The matter of who "Red Scarf" really is has been under constant investigation by the National Security Bureau. Yet, despite deploying their top cybersecurity experts, they have found nothing.
Red Scarf appeared out of nowhere, leaving no trace on the internet. If it weren’t for that email in Professor Gu Anbang’s computer, no one would believe it was real—it would seem like a dream.
In recent days, the research institute has been verifying the weapon blueprints sent by Red Scarf, and the conclusions have been incredibly encouraging. Among them are technologies that scientists have struggled with for years without making any progress.
This technology has broad applications—not only in military weaponry but also in civilian machinery. Once applied, the power, accuracy, and ease of use of weapons will surpass previous technologies by a wide margin.
Applied to civilian machinery, it not only reduces costs but also boosts efficiency by thirty to forty times compared to before.
Without Red Scarf’s contribution, it would take at least another decade or two for China to develop such technology. Now that Red Scarf has delivered it, once it is widely implemented, China’s overall capabilities will be at least ten years ahead of the rest of the world!
In recent days, one discussion meeting after another about Red Scarf has been held. Leaders One, Two, and Three unanimously agreed that it’s crucial to establish a good relationship with Red Scarf and prevent them from siding with other countries.
Since Red Scarf has voluntarily contributed these weapon blueprints to the nation, it’s clear they have goodwill toward the country. Whether tracking or investigating, they must tread carefully—not letting Red Scarf feel even the slightest discomfort.
The Minister of National Security has even issued a strict order: all staff across the country must monitor carefully and report any news about Red Scarf, no matter how small, immediately.
The incident of Red Scarf sending the Orchid Pavilion Preface to the Dian Province Museum was confirmed by the National Security Bureau around 6 p.m. The reason it wasn’t reported until midnight was because they were verifying the evidence.
The results were exciting. The Dian Province National Security officers had already obtained footage of Red Scarf going to the post office to send a package and visiting an internet café that day.
Although they eventually lost track of Red Scarf, that was expected. If catching Red Scarf had been that easy, the cybersecurity team wouldn’t have been so overwhelmed.
This news was undoubtedly uplifting. An hour later, at 2 a.m., the lights in the meeting room of the bureau were turned on again, staying bright all night long.
Lin Xi, on the other hand, had a night full of sweet dreams. The next morning, she helped Yao Yuran to the bathroom, then stopped by home to put smartwatches on the two children. Yao Yuran’s grandmother had one too.
Chi Xiangping usually used an elderly-friendly smartphone, so this kind of smartwatch was something she’d only seen children in the city wear.
When Lin Xi put it on her, Chi Xiangping was a bit reluctant: “This is something kids wear. Why are you putting it on me? I’m not that young anymore. If I wear this out, people will definitely laugh at me to death.”
No matter what Chi Xiangping said, Lin Xi gently placed the watch on her wrist and said, “This watch is even suitable for elderly people. Don’t underestimate it—if you ever feel unwell or get into an emergency, this watch can help make an emergency call.”
“And it also has an anti-getting-lost feature. If one day you happen to get lost somewhere and I can’t find you, I can check your location online. No matter where you are, I can find you. Plus, it’s solar-powered—wherever there’s light, it won’t run out of battery.”
After Lin Xi finished explaining, Chi Xiangping fell silent, her mind drifting back to an old man in their village named Old Zhang. By their family’s generation, she still had to call him “Uncle.”
When he was young, Old Zhang was quite spry, but as he aged, he developed Alzheimer’s. One day, he went out and never came back.
His son reported him missing, and the villagers all joined the search. After a whole week, they finally found him, deep in the woods behind Wangjiaping.
Though he wasn’t dead, he had suffered greatly. During the rare moments he was lucid, he told his sons about the ordeals he had endured over those days. Not long after, he passed away.
Chi Xiangping was no spring chicken herself—she was already seventy-five years old. Although her health had improved somewhat, no one could say for sure what the future held when it came to illness.
She only had Lin Xi as her granddaughter. If one day she ended up like Old Zhang, wouldn’t that just be a burden to Lin Xi?
With that thought, Chi Xiangping no longer resisted. Instead, she eagerly learned how to use the phone watch together with Lin Xi.
Knowing that the watch could make calls and even video chats, Chi Xiangping was delighted, especially after discovering how fast the internet connection was—no more of the frustrating lag she experienced with her old smartphone designed for seniors.
Meanwhile, Hu Mingfang and Miss Hu Mingyue were already on a call with Yao Yuran.
After getting Yao Yuran’s consent, Lin Xi had activated the youth mode on the phone watches given to Hu Mingfang and Hu Mingyue. Many apps couldn’t be installed on their watches under this mode.
Seeing the mother and daughter chatting happily, Lin Xi asked if they had called their mom last night.
Chi Xiangping replied, “After it got dark, Mingyue wanted to find her mom, but Mingfang comforted her, and she calmed down quickly. She slept with me through the night without a single cry.”
“In the morning, Mingfang even knew to pick up a book and read. I heard her reading aloud—it reminded me of when you were little, how beautifully you read,” Chi Xiangping said. She hadn’t gone to school as a child but later, when she helped build a reservoir, she attended literacy classes for a while.
Now, she only recognized some common characters.
She had always understood the importance of education. Unfortunately, Lin Xi’s father was a blockhead—his school performance was poor, but he did manage to learn how to court girls and fall in love.
Her thoughts wandered there, and Chi Xiangping couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Xi, tell me, where do you think your father went? After all these years, not a single word from him?”
