Chapter 157: David Miller

"You need to pay attention to this person." Qian Zhongshu spoke with a slight sense of unease. "This David Miller is Child's only student. The Americans have been coveting our collider for a long time. You must not explain too many of the critical parts in detail."

Zhang Mingyang nodded. "I understand. The core technology must remain in our own hands."

Since Zhang Mingyang understood, Qian Zhongshu did not offer further explanation. He instructed the three of them to head to the airport early to wait, while he himself walked toward the main conference room with his notebook.

As soon as Qian Zhongshu left, Zhang Mingyang immediately pulled his two senior fellow apprentices aside to discuss David Miller. "Senior brothers, have either of you ever met this David Miller?"

Tian Wenyuan shook his head. "I haven't. I don't have much contact with foreigners."

Peng Dongli merely smiled, leading the other two to assume he had met him.

"Senior Brother Peng, surely you haven't met him, have you?"

Peng Dongli pulled out his communicator and opened a photo for the two of them to see. "The man right in the middle is David Miller."

"What? You've really met him?"

The two quickly leaned in. The photo showed a group of people, right in the center of which was a pale-blond foreigner with a full beard. From his appearance alone, Zhang Mingyang could hardly gauge the man's age.

"Senior brother, how do you know this David Miller?"

Peng Dongli explained, "Our company previously collaborated with the American National Academy of Sciences for a period. David Miller was the chief scientist of the American National Academy of Sciences at that time. This photo was taken right after the project contract was signed."

Looking at David Miller in the photo, Zhang Mingyang suddenly had a question. He asked Peng Dongli, "Senior brother, how old is David Miller? Judging by the photo, I'd say he's around fifty or sixty?"

Peng Dongli shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, he should be forty-eight this year."

"So young?" Zhang Mingyang thought that if time were turned back twenty years, David Miller would have been under thirty when he began following Child. To have achieved such status at such a young age meant this man truly could not be underestimated.

"More than just not to be underestimated!" Peng Dongli showed particular admiration for the man. "This David Miller is Child's sole student. After Child's death, he single-handedly sustained America's aerospace physics technology. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics at the age of thirty-five, and this time, America's spacecraft construction project is entirely supported by him."

"So formidable!" Hearing his senior brother's introduction, Zhang Mingyang felt that this man would be extremely difficult to deal with. He would have to be very cautious when touring the Department of Energy later.

Listening to the story of David Miller, Zhang Mingyang couldn't help but sigh, wondering why his own country could not produce such talent. Yet on second thought, if Jin Yaowen hadn't been feuding with Wang Huairen, perhaps Jin Yaowen could have become the second David Miller.

"Group Leader Peng, the plane is about to arrive." A staff member hurried over to notify the three of them.

"Alright, we're heading over immediately." The two hurried off toward the airport.

At the Sihu Mountain Airport, all the aircraft were neatly tucked away in their hangars, the runway was meticulously cleared, and a crowd of people stood on Platform Number Four waiting for the arrival of the American delegation.

Zhang Mingyang and his two senior brothers stood at the back of the crowd, while the front row was occupied by base leadership and senior officials who had come to welcome the delegation.

Zhang Mingyang glanced at his watch—it was almost nine o'clock. He nudged Peng Dongli next to him with his elbow. "Senior brother, once people come down, how should we receive them?"

Peng Dongli replied in a low voice, "The procedure is already arranged, don't worry. After the delegation members come down a moment from now, Director Wang will ask if anyone from the delegation wants to visit the laboratories right away. If anyone wishes to go, Director Wang will wave his hand at us, and we'll just lead them over."

"Oh!" Zhang Mingyang nodded in understanding.

"The plane is coming!"

Someone shouted, and all eyes turned toward the east. A large Air Force transport plane finally came into view.

"Here it comes!" Peng Dongli nudged the two of them. "Get ready."

Then, under the guidance of the airport tower personnel, the large transport plane prepared to land. The transport plane aligned itself with Runway Four and deployed its thrust reversers. Accompanied by a loud whooshing sound, the transport plane successfully touched down on Runway Four.

After taxiing for five minutes, the transport plane came to a halt in front of the crowd, and a mobile boarding stairs vehicle hurriedly drove over and aligned itself with the cabin door.

With a creak, the cabin door opened, and a group of leaders swarmed forward. Zhang Mingyang quickly followed suit.

Three minutes later, a blond, blue-eyed foreigner emerged from the cabin door into view. As he walked down the stairs, the others followed one after another.

"Welcome!" Amidst the mutual handshakes and greetings between the leaders of both countries, all members of the delegation made their appearance.

Zhang Mingyang looked at the group of foreigners and even counted them, discovering there were fifty-six people in total.

One foreigner in a black suit with a full beard caught Zhang Mingyang's attention. He realized this person looked remarkably like David Miller in the photo.

He hastily nudged Peng Dongli beside him. "Senior brother, is that person in the middle of the crowd David Miller?"

Peng Dongli quickly looked over. "That's right, it's him!" Peng Dongli recognized him at a glance—this was indeed David Miller.

"Does anyone want to visit the laboratory?" Wang Bowen asked the delegation members if anyone wished to tour the laboratories.

"I'm interested!" David Miller raised his hand; he wanted to go.

Wang Bowen looked back at Peng Dongli and waved his hand at the three of them.

"Go over quickly!" Receiving the order, the three of them hurried forward.

"Mr. Peng will show you around." Wang Bowen introduced Peng Dongli to David Miller, indicating that he would be guiding the tour.

"OK!"

"This way," Peng Dongli gestured politely, leading David Miller toward the laboratory.

"Peng! I think I know you?" David Miller looked at Peng Dongli and suddenly blurted out in Chinese, his pronunciation remarkably fluent and clear.

"Good grief! This foreigner speaks Chinese?" Zhang Mingyang was genuinely surprised.

Peng Dongli appeared quite calm, as if he had anticipated it. "Yes! Four years ago, our company had a cooperation with the American National Academy of Sciences. Of course I've met you."

David Miller realization dawned upon him. "Ah, yes! During that collaboration, I was still at the Academy of Sciences."

The two exchanged a smile and shook hands. Afterwards, Peng Dongli began introducing Zhang Mingyang and Tian Wenyuan. "Mr. Miller, this is the polymer materials scientist, Tian Wenyuan."

"Hello, Tian."

"Hello, Mr. Miller." David Miller shook hands with Tian Wenyuan.

"And this is energy engineer Mr. Zhang Mingyang."

"Oh! Mr. Zhang is so young?" David Miller looked at Zhang Mingyang with great astonishment.

"Hello, Mr. Miller." Zhang Mingyang hurriedly shook hands with David Miller.