Qin Auntie, Save Me [Rebirth] 115

Chapter 115

After resigning from the television station, Qin Qianrou didn’t take any time off, immediately starting preparations for her independent column, her plans supported by her family. However, Grandfather Qin, still troubled by Lao Li’s situation, often secluded himself in his room.

Shen Yiqiu had just returned from the supermarket, and as she entered the apartment, she saw Qin Qianrou on the phone, their eyes met, Shen Yiqiu smiled at her, and Qin Qianrou’s gaze lingered.

“Xiao Rou, now that your work schedule is more flexible, come back to Hai City and visit more often, your grandfather’s health isn’t good, spend some time with him.”

“I understand, I’ll come back soon.”

Wen Yirong paused, then added, “And next time, bring your… little tail along.”

Qin Qianrou couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, and Wen Yirong, knowing she was about to bring up the name issue again, chuckled, “I know, I know, you’re going to say her name is Shen Yiqiu, everyone in the family knows her name now, don’t worry.”

Everyone, of course, including Grandfather Qin, he hadn’t said anything at the hospital, and after returning home, Wen Yirong had thought he would express his disapproval, but to her surprise, he hadn’t mentioned it, as if it didn’t matter.

Then, two days ago, during dinner, he had suddenly asked Qin Qianrou to bring Shen Yiqiu over when she had time, Wen Yirong had been a little nervous, but her father-in-law’s demeanor had been perfectly normal, just a casual invitation from an elder to a younger relative.

Wen Yirong had probed a few more times, but he hadn’t elaborated, simply reiterating that she should tell Qin Qianrou to bring Shen Yiqiu over when she was free. Both Qin Yunsong and Wen Yirong had accepted their daughter’s relationship, but in the family, it was still Grandfather Qin who made the decisions, especially with his current health, if he truly disapproved, it wouldn’t be good to go against his wishes.

Wen Yirong had mentioned this to Qin Yunsong, who, despite his usually straightforward and somewhat traditional thinking, had reassured her, “Don’t worry about this, if Dad asked Xiao Rou to bring her home, then he’s given his approval.”

“Are you sure?”

“You don’t know Dad’s temper? If he disapproved, would he invite her to our home?”

Wen Yirong, thinking about it, agreed, her father-in-law’s personality was straightforward, he never hid his feelings. If he truly disapproved of Qin Qianrou’s relationship with Shen Yiqiu, he would have said something long ago.

Reassured by Qin Yunsong, Wen Yirong had finally relaxed and formally extended the invitation to her daughter.

Shen Yiqiu was preparing ingredients in the kitchen, planning to make egg pancakes, Jiejie had been tired last night, she vaguely remembered her mentioning wanting to eat eggs.

Qin Qianrou entered the kitchen, a smile already forming on her lips just seeing Shen Yiqiu’s back.

Shen Yiqiu, busy with her preparations, her head lowered, hearing the laughter, without turning around, casually asked, “Good news?”

“Just got off the phone with my mother, she said I should visit Grandfather in Hai City more often.”

Grandfather Qin’s health wasn’t good, Shen Yiqiu knew that.

“Oh, are we going next weekend then?” She thought this weekend would be too soon.

Qin Qianrou walked over, wrapped her arms around Shen Yiqiu’s waist, her chin resting on her shoulder, not paying much attention to what she was doing,

“Mom said Grandfather wants to have dinner with you.”

Shen Yiqiu froze, she hadn’t expected this,

Qin Qianrou playfully brushed Shen Yiqiu’s hair against her neck, “Do you want to go home with me?”

Shen Yiqiu’s movements continued, her heart, however, racing. Her hand had completely healed, and the matching rings on their fingers were a clear sign of their commitment, there was no reason for her not to go back to Hai City with Qin Qianrou.

“Of course I want to, I’m just a little nervous.”

Qin Qianrou had anticipated this, she chuckled softly, then hugged her tightly, her voice gentle and reassuring, “Don’t be nervous about coming home with me. From now on, that’s also your home, and my family is also your family.”

This was different from their little home in Meng City, it meant the entire Qin family had accepted Shen Yiqiu, Shen Yiqiu’s parents hadn’t been very close to their extended family, and she had been accustomed to their simple, three-person household,

but then she had become an orphan, and before meeting Qin Qianrou, she had felt utterly alone,

she turned around, embracing Qin Qianrou tightly, “Thank you, Jiejie, for giving me a… complete family.”

**

Shortly after her twentieth birthday, Shen Yiqiu received an international mail from Switzerland, a notification,

which she studied for a long time, unable to determine its authenticity.

“Jiejie, this notification says there’s something my father left for me, that I need to go and retrieve it, but I can’t remember him ever mentioning this.”

Qin Qianrou, although having left the television station, hadn’t given up on the Shen Zhifeng matter.

