Part 2 Hello, Mr. Major General I'm Gu Nianzi

205. Let it fly away!

Zhao Liangze's lips trembled. Try as he might, he could not think of a rebuttal.
What Mr. Huo had said was entirely reasonable, under the circumstances.
But Zhao Liangze had a careful and analytical mind. He was a computer hacker who had prowled the depths of the internet for years; his brain was wired to probe for bugs and loopholes.
"Mr. Huo, what if this is completely hypothetical what if something happens to Nianzhi?" Zhao Liangze returned to his computer and sat down. "If that happens, we'll never find out where she came from, and the last six years will have been all for nothing"
Huo Shaoheng propped his head in his hand, his elbow resting on the sofa's armrest. He smoked in silence, and did not reply.
Zhao Liangze knew better than to ask again. Everyone knew that Huo Shaoheng never answered hypothetical questions.
For Huo Shaoheng, once a decision had been made, he made absolutely sure that it would be carried through. He was prepared for every potential problem and difficulty, and would not have his hands and feet bound by hypothetical outcomes.
He was a soldier, and there was only one acceptable outcome for him: victory.
...
Gu Nianzhi awoke the next day, and remembered what she had asked Yin Shixiong the previous evening. She was still lying in bed with her eyes closed when she called him.
Yin Shixiong had already been up and about for some time. He had returned from his morning exercise, and was now breakfasting merrily with his fellow soldiers in the cafeteria.
When he saw the incoming call from Gu Nianzhi, he knew it was about the internship at the US Congress.
"Nianzhi, you're up early." Yin Shixiong put on his Bluetooth headset. He walked out of the cafeteria and made for his office.
Gu Nianzhi responded to this with a lazy "Yeah." She rubbed her eyes, sat up in her bed, and asked, "Brother Xiong, did you ask Uncle Huo about my passport?"
"Yeah, about that" Yin Shixiong coughed. "Mr. Huo is currently busy with a mission, so he didn't really have time to talk. But he did say that he'll get a passport and visa for you if you want to go. When the time comes, I'll go with you to America, as your temporary guardian."
"Really?" Gu Nianzhi was beside herself with joy. She could barely keep herself from jumping up and cheering. "Uncle Huo agreed? It's all settled then, I'll tell Professor He about it, like right this instant." She promptly hung up on Yin Shixiong and dialed He Zhichu's number.
But no one picked up.
Gu Nianzhi was forced to send him a message instead: "Professor He, my guardian says I can go for the internship. What's my next step?"
She had to wait three days before He Zhichu finally responded to her message.
[Professor He]: "Nianzhi, if you're interested in the internship, you can look up the registration procedure for it on the B University Law School website. Today is the last day for you to register."
The message was followed by an email: He Zhichu had corrected her graduation thesis for her.
Gu Nianzhi looked at the message. She gave a small sigh.
She knew she had angered Professor He by not taking up his offer as soon as it was presented to her.
It was patently obvious that his attitude towards her had cooled considerably. The goose had been in the bag, and she had let it fly away
Gu Nianzhi inwardly cursed He Zhichu for being so petty, but opened up the website for B University Law School all the same. She found the registration page for the internship at the US Congress.
Professor He had not been joking: it was the last day to sign up.