Chapter 5: Eight Years of Marriage, Worth Eighty Thousand

"Then why are you doing all this?"

I answered calmly.

"To get back what should have been mine."

"Don't worry. Whatever the military court awards me, that's what I'll take. Not one yuan more."

His breathing grew heavy.

Just as I was about to hang up, he suddenly sighed.

"Shen Zhihui, I'm begging you. Can you stop making this into a scandal?"

I hadn't expected him to back down so quickly.

But it didn't matter.

It wouldn't change my decision.

This time, I didn't hesitate.

I hung up and blocked his number.

Then I went on sending confirmation of my decision to transfer to the political commissar at the Headquarters Equipment Research Institute.

Zhou Hui practically pounded my shoulder sore.

"Ms. Shen, that's the Headquarters Equipment Research Institute! Han Yansen's direct superior unit!"

"Without your research and development work, how could his team ever have attracted so much attention from above?"

"And now you're taking me to work there too?"

"You're incredible! My very own powerhouse heroine!"

I brushed her hand away.

"Enough. There are better comeuppances ahead."

"Come on. I've arranged to meet Staff Officer He from Aviation Equipment. I hope this introductory gift satisfies headquarters."

This time, I met him in the military guesthouse's tearoom.

The day before, I'd sent him a new set of equipment drawings through his military secretary.

Zhou Hui and I arrived half an hour early.

While we waited, she asked anxiously,

"Do you think he has a bad impression of us because of last time?"

I nodded.

Her voice rose at once.

"And you still came?"

I lowered my voice.

"We can try. If it fails, so be it. If it works, we'll move another step up."

"Besides, he agreed to come. That means there's still hope."

Staff Officer He arrived just as I finished speaking.

This time, only his military secretary accompanied him.

The negotiations went more smoothly than I'd expected.

Of course, compared with the last time I'd negotiated on behalf of my old institute, I conceded a further share of the technical rights.

Scientific research was scientific research. It still needed incentives.

As someone responsible for several defense manufacturers, he cared most about practical results.

We had to offer something of real value.

Before leaving, he asked me,

"Anyone else wouldn't have had a second chance to negotiate with me. Aren't you curious why I came today?"

I was very curious, actually.

But I cared about results and didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble.

Since he'd raised it himself, though, I would wait for his explanation.

Then respond as the situation required.

He laughed.

"You needn't be so afraid of me."

"First, naturally, I agreed because you made concessions. And the Headquarters Equipment Research Institute was already on our list of potential partners."

He smiled at me.

"Second, I owe you a meal."

I looked up sharply.

For the first time, I really studied his face.

His expression turned reflective.

"I'd just graduated from the military academy and been sent to a grassroots unit for experience. My family was struggling, so to save money, I ate only one meal a day."

"After an exercise that day, I was so hungry my blood sugar dropped. I had to sit by the roadside. You and your boyfriend came past and gave me the self-heating field ration you were carrying."

"That same day, I got a notice inviting me to a second interview at the agency."

"So I've always remembered you."

"Right up until you came to discuss our collaboration."

"I still made you go through plenty of procedures. But in fact, as long as your background check was clear, you could have succeeded from the beginning."

I searched my memory before finally recalling it.

Han Yansen and I had been conducting tests at grassroots units then. We hadn't had much money either.

We'd often made do with instant noodles and self-heating meals.

That day, I'd seen him sitting by the road, his lips drained of color.

I hadn't had any sugar on me. All I could do was give him the self-heating meal in my hands.

Han Yansen and I hadn't been able to bring ourselves to buy another.

We'd shared one instead.

I still remembered him taking just two bites before saying he was full.

He'd left most of the food to me.

That was when I'd decided he was the man for me.

Yet that same man had gone on to scheme every way he could to take everything I had.

His love at the beginning had been real.

His scheming now was real too.

The first thing I did after taking up my new post was sign the cooperation plan with Staff Officer He.

From then on, no one at the institute called me Ms. Shen.

They all called me Chief Engineer Shen.

Except Zhou Hui.