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In autumn, the maple leaves along the Charles River in Massachusetts turn a vibrant red and yellow.

On such a clear and sunny afternoon, Su Ning received the phone call he had been waiting for.

“Oppa… I’m at Boston Logan Airport.”

Suning almost immediately dropped everything he was doing and drove to the airport.

When he saw Kim Yoon-ji standing in the arrival hall, wearing a beige trench coat and dragging a small suitcase, the longing of the past three years and the shadow left by the battlefield seemed to be dispelled in an instant.

“Yunzhi”.

The moment Kim Yoon-ji saw Suning, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Su Ning took her luggage and gently squeezed her slightly cold hand with her other hand.

"Was the journey smooth?"

“Hmm.” Kim Yoon-ji nodded and followed beside him. “Oppa, you… seem to have lost weight, but also… you’ve become more muscular.”

"I'll show you how strong I am later."

"Hey! Oppa, you're still such a scoundrel."

Instead of taking her directly back to his apartment near the Thor company in Waltham, Suning first went to a quiet café in Cambridge that they both used to love, overlooking the Charles River.

After they sat down, a brief silence filled the space between them.

So much has happened during this time apart, I have so much to say but I don't know where to begin.

“When I received your last letter from Vietnam, I almost collapsed. Then I suddenly received a call from you saying that you had arrived safely in the United States and were working at Raytheon... I... I feel like I'm dreaming.”

"Silly girl, I'm perfectly fine."

"Oppa, it must have been tough in Vietnam, right? Did you get hurt?"

"It's all in the past. I did encounter some challenges, but I got through them. Look, I'm doing just fine now, aren't I?"

“Oppa…”

"How about you? How are things in Seoul? Is everything... alright at home?"

Mentioning her family, Kim Yoon-ji's eyes dimmed slightly. "Dad's health is still the same; he needs to rest. Mom, she..."

She hesitated for a moment, "She knows I'm coming to see you. Although she didn't explicitly object, her attitude was still very cold. She always believes that there will be a lot of obstacles for us to be together in the future."

Suning remained silent for a moment.

This problem, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, has never disappeared.

“Yunzhi, I know your family’s concerns. A Chinese person with a complicated background who has fought in the war is indeed not a good match in the eyes of many people. But I left the battlefield and joined Thor not just to survive. It’s also to lay a solid foundation for our future life. I need time, Yunzhi. Time can accumulate enough capital, economic and social, so that no one, including your family, can underestimate our decision to choose each other.”

This was the first time he had so frankly explained his calm, even somewhat pragmatic, plans to her.

Kim Yoon-ji stared at him blankly, looking at the resilience and ambition in his eyes that had become clearer under the tempering of war and reality, and felt a mix of emotions.

This is no longer the genius boy on campus who is simply focused on academics, but a man who has experienced life and death, knows the cruelty of reality, and is determined to take control of his own destiny.

“Oppa…” She reached out and placed her hand on his hand, which was resting on the table. “I understand. I came here today to tell you in person that no matter how long it takes, I will wait for you. I am no longer that little girl who can only follow the arrangements of her family. I am also working hard in Seoul, learning from my uncle how to manage some of the family affairs… I want to become better and stronger so that I can be worthy of you who is working so hard, and so that I can have the confidence to face all obstacles in the future.”

“Let’s go,” Su Ning stood up, still holding her hand, “I’ll take you to see my current ‘battlefield’.”

Then Su Ning drove Kim Yoon-ji back to Waltham, showing her the magnificent and imposing exterior of Raytheon's campus, pointing to the building where he worked; he took her to his clean but somewhat empty rented apartment, telling her about his future property plans; he even took her to an authentic Korean restaurant, although he himself didn't eat much, just quietly watching her savor the familiar flavors, a faint, rare, relaxed smile on his face.

This night was devoid of sweet words, but rather filled with understanding gazes and pragmatic discussions about the future.

But for Suning and Kim Yoon-ji, this reunion, this gathering across the ocean, has strengthened their beliefs more profoundly than any passionate declaration of love.

They are each striving on two parallel tracks, hoping to one day join hands without any obstacles at some point in the future.

The shadow of war may not have completely dissipated, but new hope has already quietly sprouted amidst the autumn colors along the Charles River.

That night, neither Su Ning nor Jin Yunzhi could sleep, both eagerly demanding more from each other.

"Oppa, will you come to Korea with me?"

"No way! I'm doing great in America and I don't want to be too far from home."

“You’re not Mrs. Gan’s biological son.”

“But I am her adopted son! I have an obligation to take care of her in her old age and see her off when she dies.”

"And what about me? Aren't you willing to do anything for me?"

"We're still young! We have plenty of time in the future."

……

Kim Yoon-ji's brief stay in Waltham was like a bright spot flashing across the Charles River—bright, but ultimately unable to last.

