Did the world end today?

Chapter 34 Alarm
"I can't tell you. I can't tell you."

Xu Jin muttered to himself, then suddenly stood up abruptly and roared:

I can't tell you!

"Shut up! Don't ask me anymore!"

His muscles were tense, his fingers were clenched tightly, his knuckles were twisted and protruding, and he pounded his head repeatedly.

Lin Xu was startled. He instinctively wanted to grab Xu Jin, but didn't know how.

He had previously seen videos of autistic patients going crazy online, and even through the screen, he could feel their helplessness and despair.

He originally thought that Xu Jin's Asperger's syndrome was different from those with low-functioning autism.

But now it seems that in terms of "social impairment" and "stereotyped behaviors," autism will always be autism!
Xu Jin's head was being pounded repeatedly. Lin Xu rushed over, held him down, and shouted:

"calm down!"

"If you want to go to Mars, you have to tell me why!"

"It's okay, it's okay!"

"speak out!"

"I won't tell anyone!"

"Come closer to me and whisper what's on your mind!"

"Relax!"

Lin Xu did not compromise.

He held Xu Jin tightly, ignoring the other's struggles.

Xu Jin struggled more and more violently, attracting the attention of other customers in the coffee shop.

Someone was walking towards them, and Lin Xu quickly raised his hand and said:

"do not come!"

"He has autism, but he'll be fine soon!"

The man obediently retreated, his eyes filled with pity.

After a stalemate of at least 5 minutes, Xu Jin finally ran out of strength.

He collapsed, panting heavily, as if he had regained his senses.

"I'm all better now, I'm all better now."

Lin Xu was drenched in sweat, and his arm was also strained.

Fortunately, high-functioning autism, such as Asperger's, is somewhat different from low-functioning autism.

Their emotions remain uncontrollable, but when reason prevails, it can also override emotions.

Lin Xu sat back on the sofa, panting heavily. The sudden incident had left him still shaken.

"You don't need to be so nervous."

Lin Xu began to speak:
"I just want to know why. If you really don't want to tell me, then forget it."

"Zhurong"

Xu Jin grabbed his hair.

"I'm going to bring the Zhurong back."

"Bring the Zhurong back?!"

Lin Xu was stunned.

"Why??"

"Do you want to bring back the Zhu Rong ship, or do you want to bring back what the Zhu Rong ship discovered?"

"Bring the Zhurong ship back! Bring the Zhurong ship back!"

Xu Jin kept repeating this sentence, and no matter how Lin Xu asked him, he refused to speak again.

Lin Xu frowned deeply.

"Is it related to your father?"

"Is it because of your father that you want to bring the Zhurong ship back?"

"Yes or no"

Xu Jin seemed to have fallen into some kind of confusion, and Lin Xu dared not provoke him further, so he could only comfort him:
"OK OK."

"That's enough for now, let's not talk about this anymore."

"Take a look at the documents. Here, take a look at the documents in these two documents."

"I have a lot of questions to discuss with you. Could you please take a look?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Jin's expression suddenly turned calm.

He picked up the documents and began to speak:
"These two documents are incomplete; I need a lot of equipment to test them."

"Temperature control is a major issue in liquid molding; we need more precise temperature control equipment."

"Right, we should use fully automated production."

Xu Jin was instantly captivated.

Lin Xu breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, I still have a way to control him.

However, the cooperation that follows will likely not be so smooth sailing.

But that's okay. As long as I hold the largest share of the patents, at least with Sky Dome Technology, I can get started smoothly.
Two hours later.

Lin Xu finally finished talking to Xu Jin about everything that needed to be discussed, and the latter's emotions had stabilized.

After reminding Xu Jin again not to mention the meeting to anyone or disclose any information about the materials in advance, otherwise he might be held legally responsible, Lin Xu drove Xu Jin back to the campus of Jinling University.

Seeing Xu Jin walking towards the teaching building with slightly unsteady steps, Lin Xu finally felt relieved.

My own jinx is truly something else.

Dealing with such a genius is exhausting.

Perhaps I should consult a professional doctor later to see how to communicate with Xu Jin in a more efficient way.

Otherwise, if he pulls this stunt every time we meet and every time I ask him an unexpected question, then I really can't do my job.

However, this conversation was still fruitful.

Not only were the contract and patent rights issues settled, but I also obtained a crucial piece of information.