“This institution is reputable, if the notification is truly from them, then it should be genuine, we just need to verify its authenticity.”

The institution quickly confirmed it; there was indeed something for Shen Yiqiu that required her to personally retrieve it.

Qin Qianrou, not wanting her to travel abroad alone, adjusted her work schedule and accompanied her,

it concerned Shen Zhifeng, and they didn’t have time for sightseeing after arriving in Switzerland, after verifying Shen Yiqiu’s identity, the representative handed her a small package, a USB drive and a few documents.

They explained that these items should have been given to her on her twentieth birthday, but a communication error had caused the delay.

Back at their hotel, Shen Yiqiu inserted the USB drive into her laptop, it contained a video and an encrypted folder. She clicked on the video, and the person on the screen was Shen Zhifeng,

since her parents’ death, Shen Yiqiu hadn’t had the courage to look at their photos, let alone a video,

Qin Qianrou sat beside her, offering silent support, Shen Zhifeng in the video looked a little tired, but his eyes sparkled with intelligence,

“Xiao Qiu, when you see this video, you’ll be twenty years old, your mother and I wish you a happy birthday, we hope you’ll always be safe and happy.”

Shen Yiqiu then realized her mother had been the one filming the video,

Shen Zhifeng looked a little nervous, seemingly uncomfortable speaking in front of a camera.

From her father’s words, Shen Yiqiu gradually understood that the video wasn’t just a birthday message but a final farewell, recorded after he sensed danger.

Shen Zhifeng explained his research in detail, the discoveries he had made over the years, the disappointing and disheartening behavior of his peers, even his falling out with the He Chao couple.

Then, he mentioned Dongsheng Group’s constant harassment, their initial attempts to bribe him, then, after failing, their threats, their attempts to sabotage his experiments, pressuring him through the university, finally forcing him to suspend his work,

but that hadn’t been enough, Shao Qidong, utilizing his connections, had practically cornered him, the most despicable tactic, however, had been colluding with government officials to have his research funding cut.

Towards the end of the video, Shen Zhifeng sighed sadly, “I just wanted to be an ordinary researcher, I don’t have the skills, or the desire, to deal with these complicated relationships and power struggles. I’m a nerd, my research is fundamental, but they don’t believe me, they think I’m working on something… groundbreaking.”

Shen Zhifeng’s gentle demeanor, his humble nature, a typical intellectual, it was true, only when he was focused on his research did he seem truly confident and at ease.

“The key data and findings from my research are all in that encrypted folder, you’ll have to figure out the password, look for clues at our home in Hai City.”

More than an explanation, this video was a final message, a farewell, and Shen Zhifeng explained that he had chosen to reveal this on her twentieth birthday because eighteen was too early, and after graduating from university would be too late, a scientist’s peculiar yet cautious nature.

They returned to the Hai City apartment, searching everywhere, but they couldn’t find any clues, Shen Yiqiu ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, leaning back against the sofa,

“Jiejie, why did my father have so many secrets? I was always by his side, and I never noticed anything.”

Qin Qianrou helped her sit up and handed her a glass of water, she had been searching relentlessly for the past two hours, refusing to take a break.

“That’s because you were still young.”

“If only I had grown up sooner, I could have helped them.”

Qin Qianrou knew she was just venting her frustrations and let her be, then, after a moment, she suddenly said, “You said your parents valued family, and in the video, he repeatedly mentioned his love for you, could the password be related to you?”

Shen Yiqiu shook her head, “I’ve tried everything related to me, even the page numbers on my household registration document.”

“Your father was a researcher, he wouldn’t be so careless, he wouldn’t use something so obvious, but researchers do have their habits, I think it must be something related to you.”

They resumed their search, and finally, Shen Yiqiu found two boxes in her parents’ bedroom.

“This is all that’s left.”

Qin Qianrou opened one of them; it was a photo album, an older one.

“These are from when I was a child, mostly photos of my parents when they were younger.” Shen Yiqiu flipped through the album, some of the photos she had never seen before.

Besides the photo album, there were a few loose papers and receipts in the box, most of them faded and brittle with age, Qin Qianrou noticed something that looked like a medical report, she picked it up and saw it was her mother’s pregnancy test results.

It was just an ordinary piece of paper, but being kept with the family photo album clearly meant it was significant.

Qin Qianrou turned it over, and on the back, a handwritten message: Our precious baby, we’re so happy to know about your arrival today, Mom and Dad love you.

Shen Yiqiu’s eyes instantly welled up with tears, so their love for her had begun even then.

The password was the date on the report, and the encrypted folder opened, revealing lab reports and research data, what He Chao and the others had been after, but not what they had expected.

