Beijing time, November 5.

On the other side of the Pacific, the results of the US presidential election have come out.

Considering the closure of the domestic media in 1980, not many people paid attention to this news. It can even be said that ordinary people in cities below the third tier do not know that Americans are going to run for president.

However, in the capital, especially in the foreign affairs department, this news still caused a lot of discussion.

"Carter is finished, fiasco. In his last month, his response to the Middle East problem was too unsuccessful. The hostages were not saved, the price of oil had doubled, and it was too late for the dying struggle to reveal a tendency to compromise with the evil regime - it was completely unprofitable, but the reputation was lost in vain, and it was a shame for the United States!"

"No wonder I lost more than a dozen states that were originally private pig stalls, alas, there is no play. ”

"Brzezinski has mistaken the country! President Carter can be said to be very innocent, he does not do bad things or good things, he is cowardly and incompetent, and if it were not for the fiasco in the diplomatic field, he would not have ......

The Foreign Affairs University is also the most sensitive unit to foreign trends, and it is natural that everyone in the students discussed this matter after tea and dinner, and expressed their opinions and pointed out the country.

However, with Senior Gu's subject Zhuyu in front, these juniors and sisters can only let go of the afterthought and pick up Gu Yahui.

Many freshmen don't read periodicals like the Foreign Affairs Review, and they haven't reached this level, so they are stunned to be fed a little Gu's analysis in the cafeteria every day.

Gu Ao's decision to refuse Brzezinski's invitation to study for a doctorate has gradually been understood by more people.

Including Principal Liu, they no longer forced him.

Originally, from the standpoint of President Liu, President Liu was very enthusiastic to encourage Gu Wei to accept Brzezinski's academic invitation letter more than half a month ago.

This kind of acceptance is not to say that Principal Liu feels that the decision to accept can be of much benefit to Gu Biao himself. Because President Liu had also expected that Brzezinski might have pills.

It was only for the benefit of the school that he hoped to open a gap for graduates of the Foreign Affairs Academy to continue their studies at Georgetown University.

Because many of the top universities in the United States have a lot of chance when deciding whether to establish a long-term talent exchange mechanism with Chinese universities.

If the first batch of students who are invited by chance perform well, then it is very likely that a system will be formed in the future to benefit the younger students for many years to come.

For example, just like the time and space in Gu Ao's previous life, Zhejiang University has exchange places with Stanford and UC Berkeley.

But this mechanism is actually the first batch of original places that Academician Qiu Chengtong brokered and mediated in the late 90s. If the students at that time had failed to perform well, it might have become a one-shot deal. Fortunately, they performed well, and later Stanford and Berkeley gave Zhejiang University a place every year, which became a common practice.

Gu Ao's role now is the same. Brzezinski's invitation to study for a doctorate was a "special case," and his performance as a touchstone showed that the quality of the students of China's Foreign Affairs Academy was passable, and it would become a common practice.

It's just that this time Carter and Brzezinski lost too badly, the number of votes was too low, and there were too many people who scolded him suddenly, so President Liu completely gave up - the causes and consequences of the first batch of exchange students will go down in history, and a good start must always be as glorious as possible.

……

"Comrade Xiao Gu, congratulations on passing the defense and officially graduating. ”

The day after the presidential election results were reported to China, Gu Biao once again participated in the defense and passed without incident.

This time, the topic was "how to take advantage of the existing international situation and break through the technical blockade of the Pao gray zone", and the number of people who listened to the defense was even smaller, and there were only a very few leaders with very high secret ranks. Other professors and researchers can't hear about it.

Of course, the results of the project cannot be published in the "Foreign Affairs Review," and only a few dozen copies can be printed and distributed in limited quantities, and then circulated to the handling personnel.

However, this is what really allowed Gu Biao to graduate early from graduate school.

After sending off the leaders, the secretary of the president's office sent six graduation certificates and degree certificates. (Because this is a 3+2 bachelor's and master's degree system)

President Liu personally issued undergraduate and graduate diplomas, bachelor's and master's degree certificates in person, and then handed them to Gu Biao and other 77 graduates.

Then, only the graduation certificate and bachelor's degree certificate of the undergraduate stage were issued, and they were handed over to two 78-level students, Yang Xin and Isminaya. As for the master's certificate, they have to stay up for another year, and in the future, they will get individual results as graduation chips.

The "meritorious deeds" of the four members of the research group are preliminarily completed - of course, this is only the school-level meritorious reward, and when it comes to the future units, it is natural to say otherwise, which is not under the control of President Liu.

"Thank you, Principal. After Gu Biao took it, he thanked him politely.

"Xiao Gu, you must understand the good intentions of the school. Next Monday, you will go to the Foreign Investment Commission to officially report, and you will perform well when you arrive at the unit, but don't give up the possibility of continuing your studies. Principal Liu earnestly exhorted.

"Don't worry, principal, we won't. Ye Su hurriedly expressed his loyalty.

"Don't be in a hurry, I'm not talking to you. Principal Liu pressed it falsely, signaled Ye Su to be restless, and then used the posture of a senior friend to put himself in the shoes of a showdown.

