185: Chapter 185 The report meeting has ended.

Inside the lecture hall, the last questioner sat down, fully satisfied.

Chen Youhua stood on the stage, his gaze slowly sweeping across the audience.

The glare of the spotlights was a bit piercing, making him squint slightly.

Within his field of vision were faces still immersed in a whirlwind of thought—some admiring, some deep in reflection, some relieved, but none questioning him anymore.

A few seconds of absolute silence enveloped Huaxia Hall. This silence wasn't empty; it was filled with a massive amount of information and spiritual resonance, as if the air itself had become heavy from the intellectual gambit that had just taken place.

Then, like a long-repressed tide, applause erupted once more, more enthusiastic and sustained than any time before.

This applause was no longer merely out of politeness or admiration; it was an expression of excitement and a tribute after witnessing history.

People stood up one after another, their eyes focused on the figure on stage—one who was excessively young, yet already standing at the pinnacle of academia.

Chen Youhua took a deep breath and spoke into the microphone in a slightly raspy but still clear voice.

"Thank you. The Q&A session ends here."

As the words fell, he felt an unprecedented sense of collapse instantly sweep through his entire body.

The sudden relaxation of a mind that had been intensely focused for several hours brought not pleasure, but an exhaustion that nearly crushed him.

His legs felt a bit weak, and his forehead and back had long been soaked with sweat. In the cool March weather, his shirt clung tightly to his skin, bringing a sticky, cold sensation.

He could even hear the thumping sound of the blood vessels in his temples, and a faint but persistent ringing echoed in his ears.

The applause continued, but it felt as if he were listening through a pane of glass; the sound became distant.

He saw Wang Zhe and Li Wei be the first to rush up from the side. Wang Zhe's face was flushed with excitement, and without a word, he gave him a solid, firm hug.

He patted his back hard, shouting something in his ear—likely something like "That was incredible!"—but Chen Youhua only felt his ears buzzing and couldn't hear clearly.

Li Wei stood to the side, her eyes sparkling and equally excited. She seemed to want to hug him but felt a bit embarrassed, so she ended up just gripping his arm firmly, repeatedly saying, "That was great! Perfect!"

Immediately after, more acquaintances, conference staff, and even some daring young scholars swarmed forward, drowning him in congratulations and praise.

Chen Youhua forced a smile and nodded to each person in acknowledgment, but his brain had almost stopped processing the information, leaving only instinctive reactions.

He just felt tired—unprecedentedly tired. He only wanted to find a quiet place to sit down, or better yet, lie down and think of nothing at all.

Escorted by Dean Tang, Wang Zhe, and the others, he was practically carried away from the lecture hall by the crowd, avoiding the media that still wanted to surround him, and entered the backstage lounge.

As soon as he entered the room, he slumped onto the sofa, closed his eyes, and didn't even want to move a finger.

Someone handed him a bottle of water. He took it and drank in small sips. Only as the cold water slid down his throat did he feel a sense of reality returning.

"Youhua, about the celebration banquet tonight..." Dean Tang spoke up with concern.

"Dean, let me rest for three hours first... no, four hours."

Chen Youhua interrupted him, his voice filled with an unmistakable weariness.

Dean Tang understood immediately and patted his shoulder.

"Of course, of course! You get some good rest, and we'll come to pick you up then. The location is in the banquet hall of the International Convention Center, very close by."

Dean Tang and the others left, gently closing the door behind them.

The lounge finally became quiet.

Chen Youhua didn't even have the strength to walk to the bed in the inner room; he fell into a deep sleep right there on the sofa.

This sleep was extremely heavy, devoid of dreams, consisting only of boundless darkness and the frantic repair of his bodily functions.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he was awakened by the persistent vibration of his phone by his pillow.

When he opened his eyes, the lights of the city were already beginning to shine outside the window.

It took him a dozen seconds to fully wake up and realize where he was.

He picked up his phone. The screen showed dozens of missed calls and over a hundred unread messages; the red number on the WeChat icon was startling.

He rubbed his face and forced himself to sit up.

Replying to messages was a must, but he needed to prioritize.

First, he dialed his mother's video call.

The faces of his parents squeezed together immediately appeared on the other side of the screen, with their living room at home as the background.

"Son! You're awake? How do you feel? You must be exhausted!"

His mother's voice was both excited and pained for him.

"We saw the live stream. Even though we didn't understand it, your dad and I both know you did something big! The whole place was applauding for you!"

His father was beside her, and although he tried hard to remain composed, the smile and pride at the corners of his eyes couldn't be hidden.

"A very good performance, steady and dignified. It's just that you looked too tired. Eat something good tonight to recover."

"Dad, Mom, I'm fine. I just felt a bit drained. I feel much better after a nap."

Chen Youhua's voice was still a bit raspy, but as he looked at his parents, a warm current surged in his heart.

"I made you worry."

"Worry about what? We're proud! So many relatives and friends have called to ask about you!"

His mother started rambling again about who had called, reminding him that no matter how busy he was, he had to remember to eat and sleep.

Chen Youhua listened patiently, agreeing to everything. They chatted for nearly ten minutes before he hung up amidst his parents' repeated exhortations.

Next, he tapped on Academician Zheng's chat box. Academician Zheng's message was concise.

"A historic moment. Rest well, then we'll talk."

He replied with a voice message.

"Academician Zheng, thank you. I just woke up and have recovered some strength. I'll give you a detailed report on the follow-up matters after I return to the laboratory."

He knew Academician Zheng would understand his current state.

Then there was the WeChat bombardment from his little cousin, Chen Xinran—dozens of messages, starting from the beginning of the presentation.

"Brother! It's starting! Good luck!"

To the middle.

"Wow! Even though I don't understand, it feels so amazing!"

And finally at the end.

"Brother, you are my one and only god!!!"

Interspersed with countless exclamation marks and emojis.

He couldn't help but smile and typed a reply.

"Sorry, I just woke up and didn't get back to you. I'll make it up to you with a double portion of dessert next time."

The reply came almost instantly.

"Ahhh, Brother, you replied!!! You should rest well! Although I really want to eat dessert and stuff, Brother's health is the most important!! (Starry-eyed emoji)"

As for the other mountain of messages, he glanced through them roughly.

Senior brothers and sisters from the lab, his high school homeroom teacher, and even some academic friends he had only met a few times...

He uniformly copied a polite and humble thank-you note he had thought of in advance.

"Thank you very much for your attention and congratulations! The presentation just ended and I am still resting, so please forgive me for not replying sooner. Your encouragement is my motivation to move forward, thank you!"

He pasted and sent them one by one.

This took him some time, but it was a necessary courtesy.

Only after handling all this did he truly feel a sense of relief.

He sat quietly for a while longer, letting his brain clear completely.