Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"This is my number, save it." Xiao Yao handed over the phone.

After Xiao Guan noted down the number, Xiao Yao drove Su Man to Xingyu Huafu, wanting to see just how sharp Han Chunming's judgment really was this time.

As the car slowly drove into the villa area, a verdant scene greeted us: the winding paths were lined with well-arranged landscape trees, a pool of clear water stretched out quietly in the distance, several elderly people sat quietly with fishing rods, and children chased bubbles and rolled hoops on the lawn.

After passing through several rows of buildings, the last row had only two villas standing alone, with an open space in between, about the size of a standard football field.

Xiao Yao took out his key and opened the door. Su Man followed him through the gate and the view opened up before her: the entire courtyard was paved with old Chinese bricks, with carved moon gates, antique stone lanterns, and vine-covered pergola, exuding a warm and ancient charm. But when she looked up, the main building had a clean-lined European-style dome and arched windows, a mix of Chinese and Western styles that was not at all out of place.

After strolling through the courtyard, the swimming pool was crystal clear, the children's wading area was covered with soft rubber, and it was fully equipped with slides, a sandpit, and a sunshade. Han Chunming had really thought of everything.

Stepping inside, the scene was even more stunning: crystal chandeliers cast golden light, walnut wainscoting gleamed warmly, a large oil painting hung above the fireplace, and the sofas and carpets were custom-made in the style of a 19th-century English court. Xiao Yao led Su Man down the stairs—the "surprise" Han Chunming had mentioned was on the basement level.

Sure enough, the entire wall was made of dark solid wood display shelves, with porcelain, jade and bronze artifacts quietly displayed; next to it, a whole wall of wine cabinets, Fenjiu and Moutai were neatly stacked, with several rows of Bordeaux and Burgundy bottles, their surfaces gleaming with the patina of time.

After the two sat down in the living room, Xiao Yao picked up her teacup and said, "How about we move here in the future? I think it's much quieter than the Chinese Language Community, and the artificial lake is perfect for Dad's fishing addiction."

Mr. Su loves fishing, but he has been too busy taking care of his children these past few years; this place, however, has clean air, wide trails, and a close view of the lake, making it perfect for retirement, taking care of grandchildren, and finding peace of mind.

"But it's a bit far from Lin Yu's kindergarten, and it might be troublesome to pick her up and drop her off," Su Man said softly.

"Both Mom and Dad can drive," Xiao Yao smiled. "If we add a seven-seater minivan, the problem will be solved, right?"

"Having too many houses is also a burden," Su Man sighed.

"Just rent it out," Xiao Yao said casually. "Isn't collecting rent better?"

Su Man had no choice but to nod.

That afternoon, she picked up the three children. First, she let Lanlan and Hanhan choose their rooms—the children's room was sunny, with hand-painted starry skies on the walls, low bookshelves with rounded corners, and even the toilet seat had cartoon handrails.

Xiao Zhiyuan paced around the villa a few times, nodding frequently: the study was bright and airy by the window, the meditation area was quiet and secluded, the children's area was safe and secure, and the balcony was where he could grow the jasmine and calamus he had been longing for.

The next morning, Han Chunming, Xiao Yao, and Guan Xiaoguan appeared together at the Jinghua Royal Banquet Palace. The hall was already lined up neatly, with all the management personnel standing solemnly waiting.

Han Chunming and Xiao Yao stood side by side, and everyone greeted them in unison: "Hello, Chairman Han! Hello, Chairman Xiao!"

Han Chunming raised his hand to indicate and introduced in a loud voice: "This is the new general manager, Guan Xiaoguan. From now on, all operational matters will be managed by Manager Guan."

After making the arrangements, Xiao Yao got up to say goodbye and took a private car straight to the University of Science and Technology. Led by security guards, he walked through the Ginkgo Avenue and arrived at the president's office.

"Comrade Xiao Yao, I've long admired your name! I heard you were coming to report for duty, and I've been waiting in the office almost every day for you to show up." Principal Wang took the letter of introduction from Xiao Yao, his eyes scanning the official seal at the bottom, his tone warm and confident.

The personnel file has already been officially transferred to the University of Science and Technology.

"Hello Principal Wang, I hope you will continue to guide and support me in the future."

Xiao Yao smiled gently and extended his hand.

"I'm entrusting the newly established Physics Frontiers class to you from now on—school starts in a few days, so if you need anything, just let me know, don't be shy."

Principal Wang stood with his hands behind his back, smiling naturally and comfortably.

Xiao Yao knew this was just polite talk, so he simply nodded and didn't take it seriously.

"If there are any oversights in my teaching in the future, I hope Principal Wang will not hesitate to give me pointers."

After exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Yao followed the principal's assistant to the personnel department to complete the onboarding process: registering information, receiving a work permit, and entering the license plate number—the process was efficient and completed in one go.

The professional title system for university teachers is divided into four levels: teaching assistant, lecturer, associate professor, and professor.

Teaching assistants primarily support teaching and serve as an introductory step;

Lecturers must be able to independently teach one or more courses and stand firmly on the podium;

Associate professors not only need to teach courses, but also need to be well-versed in the development of their discipline, lead research projects, and transform the latest findings into classroom content, often by offering new courses in the form of thematic seminars;

Professors are the backbone of academia, undertaking the core teaching and research tasks of the university, and are the true leaders of their disciplines.