Shao Qidong, having caught wind of the new investigation team’s arrival in Meng City, immediately called Deputy Governor Xu, wanting to know the details, only to find his phone was off,

a sense of foreboding washing over him, he instructed his assistant to book him the earliest flight to the US, only to be stopped at the door by Zhuo Cheng,

“Mr. Shao, in such a hurry? A business trip?”

Zhuo Cheng had been on leave for a week, claiming he had some urgent family matters to attend to, and seeing him now, Shao Qidong knew he had been lying.

“Yes, there’s been a problem with an overseas project, I have to go deal with it.”

“Then let me go with you, I’m more familiar with the overseas operations.”

Shao Qidong’s heart turned cold, if this man delayed him any longer, he would miss his flight,

“We need someone here to oversee things, I’m more at ease leaving you in charge in Meng City.”

Zhuo Cheng, thanks to Shao Qidong’s recommendation, was now on Dongsheng’s board of directors, the youngest executive in the company, a position many envied, but Zhuo Cheng knew he was one step closer to the fire pit.

He had come today to give Shao Qidong one last chance, if he agreed to take him along, then he would bring the evidence with him,

however, Shao Qidong clearly intended to leave him behind as a scapegoat.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Shao, if you insist on leaving me here, then I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere either.”

Before coming, Zhuo Cheng had set up a timed email, giving Shao Qidong half an hour to consider, Shao Qidong attacked him, but he was still apprehended at the airport.

Starting with Shao Qidong, a “Clean Breeze Operation” swept through Meng City, a multi-departmental investigation uncovering numerous corrupt officials, abusing their power and accepting bribes, Deputy Governor Xu had already been taken into custody, which was why Shao Qidong couldn’t reach him, he was already under investigation.

The tranquility of Meng City shattered, the darkness behind its prosperity exposed, shocking and unbelievable, but as Deputy Mayor Li had said, destruction paved the way for rebirth, only by removing the rot could they truly start anew.

Li Wan finally had her chance to produce a special report on Dongsheng Group, Qin Qianrou’s name wasn’t mentioned, but her efforts, her dedication, were evident in every detail,

**

Shen Zhifeng’s case attracted national attention, with Grandfather Qin’s connections, and Qin Yunsong’s personal accompaniment, Shen Yiqiu was granted a meeting with a high-ranking official, Shen Zhifeng’s dedication to fundamental research, his willingness to remain in a seemingly ordinary position, his commitment to his field, touched many, and a special Shen Zhifeng Scientific Research Fund was established in his honor.

Shen Yiqiu, after discussing it with Qin Qianrou, decided to keep only the family home in Hai City, using the remaining assets, and the compensation from Shao Qidong, to establish a public welfare fund,

entrepreneurs in both Hai City and Meng City, inspired by Shen Zhifeng’s story, with the Wen Corporation taking the lead, donated generously to Shen Yiqiu’s fund, promising regular contributions to ensure its continued operation.

Lin Shuangzhi, on behalf of the Yong City Chamber of Commerce, also donated a substantial amount, and Shen Yiqiu, seeing the total, was stunned.

Pointing at the report on the computer, she said to Qin Qianrou, “Jiejie, I’m only in my early twenties, aren’t they afraid I’ll squander these millions?”

Shen Yiqiu’s initial contribution had been less than ten million, and Qin Qianrou, who had also wanted to donate, had been stopped by her, saying there were many ways to do good, being a good reporter was more meaningful than donating a million dollars, but they couldn’t stop the generosity of these wealthy entrepreneurs.

“Will you betray their trust?”

Shen Yiqiu shook her head firmly. “No, I’ll make sure my parents’ legacy continues, that’s why I established this fund.”

Shen Yiqiu named the fund “Qian Qiu” (千秋 – a thousand autumns, implying a lasting legacy).

The Qian Qiu Fund aimed to support young researchers dedicated to fundamental research in various fields, applicants under forty, no restrictions on specific fields, but with clear requirements for years of experience and continued commitment.

With the release of Shen Zhifeng’s research reports, the details of his years of dedicated work finally came to light. It wasn’t groundbreaking or revolutionary, but the most fundamental, most time-consuming, and most difficult kind of research, the kind that rarely yielded quick results.

Domestic research in this area was weak, the core technologies long monopolized by foreign countries, and with the long research cycles and the lack of immediate results, many had chosen to leave the field, even a renowned scientist like Shen Zhifeng had struggled to secure sufficient funding.

He had to divert funds from other projects, supplementing them with his teaching salary, and even then, his research had progressed slowly.

Those who had coveted his research had been misled by his secrecy, the more secretive he was, the more they believed he was working on something truly groundbreaking.

Shen Zhifeng’s wish, however, had been simple: for more young people to dedicate themselves to fundamental research, for more seemingly ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.

<Main Story End>