Chapter 36

Clutching that stack of cash, Du Ruo ran back to the dorm, burning with the urge to scream. She burst inside, the whole room was dark, not a soul in sight.
The anger, humiliation, and shame surging in her chest didn’t fade one bit from the run. If anything, her sore feet ached even worse now, after a day in those heels.
She hobbled to her desk and sat, holding her breath, carefully slipping off her high heels. Pain stabbed instantly from the blisters on her ankles and toes.
Her eyes blurred with tears. She forced them back, furious at herself for caring so much. She bit her lip and sat alone for what felt like ages, the more she thought, the worse it got. In the end, desperate, she messaged the dorm group: “Can you guys come back? Something happened.”
When she put her phone down, her vision swam again. She buried her head on the desk.
Fifteen minutes later, Xia Nan, Qiu Yuchen, and He Huanhuan were all back, bursting in with, “What happened?”
Du Ruo took a deep breath, steadied herself, and explained everything from start to finish.
He Huanhuan was the first to react, shouting, “What? That’s so shameless! I’d never have guessed he was that type!”
Qiu Yuchen stayed rational. “Don’t get too worked up, this happens all the time in startups. From their side, it’s normal. They’re stronger than us, that’s the reality.” She sighed after, “But I never thought Xiao Ruo would walk right into that mess.”
Du Ruo’s eyes reddened again. “They didn’t want me as a partner, just a helper. I get trying to protect their own share.
But that IMU, I built that from scratch, no help from anyone, months of research, experimenting, new materials, formulas, all me, before I even got there!”
He Huanhuan came over to hug her head, patting gently. “Don’t get discouraged! We’ll figure it out together.”
Qiu Yuchen asked, "You must've recorded your whole experiment process, right?"
"Yeah." Du Ruo replied, "But this is my research. If they take it and tear it apart, they’ll figure it out in a few days, that’s just handing it to them for free!"
After finishing her call, Xia Nan came in from the balcony, grabbed a chair, and sat down. "I talked to my friend who studies law. She knows a guy at a pretty big law firm. If you want legal advice, I’ll take you there tomorrow. Maybe they can help."
Du Ruo was surprised. "You're saying… go to court?"
Xia Nan shrugged. "Not necessarily. We’re all amateurs here, let’s just ask a lawyer, see if anything can be done. Worst case, we posture a bit and scare them. Sometimes that works."
"Right," He Huanhuan chimed in. "Maybe all it takes is a bluff, and they back off."
"I'd appreciate that," Du Ruo said gratefully. "Thank you."
"Alright, relax. Tomorrow, we’ll go together."
The next day, the four girls headed to the law firm for a consult.
The lawyer listened to their story in detail, but his brows furrowed, clearly not optimistic:
"Based on what you shared, you were officially an assistant in their team. I’ve seen this a lot, young people start out working together on a dream, motivated and united. Then, once the experiment becomes a product and money’s involved, suddenly everyone’s fighting. Honestly, you got off easy, I’ve seen kids pour years into something and walk away with nothing but their base salary."
"I feel for you, I really do. But these situations are tough to fix. And I have to be honest, it doesn’t always sound fair, but in most companies, the ones with less power just work, get paid, and don’t see a cut of anything. That’s how business goes."
Du Ruo explained, "I get it. I’m not blaming them. If we can’t agree, I’m fine with a clean break. But I want my own work back."
"Thing is, in research labs, the results typically belong to the group. That’s standard practice at most universities. Plus, you signed a contract. Sure, you could argue that your personal research wasn't part of your assigned duties, but then you'd need proof you finished all of it solo, before joining the lab."
"If you want to go to court, I’ll represent you. But lawsuits cost time, money, and energy, especially for students, and there’s no guarantee of a good outcome. Also, the other party is apparently a prestigious school research team. If this blows up, it’ll hurt the school’s reputation, and what will your professors and classmates think? Are you ready for that?"
The four of them stared, taken aback.
"Honestly, I’d suggest trying to mediate with your professor. That’s your best shot. You’re young, short on experience, think of this as a tough lesson. You’ll run into this sort of thing plenty after graduation. Better to learn now than later."
When the girls walked out of the law office, none of them looked happy.
Students dream big, but reality hits like a bucket of ice water.
He Huanhuan looked flattened. "We probably shouldn’t have come. This just made me feel even worse."
Qiu Yuchen added, "Don’t give up. Go talk to your advisor back at school."
Du Ruo forced herself to perk up and nodded. She wasn’t ready to give up hope.
