ATLAS TRANSLATES

On Bai Lian’s desk lay a basic music theory book. At first glance, Ye Jinxian thought she must have studied vocal music.

When convincing Bai Lian later, she didn’t ask too much of her. Unlike Xu Qian’s dance routine, she only asked Bai Lian to simply stand and sing a song, which Bai Lian didn’t refuse.

For song selection, Bai Lian only mentioned she was familiar with Yan Lu’s songs.

After some consideration, Ye Jinxian registered “Rewriting Old Days” for her.

Tonight, when discussing with Bai Lian, Ye Jinxian had hoped at best that Bai Lian would change songs. She had also considered the possibility that Bai Lian might not continue participating in the National Day and Welcome ceremony.

Sword dance, spear performance, guzheng?

“Wait, junior,” Ye Jinxian looked Bai Lian up and down, her eyes growing brighter, “you know how to do all these things?”

Bai Lian remained leaning against her chair back, in a slightly lazy pose, her features refined and beautiful. “It’s been a while since I’ve tried them.”

The last time she used a sword was at Xiangcheng First High School.

“How about the guzheng?” Beside them, Xu Qian spoke up. She looked at Bai Lian’s elegant, relaxed appearance and clothing that matched the classical beauty of the guzheng. “Weapons might not be safe.”

She chose guzheng as it suited Bai Lian’s temperament.

“Guzheng won’t work,” Ye Jinxian had different considerations. She had already seen the program list and knew Bai Shaoji would be performing guzheng at the welcome ceremony.

The Finance Department wanted the Physics Department to change their song because both departments’ music pieces overlapped.

Bai Shaoji was very popular on short video platforms.

She and Song Min were both good at building relationships. The student council from the Finance Department got along well with them. Ye Jinxian felt that the Finance Department’s student council president was already grooming Song Min as the next student council president.

Most importantly, Bai Shaoji had revealed that she studied under Professor Jiang’s teacher.

Her guzheng skills must be quite strong.

This performance included singing, instruments, dance, and short plays, but Bai Lian’s suggested “sword dance” and “spear performance” weren’t included. Not just in this welcome ceremony – Ye Jinxian hadn’t seen these performed on other stages either.

It was quite novel.

These past two months, because of “Da Yong,” there were many clips about spear techniques. Ye Jinxian remembered that Bai Lian had Yan Lu’s signed photo.

She must be Yan Lu’s fan.

Not just Ye Jinxian, but Kong Wei also spoke up. After finishing sweeping the floor, she tossed the flowers onto the table. “Senior, why not let her try the spear or sword dance? I’ve never seen performances like those before!”

Bai Lian was fine with any option. Her hand resting on the armrest, she said, “You choose.”

“Junior, are you sure you can handle the spear?” Ye Jinxian thought briefly, “I’ll register you for the spear performance.”

When Ye Jinxian asked about this, Bai Lian merely raised her eyebrows slightly.

Compared to the guzheng, she was more familiar with the spear that had accompanied her for years. The seniors had chosen well.

“Alright,” Ye Jinxian looked at her expression and made the final decision, “I’ll register you for this then. Do you have any requirements for costume and props?”

Ye Jinxian started discussing details with Bai Lian.

Bai Lian slightly narrowed her eyes. Her previous spear had specific height and hardness requirements, but those were for battlefield use. School performances didn’t need such detailed specifications.

Besides, she wasn’t sure if Ye Jinxian and the others could get the material she wanted.

“Just make the spear a bit heavier,” Bai Lian was used to any type, though her usual material would perform better. “Don’t worry about the costume, I’ll talk to my grandfather about it.”

Jiang He now attended school during the day. Ji Heng had nothing to do during daytime, so he liked taking his chess board to the nearby park to play Gomoku with college students.

Otherwise, he’d find chances to go fishing with Director Chen and others.

Now he had one more thing to do – visiting Ji Mulan at the Xu family.

He didn’t have few descendants, but he never saw Bai Lian and Ren Wanxuan when they were born. Ji Mulan’s premature child was the only grandchild he had seen.

“Your grandfather makes clothes?” Ye Jinxian and Kong Wei were both surprised.

Bai Lian lowered her eyes, smoothing her sleeve. “All my clothes are made by grandfather.”