Just a week later, a long-distance call from Seoul came like a death knell.

Even across the Pacific Ocean, Kim's mother's voice on the other end of the phone still disrupted the atmosphere between Su Ning and Kim Yoon-ji.

“Yunzhi! Your father’s cough has gotten worse these past few days… There are some things at the company that require your return. It’s not appropriate for an unmarried woman like you to stay in America for too long…”

"Mom, I understand. I'll book a flight back as soon as possible."

After hanging up the phone, she turned around, her face filled with deep apology and lingering sorrow.

"Oppa, I..."

"No need to say anything, I understand," Su Ning calmly interrupted her.

In fact, he had already foreseen this outcome.

The Queen Mother's opposition never disappeared; it was merely temporarily separated by spatial distance.

Now that Yoonji has personally flown to the United States to meet with him, it has probably crossed the line that her mother can tolerate.

“Your mother’s health is the most important thing; you really should go back.”

The day before they parted, the two did not go anywhere special.

Suning took a day off and stayed in his apartment.

“Oppa, remember to eat on time while I’m not here. Look at the fridge, it’s all fast food and drinks, that’s not good for your health.”

"Ah."

"No matter how busy you are at work, you must make sure you get enough rest. You're spending too much time reading at night."

"it is good."

"Also... please write to me often. Phone calls are too expensive, so let's write letters, okay?"

"I will."

Her instructions were detailed and gentle, filled with deep reluctance.

Su Ning listened quietly and responded to each question.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright. Give me some time."

This promise made Kim Yoon-ji feel more at ease than any sweet words.

She leaned against him and nodded vigorously.

The moment of farewell took place at Boston Logan Airport.

Amidst the bustling crowd, Kim Yoon-ji, wearing the same beige trench coat she had arrived in, had reddened eyes but was trying her best to maintain a smile.

"Call me when you get to Seoul to let me know you're safe."

"Okay. Oppa, you take good care of yourself too."

"I will." There was no passionate kiss, no tearful scene.

Su Ning simply raised her hand and gently tucked a stray strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear.

Then, he watched her pass through security, turning back every few steps, until her figure disappeared around the corner of the passage.

Outside the airport, the autumn wind was blowing, bringing a chill.

Suning sat back in the car alone, where the faint scent of Kim Yoon-ji's perfume still seemed to linger.

He sat in silence for a long time before starting the car and driving away from the airport.

That warm, bright color has left, and life has returned to its original, cold hue.

Back at Raytheon, Suning threw himself into his work.

It seems that only by immersing oneself in technical challenges and a sea of ​​data can one temporarily suppress the emptiness caused by separation and the sense of urgency for the future.

"Gan, take a look at this evaluation of the application of new composite materials in gun barrel heat dissipation. Dr. White takes it very seriously." A colleague from the project team placed a thick stack of documents on his desk.

“Okay.” Su Ning took the document and immediately opened it.

At a meeting of the "Reliability in Harsh Environments" task force, his proposed scheme based on a non-Newtonian fluid dynamics model to simulate the dirt adhesion effect was highly recognized by Dr. White, but it also met with more subtle skepticism from engineer Sandel.

“This model is too complex and computationally intensive, which will severely slow down the project,” Sandel objected at the meeting. “Is it necessary for us to invest so many resources for a theoretically possible increase in reliability of a few percent?”

This time, Suning did not back down.

He pulled up a comparison chart of data from previous tests. "Engineer Sandel, this isn't just theoretically possible. Based on our preliminary simulations and comparative experiments, the improved solution selected using the new model reduced the failure rate from 8.7% to 3.2% in extreme tests simulating a jungle environment. This means that out of every thousand soldiers, perhaps 55 will have an increased chance of survival due to this improvement. I believe such an investment is worthwhile."

Suning uses precise data and a complete logical chain, completely stripping away personal emotions and letting technology and results speak for themselves.

The meeting room fell silent, and even Sandel couldn't find a reason to refute it.

Dr. White nodded approvingly.

After get off work, he was often the last person to leave the lab.

Back in his empty apartment, he would sometimes stand by the window, gazing at the scattered lights of the Raytheon building in the distance—the lights of other people also working overtime.

He would remember Kim Yoon-ji's advice and then simply prepare dinner for himself, although it was still mostly microwaved fast food.

Occasionally, he would receive letters from Kim Yoon-ji in Seoul.

In her letters, she would describe autumn in Seoul, her father's health, the interesting and troublesome things she encountered when she was involved in family affairs, and her words were filled with longing and anticipation for the future.

Suning knew that this separation from Kim Yoon-ji might be forever, since Kim Yoon-ji couldn't wait for him forever.

……

The days passed smoothly amidst busyness and anticipation. Suning's work at Thunderobot gradually got on track, and several improvement plans he spearheaded entered the substantive testing phase.

