I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 689, Chapter 688: "I've said it before, I've read a lot of books."

Ah?
You, a science and engineering guy, have become so romantic!
Qian Xiaoli was slightly surprised.

Jie Lidong looked at the sky, put his hands in his pockets, and continued, "My hometown is in the countryside of Northwest China. We lived in cave dwellings, where there is an endless Loess Plateau. When I was a child, I often sat alone on the hillside on top of the cave dwelling, looking at the stars in the sky. The stars were much brighter back then than they are now."

"I've loved looking at stars and astronomy since I was little. I originally wanted to apply to the Department of Astrophysics at Peking University, but my homeroom teacher persuaded me to apply for Computer Science and Technology instead."

"Is it because computer science graduates have good job prospects?" Qian Xiaoli asked, looking at him.

"Yes, you can make money. He said that as a child from a rural family, your family will not only not provide you with any resources, but will also be a burden to you in a sense. So you should first consider survival and then consider your hobbies."

"After much consideration, I finally followed my homeroom teacher's advice and filled in computer technology as my first choice. I remember that the night before I submitted my application, I sat on the roof of my cave dwelling and looked at the stars all night."

"After entering university, astronomy remained my hobby. I joined the university's astronomy club and often went to the Purple Mountain Observatory to observe the stars."

Later, my understanding of stars shifted from astronomy and physics to literature and philosophy. I particularly loved Cao Cao's lines, "The sun and moon's movements seem to originate from within it; the Milky Way's brilliance seems to emanate from within it."

"There is also the quote from the German philosopher Kant, which comes from the conclusion of his Critique of Practical Reason: 'Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and the more steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.'"

"I never expected you to be so romantic after reading so many books," Qian Xiaoli said softly.

"Miss, I spent four years on my undergraduate degree, three years on my master's degree, and another four years on my doctorate. Add to that my primary, middle, and high school education, and I've been in school for 23 years. How could I not have studied?!"

Jie Lidong's tone was somewhat helpless: "You think all I can do is write code and type on a keyboard?"

"This..." Qian Xiaoli didn't know what to say.

"So when I'm in a bad mood, I like to look up at the stars, whether it's a sky full of stars like today or a sky with only a few stars. I like to look at the astronomical definition of a star and think about the story behind it, and it makes me feel better," Xie Lidong said calmly.

"Really? What star is that?" Qian Xiaoli looked up at the sky and pointed to a bright star.

"As I just mentioned, that's Sirius, scientifically known as Alpha Canis Majoris, 8.6 light-years from the solar system. In Egypt, it's called 'Sothis,' a harbinger of the Nile's flooding. In ancient China, it was called 'Jing Su,' symbolizing invasion. The Records of the Grand Historian states: 'To its east is a large star called Wolf.' Su Shi's poem 'Jiang Cheng Zi: Hunting in Mizhou' mentions 'Drawing the bow like a full moon, gazing northwest, shooting Sirius,' which alludes to the Western Xia Dynasty."

"Where is that star?" Qian Xiaoli pointed to a very lonely star in the southern sky.

That's called Fomalhaut, scientifically known as Alpha Piscis Austrinus, about 25 light-years from the solar system. Because there are no stars around it, it's called the "Lonely Autumn Star" of the southern sky. In the Persian calendar, it's called "Hastorang," symbolizing the beginning of the rainy season. In ancient China, it belonged to the "Fomalhaut" constellation and was a symbol of the ancient "military gate." Together with the 45 stars of the "Imperial Guard," it formed a border defense system, corresponding to the Xuanwu Gate of Chang'an in the Han Dynasty. In the American science fiction film "Star Trek," it is depicted as a neighboring star of Vulcan.

"That's Vega, the brightest star in Lyra. Qin Guan's poem 'The Magpie Bridge Fairy' describes it: 'The clouds weave patterns, the stars convey sorrow, the Milky Way stretches far and wide. A single meeting in the golden autumn breeze and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world.'"