"Xiao Gu, although you rejected Brzezinski's solicitation, your ability to show public academic results has been noticed. In the future, it is also possible that someone will invite you to study for a PhD at Georgetown University.

On the domestic side, because you are too young to graduate and start working at the age of 18, even if you graduate with a doctorate, it is difficult to be assigned to a position at or above the county level at the beginning. Therefore, it is better to work for a while after graduating with a master's degree directly as it is now, and stabilize the treatment at the county and department level. In the future, there will be a chance to apply for leave without pay for further study, and it can also be used as a bargaining chip for promotion.

I said this to you because I took you as a friend. In terms of political consciousness, that is a big drop that should not be. I also hope that you will not forget your roots, and still remember that you graduated from the Foreign Affairs University after you go out, and if you have the opportunity, you will open up more possibilities for the younger students.

In the next three to five years, graduates of the China Foreign Affairs University will be able to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then they will have to go to the Foreign Investment Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Trade. However, the vacancies in the ministries will have to be filled sooner or later. As a principal, I want to look far ahead and find more good paths for graduates in 5 or 10 years' time. You path-finding seniors are here to accumulate word of mouth for future generations. ”

Principal Liu's words can be said to be heartfelt.

Every school, the first students who go to a new unit, are important. It is related to the overall first impression of the students of this school in the receiving unit and in the future.

"Don't worry, principal, I just rejected Brzezinski, and I didn't say that I would never go to a prestigious university for a doctorate in my life. I have my own career rhythm, and I won't disgrace the Foreign Affairs Academy anyway. Gu Biao didn't want to promise more, he just made a general and polite roundabout, and then took his leave.

……

The U.S. election is Tuesday, so Gu's graduation is Thursday. He has three days of official leave before he reports to the Foreign Investment Commission next Monday.

Ye's window is shorter than his, because she has to report to the Chinese Embassy in Washington next Monday, and considering that the journey takes two days, she only has one day off after getting her diploma.

"It's finally done, and you'll graduate later. Coming out of Principal Liu's place, Mina still felt a little unreal.

Her and Senior Gu's classmates' careers are over here, and they have graduated.

Fortunately, I am still in the capital on business, and there is always a chance to see it.

Mina was hurt and coaxed: "Sister Ye, let's put wine for you to practice tomorrow, you will go to the United States early the day after tomorrow." ”

Ye Su refused: "No, I'll fly back to Jinling tomorrow afternoon—my family is still in Jinling, and I want to set aside time to say goodbye to them." Then at noon the day after tomorrow, we took off from Hujiang to the United States. ”

As mentioned earlier, the only Sino-US flight in 1980 was on the Beijing-Hujiang-Seattle-New York route, so the flight took off from Hujiang half a day later than Beijing.

Ye Kun is a southerner, and of course he has to say goodbye to his family before going abroad.

Mina thought for a moment and gave up: "Leaving tomorrow afternoon? Why don't I join in the excitement of the 77 seniors with Brother Yang tonight. ”

"Okay, let's go together. Ye Kun smiled.

Tonight, the students of the class of '77 were supposed to get together to see off the first two early graduates. It is also quite convenient for a small number of 78-level juniors and sisters to come to eat.

Because Ye Su is the one who goes abroad, Gu Wei will not pay for the invitation with the other party. He just gave the other party the opportunity to exchange some foreign exchange coupons at the official price, so that Ye Kun had enough money to go to the foreign guest hall of the Friendship Hotel to serve wine - that place does not accept RMB, only foreign exchange coupons.

At night, in the western restaurant of the Friendship Hotel, a small hall was contracted, and a total of ten tables were set up, according to the standard of eight people per table.

The restaurant received a total of 2,000 yuan in foreign exchange coupons, which was equivalent to about 30 yuan per person.

Even for the students of the Foreign Affairs University, a meal of 30 yuan per person is a luxurious meal.

In addition to high-end seafood, you can basically get all the other imaginary delicacies. Even the drinks are imported from Italy, Spain and Greece.

"Student Ye, I wish you great ambitions after you come to the United States, and when you deal with Americans, you will strive to win more glory for the country. ”

"Student Gu, I wish you a high promotion to the Foreign Investment Commission, and don't forget to recommend our junior students of the Foreign Affairs University to the leaders in the future. ”

"Xiao Yang, it's your turn to go to Tokyo next year, don't be shabby when the time comes, you have to be as atmospheric as Brother Gu and Sister Ye, otherwise it won't count!"

So many envious animals surrounded the toast, Gu Biao couldn't drink it if he didn't want to, and it was Tuscan wine mixed with ouzo and liqueur, and he soon became drowsy.

At a night banquet, Gu Biao estimated that he didn't eat much, and he was caught pouring foreign wine, and in the end, his roommate carried him back to the bedroom.

When he woke up the next day, it was already noon, he went to the canteen in a daze to ask for some porridge to sober up his stomach, and when he saw Mina in the canteen, he knew that Ye Kun had gone to the airport and boarded the plane to Jinling.

Gu Biao raised his eyes to look at the autumn sunshine outside the window, ready to start a new life.