Chapter 105: The Watch
As the plane pierced through the clouds, Wen Yan sat with his head lowered, staring at the watch on his wrist. On the pale blue dial, the hour hand pointed to ten in the morning—domestic time—while it was just past four in the morning in Switzerland. His fingers lightly traced the leather strap as he recalled the words Pei Zhouye said while putting it on.
“When you miss me, just look at the watch”. His heart felt as if it had been soaked in warm water, turning incredibly soft.
The elderly lady in the neighboring seat was a Swiss local. Seeing Wen Yan staring blankly at his watch, she struck up a conversation in somewhat halting Chinese: “Young man, is this your first time in Switzerland?”.
Wen Yan looked up and gave a polite nod. “Yes, I’m here for an academic symposium”.
“The symposium in Lausanne?” The lady’s eyes lit up. “My granddaughter studies at the University of Lausanne. It’s beautiful there, especially Lake Geneva—at sunset, it looks like it’s been sprinkled with gold leaf”.
At the mention of Lake Geneva, Wen Yan suddenly remembered the seaside sunrise he and Pei Zhouye had promised each other. He pulled out his phone and, while still in flight mode, scrolled through the seaside photos he had saved. He had found them online; the golden sunlight spilling across the sea and the waves gently lapping at the sand bore a striking resemblance to the sunset at Lake Geneva the lady described.
“Once the symposium is over, I’d like to go see Lake Geneva too,” Wen Yan said with a smile.
“You must!” the lady recommended enthusiastically. “It’s best to go on a sunny day. Sit in a lakeside cafe with a cup of hot chocolate and just stare out at the water—it’s more relaxing than anything else”.
The two of them chatted on and off, and time passed quickly. As the plane began its descent, Wen Yan looked through the porthole and saw stretches of green meadows and distant, rolling snow-capped mountains; his heart filled with even more anticipation.
After disembarking, Wen Yan followed Pei Zhouye’s instructions and immediately turned on his phone to report that he had arrived safely. The moment the call connected, Pei Zhouye’s voice came through, carrying a trace of tension he couldn’t quite hide: “You’ve arrived? Are you feeling unwell?”.
“I’m here, and everything is fine.” Wen Yan leaned against a pillar in the airport, listening to Pei Zhouye’s voice; he felt much more at peace. “The weather here is great, and I can see the snow mountains”.
“The hotel car should be waiting for you at the entrance. I’ve sent the license plate number to your phone.” Pei Zhouye’s voice paused. “Remember to video call me once you reach the hotel. I want to see the room”.
“I know. You’re more nervous than I am.” Wen Yan couldn’t help but laugh.
After hanging up, Wen Yan quickly located the car Pei Zhouye had arranged. The driver was a local who spoke simple Chinese; upon seeing the symposium invitation in Wen Yan’s hand, he smiled and said, “The University of Lausanne symposium? Many scholars come every year at this time. You must be very impressive”.
Wen Yan gave a somewhat bashful smile and said nothing more. The car left the airport and headed toward the city center along the highway. The houses along the road had red tiles and white walls, with gardens full of colorful flowers; occasionally, cows could be seen leisurely grazing on the grass—a world away from the cities back home.
About an hour later, the car stopped in front of a five-star hotel. As Wen Yan stepped out, he saw a man in a black suit standing by the entrance holding a sign that read “Mr. Wen Yan”—clearly the security Pei Zhouye had arranged.
“Mr. Wen, hello. I am the security guard responsible for your safety during your stay in Switzerland. You can call me Tom.” The man gave a respectful greeting and reached out to take Wen Yan’s luggage. “President Pei has already given me instructions; if you have any needs, just let me know”.
Wen Yan nodded and followed Tom into the hotel. At check-in, the receptionist handed him a room card and an envelope: “Mr. Wen, this was left for us to pass to you by President Pei”.
Upon returning to his room, Wen Yan first made a video call to Pei Zhouye. On the screen, Pei Zhouye was in his office processing documents; seeing Wen Yan, he immediately set down his pen. “How’s the room? Are you satisfied?”.
“Very satisfied. It’s even better than I imagined.” Wen Yan held the phone and panned it around the room. “Look, there’s even a small kitchen. I can cook for myself later”.
Pei Zhouye looked at the familiar seasoning jars on the screen—he had specifically had his assistant pack them, all the brands Wen Yan usually used—and his lips curved upward. “Mhm. If you’re missing anything, tell Tom. He’ll buy it for you”.
