Chapter 4
There were three papers from top quantum information journals sitting on my desk, all with my name as first author.
Of course, I published them under a pen name.
Calanthia had no clue about this. Almost nobody in the industry knew about it either.
"Mr. Vance is right," Calanthia said after double-checking her data. "I'll update that parameter."
I said calmly, "And on page twelve, you calculated material costs using lab prices. For the packaging and testing stage, I'll have my team send you a procurement list for mass production."
She nodded. "Alright."
I added, "As for the yield model on page fifteen, I'd recommend you rerun it with Aldrive Group's historical data. Tina, forward the Q3 yield report to Dr. Thornwood's team."
Tina nodded. "Understood, Mr. Vance."
Calanthia's eyes changed as she looked at me.
It wasn't the look she gave her ex-husband, nor the look she gave her boss.
It was the look a scientist gives when she realizes she's facing a peer, even a rival.
"How long have you been working in this field?" Calanthia asked.
"Three years," I replied.
Her expression froze.
Three years. She spent three years abroad, and I spent those same three years learning too.
While she was overseas diving into quantum communication, I was here working on chip packaging and testing.
But at the same time, I was teaching myself quantum communication on the side.
Nobody knew why. And I never told anyone why.
After the meeting, Calanthia's team left first. She stayed behind.
She spoke up. "Aldric."
Now, it was the two of us in the conference room.
Calanthia looked at me, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did you start studying quantum communication... because of me?"
I tidied up the papers on the table. "Dr. Thornwood, don't flatter yourself. It's just business."
"Can you call me Calanthia?" she asked.
"Dr. Thornwood, you have a technical review at two. Get some rest," I said, keeping my distance.
I picked up the documents and left. The door closed behind me.
I heard a quiet sob from inside the conference room. I didn't look back.
Three years ago, Calanthi was the one who walked away without looking back.
Three years later, I finally learned how to walk away without looking back.
*****
The technical review meeting kicked off right on time at two in the afternoon.
This time, it wasn't just Calanthia's team in attendance.
The city's science and technology review panel was also there, led by Harley Parker, a top authority in quantum information from Verlia University.
Harley was in his seventies, his hair white as snow, but he was still full of life.
He shook Calanthia's hand. "Calanthia, your mentor Connor Gordon was my student. That makes you my academic granddaughter."
Calanthia smiled warmly. "Hello, Professor Parker, it's good to see you."
Harley turned and spotted me, his eyes widening in surprise. Then he hurried over, reaching out his hand with a big smile.
"Aldric, my boy, you're in on this project too?" he said.
Calanthia's smile froze. She realized that Harley looked at me in a way that was nothing like how he looked at her.
To her, he gave the courteous nod an elder offers a junior.
But to me, his gaze held the genuine respect reserved for a fellow expert.
"Professor Parker, Aldrive Group's handling the business side," I said, giving his hand a firm shake.
"Excellent, excellent," Harley said, giving my shoulder a friendly pat and leaning in close. "I went over your last paper three times. It's a really impressive stuff.
"So, when are you going to publish it under your real name?"
Calanthia stood three steps away. She could hear every word.
She definitely heard it. But she kept quiet.
The review meeting lasted three hours.
Calanthia's technical proposal got unanimous approval from the expert panel.
But after the meeting, Harley had Calanthia and me stay after everyone else left.
He said, "I have high hopes for this project, but there's a catch. Quantum key distribution relay nodes currently max out at 60 miles.
"If we want intercity communication, we need at least 180 miles."
Calanthia frowned. "That's the biggest bottleneck internationally right now. We haven't solved it either."
Harley glanced at me. I didn't say anything.
"Aldric, the two-photon entanglement relay scheme you discussed in your paper could theoretically extend coverage to 300 miles," he said.
Calanthia turned to me. "Did you really publish something about quantum relays?"
"Just a brief note," I replied.
"Where at?" she continued.
Harley smiled. "Nature Physics."
Calanthia's expression shifted. Nature Physics。 One of the most prestigious physics journals in the world.
She'd spent three years, publishing seven papers in top-tier journals. The most prestigious one was Physical Review Letters.
And me—her ex-husband, who she thought was just working in the domestic chip business—had a paper in Nature Physics.
"What's your pen name?" Calanthia pressed.
"Aldrive," I replied.
"Aldrive..." she murmured, her voice trembling a little
Aldrive. Aldrive Group, that was also my pen name. She must have come across that name while reading papers abroad.
"You published four papers under 'Aldrive,'" Calanthia said, pronouncing each syllable carefully. "Parameter optimization for quantum entanglement states, theory of two-photon relays, topological quantum error correction, and..."
She paused.
"And what?" I asked.
Calanthia fell silent.