However, sometimes the turning point in fate comes without warning.

On a typical weekday afternoon, Mr. Martin Frost, the department head, called Suning into his office.

Unlike usual, Mr. Frost's face lacked its usual formulaic smile, replaced by a serious expression that mixed regret with businesslike formality.

Without exchanging pleasantries, he directly pushed a document bearing the military's letterhead in front of Su Ning.

“Mr. Gan, this is a copy of the assessment report that we just received from the Army Personnel Command.” Frost’s tone was flat.

Suning picked up the document, his gaze quickly sweeping over the cold, hard words.

The report's core content is that he showed "atypical hesitation and potential sympathy" towards suspected Vietnamese engineering units during the reconnaissance operation codenamed "Nightingale," and based on this, it is inferred that "there may be risks to his loyalty and reliability when it comes to sensitive defense projects," and it is recommended that "access to core secrets needs to be reassessed."

Su Ning's heart sank.

He immediately realized that this stemmed from his earlier refusal to fire on the engineering corps.

Although his judgment at the time was based on purely tactical considerations and had the de facto tacit approval of Lieutenant Jansen, the platoon leader.

But this incident was clearly documented by some people and used as a weapon to attack him at this time.

“Mr. Frost,” Su Ning put down the documents, his voice still calm, “I have a detailed tactical analysis report on that incident that can explain the situation. It wasn’t out of sympathy, but based on a rational assessment of risks and rewards…”

Frost raised his hand, interrupting him: "Sue, I understand. I personally admire your abilities and believe your explanation. But..."

"Raytheon's partnership with the Department of Defense is a lifeline. We must take any formal assessment by the military seriously, especially when it comes to security clearance. This is not about right or wrong, it's about rules."

"The company's senior management has made a decision. Unfortunately, your position involves core data of the current project, and based on this assessment, we can no longer maintain your security clearance level. Therefore, the company has to terminate its employment relationship with you. This is a final decision, and there is no room for negotiation."

dismiss.

This word struck Suning like a cold bullet.

He escaped the battlefield thanks to Elvis's favor and gained a foothold in Thor through his own efforts. He thought he had found a solid path to the future, but he never expected that a report from the past would easily cut it off.

Suning did not lose its composure or argue.

Faced with such a systemic decision, an individual's rational argument is pale and powerless.

After a few seconds of silence, Su Ning calmly asked, "I understand. What handover procedures do I need to complete?"

Frost seemed somewhat surprised by his calmness, handing him a folder. "The specific procedures and compensation plan are in here. Sue, I'm sorry. You are very capable, and I hope this won't hinder your future development."

As I walked out of the magnificent glass building of Raytheon, carrying a cardboard box containing my personal belongings, the sky over Waltham was somewhat gloomy.

The autumn wind swirls up fallen leaves, carrying a desolate atmosphere.

Suning stood on the street, feeling a familiar, dizzying sense of being out of control of his fate.

It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to plan, there was always an invisible force that could easily bring him back to his original state.

However, this feeling was different from the sense of helplessness I felt when I first returned from Vietnam, when I was stuck in a quagmire.

This time, besides feeling cold and angry, he also felt a sliver of relief.

He subconsciously looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the clouds to see a larger political landscape.

Not long ago, President Richard Nixon took office and explicitly put forward the "Vietnamization" policy, beginning the gradual withdrawal of U.S. ground troops from Vietnam.

The war machine is slowly but surely coming to a halt.

This means that the shortage of manpower will be alleviated, and the military is unlikely to forcibly conscript people with "criminal records" like him for a second term, as it has done before.

"At least... I don't have to go back to that hell anymore," Su Ning murmured to himself. This was perhaps the only consolation in this blow.

Being fired by Raytheon was undoubtedly a major setback in his career, thwarting his plans to build technical expertise and connections. It would also inevitably cause concern for Kim Yoon-ji and his family back in Seoul.

But this is not a dead end.

He lost an important platform, but retained his most basic freedom and no longer had to worry about being swallowed up by the vortex of war again.

He took out the keys and started the car.

Amid the roar of the engine, his eyes sharpened once more.

This path is blocked; he must find a new one.

The MIT degree still stands, and his brief but impressive performance at Raytheon is also a fact. Perhaps Professor Wheeler can still provide some academic resources?
Or, should we shift our focus to civilian technology?

Perhaps he could try starting his own business, after all, Steve Jobs hadn't even started Apple yet.

New uncertainties bring anxiety, but they also open up new possibilities.

He drove his car, merged into the rush hour traffic, and began to calmly plan his next move.

We must find a new foothold as soon as possible, and we must not let our future and Yunzhi's future be derailed because of this setback.

Nixon's withdrawal policy gave him the confidence not to return to the battlefield, but now he needs to fight another battle for survival.

...(End of chapter)