Chapter 45 – Speaking Up for What’s Right
After entering the inner venue of the competition, Lin Yan glanced at the seating arrangement. The contestants had been placed in the middle rows, while the audience seats were arranged along the sides.
A massive screen stood directly ahead, occupying most of the inner venue. The lights inside were turned off, leaving the area shrouded in darkness, though strips of reflective lighting glimmered faintly, giving the entire space a strong sense of technology.
Everyone around was busy, each person preparing for the competition.
Lin Yan stepped forward and repeatedly confirmed with the staff that his project had already been submitted.
After so many years, participating in a competition like this again inevitably made him nervous. Afraid of making a mistake, he forced himself to check everything over and over.
He had to make sure nothing could possibly go wrong.
“Senior.” Xia Ran also came over to the control computers to confirm his own project. “The competition doesn’t start until the afternoon. Why did you come so early?”
“Ah, yeah, I did,” Lin Yan replied. “I wanted to come early, take a look around, and get familiar with the environment.”
Lin Yan was scrolling through the screen. After confirming that his project was listed, he exited the page. He frowned slightly when he noticed a very familiar topic, though he wasn’t sure whether he had just seen it wrong.
“Senior,” Xia Ran called again. “Are you competing separately? Not as a team?”
Lin Yan shook his head. “This time it’s an individual competition.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Xia Ran said. “Only individual competitions can really show how impressive you seniors are.”
As he spoke, he turned his head—and immediately spotted someone he didn’t want to see. His eyes shifted sideways. “So he came too?”
Lin Yan followed his gaze. It was Gu Han. He had arrived in the inner venue early as well.
“Yes,” Lin Yan said. “He’s in the same department as me.”
Xia Ran patted Lin Yan’s shoulder in comfort, putting on an overly sincere expression of concern. “Senior, you really have to be careful of him.”
Actually, he had wanted to ask yesterday—why did Xia Ran dislike Gu Han so much?
“What did he do that makes you hate him that much?”
“Ah, senior, don’t even bring it up.” Xia Ran withdrew his hand and placed it on his hip. “He forced several of us to put his name on our patents. If we didn’t, he wouldn’t let us get paid.”
Paid?
Seeing the confusion on Lin Yan’s face, Xia Ran explained, “It’s the subsidy the advisor gives us. He’s in charge of it. If he doesn’t let us sign for confirmation, the money won’t be released.”
So that was it.
Gu Han’s behavior was truly unethical—how could he use something like that to threaten them?
“That’s why everyone in our lab group absolutely hates him,” Xia Ran continued with a sigh. “Our families already don’t really support us continuing our studies. Every month, we’re basically surviving on that small subsidy.”
“He knows exactly how to control us,” he said bitterly. “That’s why we were badly oppressed in those early years.”
“How could he do something like that?”
Although Lin Yan had known Gu Han for many years, he had never realized he was this kind of person.
The Gu Han he remembered didn’t seem so sinister and calculating.
But people change.
If Gu Han hadn’t been such a good actor back then, perhaps Lin Yan wouldn’t have ended up where he was today.
Returning to his seat, Yang Yang and Wang Hao sat down beside Lin Yan. Yang Yang looked at Lin Yan, wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn’t speak.
If this were brought up at a moment like this, it would definitely affect him.
At that moment, Chen Xin was panicking at Lin Yan’s apartment.
What was going on?
Where was his cat?
She had promised Brother Yan that she would come by today to check on the cat and clean the litter box, but after arriving, there wasn’t even a trace of the cat anywhere.
What should she do?
Chen Xin understood this feeling better than anyone—her own cat had once gone missing too.
And the last time Meiqiu had disappeared, Lin Yan had been frantic. Now the cat was gone again. Chen Xin didn’t even know how to bring this up to him.
She should’ve insisted that Lin Yan get the cat neutered. Otherwise, the cat was always trying to run outside, never staying home for more than a few days at a time.
She searched back and forth several times, yet still couldn’t find any sign of the cat. She wasn’t even sure whether she had accidentally let the kitten slip out when she opened the door earlier. There was no sign of Meiqiu anywhere.
So anxious that she kept pacing in circles, she considered just telling Brother Yan directly.
But that idea was stopped by Yang Yang.
The two of them exchanged messages, not daring to make a phone call—afraid Lin Yan might overhear.
cx Little Angel: [What do we do? Meiqiu isn’t here.]
yy Genius Representative: [Baby, don’t panic first. Doesn’t Meiqiu always run out? Maybe wait a bit—he might come back on his own.]
cx Little Angel: [I’ve already been here for an hour. Aaaaah!]
yy Genius Representative: [Don’t panic, baby.]
cx Little Angel: [Should I tell Brother Yan?]
Yang Yang glanced sideways at Lin Yan.
Lin Yan was sitting in his chair, his hands resting on his knees, unconsciously rubbing his pants up and down.