By the time they reached campus, it was already afternoon.
The other three had class. Huanhuan offered to skip hers and tag along, but Du Ruo insisted, "I’ll be fine on my own. Go. Don’t miss your class."
"Alright, but call if anything comes up," Qiu Yuchen said. "I’ll ask around too, see if any of my friends’ labs have dealt with this. If I hear something useful, I’ll let you know."
"Sure. You guys get to class."
The little group soon split up.
Du Ruo made her way to the admin offices alone. Near the door, she drew a deep breath and peered inside.
Only Zhang Ruhan was there, as usual. Resident advisors had it easier than academic supervisors.
Du Ruo knocked on the door.
Zhang Ruhan looked up and smiled. "Du Ruo, right?"
"Yes." She stepped in and sat down.
"Long time no see! I’ve been keeping an eye on you, you know. Great grades. Lots of teachers have praised you! Keep it up and you’re in line for a national scholarship next year." Zhang Ruhan kept gushing, the minor drama from six months ago clearly forgotten.
Du Ruo smiled politely, kept it brief, and cut straight to the point: "Professor, I asked to see you because I’m in a tough spot and need your help."
"Tell me what's going on. Don’t hold back."
Du Ruo laid out the whole story from start to end.
Zhang Ruhan listened, her expression tightening. When Du Ruo mentioned the lawyer, she looked startled, but let her finish without interrupting. When Du Ruo was done, she said gently, "From what you’ve said, you were treated unfairly, but we’re only hearing your side. How about this? I’ll call Wu Zhengbo over and mediate face-to-face. Would that work for you?"
Du Ruo drew a breath and nodded. "Yes, that’s fair."
Zhang opened her contacts and dialed Wu Zhengbo. Whatever was said on the other end, Zhang replied, "It’s best to handle this within the department, otherwise, my student might have to go to a lawyer."
She hung up. "He’ll be right over."
Soon enough, Wu Zhengbo arrived.
He'd never looked friendly, and today, his stormy mood made him seem even more intimidating. As soon as he sat, he shot Du Ruo a glare like she was trying to extort him.
He didn’t even look her way as he turned to Zhang Ruhan. "Didn't think she’d have the nerve to go tattle. Professor, this is simple, she came to our lab to learn, "
"Senior, I have a name. It’s Du Ruo, not ‘this girl,’" she snapped, unable to stand his dismissive tone.
"Interrupting when others talk? Where are your manners?" he barked.
Du Ruo bit her lip, cheeks burning scarlet.
Zhang Ruhan tried to diffuse things. "Let’s just talk this out. No need to get worked up."
"No need? I gave her an amazing opportunity to join the lab. Professor Zhang, you know that tons of freshmen would kill for this chance. But what does she do? Turns around and bites the hand that fed her, an assistant demanding a share in Orbit? Greed like that could swallow the world!"
Du Ruo’s face was blazing, but she held her ground. "Don’t accuse me of being some greedy gold-digger. I never asked for a share in Orbit, never said it’s wrong if you want me out. We just don’t agree, that’s all. I don’t even want to be in the team anymore. But I have to take my own work with me!"
Wu Zhengbo laughed, incredulous. "What’s next, you going to say anything you ever touched in the project belongs to you? Please. Everyone’s contributions belong to the team. You, as just an assistant, aren’t entitled to take anything!"
"Not entitled?" Du Ruo’s eyes burned with tears. "Wu Zhengbo, the work to increase the IMU update rate and cut down cumulative error, that’s my research. Has nothing to do with Orbit! All these months, all those articles, formulas, experiments, trying different materials, I did it all myself! Not one of you helped me. And you say I have no right?"
She was blinking back tears furiously, desperate to hold them in.
Zhang Ruhan passed her a tissue, trying to smooth things over. "Don’t get upset, both of you, "
Wu Zhengbo bulldozed on, "Even if you made progress here, it was thanks to the lab’s people and environment, everything you learned was from the lab!"
"You, " Du Ruo, shaking with anger, shot back, "I’ll get a lawyer and sue you!"
"Go ahead. The school’ll help me lawyer up too," Wu replied, entirely unfazed.
For a second, Du Ruo couldn’t even breathe. He wasn’t scared at all, because he knew a lawsuit wouldn’t get her anywhere.
"If we’re done here, I’ll leave. Let me know when your lawyer’s in touch," he said, standing and stalking out.
Du Ruo’s hands clenched the chair so hard her fingertips went white; her mind was a mess, blank and buzzing.