“This outfit is made by your grandfather too?” Kong Wei walked over to Bai Lian’s side to feel the fine stitching on her collar, amazed. “Your grandfather’s craftsmanship is incredible.”

Xu Qian also bent down to examine Bai Lian’s clothes, equally surprised. Last time Bai Lian had given everyone in their dorm a hairpin, and she had noticed something then.

Bai Lian’s clothes had no labels, but every stitch and cut fit her figure perfectly.

With Xu Qian’s eye, she could naturally tell these were custom-made.

Their ready-made clothes were customized a season in advance. Xu Qian had thought Bai Lian’s were the same, but unexpectedly they were made by her grandfather.

The dormmates spent some time examining Bai Lian’s clothes.

Finally Ye Jinxian stood up. “Alright, I’ll discuss the details with the president tomorrow. We’ll leave the clothes to your grandfather, junior. If you need anything else, just let us know, we’ll meet all your requirements.”

Not only had Bai Lian not withdrawn from the performance, she had changed to a different program – this was an unexpected delight.

Ye Jinxian was very satisfied with tonight’s visit. As she was leaving, she noticed the book on Bai Lian’s desk. “Jiangda Physics? Isn’t that next semester’s course? Oh right, you’re in the Tongfeng class, it’s different.”

After last night’s leak of the Tongfeng class roster, only the Theoretical Physics Class One students were crying rivers.

After Ye Jinxian left, Kong Wei patted Bai Lian’s shoulder. “How good are you with the spear?”

Bai Lian looked down at her phone, still on a call. “Not bad.”

She turned her chair back, gestured to Kong Wei that she was on the phone, then supported herself on the desk to stand up. She walked to the balcony, leaned against the small table there, and lowered her eyes to continue talking with Jiang Fuli. “That was just the senior coming over.”

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Fuli had his phone on speaker. While Bai Lian was talking with Ye Jinxian and the others, he had casually taken away the Rubik’s cube from Jiang He who was sitting on the carpet.

Hearing Bai Lian speak, he randomly stuffed the nearly-completed matrix cube back into Jiang He’s hands and stood up to take his phone off speaker. “Your department has a welcome ceremony?”

“The senior has approached me several times.” On the balcony without air conditioning, Bai Lian lazily propped up her leg.

Jiang Fuli asked: “When is it?”

“End of the month, I didn’t ask for the specific date.”

“…”

In room 302, Jiang He looked at the mostly-completed Rubik’s cube in his hands.

Looking up at Jiang Fuli’s back, he got up from the carpet with the unfinished cube and opened room 302’s door to go downstairs.

Room 301’s door was open, and Ming Donghen followed Jiang He all the way to room 103, only returning after room 103’s door closed.

—

The next day. At six in the morning, Bai Lian got up right on time.

She changed into sportswear, took out several iridium weights from her wardrobe to attach to her hands and feet, put on her Bluetooth earphones, and went downstairs to run two laps while listening to English.

Now that she lived at school, she couldn’t see Ji Heng every morning and couldn’t pass on knowledge to him.

This early, there weren’t many people up at Jiangda. Most had gone to occupy seats in the library. Bai Lian ran two laps around the dormitory’s main road before returning, showering, and changing into casual clothes.

Physics Building 307.

By seven something in the morning, when Bai Lian arrived, most of the Tongfeng class students were already there. Bai Lian sat in her usual place with Tang Ming, Ning Xiao and the others.

Yesterday when Bai Lian came, everyone in Tongfeng class was studying seriously.

Today the Tongfeng class students were more excited, gathering in their groups and discussing something in low voices.

Besides the Tongfeng class students, Bai Lian noticed two rows of non-Tongfeng class students sitting in the last two rows.

Tang Ming, as this group’s representative, went to find out what was happening.

“You don’t know?” Ding Wenyang’s group was very excited. Hearing Tang Ming’s question, he suppressed his excitement and said, “We have topology every Tuesday morning. According to Gao Yuan, Academician Ma is teaching us this year!”

Hearing the name Academician Ma, Xu Zhiyue sitting behind Bai Lian also raised her head.

And Liang Wuyu clearly knew Academician Ma would be coming to teach today. After hearing this, his gaze unconsciously turned toward the door.

Ding Wenyang wasn’t surprised by his reaction. “Those PhD students in the back all came to audit!” He lowered his voice, “See that Dr. Gao in the middle? Dr. Gao Jiachen…”

When Bai Lian heard Academician Ma was coming to teach, she only slightly raised her head, then nodded, without saying anything else.

