Chapter 2

At the airport, I pulled out a gilded invitation and a scholar's visa, ready to board my flight to the United States. The atmosphere in the MIT lab was even more expansive and sophisticated than I had envisioned. Surrounding me were high-precision instruments and state-of-the-art nanomaterial research equipment, each piece more astonishing than the last. The academic freedom here was exceptional, with minimal interference, allowing me to truly chase my ambitions. It struck me then: it had always been Leo Riley who was holding me back from reaching new heights. Those stagnant days with him now seemed completely irrational.

Three months later, an international academic conference was scheduled to take place back home, and Dr. Harrison Robinson, the lab director, personally