Annihilation of the solar system

After Zhou Cheng and Liu Chaowen discussed other academic issues in the office, Zhou Cheng left his office. Liu Chaowen did not make too many attempts to persuade him to stay, which was in line with his usual style.

As soon as Zhou Cheng arrived downstairs, his assistant greeted him:

"Professor Zhou, do you want to go to the experimental base for a walk, or should I take you to a guest house or somewhere else?"

"No, you can do your own work. Don't worry about me. A car will come to pick me up soon," Zhou Cheng replied.

The assistant looked troubled, and Zhou Cheng said again:

"Don't worry about Mr. Liu's arrangements. Just say that I asked you to leave me alone."

After dismissing his assistant, Zhou Cheng looked at the small sunny plain behind the office building. Apart from the two-story red brick building, there were no protruding buildings on the edge of the plain. He suddenly remembered that Lao Liu lived there.

There, I walked towards the small building.

When Zhou Cheng approached the edge of the small building, beads of sweat were already covering his forehead because of the short distance and the sultry weather. The hood of Lao Liu's old car in front of the small building was propped up.

And Lao Liu was doing something in the cabin with his back hunched over.

"Old Liu, are you repairing the car?" Zhou Cheng asked.

"Yeah, I have an old car with a carburetor. The spark plug and ignition have problems, and I can't find spare parts. I changed it to a glow plug, so that it doesn't need a pulse ignition coil at all." Old Liu buried his head in it.

He was messing with the hood without raising his head. But soon, he heard the voice.

He looked up, his face full of surprise:

"Ah! It's Lao Zhou! I didn't expect you to be here!"

Zhou Cheng saw that although Old Liu's face was still full of grooves, the melancholy from the last time they met seemed to be much less. Zhou Cheng handed over a cigarette:

"Old Liu, you look good. How is Chaowen doing now?"

Old Liu took off his work gloves and took the cigarette:

"Since Chaowen went on a mission with you last time and came back, Chaowen's condition has been much better than before. Sometimes he would talk to me and let me eat with him in the cafeteria. Although the time was also very short.

, but I understand it very well. He is busy with work, and now everyone is working hard to deal with those things in the sky. In short, thank you! Lao Zhou, it is better for you to communicate with him!"

Seeing the happy and satisfied smile on Old Liu's face, Zhou Cheng felt very puzzled. His time with Liu Chaowen during the entire flight mission was very short, not to mention that he had no communication with Liu Chaowen at all.

"Did Chaowen tell you the details of our space mission after he came back?" Zhou Cheng asked tentatively.

Old Liu shook his head:

"He is so busy, how can he have time to talk to me about this? But I don't dare to take up too much of his time. The base is so busy now, and he is the chief engineer, so the work pressure is very high, I can understand it."

It was normal for Lao Liu to speak such fatherly words. But Zhou Cheng heard that Lao Liu did not know the details of Liu Chaowen's mission in space, and did not even know that he had returned to the ground for treatment due to syncope.

"Oh, yes..." Zhou Cheng hesitated whether to tell Lao Liu about Liu Chaowen's coma after the shuttle hit the air shower.

"By the way, Lao Liu Chaowen had fainted several times when he followed me at Qingbei University. Has it happened again since you arrived in Sichuan?" Zhou Cheng asked.

Old Liu's smile retreated slightly:

"Four or five years ago, I remember when this base was put into trial operation. Chaowen and I were on the hillside opposite, and he fainted once. At that time, I quickly took him to the hospital in the city, but after

He woke up while on the road. Later, he became busier and busier at work, and his communication with me became less and less. I have never heard of him fainting."

Zhou Cheng was stunned. It seemed that Old Liu didn't necessarily know more about his son's current situation than he did. Zhou Cheng looked at the old car in front of him, which was almost spotless in the engine compartment. Everything felt strange.

It's normal, but it seems to have some unexplainable flaws.

"Chaowen is an introverted child, and his mother has not been around since he was a child. Now that he has such a big thing to worry about, it is understandable that he may be a little paranoid sometimes. As long as he is healthy, I have nothing to ask for.

"Now that you can occasionally talk to me, I'm very satisfied." Old Liu said as he closed the engine compartment cover.

Zhou Cheng turned his head and glanced at the office building of the High Energy Particle Research Center, which was not too far away. He understood but also felt puzzled by Lao Liu's words.

"Has there been no news about Chaowen's mother since then?" Zhou Cheng asked.

A look of pain flashed across Lao Liu's face, and he didn't speak for a long time. He tried to speak several times, but choked back. Zhou Cheng saw Lao Liu's pain and looked at his watch.

"Old Liu, I have other things to do and it's time to leave. If anything happens to Chaowen, please contact me."

Old Liu also recovered from the past events that he did not want to remember:

"Let me take you out. It's a long way outside the base. Besides, it's raining outside now. There's a heavy rainstorm on the border of the base."

"Oh, no need. Someone will pick me up at the base gate. I can just walk to the base gate." Zhou Cheng replied.

"Then I'll take you to the entrance of the base. The weather is sultry and you'll be sweating profusely when you step out."

Zhou Cheng wiped the sweat stains on his forehead that had not yet dissipated, and did not refuse anymore. The car engine started, and cool wind blew out of the air outlet.

Zhou Cheng looked at the old but neat interior panels, with many stickers of faded textures and colors scattered here and there. Old Liu smiled:

"These were posted by Chaowen when he was a child, and I have never scratched them off. This old car carries too many memories of our father and son coming out of difficulties. It can be said that every part of the car has our father and son's legacy left on it.

There are traces of it. Therefore, I have been reluctant to replace it.”

Zhou Cheng touched the cracked sticker marks with his hands and nodded solemnly. He understood Lao Liu's feelings very well. When the car arrived at the door, another car was already waiting for Zhou Cheng. He said goodbye to Lao Liu

Then I got into the car. The person driving the car was none other than Cao Rui.

"How is the situation today?" Cao Rui started the car.

Zhou Cheng frowned and shook his head slightly:

"I can't explain clearly. I can't say it's good or bad. I'll talk about it when I get back. But I really admire you, Lao Cao. You taught me those conversation skills of avoiding the subject and guiding the direction. Although I didn't learn the plenary session, it was really useful.

."

Cao Rui laughed and said:

"There are specialties in the arts, so it's not a big deal."

"How is the situation over there?" Zhou Cheng asked.

Cao Rui pursed his lips,

"Nothing substantial has been discovered. We will integrate the information when we get to the residence. Let's see if we can find some problems."

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