Besides Bai Lian, Tang Ming’s reaction was also relatively calm compared to others.

This wasn’t Tang Ming’s first time hearing about Academician Ma.

When Academician Ma went to Boyuan Base to hear their presentations, with a row of industry leaders sitting in the back, Tang Ming was also very nervous.

But during summer vacation, Tang Ming had seen Academician Ma from afar once, and he had chatted with Bai Lian for a while.

Now hearing that Academician Ma would be teaching them, he was quite accepting of it.

Ding Wenyang looked at Tang Ming, Ning Xiao, and Bai Lian, gave an awkward laugh, suspecting in his heart that their team must have gotten three outsiders.

—

Eight o’clock.

When the bell rang, footsteps could be clearly heard in the corridor.

Room 307 fell silent, everyone’s gaze turning toward the door.

The classroom door was pushed open and two people entered. Leading was an elderly man wearing glasses, dressed in loose clothing with somewhat messy hair and unkempt appearance.

As soon as he appeared, everyone, including the group of PhD students still researching in the lab, turned their gaze toward him, eyes full of enthusiasm.

Zhou Wenqing followed behind Academician Ma, helping him turn on the projector and open his courseware. “Academician Ma, please use this.”

He handed the remote to Academician Ma.

“Thank you,” Academician Ma gave a low cough. He hadn’t brought teaching materials or books, just stood at the podium. “I didn’t bring my book today, but don’t worry, I know all the content in the book.”

The classroom was very quiet, everyone including Zhou Wenqing listening to Academician Ma’s lecture.

Bai Lian only looked down at her topology textbook, where the chief editor’s name was clearly printed —

Ma Tongfeng.

Topology class also ran from eight to twelve. Even during break time, no one in the Tongfeng class went to rest.

Close to twelve, Ma Tongfeng left a topic. He pointed at the question on the PPT: “This is your homework, turn it in to me next Tuesday.”

Zhou Wenqing had been sitting in the first row, serving as Ma Tongfeng’s temporary teaching assistant.

With half an hour left, Academician Ma took his phone and left early.

In the back, the group of PhD students in the last row also stood up. Gao Jiachen took his notebook and hurried after him, “Academician Ma…”

The other Tongfeng class students remained seated in the classroom.

Zhou Wenqing watched the people in the last two rows leave before addressing this year’s Tongfeng class: “You’re all very fortunate this year because Academician Ma is teaching you. Of course, you all know Academician Ma left an assignment. I hope everyone will do it well. You can discuss within your teams. These will all count toward Academician Ma’s topology class participation grade.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Tongfeng class students’ discussion grew louder.

“Gao Yuan, it really is Academician Ma! Your brother was right…”

“…”

Others were active in their respective topic groups, everyone equally excited.

Ding Wenyang’s group was also discussing. “Academician Ma’s question is very important. Let’s discuss it over lunch, at the Second Cafeteria.”

He also invited Tang Ming and Ning Xiao’s group.

Bai Lian looked down at the message from Academician Ma on her phone, thought briefly, then handed Jiang Fuli’s meal card to Tang Ming, saying to Ding Wenyang: “Let me treat everyone to lunch. I have other things to do at noon, I’ll share my thoughts in the group chat later.”

Tang Ming and Ning Xiao had some guesses. He took Bai Lian’s meal card, “Alright.”

Hearing Bai Lian offer to treat them to lunch, Ding Wenyang didn’t show any particular reaction. Since she was new, he just took it as getting to know everyone in advance, not expecting Tang Ming’s group to offer many outstanding opinions.

Ding Wenyang went to find other members of his group to inform them about this.

Wang Xin from the same group put away his books. He hadn’t gone to the bathroom all morning and had just finished washing his hands after using it.

Hearing Ding Wenyang’s words, he slowly wiped his fingers with a paper towel and looked up: “She’s not joining the discussion?”

“Right, Second Cafeteria,” Ding Wenyang finished washing his hands and left first. “We’ll wait for you.”

After he left, Wang Xin took out his phone from his pocket, opened WeChat, scrolled down a bit, found Zhou Wenqing’s WeChat, and sent a direct message —

[Professor Zhou, hello, I request to change groups.]