Zhang Ruhan massaged her own temples. Grad students never wanted to play by the rules, but what could she do? She didn’t want an ugly scene in the department, either. She said, a little helpless, "Du Ruo, are you really planning on suing?"
Du Ruo just sat, numb, not responding.
Zhang Ruhan sighed. "Du Ruo, I know you’re upset, and no matter what I say right now it’ll sound unfair. The truth is, in this kind of situation, there’s no real right or wrong, both sides have their reasons. You think your senior is being unreasonable, but these are the rules. Anything an assistant or intern works on belongs to the lab by default. You’re there to learn, after all. Even performing apprentices have to hand over their earnings to their mentors, you know."
"Of course, I know this project is your solo work, and I understand how wronged you feel. But I have to warn you, if you take this to court, it’ll look bad. The school and the department probably won’t back you. Otherwise, it sets a precedent and every other lab could become impossible to manage. My advice? Just let this one go. If you want, I can help you get into another lab instead?"
Du Ruo couldn’t hear any of it. All she felt was this wave of hurt, anger, humiliation, helplessness, and bitter frustration…
She couldn’t take it anymore.
Biting her lip, she shook her head furiously, choked out a thank-you, and darted out of the office in tears.
The moment she was outside, her tears just exploded.
She couldn’t stop them.
She bolted towards the stairwell, desperate to hide, but halfway down the hall, she ran straight into Jing Ming, just coming out of the elevator, brows furrowed, striding her way.
They came face-to-face.
He spotted her tear-streaked face and was visibly startled.
She reacted like a frightened animal and darted for the stairs.
Jing Ming chased after her, flung open the emergency door, and raced after her down the stairs. He caught up to her in just a few strides, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back. "What did the professor say?"
The moment he asked, all her pent-up emotions burst. Her tears flooded out, pouring like a dam breaking. She covered her eyes with one arm, leaving only the tremble of her nose and the tight line of her lips peeking through, sobbing desperately.
“Stop crying already!” he snapped, clearly irritated. “Talk to me!”
Her voice kept hitching, broken by sobs: “I… can’t get the IMU… back… The professor said… endure it… The school won’t… take my side… said I was being unreasonable… Reporting them… it’s useless… no one, no one will… will help me…”
Jing Ming listened, stony-faced. She was crying so hard her words tumbled together, barely coherent, logic all over the place, she might as well have been speaking in riddles. Still, he instantly guessed the source of her misery.
He stood there for ages, neither reacting nor offering comfort.
After a while, her tears subsided, breath still catching, fingers busy dabbing her eyes.
Jing Ming finally drew his gaze away from the window to look at her. “You done?”
She said nothing.
He pulled a tissue from his pocket and held it out. “Wipe your face.”
She scrubbed her face clean, then dabbed at her eyes again.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and started heading downstairs. “Come with me.”
She stood stunned for a moment, but followed anyway.
She trailed after him down the stairs, onto a shaded path. The two of them walked, one ahead, one behind, a few meters apart, crossing the lush summer campus. They entered the research building, took the elevator, exited onto a hallway, and made their way to the Orbit Lab. He pushed open the door and strode right in, no invitation needed.
Inside, everyone was busy. An unexpected visitor, especially Jing Ming, turned all heads, confusion rippling through the room.
Du Ruo came in behind, her face a mess of anxiety and wounded pride, like a child who’d fetched her parents after being bullied at school.
Someone came over to ask, “Can we help you?”
Jing Ming ignored him completely, eyes sweeping the lab, disregarding every confused face until his attention landed on Wu Zhengbo.
Wu Zhengbo stood at a workstation with a few assistants, all looking at him in confusion. On the table were various tools and a half-dismantled IMU (inertial measurement unit).
Jing Ming strode that way, Du Ruo keeping close.
He reached the table and swept his eyes across it.
Wu Zhengbo saw Du Ruo and, guessing the reason for Jing Ming’s visit, sneered, “Well, what an honor. Is there a problem?”
Jing Ming still didn’t respond; he didn't spare Wu Zhengbo so much as a glance, as if no one else in the lab existed.
He picked up the half-disassembled IMU and looked back at Du Ruo. “Is this the one?”
Du Ruo nodded so fast her head looked mechanical.
Jing Ming examined it, turning it over in his hands. “Did you record all the steps of the experiment?”
“Yeah.” She nodded again.
The very next second, Jing Ming suddenly raised his hand, and slammed the thing onto the floor!
The device shattered on impact. Plastic shards flew everywhere. It was utterly destroyed.