With the earnest explanations from his relatives, Old Meng and his wife finally understood the incredible achievements their son had accomplished.
However, they still harbored a sliver of doubt.
How could their son be so exceptional without showing any signs of it since childhood? In just over a year, he had built a massive commercial company worth over two billion yuan in market value... yet, they had never seen Meng Hao exhibit remarkable business acumen when he was younger.
Cracking the core technology of the F35, successfully tackling the technological challenges of lithography machines, and bringing down the world's leading new energy lithium battery giant, NG Company... not to mention winning Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Innovation. These feats left Old Meng and his wife somewhat bewildered! Their son, though he studied science and engineering, had only attended a third-rate institution like Shilin University. How had he suddenly become someone even the national academicians of Da Xia found difficult to surpass?
While the couple was still in a daze, a relative shoved a mobile phone in front of them.
"Uncle Meng, Aunt Meng, I'm really not making this up..."
"Take a look at these news reports, they're all about your Meng Hao..."
Indeed.
On the young relative's phone, eye-catching headlines from authoritative US military releases, official announcements from the Dutch Asman government, and royal decrees from the Kingdom of Sweden were prominently displayed. As the relative had said, currently, whether it was on Weibo, Zhihu, or Bilibili, almost all the trending topics on social media platforms had been dominated by Meng Hao.
"We don't quite understand these things you young people play with!"
"I'll just look at my own phone!"
It wasn't that Meng Hao's parents didn't trust their relatives. It was akin to winning the lottery; they worried that if the call came from the lottery station or even the lottery center, the winner, out of caution and disbelief, would still personally retrieve their ticket to carefully verify the winning numbers. This was a peculiar human psychology! For older people, platforms like Bilibili, Weibo, and Zhihu were not commonly used. However, nationally recognized applications like Douyin and Toutiao were known to everyone from eighty-eight to eight years old. If their son Meng Hao had truly become a hot topic across the internet, as their relatives claimed, then his name would surely appear on Douyin and Toutiao as well.
As expected, news headlines perfectly matching the style of Douyin and Toutiao instantly caught the couple's eyes.
[Breaking News! This Young Man from Our Da Xia Has Shocked the Entire World!]
[Why is America Scared, Britain Cowed, and the World Astonished, All Because This Young Man Achieved Such a Feat!!]
[Secrets Unknown to Outsiders, About Meng Hao's Past and Present!!!]
Following this, a crowd of relatives, claiming to be Meng Hao's seventh aunts, eighth aunts, cousins, and second cousins, began to post grandly on Douyin and Toutiao.
"Hmm."
"It seems the matter is real."
"However, when did our Meng family gain so many relatives!"
"Hey, Third Aunt, aren't you eating right in front of me... but I've already seen at least eighteen middle-aged women on Douyin claiming to be Meng Hao's Third Aunt... and Meng Hao's eldest cousin, isn't today your wedding day? Why are there at least twenty-eight women on Douyin claiming to be you, babbling endlessly!"
The relatives at the banquet burst into laughter. On Douyin and Toutiao! As long as a major news story emerged, there would surely be a bunch of people desperately trying to join the fray, chase traffic, and claim kinship. However, this didn't seem to be the main point. The main point was that Meng Hao had already become a hot commodity throughout Da Xia, and even the entire world!
...
Putting down their phones, Old Meng and his wife remained unsettled for a long time. Although they didn't know when Meng Hao had acquired such incredible technological prowess, if these reports were true, and if they could significantly enhance Da Xia's national strength, then it was a blessing from their ancestors and brought them great honor. Of course, these reports couldn't possibly be false. Not to mention the information released by the US military, the Swedish royal family, and the Dutch government. If it were fake news, the state would have long since intervened to crack down on those spreading misinformation.
Finally, a relative spoke up.
"I truly never imagined that we would have such a distinguished figure among our relatives."
"Speaking of which, if Meng Hao has any needs, the country would undoubtedly meet them unconditionally."
"Old Meng, we're all relatives, don't forget us when you prosper!"
Various flattering remarks followed. Among them, the loudest and most boisterous voice naturally belonged to a middle-aged woman adorned with gold and jade. Compared to Meng Hao, her son was nothing. Seeing himself ignored by his mother, the bookish scholar, a product of the "small town riddle solver" phenomenon, resignedly ate and drank his beverage.
Facing a barrage of compliments, Old Meng and his wife smiled humbly.
"Oh, everyone is too kind."
"In fact, as parents, our desires are very simple... we don't ask for him to be wealthy, only that he be safe, happy, and bring glory to our country."
"As for asking for benefits from the state, let nature take its course. So many heroic ancestors contributed silently to the country, and none of them sought special treatment or benefits!"
Simple parents always had the simplest requirements and wishes.
...
Although it was a wedding banquet, the spotlight quickly shifted from the bride and groom to Old Meng and his wife. Friends and relatives from countless other tables came to toast them and try to establish connections! Some wanted to forge alliances, some wanted to latch onto their success, and many simply wanted to congratulate Meng Hao and express their admiration for his contributions to the country!
It was a wedding reception, yet it seemed to have transformed into a personal networking event for Meng Hao's parents. However, the newlyweds harbored no complaints about this. After all, fostering good relations with Meng Hao's parents, even if it proved to be of no use in the future, would still lend them prestige. Having a relative who won three Nobel Prizes and was the subject of national and global discussion was definitely something to boast about.
Eventually, it was a relative who, in a fit of excitement, suggested that Old Meng and his wife arrange a video call with Meng Hao. Unable to resist the collective enthusiasm, the couple dialed Meng Hao's WeChat video call. It went unanswered. They tried calling him, but that also didn't go through.
"Oh dear."
"It's our fault; we haven't been in touch with Meng Hao much recently."
"However, if what you all say is true, and Meng Hao has achieved such admirable results, he must be extremely busy, so it's normal that he didn't answer the call."
The relatives agreed with the explanation from Meng Hao's parents. Soon, everyone's attention returned to the couple's expressions. The banquet continued with toasts and cheerful conversation, creating a lively atmosphere!