The two gazed at the stars for a while. Around 10 p.m., the night grew cool, and Jie Lidong urged Qian Xiaoli to go back to her room to rest so she wouldn't catch a cold.

The next afternoon, Qian Xiaoli, who was bored in the hotel, asked Jie Lidong to play checkers with her in the room. Later, she received a call from the police station, saying that after they filed a case and investigated, the Global Shopping E-commerce Company did indeed engage in fraudulent activities. As the legal representative of the company, the criminal suspect Lü Yang had been criminally detained, and now she was asked to go to the police station for further testimony.

Qian Xiaoli naturally dared not neglect the task. She and Xie Lidong drove to the police station, and when they saw the dejected Lü Yang, their mood, which had just improved, immediately soured again.

I wanted to slap this guy a few times!

Seeing that Qian Xiaoli was about to lose control, Jie Lidong quickly pulled her back, signaling her to calm down.

After another round of questioning, filling out forms, and everything was completed, the police officer in charge of the case told him that they would do their best to help recover the 1000 million yuan that had been defrauded and minimize the losses, and told them to go home and wait for news.

Qian Xiaoli walked out of the police station into the bright sunshine. She got into the Mercedes without a word and sat in the passenger seat.

Jie Lidong consciously sat in the driver's seat, started the car, and asked Qian Xiaoli, "Shall we go back to the hotel?"

Qian Xiaoli didn't speak, she just nodded. Jie Lidong started the car and drove towards the hotel.

On the way, seeing Qian Xiaoli like this, Jie Lidong comforted her, "Don't be sad. Life isn't as good as you imagine, but it's not as bad as you imagine either. Take this matter for example, even if 1000 million is lost, isn't it still a loss of 7000 million less? It's something to be thankful for."

“But he deceived my feelings!” Qian Xiaoli couldn’t help but say.

"Didn't you already see through his true colors and cut your losses in time?" Jie Lidong said as he drove.

"But I'm still so sad, I feel like a fool," Qian Xiaoli said quietly.

“It’s normal to be sad, because you gave him your heart, but he gave you falsehood in return—your pain just proves that you are a very sincere person.” Xie Lidong looked at the road ahead and said slowly.

"Sigh, my dad reminded me, why didn't I notice it sooner?" Qian Xiaoli was still blaming herself.

"Even bank money detectors are updated to deal with counterfeit money, let alone people? Scammers are best at packaging counterfeit goods as limited editions."

Hearing this, Qian Xiaoli couldn't help but chuckle. "You really know how to talk."

"I've said it before, I've read a lot of books."

"Alright, Dr. Qian, we'll do as you say. Since we've cut our losses, we don't want to go there." Qian Xiaoli seemed to be in a better mood: "Let's pack our bags and go back to Shanghai!"

More than two hours later, after returning to downtown Shanghai, Jie Lidong, following Qian Xiaoli's instructions, drove to the Yu Cuiyuan residential area in Pudong New Area and said that President Bai's home was there, and she would stay there that night.

The car stopped at the gate of the villa area. Jie Lidong and Qian Xiaoli said, "You drive in. I'm not going. I'm going home."

"Are your family waiting for you?" Qian Xiaoli asked tentatively.

“I’m single now, and I’m the only one living in Shanghai. I’m all alone, so I don’t have to worry about anyone else,” Xie Lidong said with a smile.

"Do you live far away? I'll take you there," Qian Xiaoli said hurriedly.

"It's not far, just two streets away. It's a house the company gave me. Don't bother yourself, go back and get some rest, goodbye!"

"Okay then, bye-bye!"

Seeing Jie Lidong get out of the car, Qian Xiaoli suddenly mustered up her courage and said, "Wait."

Jie Lidong turned around and looked at him.

Can I add you on WeChat?

Jie Lidong smiled and said, "Okay." He then took out his phone.

(End of this chapter)