Xiao Yao specializes in physics research, is qualified to be a professor, and occasionally teaches undergraduate basic physics courses.

A few days later, he walked into the classroom for the first time and was greeted by a group of freshmen who had just shed their immaturity and whose eyes still held a sense of curiosity and optimism.

The students also looked at the young professor, who was only a few years older than them, with a sense of novelty and surprise.

"Hello students, I'm Xiao Yao, and I'll be in charge of your physics course from now on. I'll be leading you through some basic experiments and answering any 'why' questions you have about physics."

Before he could finish speaking, a girl raised her hand and stood up: "Teacher, if I study physics, is it really possible to find a good job after graduation?"

Xiao Yao stopped turning the page and slowly scanned the class—this question was weighty, and it was also the most pressing concern at the moment. Nowadays, universities no longer guarantee job placement, and physics spans both theory and application, so it's perfectly normal for students to have doubts.

"Your career path depends on how you choose your courses and how deeply you specialize," he answered simply.

"Teacher, could you elaborate?" the girl pressed.

"Physics can be roughly divided into three categories based on energy scale: high energy, medium energy, and low energy."

He walked to the blackboard and casually drew a horizontal axis. "High-energy physics, such as the early stages of the Big Bang—that was the peak of energy density in the entire universe, so cosmology is included; particle collisions and string theory are also included. Why? Because the smaller the scale, the more definite the location, the more 'crazy' the speed, and the energy naturally soars. But this kind of research often costs billions of dollars to conduct experiments, relies on giant accelerators and underground laboratories, and has a long turnaround time and extremely high barriers to entry. If you are truly passionate about it, of course it is worth pursuing; even if you don't end up in your desired job, a solid foundation in mathematics can lead you into financial modeling, algorithm design, or even artificial intelligence—physical thinking never has just one path."

"Low-energy physics? It's the world that's close to absolute zero. Thermal noise is minimized, and quantum effects are most clearly revealed—Bose-Einstein condensation, superconductivity, topological materials... all of these have taken root here. Experiments are difficult, but compared to high-energy physics, the investment is much more controllable. More importantly, semiconductors, chips, quantum computing, and precision sensors all have its shadow behind them. Companies are scrambling to get into this field, universities can retain them, and there's fertile ground for entrepreneurship."

"As for China Energy Physics, it's neither too hot nor too cold, but it's the most down-to-earth: nuclear physics, plasma, laser optics... things like controlled nuclear fusion, inertial confinement, and the development of new light sources are all real engineering projects. There are many positions and clear career paths, including research institutes as well as leading companies in the energy, aerospace, and optoelectronic sectors."

After he finished speaking, the classroom was quiet for a few seconds, and then someone quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

……

Han Meimei suddenly stood up: "According to you, shouldn't we all dive into low-energy physics to be on the safe side?"

Xiao Yao laughed: "Classmate, you misunderstood—I talked about 'possibility,' not 'standard answer.' What truly determines how far you go is what makes your eyes light up when you think about it. Interest is like an internal combustion engine, not a navigator; it doesn't guarantee where the destination is, but it allows you to run longer and harder than others. Once you've honed your skills and made something of yourself in a certain direction, opportunities will naturally follow you. If you're choosing a major solely to find a job, then when filling out your high school college applications, you should have aimed for vocational schools or specialized training programs—instead of scrambling into university and then frantically asking 'What else can I do?' right before graduation."

The lesson, without explaining formulas or deriving theorems, cleared away most of the fog surrounding the profession. The bell rang, Xiao Yao closed her lesson plan, and turned to leave the classroom.

On my way back to the office, I happened to run into Principal Wang.

"Professor Xiao, how was your first class? Did it go smoothly?"

Principal Wang's smile remained, and his tone was sincere.

"There's not much difference between me and a graduate student with a lab," Xiao Yao answered casually.

"That's good! I have another meeting, so I'll head out now."

Principal Wang smiled and nodded, then turned and left. Xiao Yao also returned to his office, locked his lesson plans, picked up another stack of lab manuals, and headed straight for the school's public lab—where a group of senior students were waiting for him to teach their lab classes.

Days passed by peacefully and steadily until Xiao Yu's fourteenth birthday, when Xiao Yao received an invitation from Ji Fengnan's laboratory to participate in a secret-level low-temperature high-field experiment.

Xiao Yu's earliest memory of his father dates back to when he was two years old. At that time, his mother would always whisper under the lamp, repeatedly talking about the brilliance and weight behind that name.

As he grew older, his mother stopped bringing up those old stories; if he pressed her for details, she would just wave her hand, saying she was afraid he would speak recklessly and cause trouble if word got out.

Xiao Yu has had an exceptionally good memory since he was a child. Everything before he was three years old seems to be engraved in his mind. He remembers clearly the people he has met and the things he has experienced. He can even remember the folds in the corners of clothes and the pauses in his voice.

Because of his consistently outstanding academic performance, he passed the college entrance examination at the age of fifteen and was admitted to university through special admission.

Today, all of Xiao Yao's hard work back then—from chip architecture to quantum algorithm prototypes—has been declassified and made public, earning him the title of "a scientific genius of the century" from the media. His father has also set off again, returning to that old laboratory deep in the Gobi Desert in the northwest, to work on a national project codenamed "Stardust".