lcionline Chapter 282
Chapter 282
Rong Yu told Sheng Qingyan to go ahead with his work.Having just received a first-class merit award, Sheng Qingyan indeed had some follow-up arrangements to attend to. He greeted the elderly gentlemen before taking his leave.
"What brings you all here?" Rong Yu asked. "The journey must have been exhausting. Are you tired?"
Tang Youyi replied, "The base is holding an awards ceremony and specifically invited us donors to present the awards, so we decided to come together."
Old Master Hai rubbed his hands together. "Miss Rong, that boy of mine hasn't made you angry, has he?"
Old Master Si asked nervously, "Has Si Lin done anything morally reprehensible?"
Old Master Zhou sighed. "My Shiyu is the most spoiled of them all. I don't expect her to have made much progress; as long as she hasn't caused any trouble, I'll be satisfied."
Rong Yu smiled. "The four kids don't know you've arrived yet. Let's keep it a secret for now. Come, I'll take you to the rest area to freshen up first. The awards ceremony starts tomorrow morning."
The base was bustling with preparations for the awards ceremony.
Si Lin and the others had been in this desert for a whole month. On their final day, they thought they would be planting more trees, but instead, Lao Ma led them into the main auditorium.
It was their first time attending such an awards ceremony.
"Why do we have to attend this kind of ceremony?" Zhou Shiyu muttered softly. "It's not like we're qualified to win anything."
Tang Mi nudged her with an elbow. "Rong Yu said it's a show of respect to all the staff at the base."
Si Lin's gaze swept over Rong Yu, who was seated in the front row.
She was still wearing her work uniform, her ponytail resting against her perfectly straight back. Just that posture alone was something he would have to practice for years to achieve.
Various leaders took turns going on stage to give speeches.
Soon, the host's voice rang out: "Our Base Four started in the desert, was born in the desert, and grew in the desert... Today, we are not only paying tribute to scientific research achievements, but also to the unwavering perseverance of our grassroots personnel in moving these sands... Next, I will present the awards for outstanding employees."
"The Outstanding Contribution Award..."
"The Best Innovation Award..."
One award after another was announced, and the base's researchers took turns going on stage.
When Rong Yu went up to receive her award, the quartet nearly went crazy. They clapped so hard their hands turned red, excitedly shouting her name.
The elderly men sitting in the back row were brimming with suspicion.
Old Master Hai: "Didn't they say we were invited to present the awards? Why didn't they let us go up and present the award to Miss Rong?"
Old Master Si: "Didn't you see that the person presenting the award to Miss Rong was the chief engineer of the base? You're not qualified enough."
Old Master Zhou: "Perhaps we're supposed to present awards to our own brats?"
Mr. Ji: "What kind of daydream are you having? It's a miracle those little rascals of yours weren't kicked out of the base, and you actually think they could win an award?"
Tang Youyi: "Indeed."
"Lastly, we will be presenting a special award." The host's voice suddenly turned mysterious. "This award is not on the program; it was a last-minute addition by the base."
Curious murmurs rippled through the venue.
"The New Pioneer Award for Desertification Control goes to—" The host deliberately dragged out his words before slowly announcing, "Si Lin, Tang Mi, Zhou Shiyu, and Hai Chang'an! Will the four of you please come up to the stage to receive your award!"
Enthusiastic applause erupted across the entire hall.
Meanwhile, the quartet stood frozen at their seats as if struck by lightning.
Hai Chang'an's mouth hung wide open. "What did I just hear? The New Pioneer Award for Desertification Control goes to the four of us?"
Si Lin swallowed hard. "Could it be people with the exact same names?"
Tang Mi struggled to part her lips. "One identical name is plausible, but four identical names is a bit ridiculous."
Zhou Shiyu abruptly stood up. "Look at the big screen! It's us!"
On the large screen in the auditorium, footage of the four of them at the base was playing.
Si Lin demonstrating how to dig holes for volunteers under the scorching sun, the skin on his back peeling from sunburn.
Tang Mi kneeling in the nursery taking notes, completely oblivious to the sand and dirt.
Hai Chang'an walking across a sand dune with two bags of fertilizer slung over his shoulder.
Zhou Shiyu explaining desertification control knowledge to volunteers.
Rong Yu turned around and called out loudly with a smile, "What are you four still standing there for? Hurry up and get your award."
The four stood up like sleepwalkers, supporting each other as they made their way toward the stage.
Standing before the microphone, the blinding lights prevented them from seeing the audience below. Their ears were ringing, and the host's congratulatory words sounded muffled, as if coming through a layer of water.
"...specially commending these four young people for their outstanding performance, as well as their heroic actions in the face of the sandstorm..."
"Now, please welcome our award presenters!"
The spotlight hit the floor below the stage, and four vigorous elderly men slowly walked out with steady steps.
The moment they clearly saw the faces of the approaching men, Tang Mi and Zhou Shiyu gasped and covered their mouths, while Hai Chang'an nearly dropped to his knees.
"Grand... Grandpa?" Si Lin's voice caught in his throat. "Why are you here?"
The four elderly gentlemen were dressed in elegant Mao suits, their silvery sideburns combed meticulously. None of them could hide the proud smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths.
"What, don't recognize me?" Old Master Hai shoved the certificate into his grandson's hands. "You little brat, you did well."
Old Master Si gave a thumbs up. "I knew you were a teachable kid. You've really done me proud."
Old Master Zhou beamed with shared honor. "My Shiyu can control the desert now too. She didn't bring any shame to the Zhou family."
Tang Youyi patted Tang Mi's shoulder. "Sending you here was indeed the right choice. In this generation of the Tang family, only Tang Jin was presentable before. From now on, we have you too. Good job."
The eyes of all four youths turned red.
It turned out that they, too, could become the pride of their elders.
The host handed over the microphone. "Will a representative of the award winners please say a few words?"
The four nudged each other for a long time until Si Lin was finally pushed to the front. He looked out at the dense crowd below the stage, then glanced at his three equally bewildered companions beside him, and suddenly smiled.
"A month ago, we were problem teenagers exiled to this base by our families," his voice echoed through the hall. "Today, standing here, we still don't know what we did to deserve this award..."
Rong Yu couldn't help but smile.
"But I do know that without Researcher Rong Yu's strict demands, without the guidance of seniors like Lao Ma, and without the example set by all the staff who held their ground during that sandstorm..." He paused and looked at the four elders. "...and without our families' unwavering love that never gave up on us, we couldn't possibly be standing here."
Tang Mi suddenly grabbed the microphone. "I want to add something! Those saplings were actually all replanted the very next day, and they achieved a survival rate of at least fifty percent."
Her voice trembled with excitement and nerves, completely stripped of her usual arrogance.
Hai Chang'an, his face flushed red, managed to squeeze out a sentence: "I will keep working hard!"
Then he quickly shoved the microphone over to Zhou Shiyu.
Zhou Shiyu blinked her large eyes and bowed deeply to the audience. "Thank you to everyone here. Even after we leave this base, we will come back to visit often, because you all taught us what it means to put down roots."
Thunderous applause echoed endlessly.