It was Wednesday afternoon, and JiangbinCityUniversity was holding a school-wide assembly.
The topic at hand was how to implement the State Education Commission's new principle: "Study for the Purpose of Application, and Use Technology to Promote Great Enterprises." In addition to the students, all of the school's teachers and administrative staff were there, too, filling the auditorium to the limit.
The university president spoke. The school's party secretary spoke. Now it was the provost of research and Education's turn.
Provost Qi had only just been promoted from his former position as head of the Department of Scientific Research, so this was probably his first time addressing the whole school. He seemed both very nervous and very excited. While the two previous speakers had talked for less than 30 minutes combined, this guy had already been at the mic for nearly an hour when he finally began discussing "the second aspect of the second issue."
In the audience, Fang Mu was drifting in and out of sleep. The auditorium was extremely hot. He could feel the sweat dripping down his neck and sticking uncomfortably to the back of his shirt. Forcing himself to open his eyes, he fanned himself with his collar and looked around.
Du Yu was sleeping soundly in the seat to his right, head tilted to the side and saliva dripping on his shoulder. Fang Mu smiled. The poor guy had no idea. The person sitting to his left was actually still awake, though his head kept slowly nodding. He seemed unable to last much longer.
"Comrade Deng Xiaoping once said that 'Science and technology are our primary forces of production.' This demonstrates the importance of science and technology in a modernizing socialist economy, but it also raises a question for those of us engaged in scientific research. That is: Why do we research?" Provost Qi paused for a moment, but the sleepers in the audience before him kept right on sleeping, while those still awake were barely even paying attention. Since this pause was doing nothing to elicit the moment of deep thought that Provost Qi had intended, he had no choice but to answer his own question: "To serve society."
To cover up his embarrassment, he lifted his cup of tea, took a sip, and then spit out the tea leaves. Newly invigorated, he continued. "In this we are not doing nearly enough. In search of personal and professional gain, our professors diligently research the most abstract issues, but very rarely do they consider whether their work will offer anything of significance to society at large. This has caused scientific research to become seriously out of touch with practical reality. If no one makes use of your discoveries, then they are useless. And if your discoveries are useless, then what is the point of all the hard work you have put into them?"
Provost Qi withdrew an envelope from his coat pocket and waved it back and forth in an exaggerated manner. "I have here a commendatory letter, and while it was written on behalf of a student, I believe that this student can nonetheless serve as a model for all those present!"
At once the auditorium became silent. Many of those who had been dozing off opened their eyes.
Provost Qi was obviously pleased with this result. He opened the envelope and took out the letter. "As I'm sure everyone is aware, over the past few months a series of brutal murders were committed here in JiangbinCity. For a long time the police were stumped and the killer remained at large. But then one of our students, armed with knowledge he had learned at our school, put it to practical use by helping the public security bureau crack the case."
Fang Mu's mouth fell open.
"One of the victims, a little girl, was successfully rescued by the police and our student, and her father wrote this letter in thanks. Reading it, I was deeply moved. To think that one of our students could boldly act in the face of danger and hardship, merging the theoretical and the actual into a most effective tool-this sort of spirit deserves our most vigorous encouragement and praise!"
Whispering excitedly, the crowd began looking around at one another, scanning the auditorium.
"Settle down, please!" Practically glowing, Provost Qi extended his arms in a motion meant to pacify the murmuring crowd. "Now, we would like to invite Fang Mu, Class of 2004 at the law school's criminology department, to come to the stage and say a few words." He leaned in close to the microphone and intoned, "Fang Mu, Fang Mu, where are you in attendance today?"
Fang Mu's mind had gone completely blank, and it wasn't until Du Yu gave him several sharp nudges that he snapped out of it and dazedly raised his hand.
Click. A spotlight was immediately shined on him, illuminating Fang Mu and all those nearby.
"All right then, come on up here," said Provost Qi, brimming with enthusiasm as he beckoned Fang Mu.
The light was painfully bright. At a loss, Fang Mu looked back and forth. The students in his row were already standing to give him room to get out. Seeing that he had no other choice, he struggled past them and then walked down the aisle toward the stage. The spotlight followed him the whole time. Cameras flashed on either side.
How long is this aisle? How have I not yet reached the stage? He found himself wondering. White light filled his eyes; he could barely see a thing. He felt dizzy and astonished and certain that he might fall over at any moment.
Run away-just go for it. Turn and disappear like a cloud of smoke.
Anxious to begin, Provost Qi was already standing at the corner of the stage. As soon as Fang Mu arrived, the provost reached out, grabbed Fang Mu's hand, and pulled him up. Then with one arm on Fang Mu's shoulder, he half-pulled, half-pushed him over to the microphone.
"Very good, very good," he said. "Now please, Fang Mu, tell us your thoughts."
Fang Mu froze. He looked helplessly at the crowd sitting before him. They were all staring at him, everyone's face expressing something different: curiosity, surprise, scorn, admiration-and jealousy.
This has to be a nightmare. Make it all go away and let me disappear.
After more than 30 seconds, Fang Mu forced open his mouth, and a single word tumbled out: "I…"
Standing beside him, Provost Qi couldn't wait any longer. "Tell everyone how you helped the Public Security Bureau crack the case."
Fang Mu's face looked white as paper in the spotlight. A river of sweat dripped down his forehead. His teeth were clenched tightly together as if he were having a spasm.
Holding its collective breath, the audience quietly watched him. He didn't say another word.
"All right then," said Provost Qi, finally losing his patience. He walked over to the microphone and forced a smile. "Right now it would seem that silence is superior to speech. While I am certain that Fang Mu has many things he would like to tell us, at the moment he appears to be a little too nervous. Okay, Fang Mu, please return to your seat."
In an instant, energy seemed to return to Fang Mu's body, and he stepped stiffly away from the microphone and left the stage. But rather than return to his seat, he continued down the aisle, past all the whispered comments and prying eyes, and walked straight out of the auditorium.
"Hello?" Tai Wei's voice was cold and detached. There was silence on the other end of the phone line. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Was it you who gave my name to the little girl's father?"
"So it's you." Tai Wei laughed and his voice became cheerful despite Fang Mu’s frustrated tone. "Well, how was it? Did you get the thank you letter?"
"You-!"
Tai Wei laughed. "So did the school commend you?"
"What were you thinking?" Not wanting to swear, Fang Mu forced himself to keep his cool.
"What do you mean, what was I thinking?" asked Tai Wei, a little shocked. "I just wanted to give you a nice surprise is all. What's wrong? You afraid someone will try and get revenge? Well, rest easy, because there's no way. Ma Kai's family is long gone and he doesn't have a friend in the world."