Chapter 135: Mission Accomplished

The next morning, Shen Qing handed the blueprints to Old Qi. Besides the assistant, there was another visitor in the office.

The assistant smiled as he saw Shen Qing and Dr. Zeng lock eyes and explained, “Miss Shen, this is Dr. Zeng, a senior engineer from the United States.”

“Miss Shen, we meet again,” said Dr. Zeng, a man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in black workwear, his eyes bright and his smile kind.

Shen Qing nodded with a smile, recognizing him. He had also been involved in the purification machine project a year ago.

“Enough catching up. Get to work quickly. The experts are arriving tomorrow night,” Old Qi said, tapping the assistant on the shoulder. “Don’t just stand there—take them over.”

“Right. Dr. Zeng, Miss Shen, this way please,” the assistant politely gestured for them to follow.

Dr. Zeng smiled and nodded. “Miss Shen, after you.”

“Mm,” Shen Qing replied coolly, showing no formality.

The assistant glanced at them, a bit stunned. Dr. Zeng, a Chinese-American of great renown with high status, experience, and education—he should easily overshadow Shen Qing. Yet, his demeanor toward her was even more respectful than that toward Old Qi.

While the assistant was lost in thought, Dr. Zeng was oblivious, chatting casually with Shen Qing along the way. Shen Qing remained reserved, only occasionally replying when pressed.

“We’ve arrived,” the assistant announced, opening a door and turning on the lights with a remote. The room was spacious and fully equipped; the purification machine they had seen on the top floor had been moved here.

“Miss Shen, assign me a task,” Dr. Zeng said, picking up a small screw and inspecting its threads in the light.

“Just hand me the tools,” Shen Qing replied with a quick glance, putting on the lab coat the assistant had prepared, then grabbing two small gears to begin replacing.

Her hands moved swiftly and efficiently, with no wasted motion.

“Miss Shen, should I call more people to assist you?” the assistant couldn’t help but ask. He felt uneasy having a young woman do all the heavy work. He didn’t understand Old Qi’s decision not to send others. Was he venting his frustrations on Shen Qing?

Dr. Zeng squatted, neatly arranging the parts Shen Qing needed. He glanced at the assistant and snorted, “Do you doubt my ability?”

He could handle the assisting all by himself!

The assistant was taken aback, only understanding the meaning after a moment, and quickly explained, “No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then you doubt Miss Shen’s ability?” Dr. Zeng looked at him, suddenly wanting to tease the young man.

The assistant froze. Could he say that to Shen Qing’s face?

“Stop joking, it’s noisy,” Shen Qing turned around and shot Dr. Zeng a cold look.

“Oh,” Dr. Zeng instantly became serious and ignored the assistant.

Listening to their tones, the assistant felt as if the world had turned upside down.

Dr. Zeng was actually so deferential to a young woman? It was as if their roles were reversed.

**

After a busy day, Shen Qing finally reassembled the machine. When Old Qi arrived with Zhong Yi, Shen Qing was debugging the program, with Dr. Zeng watching nearby.

“Is it ready?” Old Qi circled the machine, noting it looked just as before the accident.

“Mm,” Shen Qing typed rapidly; her hands moved so fast they seemed blurred. The assistant half-wondered if his tired eyes were playing tricks on him.

“Hey, Miss Shen, slow down! I haven’t finished watching yet,” Dr. Zeng rubbed his eyes.

“Oh,” Shen Qing slowed slightly and pressed the Enter key. The screen displayed the word “Completed.”

“Sis, aren’t you tired?” Zhong Yi opened a bottle of water and handed it to Shen Qing.

Shen Qing took off her lab coat and stepped out of the room, taking a small sip. “Not really.”

Old Qi and Dr. Zeng continued testing the machine inside, while Zhong Yi followed Shen Qing out. “Sis, let me take you to eat something.”

“Mm,” Shen Qing nodded.