The two chatted for a bit longer until Pei Zhouye had to leave for a video conference, and they hung up reluctantly. Wen Yan set down his phone and opened the envelope from the front desk; inside was a handwritten note and a bank card.
The handwriting was Pei Zhouye’s, the ink pressing deep into the paper: “The password for the card is your birthday. Buy whatever you want, don’t be stingy. Tom will follow you, but he won’t disturb you; find him whenever you need something. Rest early tonight and get over the jet lag so you have energy for the symposium tomorrow”.
Wen Yan clutched the note, his heart full of emotion. He tucked the card and note away and walked to the window to look down at the streetscape. It was afternoon in Lausanne, the sun was shining, and pedestrians were strolling leisurely; occasionally, the chime of a passing bicycle drifted up from below, sounding incredibly serene.
He thought about the Lake Geneva the lady had mentioned and looked up the route on his phone, finding it was only a twenty-minute drive from the hotel. “If I have time tomorrow, I’ll go see it,” Wen Yan murmured to himself.
That night, Wen Yan followed his domestic schedule and went to sleep early. Though he was still jet-lagged, the thought of tomorrow’s symposium forced him to close his eyes. In his daze, he thought he heard Pei Zhouye’s voice and reached out to his side, but found no one there; only then did he realize he had already arrived in Switzerland.
The next morning, Wen Yan was woken by his alarm. After washing up, he pulled out the suit he had prepared from his suitcase and spent a long time adjusting it in the mirror. This was his first time attending an international symposium, and he was both excited and nervous.
When he went down for breakfast, Tom was already waiting in the restaurant: “Mr. Wen, I’ve already ordered breakfast for you. It’s the light flavors you prefer”.
Wen Yan walked to the table and saw millet porridge, boiled eggs, and soup dumplings; his heart warmed. He knew Pei Zhouye had arranged this with the hotel beforehand.
After breakfast, Tom drove Wen Yan to the University of Lausanne. As the car entered the campus, Wen Yan saw many scholars in formal attire holding documents and conversing. He took a deep breath and followed Tom into the symposium hall.
The hall was already crowded, and Wen Yan found a seat near the front. Just as he sat down, someone tapped him on the shoulder: “Are you Mr. Wen Yan?”.
Wen Yan turned to see a man in a white shirt holding a copy of his published paper: “I’m a professor at ETH Zurich. My name is Marc. I’ve read your paper; it’s excellent, especially the experimental design for cell differentiation—very creative”.
“Thank you for the recognition.” Wen Yan was a bit overwhelmed by the flattery. “There are still many deficiencies; I hope to learn more from you today”.
Marc laughed and sat down beside Wen Yan. “We’ll learn from each other. That’s what research is about. By the way, how is Zhang-Jiaoshou? He’s an old friend of mine; we haven’t seen each other in two years”.
“Zhang-Jiaoshou is doing well. He specifically mentioned you to me and told me to take every opportunity to talk with you”.
The two of them hit it off, talking about everything from the paper to experiments and their respective research directions. Wen Yan discovered that Professor Marc’s research direction had many similarities to the project he was currently working on, and he couldn’t help but feel excited.
This was exactly his purpose for attending the symposium: to find like-minded scholars and lay the groundwork for future collaboration.
The symposium began soon after. It started with a speech by the President of the University of Lausanne, followed by presentations from professors in various fields. Wen Yan listened intently, occasionally taking notes. When it was his turn to present, he took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.
Standing on the stage and looking out at the crowd of scholars, Wen Yan’s heart pounded. But he recalled Pei Zhouye’s encouragement and Zhang-Jiaoshou’s instructions and slowly calmed down. He opened the PPT and began explaining his research findings according to his preparation.
During his presentation, Wen Yan occasionally looked at Professor Marc in the audience; the man kept nodding with a smile, giving him a lot of encouragement. When the presentation ended, the audience erupted in thunderous applause; many scholars crowded around to exchange research insights, and some even invited him to visit their labs.
Wen Yan agreed to them one by one, his heart full of a sense of achievement. He knew his hard work hadn’t been in vain; at this symposium, he had not only showcased his research but also met many industry experts, laying a solid foundation for his future research.
