Carrying a Jurassic on me
Chapter 1604 - 766: The Fake Cannot Become Real

Chapter 1604: Chapter 766: The Fake Cannot Become Real

In the afternoon, Yan Fei and Ivan idly strolled around the exchange meeting.

By now, Yan Fei had nearly given up on any hope of collaboration with Ivan; through casual conversation, he had vaguely revealed to Yan Fei that, though ostensibly engaged in international food trade, this business was merely a front.

In reality, Ivan had an even more crucial business, providing ’timely help in snow’—if you were a warlord of a small country being bullied by opponents, you could turn to Ivan, and he would enthusiastically offer weapons and ammunition for defense or counterattack.

Of course, Ivan hadn’t planned to abandon his normal trade business, it just wasn’t his primary focus. This time, Yan Fei guessed, the guy was probably taking the chance to avoid pressure from the government officials in Capital, seeking to lay low for a while.

Indeed, with such a vast forest, all kinds of birds can be found. Yan Fei thought he might not be able to find suitable clients that afternoon, so he gave up on doing business and instead chose to wander around the exchange meeting, using the opportunity to observe how others conducted their affairs.

By mid-afternoon, he suddenly received a call from a stranger. Answering the phone, he asked, "Hello, who’s this?"

"May I ask if this is Yan Fei?" The person on the other end of the line was very polite. "I’m Yang Xing from the Capital Institute of Paleovertebrate Studies. I’ve read some of your articles on dinosaurs and found them extremely interesting. I have a question I’d like to consult you about. Would you be available?"

"Really?" Yan Fei was surprised at that moment. Could it be that people from genuine research institutes had actually read his articles on dinosaurs?

Putting aside the fact that he wasn’t famous in the field of paleontology, just consider the articles he had published. Apart from the articles about the River Scorpions that were published in world-renowned journals, the others were published in what you could, at best, call scientific magazines, or less flatteringly, science gossip rags, which were hardly professional at all.

Now, someone suddenly informed him that they were from the Capital Institute of Paleovertebrate Studies, seeking to ask him questions. Yan Fei’s first reaction was to wonder if someone was playing a joke on him or if they knew he had a bit of money and were looking to scam him?

The person on the other end of the line didn’t expect Yan Fei to question their authenticity instinctively and paused before saying: "Well, if we were to meet in person, I have my work ID with me. If you still don’t trust me, you can call the Academy of Sciences to check; it should be easy to verify. Additionally, over the years, I’ve published some articles on paleontology, one of which was fortunate enough to be named one of the top ten news stories of the year in national basic scientific research, which should also be easy to validate..."

It seemed authentic indeed!

Yan Fei felt that even scammers or jokesters wouldn’t make themselves out to be that awesome, practically sky-high awesome. If it was indeed a scammer, then their capability was truly immense.

After a moment of thought, he replied: "As for ’consulting,’ let’s not go there. I’m just an amateur enthusiast, and I’m far behind a professional like you. Whatever questions you have, I’ll share everything I know."

"This matter is quite critical. I’ve arrived at Provincial City in Yuzhou Province. When would you be free to meet and talk?" Yang Xing suggested over the phone.

Yan Fei looked around and felt that there was nothing more for him at the meeting, so he said, "I’m free right now. If it’s convenient for you, we can meet now."

Yang Xing seemed delighted: "That’s great; I’m actually at the Provincial Research Institute right now. Where would be convenient for you to meet?"

Yan Fei thought it wasn’t far and replied immediately: "Then, I’ll come to you, let’s meet at the Research Institute."

Yang Xing continued to be polite for a while, but hearing that Yan Fei wasn’t far away, he agreed to the meeting.

Having bid farewell to Ivan who was still preoccupied, Yan Fei stepped out and casually called Zhao Fangliang from the Agricultural Institute: "Director Zhao, do you know anyone at the Provincial Research Institute? I want to ask if there’s someone named Yang Xing, said to be a scientist from the Capital Institute of Paleovertebrate Studies. Does such a person exist?"

Zhao Fangliang was surprised: "Yang Xing? He’s a big shot! What do you want with him? Has he come to our place?"

"Yes!" Yan Fei replied. "I was worried I might have encountered a scammer, but it’s good to know he’s real. He said he wants to discuss something with me. I’m on my way to meet him now."

"Is he coming to you for paleontology issues?" guessed Zhao Fangliang. "That River Scorpion article you wrote is something many researchers could not achieve in a lifetime. Congratulations!"

After some noncommittal chitchat, Yan Fei was relieved; it turned out not to be a scam.

Meanwhile, as Yan Fei inquired about Yang Xing’s credentials, someone in the Research Institute was advising Yang Xing: "We all know about Boss Yan, and we believe he is a successful entrepreneur. But to say his articles are credible... Mr. Yang, don’t take offense to my blunt words, but I think you’ve got the wrong person."

Yang Xing shook his head with a smile: "It’s about listening to a diverse array of opinions, adopting what’s best from each. Besides, didn’t Boss Yan also publish an article on the River Scorpion?"

Without mentioning this, it might have been fine, but once the topic arose, a slightly balding old man who had just spoken seemed even more critical: "That was nothing more than a fluke. If expertise could be gained by simply finding a couple of bugs, then what would that make us, who have been researching in the institute for decades?"