Yang Yang had never seen Brother Yan this nervous before.
Then his gaze shifted to Gu Han, who was seated behind them—and he understood.
Combined with everything he had previously heard from Wang Hao, Yang Yang knew this competition meant far more to Lin Yan than usual. Nothing else could be allowed to distract him now.
yy Genius Representative: [Baby, this competition is really important to Brother Yan. For now, just finish what he asked you to do and take a photo for him.]
cx Little Angel: [Okay.]
Lin Yan felt someone beside him staring. He turned his head and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Ah—nothing,” Yang Yang replied guiltily, quickly putting his phone away and turning off the screen.
Seeing Yang Yang reminded Lin Yan that he had asked Chen Xin to help check on the cat at home. Just as he was about to message her, a notification came in.
He opened it—it was a photo of the litter box and the cat’s food bowl.
Lin Yan Yan Yan Yan~: [Thanks, thanks! Is Meiqiu there? Take a picture of him for me. My home camera seems to have stopped working for some reason.]
At that question, Chen Xin felt a little guilty, but she still made up an excuse to brush it off.
cx Little Angel: Brother Yan, Meiqiu’s sleeping on your bed. I forgot to take a picture, and I’ve already left.
Lin Yan Yan Yan Yan~: [Okay, got it. Thanks.]
Putting his phone away, Lin Yan adjusted his thoughts and focused on how he would present his report and showcase his project later.
…
Lu Heng woke up very early today. He had an early-morning flight to catch.
He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t put his mind at ease. It wasn’t that he was afraid Lin Yan would lose.
He just felt constantly on edge—worried that Lin Yan might run into some kind of trouble on the spot and not know how to handle it. So he booked the earliest possible flight and rushed over.
The lights in the room turned on. Ding Yue noticed—it wasn’t like she had slept much anyway. Seeing Lu Heng getting up, she walked over and asked,
“You’re going back?”
“Mm.”
Still as sparing with words as ever. Ding Yue didn’t mind and continued, “Is something going on at the company?”
Lu Heng glanced at his watch. He needed to get to the airport soon, or he’d miss his flight. “Yes. There’s a competition. I need to keep an eye on it.”
After saying that, Lu Heng grabbed the little luggage he had and rushed downstairs.
Ding Yue stood behind him, watching his figure disappear. Thinking carefully about what Doctor Liu had told her yesterday, she wondered—did she really have to do as he said?
When the plane landed, Lu Heng jogged into the terminal. The driver had just arrived to pick him up.
Sitting in the car, he kept checking his watch, afraid he wouldn’t make it in time.
Rushing all the way to the venue, he broke into a quick run. Lin Yan happened to be giving his presentation on stage.
Luckily—he wasn’t late. He’d arrived just in time.
Onstage, Lin Yan spoke confidently, explaining his ideas. This project was something he had wanted to do many years ago—it was precisely because of this idea that he had entered this field in the first place.
Thinking back to his original aspiration, Lin Yan’s voice grew more assured. His words carried emotion, and the judges below were gradually drawn in by him.
There were five judges in total. They exchanged glances with one another and nodded in quiet approval.
Aside from having mentioned this idea to President Lu before, he had never told anyone else about it.
As he continued speaking, he suddenly noticed someone sitting in the very last row.
That person looked like President Lu.
When his vision focused, Lin Yan realized—it really was Lu Heng.
Lu Heng also caught Lin Yan’s gaze and immediately gave him a thumbs-up.
As if receiving a powerful affirmation, Lin Yan’s presentation became even more outstanding. He perfectly showcased his project, clearly explaining his research content as well as its innovative points.
When the presentation ended, waves of applause erupted from the audience.
Lu Heng raised his hand as well, offering Lin Yan his strongest encouragement—though his applause was soon swallowed by the overwhelming sound around him.
His thoughts drifted back to the day he had dinner with Professor Tian.
“President Lu, I hope you can give him a fair result,” Tian Yu had said.
“Professor, don’t worry,” Lu Heng replied firmly. “Lin Yan will reclaim everything he lost back then on his own.”
From beginning to end, he had always believed Lin Yan would win.
“I’ll decline serving as a judge for that competition,” Tian Yu murmured to himself. “I hope what happened back then can finally have an ending.”
The applause rose again, wave after wave, and Lu Heng’s thoughts returned to the present.
When he looked up, Lin Yan was walking toward him.
After stepping down from the stage, Lin Yan headed straight for Lu Heng.
“President Lu, why did you come here?” Lin Yan couldn’t hide the joy in his voice.
Because of you—so I came.
“I came over after finishing my work,” Lu Heng said. “You did very well.”
Hearing the praise, the tips of Lin Yan’s ears turned slightly red. He lowered his head shyly.
Gu Han stared in Lin Yan’s direction. When he saw Lin Yan walk over to that man’s side, irritation surged in his chest.
