345 An Opportunity to Prove Oneself (1/2)
The two directors led the way, and together with Xiao Luo and Ji Siying, they arrived at the Computing and IT Department a few minutes later. The department was located in a large hall that resembled the shared office space in large IT companies, and rows upon rows of desks were neatly positioned within a grid. As Xiao Luo stepped into the workspace, he could hear the clattering of keyboards as the engineers were busy working on their computers.
There were about a hundred or so personnel in the hall at that time, and they all had their eyes fixed on their screens, busy developing various programs.
”Siying, please inform the engineers I will need a moment of their time,” Gu Zhanguo said.
Ji Siying nodded and walked to the front of the hall. There was a low platform where presentations and briefings were conducted, and it was equipped with a large screen and audio-visual equipment; it was dubbed the ”stage.” Ji Siying turned on the microphone and announced, ”Everyone, can I have your attention, please. Director Gu has a few words to say, and there's someone that he'd like to introduce to you. So, kindly stop your work for a moment. Thank you.”
One by one, their heads began to turn toward the stage, and on seeing their directors, Gu Zhanguo and Dongfang Shuoyu, the hundred or so engineers immediately stood up and saluted.
”There's no need for formalities, please, you may all sit down,” Dongfang Shuoyu said, waving a hand.
With everyone seated, Dongfang Shuoyu smiled and glanced at Gu Zhanguo. ”Well, Old Gu, are you going to do it, or shall I?”
”You do it.”
”Then, it'd be impolite of me to decline.”
Dongfang Shuoyu chuckled; it would be an honor to introduce Mie to these IT engineers. He looked at Xiao Luo and said, ”Mr. Mie, could you please join me on stage.”
Xiao Luo sighed; the time had come to pay off the debt.
Dongfang Shuoyu cleared his throat before he spoke, ”Comrades, you have all been raving about wanting to meet Mie and Bailing, am I correct? Unfortunately, Bailing in unable to be here for security reasons, but I'd like to introduce the person standing in front of you, this is Mie.”
Standing on stage, Dongfang Shuoyu could have passed for a VIP delivering a speech and presenting commendation awards to the students.
The entire hall was abuzz with murmurs as soon as Dongfang Shuoyu introduced Xiao Luo.
”What? He's Mie?!”
”Oh my, how is this possible? Mie can't actually be so young.”
”This is the same 'Mie' who fended off the cyber-attacks on the national virtual gateways and single-handedly turned the tide in our favor against foreign intruders?”
”Everyone, please be silent.”
The reaction of these engineers had been expected, and Dongfang Shuoyu inwardly enjoyed the rude shock they received. ”I think the reason why Mie is here should be self-evident. He is here today to share his insights and also discuss his methodologies and techniques. I hope that you can all learn from this and enhance your knowledge and skills in this area.”
Gu Zhanguo nodded in support, for both he and Dongfang Shuoyu hoped to create more ”Mie-clones” to improve the defense of the national virtual gateways and networks, making them impregnable to hostile intrusions by foreign forces in the future.
”Director Dongfang, is he really Mie?”
A bespectacled man in a gray shirt and asked, looking quizzically at Xiao Luo.
”Team Leader Zhou, are you doubting our NSA agents' ability to do their jobs?” Dongfang Shuoyu replied in a stern and forbidding tone.
”I'm not questioning their abilities; I just feel that he's too young, much younger than most of us. The level of computing and IT skills that we're talking about cannot be acquired overnight; it takes experience and time to nurture. I really can't believe that he is Mie.”
Another man stood up to voice his support for team leader Zhou, ”I agree with the team leader; he's too young—he can't be more than 25 or 26 years old, how can this man be Mie!”