mo was overjoyed and immediately hung up, as if afraid Pei Yan would change his mind.

Pei Yan stared at the black screen of his phone, his eyes flickering slightly.