Again—it was Lu Heng.
So what exactly was Lin Yan’s relationship with President Lu?
Why was President Lu always by Lin Yan’s side?
Ever since that time in the cafeteria, he had vaguely sensed that something wasn’t right.
Why did he deserve this?
Back then, Lin Yan had clearly been his alone.
Why was Lin Yan now unwilling to even say a single word to him?
It was Lin Yan who had once told him, “What’s yours is mine.”
Why did those words no longer count?
When Gu Han went onstage to present, his gaze kept drifting toward Lin Yan and Lu Heng. His presentation became chaotic, lacking any clear logic.
Still, the project’s entry point and innovative aspects were actually quite good. If he had presented it properly, it might even have earned extra points.
Lin Yan frowned as he watched the screen.
That familiar core framework… that style of expression— Why did this project look so much like something he had written himself?
Anyone who worked in this field long enough would develop their own habitual methods and approach. After all these years, Lin Yan had already formed a distinct personal style.
He just hadn’t expected Gu Han’s style to be identical to his.
Or rather—
Suddenly, Lin Yan thought of the USB drive he had left on his office desk. He let out a quiet, mocking laugh, unable to help but sigh at how some people truly never changed.
After all these years, he was still the same.
Always needing to compare himself to Lin Yan.
Times had changed. Lin Yan was no longer the person he had once been. He now had more than enough ways to prove that this work belonged to him.
At first, he wanted to expose it immediately.
But then he hesitated—because both he and Gu Han represented Future Technology Corporation.
If he reported it now, wouldn’t that be like lifting a stone only to smash his own foot?
It would reflect badly on the company. If the company were to fall into crisis because of his actions, then what he was about to do wouldn’t be right.
Just then, the person beside him spoke.
In that instant, all the surrounding noise seemed to fade away. Lin Yan heard only one sentence.
“Go do what you want to do. Don’t worry about so much.”
“…Mm.”
With firm steps, Lin Yan walked toward the reporting desk set up by the staff.
The past seemed to overlap with the present.
But this time, the difference was that someone was standing behind Lin Yan.
It was that person who gave him courage—who made him stop hesitating, stop holding back.
He turned his head and glanced at Lu Heng.
Lu Heng tilted his head slightly. From Lin Yan’s perspective, he looked exactly the same as before—standing against the light, surrounded by a faint halo, like someone destined to appear by Lin Yan’s side.
Someone who gave him care, and the confidence to face anything.
That image stayed in Lin Yan’s heart for a very, very long time. Every time he thought of it, ripples would rise within him, as though Lu Heng had already left an indelible mark on his heart.
Turning back around, Lin Yan was clear about his goal and walked forward with firm steps.
At that moment, someone suddenly stood up from the crowd, pointing at the screen and shouting loudly,
“Wait a second—are you seriously allowed to take someone else’s project and enter it as your own?”
Following the voice, everyone looked over.
It was Xia Ran.
There was some surprise—why would Xia Ran suddenly stand up and shout?
Then Lin Yan remembered the conversation he’d had with Xia Ran yesterday.
Only Xia Ran knew his long-standing habits and working style. That was why he could tell at a glance that the project wasn’t done by Gu Han.
Below the stage, everyone was stunned. Discussions broke out in low murmurs.
Not a single person stepped forward to speak. For a moment, it was as if time had frozen.
That one sentence dragged the person on stage straight into the center of a swamp.
The venue instantly fell silent. All eyes turned toward Gu Han, as if waiting for his response.
“What are you talking about?” Gu Han said calmly, his expression unchanged. “This is my own project. Did you misunderstand something?”
This man truly had no shame.
Xia Ran couldn’t stand such behavior.
“You’re lying. Everyone, look at the very bottom of the screen.”
All eyes shifted to the bottom of the large display.
There, a name was clearly shown—Lin Yan.
Gu Han still refused to admit it.
“And what’s wrong with that?”
At this point, the judges—who had been completely confused—finally spoke.
“Contestant, please explain the ownership of this project.”
“There is indeed another name listed here,” Gu Han said unhurriedly, like a repeat offender who had long since taken possession of something that wasn’t his. “But this project was created by the two of us together. We belong to the same company.”
Raising his brows, Gu Han cast a threatening look toward Lu Heng.
This concerned the company’s public image.
He was betting that Lu Heng wouldn’t allow such a matter to escalate—just like Tian Yu had done before.
For the sake of the company, to protect him.
He waited.
But Lu Heng said nothing.
Instead, another voice rang out—“How did my work become yours?”
The crowd erupted in shock.
No one had expected things to unfold like this. Everyone’s gaze turned toward the person who had just spoken.
Lin Yan stood his ground, unyielding. Now, even the debts of the past would be settled together.
“I said it already,” Lin Yan said firmly.
“This is mine. Not yours.”