Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Birthday Banquet Face-Slapping (15) Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Birthday Banquet Face-Slapping (15) “Okay, I’ll talk to you about it when I have time,” Qin He replied.

Ding Xuexue took the hint and did not press on with more questions.

Actually, she and her mother had considered inviting Qin He to Jiang Zhe’s birthday banquet, but they dropped the idea due to something Jiang Yaowang had suddenly mentioned.

Little did they know, Qin He ended up going to the birthday party anyway.

Ding Xuexue could only try to make amends little by little from then on.

As Jiang Zhe walked downstairs to the entrance, a security guard reached out to stop her.

She showed her ID, and the security guard immediately stepped aside to let her through.

Following closely, Lu Xi also showed her ID and walked inside.

Seeing Jiang Zhe ahead, with “Jincheng First High School” printed on her clothes, Lu Xi couldn’t help but give her a second glance. She recalled Ding Xuexue mentioning someone from Jincheng First High School before.

Why would a high school student be here?

Alone at that?

“Hey,” Lu Xi called out to Jiang Zhe.

Jiang Zhe turned her head to look at her.

Lu Xi felt that her gaze was somewhat cold, but still offered a reminder, “You can’t just wander around here, if you’re lost, you can ask the security guards.”

“I know,” Jiang Zhe responded. The elevator arrived, and she got in.

Lu Xi didn’t get into the same elevator; each elevator went to different floors.

Ordinary staff could only go up to the third floor, while senior researchers had access up to the seventh floor, which was where Lu Xi was heading that day.

The elevator Jiang Zhe entered only went to floors above the seventh, areas reserved for academicians and the director.

Without the proper card, one couldn’t even press the floor buttons, and even if they somehow did, the elevator doors wouldn’t open upon reaching the designated floor.

Lu Xi chuckled to herself, knowing that Jiang Zhe would soon realize this and come back out.

When the adjacent elevator arrived, Lu Xi stepped inside.

What she didn’t know was that the elevator Jiang Zhe had taken came back down empty.

Jiang Zhe went straight to the ninth floor, the highest level of the building.

A kind-hearted young man smiled as he approached her, “Mr. Fu just asked me to come get you, but you’ve made it up here on your own.”

“I’m old enough; would I get lost?” Jiang Zhe showed her ID with a hint of pride.

The assistant then remembered that Jiang Zhe had her pass all along.

It was just that Mr. Fu was concerned, always insisting on someone picking her up.

Jiang Zhe followed the assistant into an area where several computers glowed softly, and her serious colleagues were busy processing formulas and data.

Fu Qifang saw Jiang Zhe, smiled, and asked, “You’re here?”

“Yes,” Jiang Zhe nodded, “How’s the data for the thruster, Mr. Fu?”

“It’s all here. We’re still calculating; the quantity is huge, and there are too many nested formulas required.”

Even with high-efficiency computers that could process thousands of calculations in a second, it required a significant amount of manpower and resources.

This was just a small part of the whole effort.

Fu Qifang looked at Jiang Zhe and asked, “What about the thruster data you promised me?”

Jiang Zhe took a folder out of her backpack, filled with her various calculations. They were handwritten, neat, and very clear.

Fu Qifang glanced at the contents: “You figured all this out?”

“After you gave me some direction last time, I went back and did some more calculations,” Jiang Zhe replied.

Fu Qifang smiled warmly, “Not bad, not bad at all, truly teachable. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re busy preparing for the college entrance exams, I’d drag you into the lab and make you stay.”

The assistant laughed, “Mr. Fu, don’t scare Xiaozhe into staying away for months again.”

Fu Qifang smiled.

Jiang Zhe chatted a bit more with Fu Qifang, then seeing that it was about time, she mentioned that she needed to leave.

Fu Qifang instructed, “Let me know if you decide you want to attend a particular school or specific major.”

For someone like Jiang Zhe, not getting into the best university would truly be a waste of talent.

She should be entered into the special recruitment process.

“I’ll try my own exams first,” she said.

Fu Qifang chuckled and shook her head, knowing that this child was determined, she could only bring it up again later.

When Jiang Zhe came downstairs, Lu Xi had just finished her business and was also descending the stairs.

Seeing Jiang Zhe still lingering, she was somewhat surprised.

But she was busy talking to her classmates and didn’t notice Jiang Zhe slip away, so she didn’t think much of it.

After leaving, Jiang Zhe got into Qin He’s car and headed to where they were having dinner that evening.

The dinner was hosted by Qin Jingchen.

He invited all the young people who had attended the birthday feast the night before as a gesture of thanks.

A very gracious host indeed.

Song Xingyu and his brother came, Si Qing and Four-Eyes hadn’t yet left either.

Xiao Meng and Xia Enci were also present.

Additionally, Xun Yining, Xiaoqi, and Fang Ting had also come.

They originally planned to come yesterday, but couldn’t make it, and only arrived today.

The group that usually hung around Fen Ye also arrived, making quite the entrance.

Knowing that the appreciation banquet was organized by Qin Jingchen, they were even more convinced of Jiang Zhe’s identity as their sister-in-law.

Everyone except Jiang Zhe was already there, chatting and laughing away.

As soon as Jiang Zhe walked in, Xiaoqi and Fang Ting came over, bringing a bunch of trinkets, all handcrafted either by the kids from the orphanage or made together with them.

“Great, thank you,” Jiang Zhe said, packing the items into a box and placing them into her backpack.

Qin Jingchen pulled out a chair beside him, and Jiang Zhe walked over to sit down.

As he poured her tea, he asked, “Did you go to see Old Fu?”

“I did,” she replied.

Since Qin Jingchen had already met Fu Qifang the previous night, Jiang Zhe hadn’t taken a taxi by herself today; instead, Qin He had given her a ride.

So she was quite open about it.

Qin Jingchen inquired, “How long have you known Old Fu?”

Jiang Zhe thought for a moment, “Several years now, I met him quite early on.”

For years, Qin Jingchen mused with a smile. The people she knew were indeed extraordinary.

The whole birthday feast was truly a gathering of the elite.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Fen Ye instructed the waitstaff to start serving the meal.

That was when Jiang Zhe noticed Yang Feiliu was absent. “Where’s Yang Feiliu? Didn’t you call her?”

“True to her name, she flew away,” Fen Ye said.

“Oh?” Jiang Zhe had heard before that Yang Feiliu planned to stay a few more days.

“Jingchen gave out return gifts to all of us, include a bottle of Bordeaux wine for her, right? Originally, someone was supposed to get it and then give it to her, but after she heard about it, she couldn’t sit still and decided to fly there to drink it herself.”

Jiang Zhe understood. That was very much like Yang Feiliu.

She glanced at Qin Jingchen with her foxy eyes. “Return gifts? For everyone?”

“Since everyone took the trouble to come for your birthday celebration, it’s only natural we can’t let them go back empty-handed, right?” Qin Jingchen replied, embodying the essence of the host.

“Thanks, brother-in-law, we all received our gifts,” Song Xingyu chimed in from the side.

“You have the nerve to call him brother-in-law?” Xia Enci rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you ask yourself how much older you are than Xiaozhe?”