BABHFD : Chapter 16 The Competition

Ren Zhouyuan’s mind went blank when he heard Fan Wenfeng’s words. It took him a few seconds to process what he had just heard.

His hand holding the phone turned pale from the tight grip as he forced himself to stay calm. Fan Wenfeng was still speaking, but Ren Zhouyuan couldn’t focus on anything after hearing, “An An is in trouble.”

He numbly hung up the phone and entered the meeting room to briefly explain the situation. Hearing that his son was in trouble, everyone urged him to leave immediately. The materials Ren Zhouyuan brought were very useful, and they had already found some leads for a solution, so his presence was not necessary.

Ren Zhouyuan took a taxi to Vichy’s, thinking about Fan Wenfeng’s words the entire way. He wanted to call again to get more details, but he didn’t want to interfere with whatever they were handling, so he had to endure the anxious ride.

He imagined countless scenarios, wondering if An An was injured or if his identity had been discovered.

Horrific images flashed through his mind, growing more terrifying with each passing thought. His head was filled with scenes of An An lying in a pool of blood.

He shook his head to dispel the thoughts, but new ones soon emerged. This time, he imagined An An being surrounded by people, scrutinized and judged, with Leonid also present, looking at An An like an outcast. Poor An An curled up in a corner, covering his ears and trembling, reminiscent of how Ren Zhouyuan found him during the archaeological team’s expeditions.

Ren Zhouyuan’s thoughts ran wild, and cold sweat drenched his back. By the time he reached Vichy’s, his entire back was soaked. He hurried to the classroom, his legs barely cooperating.

Being a Saturday, the classrooms were bustling as usual, with students everywhere, seemingly unaffected by any “incident.” The central display area was packed with people due to the competition, buzzing with noise. When Ren Zhouyuan arrived, everything appeared normal.

After searching for a while, he didn’t see Fan Wenfeng or An An. He called Fan Wenfeng, who directed him to the medical room at the far end.

Ren Zhouyuan, panting heavily, arrived to find no scenes of An An lying in a pool of blood or surrounded by a mob. Instead, he saw a supposed doctor in a white coat treating An An’s injury, with a nurse standing nearby. Fan Wenfeng was chatting with An An, and four others stood behind him, peering over to see the treatment.

“Papa!” (Daddy) An An was the first to notice Ren Zhouyuan and called out. Eight people and sixteen eyes turned towards him.

This was the second time today that Ren Zhouyuan faced such a scene, and he was starting to get used to it. He walked over, squatting beside Fan Wenfeng, and saw the burn on An An’s arm, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

“What happened?” Ren Zhouyuan asked with a frown.

“Sorry, I didn’t watch An An closely,” Fan Wenfeng said guiltily. “They were in the third round of the competition, using 3D printing pens to draw something. Parents were supposed to supervise, but I looked away for a moment, and he got burned.”

“Hello, are you An An’s parent?” One of the Chinese men standing behind spoke up. “I’m the course supervisor at Vichy’s, Mr. Xie.”

“Hello, Mr. Xie,” Ren Zhouyuan nodded.

Accepting Ren Zhouyuan as An An’s parent, Mr. Xie brightened up, stepped forward, and shook his hand. “I’m terribly sorry. This is our oversight. We shouldn’t have included such a high-risk activity. We assumed parental supervision would suffice, but clearly, it was inadequate. We will review this and ensure it doesn’t happen again. We will cover all of An An’s medical expenses.”

Ren Zhouyuan nodded, not in the mood for pleasantries. Seeing An An’s injury, though small, bleeding, and despite timely treatment, he still felt deeply troubled.

Mr. Xie exchanged a glance with the other three, who nodded in understanding. Mr. Xie also signaled the doctor and nurse, all of this done silently, unnoticed by Ren Zhouyuan, Fan Wenfeng, or An An.

The juvenile group’s competition couldn’t continue due to the incident. Fortunately, the 3D printing pen task was the last round. An An had excelled in the first two rounds, consistently ranking at the top. The committee decided to evaluate the competition based on the first two rounds, and An An was ranked first.

The juvenile competition was simple and similar to An An’s home practice. His performance was undeniable, and the other participants had no objections. During the award ceremony, An An received the loudest applause.

Due to his bravery during the incident, the committee awarded An An a special “Bravest Scientist Award,” presented by the course director, Antonio, along with a set of course vouchers worth over ten thousand yuan.

An An stood on stage, smiling brightly with one arm in a sling, holding his award. He seemed unaffected by the injury. Watching from the audience, Ren Zhouyuan finally relaxed, clapping enthusiastically for An An.

On the way home, An An chattered nonstop about the competition, even gesturing with his injured arm. Every time he accidentally moved his injury, he’d wince but quickly resume his excited recount.

Ren Zhouyuan, torn between amusement and heartache, forbade An An from bathing, wiping him down with a warm towel, and reapplying medicine before bed. The small but alarming burn made his heart ache again.

After putting An An to sleep, Ren Zhouyuan called Fan Wenfeng, who apologized profusely and inquired about An An’s condition. After discussing An An, Ren Zhouyuan finally asked about the plagiarism issue.

Fan Wenfeng explained that the company planned to sue “Sikong” for defamation. They believed Ren Zhouyuan’s materials were enough to prove his paper’s originality.

“The higher-ups will also invite experts to testify. Although ‘Sikong’ sounded convincing, there are many flaws in their argument. Our boss has pulled strings to get prominent scholars to vouch for the paper.”

Ren Zhouyuan felt relieved after hearing this, thanked Fan Wenfeng, and hung up.

Returning to the bedroom, Ren Zhouyuan adjusted An An’s blanket and position to avoid his arm. After turning off the lights, he lay down.

Reflecting on the day’s events, Ren Zhouyuan felt it had been particularly long.

For the first time, he stepped from behind the “An Yi” pen name into the public eye, feeling exposed and vulnerable. From now on, more people would know him, making him uneasy.

However, the day’s results were positive. Appearing before Fan Wenfeng’s colleagues, he was accepted without the skepticism he had feared. He had fought for himself, not relying solely on others.

Looking at his hands in the dark, Ren Zhouyuan clenched his fists, feeling a surge of strength.

Despite trying to relax, his mind remained too active to sleep, reminding him of another significant event.

He gently hugged An An, careful of his bandaged arm, feeling the earlier strength ebb away, replaced by a sense of helplessness.

Balancing work and An An seemed impossible.

Since An An’s birth, Ren Zhouyuan had to interrupt his studies and later, his archaeological career, which left An An with psychological scars. Just as his career started to improve, various issues arose.

As a man, he wanted a career to make himself and his son proud. But if forced to choose, he would unhesitatingly abandon his career for An An’s well-being.

That night, Ren Zhouyuan pondered many things, unaware that by Monday, his “career” would undergo a significant change as he had hoped.