Ever since Song Yin successfully extended the friendly invitation, "Hey, wanna study these weird rocks together?" to Lu Zhe, their research collaboration kicked into high gear, like someone had slammed down the fast-forward button. Every morning, while the first rays of sunlight were still shaking off their drowsiness, the two would already be in the lab, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to put the silent mineral samples through another round of "interrogation."
Lu Zhe threw himself into the collaboration with the enthusiasm of a kid who'd finally gotten the toy he always wanted, brimming with energy every single day. He fully showcased his expertise as a seasoned Ph.D. in mineralogy, effortlessly rattling off mineral names, chemical compositions, and crystal structures. His skill with the complex, precise analytical instruments was dazzlingly proficient. Song Yin found herself secretly admiring his rigorous logic; he could always sift through seemingly chaotic data, like pulling silk from a cocoon, to find crucial clues and propose some truly valuable hypotheses.
Of course, Song Yin wasn't just twiddling her thumbs. On the surface, she kept up the act of a young, eager Ph.D., occasionally asking Lu Zhe questions that, to her, were as simple as "What's one plus one?" This was her cover for a knowledge base light-years ahead of Earth's current tech level. In reality, her brain was humming like a supercomputer on overdrive, constantly analyzing experimental data and sensing the faint, peculiar energy fluctuations the rocks emitted. Her perspective and depth of analysis often hit Lu Zhe's blind spots, leading her to propose ideas that even left him stunned.
"Lu Zhe, look at the energy spectrum graph for this sample," Song Yin said, pointing casually at the computer screen. "The peak isn't very high, but the way the waveform trends… doesn't it look a bit like that blue mineral we analyzed earlier?"
Lu Zhe leaned in, squinting. His brow furrowed for a moment, then cleared in a flash of understanding. "You know, now that you mention it, it does look similar! I was so focused on the peak intensity, I completely missed the similarity in the waveform. Song Yin, your observation skills are incredibly sharp!" he praised, genuinely impressed.
Song Yin gave a small, secret smile inwardly. If my observation skills were only at Earth's level, she thought, these past five hundred years would've been a total waste. Outwardly, however, she demurred, "Oh, it was nothing, really. Just a blind squirrel finding a nut, pure luck."
As their collaboration deepened, so did their unspoken understanding. Often, a simple glance was enough to convey what the other was thinking. When experiments hit a wall, they'd encourage each other, brainstorming ways to find a new breakthrough. The lab frequently echoed with their lively discussions, punctuated by occasional bursts of easy laughter.
"Hey, Lu Zhe," Song Yin mused one day, fiddling with an analyzer, "do you think these rocks we're studying could be, like, treasures left behind by some alien civilization?"
Lu Zhe chuckled, shaking his head. "Your imagination is really something! Alien treasures? They probably zipped off into the depths of space eons ago. Why would they leave their goodies here on Earth?"
Song Yin just shrugged, thinking, Who says they wouldn't? Maybe I'm from one of those alien civilizations! Naturally, she kept that little tidbit to herself.
Beyond the research, Song Yin and Lu Zhe grew closer personally. They'd often work late together, taking breaks for coffee in the lounge, chatting about everyday things. Song Yin discovered that beneath Lu Zhe's somewhat introverted exterior was a genuinely kind, sincere, and responsible person. His passion and dedication to research were infectious. For Lu Zhe, Song Yin's intelligence, meticulous nature, and occasional flashes of quirky charm made working with her an absolute pleasure.
Just as their research was hitting its stride, seemingly on the cusp of a major breakthrough, the uninvited guests from the end of Chapter 3 reappeared, materializing as silently and suddenly as ghosts.
It was late afternoon. Song Yin and Lu Zhe were meticulously analyzing a new batch of mineral samples. The lab was quiet, save for the low hum of machinery and their occasional soft murmurs. Suddenly, the lab door was slammed open from the outside with a deafening BANG!
Startled, both Song Yin and Lu Zhe jerked their heads up towards the noise. Several imposing men in black uniforms and cold expressions poured into the lab like a dark tide. Their sudden presence shattered the lab's tranquility, filling the air with a heavy, unsettling sense of oppression.
The man leading them was the same one from the previous search, his eyes still hidden behind dark sunglasses. Behind him, several similarly dressed subordinates carried professional-looking equipment, their sharp eyes scanning every corner of the lab.
"You again?" Lu Zhe demanded, frowning, his voice laced with anger. He couldn't fathom why these people kept barging into their lab, disrupting their work.
The man in black sneered, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We have orders from superiors to bring you in for further investigation. Now, please cooperate with our work. Don't make any futile resistance."
"Bring us in? On what grounds?" Lu Zhe's voice grew harsher. As a respected scientist, he despised these kinds of vague, unfounded interrogations.
"On what grounds?" The man in black seemed to find this amusing, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips. "On the grounds that you've been secretly researching things you shouldn't be!" His sharp gaze then landed squarely on Song Yin, a predatory glint in his eyes, his tone tinged with pointed interest. "Especially you, Dr. Song. Your background seems a little… unusual, wouldn't you say?"