During the lunch break, Wen Yan sent a video message to Pei Zhouye, excitedly sharing the details of his presentation. Pei Zhouye looked at the high-spirited Wen Yan on the screen and his lips curved upward. “I knew you could do it. What do you want for lunch? Let Tom take you somewhere good”.
“I want to try the local cuisine. Tom says there’s a famous cheese hotpot place; we’re going to try it”.
“Alright. Stay safe, and remember to tell me once you’ve finished eating”.
After hanging up, Wen Yan followed Tom to a local restaurant. The cheese hotpot had a unique flavor, with rich cheese coating the bread; it was delicious. While eating, Wen Yan talked with Tom about the afternoon schedule.
He was going to visit Professor Marc’s lab and discuss cooperation with other scholars.
The lab visit in the afternoon was incredibly beneficial. Professor Marc’s lab had state-of-the-art equipment and a professional research team; the cell differentiation research they were doing went even deeper than Wen Yan’s. Wen Yan listened intently to Professor Marc’s explanations, occasionally asking questions which Marc patiently answered.
“If you’re interested, you could join our research team,” Professor Marc said with a smile. “We happen to need a young person with ideas like yours”.
Wen Yan was taken aback. “Is that really possible?”.
“Of course.” Professor Marc nodded. “I’ve already communicated with Zhang-Jiaoshou, and he supports it too. If you’re willing, you can come work in our lab after the symposium is over”.
Wen Yan was thrilled; he hadn’t expected to gain so much from this symposium. He quickly agreed: “I’m willing! Thank you, Professor Marc”.
By the time he left the lab, the sky had already begun to darken. Wen Yan pulled out his phone, wanting to share the good news with Pei Zhouye, only to find that Pei Zhouye had already sent him several messages asking when he would be back.
“I’m coming back now, and I have good news for you.” Wen Yan replied to the message, his heart full of anticipation.
Upon returning to the hotel, Wen Yan immediately made a video call to Pei Zhouye. Once the call connected, he said impatiently, “Pei Zhouye, I have good news! Professor Marc has invited me to join his research team, and Zhang-Jiaoshou agreed!”.
Pei Zhouye froze for a moment before laughing. “I knew you could do it! That’s wonderful, Wen Yan. You’ve finally realized your dream”.
“Yes, I’m really so happy.” Wen Yan’s eyes were sparkling. “Once I’ve worked here for a while and gathered enough experience, I’ll return home to develop things with you”.
“Alright, I’ll wait for you.” Pei Zhouye’s voice was soft, yet it carried an anchoring strength. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you”.
The two of them chatted for a long time. Wen Yan told Pei Zhouye all about what he had seen in the lab that afternoon and made a promise to go see Lake Geneva over the weekend when he had time, and take photos for him.
After hanging up, Wen Yan sat by the window looking out at the night view, his heart full of happiness. He knew he couldn’t have achieved what he had today without Pei Zhouye’s support and encouragement. If it weren’t for Pei Zhouye, he might have given up on his dreams long ago, and he wouldn’t have had the chance to come to Switzerland and join such an elite research team.
Over the next few days, Wen Yan was busy every day attending the symposium, exchanging research insights with other scholars, and visiting several labs. Though he was tired, it felt fulfilling. Every night, he would video call Pei Zhouye to share his experiences, and Pei Zhouye would tell him about things back home—how the company board meeting went smoothly, what jokes Shen Yao had made lately, and so on.
On the weekend, Wen Yan followed through on his promise and went to Lake Geneva. Tom drove him to the lakeside, and he found the cafe the old lady had recommended, ordered a hot chocolate, and sat by the window looking at the water.
The sunset at Lake Geneva was truly beautiful; the golden sunlight spilling across the water looked like a layer of gold leaf. Wen Yan pulled out his phone and took many photos, even recording a video to send to Pei Zhouye.
Pei Zhouye replied almost immediately: “It’s truly beautiful. When you come back, we’ll go to the sea to see the sunrise; it’ll definitely be even more beautiful than this”.
“Alright, I can’t wait to see the sunrise with you.” Wen Yan replied with a smile, his heart full of anticipation.
Sitting in the cafe and looking out at the water, Wen Yan suddenly recalled many things. He remembered how lost he was about the future when he first started university; he remembered the nights he and Gu Yulan spent pulling all-nighters in the lab; and he remembered how Pei Zhouye had always supported and encouraged him after they met, giving him the courage to pursue his dreams.
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