Xu Jin's trip to Mars is confirmed to be related to the Zhurong spacecraft, and perhaps also to his father.

He has a peculiar obsession with that Mars probe, and to understand his motives, one would probably need to further understand the design details of the "Zhurong" probe.

Go back and look up the information.

Lin Xu turned and got into the car that had come to pick him up, but he didn't notice that Xu Jin's figure in front of him didn't go into the teaching building.
A few hours later. Zhongshan, Jinling Cadre Sanatorium.

Xu Jin walked down the long corridor of the sanatorium. The windows on both sides, which were covered by curtains, shone with alternating light and shadow, casting his shadow vaguely onto the Roman-style columns.

He walked 241 steps and stopped in front of a door with a red "福" (good fortune) character pasted on it.

Xu Jin's movements became somewhat distorted. He nervously twisted his neck, moved his wrists, opened and closed his fingers, and then reached out to grab his hair.

These actions revealed his inner anxiety. After hesitating for a long time, he finally pushed open the door, which was not completely closed.

Inside the room, a nurse dressed in plain-colored work clothes sat on one side of the hospital bed, carefully lifting the patient's thin arm and gently massaging the loose muscles and skin on his back to prevent bedsores caused by prolonged bed rest.

Seeing Xu Jin walk in, the nurse nodded slightly to him, then said in a low voice:

"Teacher Xu is in very good condition today, and all her physiological indicators have stabilized."

"He had just fallen asleep when I..."

"I'm still awake."

The person in the hospital bed suddenly opened his eyes, and when he saw Xu Jin, a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes.

"coming?"

"How was school today?"

“Very good, Dad.”

Xu Jin lowered his head slightly and sat down next to Xu Qianlin.

"I did radio calisthenics and also read a book."

"I have received an offer of employment from the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, and I will be starting work there soon."

"And I also plan to do something else; I've made progress on the two materials I was researching before."

"Dad, I will help the country build rockets."

"Then we can go to Mars, and I'll bring the Zhurong spacecraft back."

"Don't think so much."

Xu Qianlin raised his hand to interrupt Xu Jin.

"It's enough that we can launch it; whether we can bring it back or not is not important."

"Dad is getting old, and his health is failing."

"Dad stopped thinking about these things a long time ago. Just forget what Dad told you before."

"Live your own life well, study hard, and work hard."

"If you have the opportunity, remember to serve your country."

"do you understand?"

"clear."

Xu Jin nodded emphatically.

Xu Qianlin took a breath and continued:

"The Zhurong is not that important, and the things it encountered may not be as meaningful as we thought."

"The universe is so vast that there is still so much we don't know."

"Perhaps its encounter was just a chance, random fluctuation."

"It's like when you were a child, you didn't know why wheels turn or why the wind blows, but as you grow up, you gradually understand."

Time will tell.

"Don't force it, understand?"

".clear."

Xu Jin nodded at first, but then suddenly spoke again:

“But I want to try, Dad.”

"Yes, of course."

Xu Qianlin patted Xu Jin's head.

"But you need to take care of your health and be discerning so you don't get scammed."

"Okay, Dad needs to rest for a while longer."

"Your mother is cooking in the kitchen, go help her."

"Okay, Dad."

Xu Jin stood up and "obediently" walked out the door.

After the ward door closed, Xu Qianlin's expression changed.

He beckoned to the nurses, then said:

"Investigate this child."

"He's acting a bit strange today."

"Check if he has met with anyone or come into contact with any illegal information."

"Help me make a request to the organization."

"The level of security for Xu Jin should be appropriately raised, and this should be done as soon as possible."

"As long as I still have the ability, I can manage him myself."

"Now that he has no ability, he has to rely on the state to protect him."

"clear."

The nurse nodded.

"What do you think might be the problem? I'll report it so we can quickly pinpoint the issue and vulnerability."

"I do not know."

Xu Qianlin shook his head.

"This child keeps bringing up the materials, so it seems there's been some progress."

“But I know my son. No matter how smart he is, he can’t progress that fast.”

"It's possible that his research on those two materials attracted the attention of some people, who then conveyed some kind of message to him."

"Perhaps those people want to take advantage of this child. However, anyone who comes to us at this time is most likely a scammer."

"You should go and take a look."

"If it really is a scam..."

"Arrest them immediately as a warning to others!"

(End of this chapter)