At those words, Song Yin's heart gave a violent lurch, feeling as if an icy hand had clamped around it. She fought to keep her composure, putting on a look of utter confusion. "I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm just an ordinary researcher. Is there a problem with my background?"
"Ordinary researcher?" The man chuckled softly, his viper-like gaze locked onto Song Yin's eyes, as if trying to bore through to her deepest secrets. "How does an 'ordinary researcher' become so interested in special minerals that even we find challenging? And your analytical skills… they seem to exceed the capabilities of an ordinary Terran, wouldn't you agree?"
Alarm bells screamed in Song Yin's mind. They know. Or at least, they suspect. It was clear they had dug into her background and found… something.
As Song Yin scrambled mentally for a response, the man in black took a step forward, his gaze shifting past her to the lab bench behind Lu Zhe. His eyes instantly sharpened, zeroing in on something important.
"What's that?" he demanded, pointing to an object draped with a black cloth.
Song Yin and Lu Zhe followed his gaze. Beneath the cloth lay the high-precision energy analyzer they had been using, the very instrument they had covered specifically to avoid drawing attention.
Lu Zhe's face paled. He lunged forward to block the man, but two subordinates instantly grabbed him, holding him fast.
The leader smirked triumphantly and ripped the black cloth off the instrument. His eyes widened with even greater excitement as he saw the complex, alien-looking energy waveforms displayed on the screen.
"Aha! Just as I thought!" he exclaimed, his voice vibrating with discovery. "Looks like we came to the right place! This is what you've been studying, isn't it?"
Song Yin's heart plummeted. It's over. That analyzer held all their recent data – the energy frequencies, the fluctuation patterns of the special minerals. If these men got their hands on that data, her secret, and Lu Zhe's unwitting involvement, would be completely exposed.
Just as despair threatened to swallow her whole, an unexpected voice boomed from the lab entrance.
"Stop right there! Who are you people? Who gave you permission to run amok in here?"
Song Yin and Lu Zhe whipped their heads around in surprise. Standing framed in the doorway was a middle-aged man dressed impeccably in a white suit, his hair perfectly combed, sporting a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. His face was flushed with anger. Behind him stood several other men, also in white suits, looking like high-level administrators from the research institution.
Seeing the newcomer, the lead man in black visibly reined in his arrogance. He removed his sunglasses, revealing a somewhat sullen face. "Director Wang," he said, his tone tinged with annoyance, "we are here on official business. We hope you won't interfere."
The man addressed as Director Wang snorted coldly. "Official business? Funny, I wasn't aware of any 'official business' in my institution that requires this kind of… intrusion. You haven't shown any credentials, you've barged into our lab, and now you're trying to take away our researchers? Do you people have any regard for the law?"
The man in black's face turned livid, but he clearly knew he was on shaky legal ground. His tone softened slightly. "Director Wang, we are investigating a matter of national security. We require your understanding and cooperation."
"National security?" Director Wang scoffed. "This is a simple research institution. What kind of national security case could possibly involve us? It looks to me like you're just using that as an excuse to throw your weight around!"
As the two factions faced off, Director Wang suddenly turned his attention to Song Yin and Lu Zhe, his expression softening with concern. "Dr. Song, Dr. Lu, are you two alright?"
Song Yin shook her head, signaling she was unharmed. Lu Zhe shot Director Wang a look brimming with gratitude.
Seeing they were okay, Director Wang turned back to the man in black, his voice firm and unyielding. "Regardless of who you are, you are not taking them anywhere today! Not unless you can produce a legal search warrant and arrest warrants!"
The man in black's expression flickered through several emotions before he finally conceded. He gave a curt wave, signaling his men to release Song Yin and Lu Zhe. His voice was ice-cold as he said, "Fine. We'll leave it at this… for today. But you'd better remember, we will be back." With that, he and his team retreated like an ebbing tide, leaving behind a disheveled lab and a bewildered Song Yin and Lu Zhe.
Director Wang walked over to them, a look of apology on his face. "Dr. Song, Dr. Lu, I'm truly sorry about that. It must have been frightening. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Thank you, Director Wang. We're fine," Song Yin said gratefully.
"Thank you, Director," Lu Zhe echoed quickly. "If you hadn't arrived when you did, I don't know what would have..."
Director Wang waved a dismissive hand. "No need for thanks. You are both valuable researchers here. It's our responsibility to ensure your safety. However," he paused, his gaze sharpening with curiosity and confusion, "what was all that about 'special ores' they mentioned? What exactly is going on here?"
Song Yin and Lu Zhe exchanged a look. They both knew this was far from over. The appearance of the men in black had cast a dark shadow over their research. And while Director Wang's intervention had saved them for now, it also highlighted a worrying fact: their work with these strange rocks had attracted the attention of some powerful, mysterious forces. What could they possibly do next? The question hung over them like a storm cloud, filling them with an unprecedented sense of confusion and unease. And deep within Song Yin, an extra layer of heavy worry settled – her time was running out. She had to find the 'element' to save her home world, but now, her mission felt infinitely more difficult, and dangerously exposed.