Chapter 204: The Scientific Community Is Shaken
After that moonlit conversation, Wang Haoran no longer approached Ji Shuiyao for private chats during the return trip.
Instead, he redirected all his attention toward scientific papers.
In just the next two days, Wang Haoran published nine new biochemistry-related research papers on Global Discoveries.
One after another, all nine papers made the front page.
On the other side, Lin Chen wasn’t falling behind at all.
Ji Shuiyao and her colleagues kept a close eye on every new entry appearing on Global Discoveries.
And in a matter of two days, both “Lin Xiaobao” and “Wei Xiaobao” dropped ten earth-shattering scientific papers respectively.
These ten papers instantly catapulted them to legendary status in their respective fields.
The entire scientific community was shaken to its core.
Research institutions around the globe were scrambling to track down the identities of the authors behind these groundbreaking papers, all hoping to invite them for academic lectures. Ji Shuiyao’s institute was no exception.
However, their institute wasn’t among the top-tier, and the lecture fees they offered weren’t exactly impressive either.
So Ji Shuiyao didn’t have high expectations.
Instead, she threw herself fully into her research on megalodon blood samples.
But then, just a day later—on the day of Qixi Festival, the Flame Nation’s version of Valentine’s Day—a new front-page article appeared on Global Discoveries, authored by none other than “Lin Xiaobao”.
But this wasn’t a scientific paper.
It was a confession—a heartfelt message about why he was able to achieve what he did.
It wasn’t some academic reflection—it was practically a love letter.
And the person it was dedicated to?
The youngest female scientist in the world—Ji Shuiyao.
An open love confession on the most authoritative scientific platform on the planet? The entire scientific community did a collective double take.
At first, everyone thought the site had been hacked.
But very soon, Global Discoveries posted an official announcement, confirming that it was not a mistake.
The confession was indeed written by “Lin Xiaobao”.
And given his astonishing academic contributions recently—his reputation was soaring, with many scientists recognizing him as a top-tier expert in marine biology—the platform had agreed to break their own rules for him.
And the confession?
Absolutely theatrical.
To summarize:
A fan fell in love with his idol, and because of that, worked day and night to reach her level… only to accidentally surpass her in her own field. But the fan never actually liked marine biology.
All the scientific honors and recognition meant nothing to him. His one true wish was to marry his idol. If that wish can’t be fulfilled, then he may never find the heart to continue researching marine biology.
The post detonated like a nuclear bomb in the scientific community.
All eyes instantly turned to Ji Shuiyao.
What would she say?
Back at her research institute, her colleagues were buzzing with excitement.
“Vice Director Ji, who the hell is this ‘Lin Xiaobao’?” someone asked curiously.
“I’d like to know too…” Ji Shuiyao murmured, visibly dazed.
She was still reeling.
Those papers published by Lin Xiaobao and Wei Xiaobao had already turned her into a complete fangirl.
She had placed Lin Xiaobao on a pedestal, determined to one day catch up to him.
But now, reading this confession?
Her idol… turned out to be her fan?
The reversal was dizzying.
And more than that—her idol was in love with her.
It wasn’t like she hadn’t been confessed to before. In the past, she always responded with cold indifference and flat-out rejections.
She only wanted to focus on science. But this time… her heart was a mess.
“Vice Director Ji, are you gonna say yes and become his wife or what?” someone teased.
Ji Shuiyao wanted to say: I’d like to meet him first, see what kind of person he is, how old he is… then maybe I’d consider it.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say that.
So she stiffly replied, “I just want to focus on research. I don’t want to be distracted by anything else.”
“But he literally said that if he can’t marry you, he’ll quit marine biology altogether. For the sake of science, Vice Director, you should sacrifice yourself a little!” someone laughed.
“Exactly! If you don’t say yes, you’ll be the villain of the whole scientific community!”
“Come on, just reach out to Global Discoveries and publish a response before he gives up and disappears!”
Everyone was laughing and chattering non-stop.
“Enough! Get back to work!” Ji Shuiyao snapped, her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.
Only then did the crowd finally disperse and return to their tasks.
Ji Shuiyao tried to calm her fluttering heart and focus on her work…
But just then, her phone rang.
It was Lin Chen.
“Sixth Sis, I saw the news online. So someone confessed to you, huh? What do you think? Gonna be Lin Xiaobao’s wife?” Lin Chen asked playfully.
“Don’t start with that nonsense,” Ji Shuiyao said, trying to sound stern.
“How is that nonsense? If I’m about to gain a new brother-in-law, I deserve to know, right?” Lin Chen grinned, trying to fish out her real thoughts.
“You’re overthinking it. I’m not planning to get married,” Ji Shuiyao replied, but then—almost like something possessed her—she added, “At least not before I’m thirty.”
Lin Chen’s eyes lit up.
In the past, his Sixth Sister had always declared she would never get married.
Now she was putting a time limit on it? Which is a major shift.
Clearly, she’d been moved, and there was hope. He just had to keep dazzling her in the world of science.
And her heart… would be his.
After ending the call, Lin Chen sat down at his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard.
He was preparing to write a new scientific paper, one that would be even more impressive than anything before.
Eight hours later, it was done.
This wasn’t like his earlier papers, that only took an hour or two. This time, he poured everything into it.
And once it was published on Global Discoveries, it would undoubtedly create an unprecedented uproar.