Lin Xi was only two years old when he left. So many years have passed—neither alive nor dead, no sign of him anywhere. Chi Xiangping felt that her son was most likely gone for good. Otherwise, with his temperament, he wouldn’t have stayed away from home without a word.
Lin Xi said nothing. Her memories of her father were extremely vague. Even with his photos, she couldn’t form a clear image of him in her mind.
Fortunately, Chi Xiangping only mentioned it briefly before quickly changing the subject. After having lunch at home, Lin Xi went with Chi Xiangping to Gu Dahong’s house.
They had just finished eating. Da Mingbao wasn’t home; he had gone to visit Sun Xiquan next door in the neighboring village.
Upon learning the reason for Lin Xi’s visit, Gu Dahong took her to the village office.
The village office was quite small—three red-brick buildings: one served as the office, another as the meeting room, and the last as an activity center for the elderly. To the left were three rooms for the village officials’ dormitories. The rest was a large cemented open space, flanked by flower beds planted with various flowers.
At this moment, some hardy red trumpet flowers bloomed vibrantly despite the cold.
The village party secretary, Du Shuncheng, was an official sent from outside. During the workweek, he lived and ate at the village office, only returning home on weekends.
He had worked alongside Gu Dahong for several years, and their collaboration was always pleasant. Both of them placed great importance on the tourism plan for Lianhua Village.
These past few days, they had been gathering to analyze the villagers’ needs. The decision to let Lin Xi open an inn was a consensus they reached together.
Chi Xiangping had already chosen the site for the inn—right across from Lin’s Pond.
Lin’s Pond was the largest pond in all of Lianhua Village, directly connected to the river outside. In summer, the scenery there was especially breathtaking.
Building the inn opposite Lin’s Pond meant guests could enjoy the view right from their windows. On the other side were several smaller ponds.
This was also why Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng favored that spot for the inn. They had already decided that if Lin Xi didn’t pick that location, they would recommend it to her.
Lin Xi’s choice coincided with their expectations, so there was no need for further persuasion.
Currently, the township was promoting tourism development. Both Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng had the authority to approve homestead land, a special privilege granted under exceptional circumstances.
Normally, the approval process for homestead land was lengthy. The township would report to the county, which would then send surveyors from the Land Bureau to measure the land before granting final approval.
This whole procedure could take at least three months.
But the township wanted to start attracting visitors this spring. After the Lunar New Year, the province would warm up. From spring blossoms to autumn’s golden hues, it was the perfect season for tourism.
If they waited three months to start building the inn, where would those hard-won visitors stay? Would they have to lodge in the county instead? That would ruin the whole experience.
With the inn’s location settled, Lin Xi brought up Yao Yuran and her two daughters.
Coincidentally, Elder Sister Fu from the village women’s federation was also at the village office. Hearing this, she immediately made a decision: “Village Chief, Party Secretary, I think this little Yao can be registered under our village’s collective household.”
Elder Sister Fu was a widow; her husband had passed away twenty years ago. She raised a pair of children all by herself and maintained a spotless reputation. Not even the village’s most talkative gossip ever uttered a single bad word about her.
When it came time to elect the village’s women’s committee leader, Elder Sister Fu—being literate and capable—was chosen for the role.
Over all these years, in Lianhua Village, not a single baby girl had died due to the preference for sons, and incidents of domestic violence were rare. This was largely thanks to her effective legal awareness campaigns.
As for those baby girls drowned in the pond at the far end of the village, most of them were from other villages.
Since the turn of the millennium, such tragic drownings of baby girls had become increasingly rare.
Lin Xi had absolutely nothing to do with Yao Yuran’s situation, and Elder Sister Fu’s two greatest hates in life were, first, selling daughters, and second, domestic violence.
Yao Yuran embodied both. Elder Sister Fu wholeheartedly supported Lin Xi’s approach.
“Domestic violence—once it happens the first time, there will be a second, and as the instances multiply, it becomes dangerously easy to lose control. This time, Yao Yuran suffered a broken head and fractured foot. Next time, she might not be so lucky.”
Domestic violence, once it occurs even once, tends to repeat endlessly. Simply put, it’s a process of testing boundaries.
If the first act of violence meets no fierce resistance, the abuser learns the victim’s limits. After one successful attempt, a second soon follows.
Some abusers go through a period of guilt afterward. During this time, they come up with all sorts of excuses to rationalize their violent actions.
They might kneel down, write promises to change, and take other measures to seek forgiveness from the victim. But whether it’s kneeling or writing guarantees, none of it works. When emotions flare, the violence continues.
Over time, the sense of guilt fades and is replaced by a sense of entitlement.
It’s only a matter of time before someone is beaten to death or maimed. Every year, countless women die from domestic violence.
Elder Sister Fu insisted on going to the city to visit Yao Yuran. Lin Xi got the phone number of the construction crew from Du Shuncheng, sent Chi Xiangping home to look after her two children, and drove Elder Sister Fu to the city.
Elder Sister Fu’s two daughters were both attending university away from home. Though she hadn’t remarried all these years, her spirit was rich and fulfilling. Being a village official didn’t pay much, but she enjoyed the work.
Years ago, she was even offered a transfer to the township’s Women’s Federation, but Elder Sister Fu declined. After all, working at the Women’s Federation didn’t pay much either, and she still had two children to support.
Elder Sister Fu had a valuable skill—her barbecue was delicious. Every time there was a big market day, she would set up a stall and grill skewers, and business was booming.
Her children’s tuition fees were paid from the money she earned selling barbecue. Now that Lianhua Village was about to be developed, she planned to open a barbecue restaurant right next to the homestead Lin Xi had chosen.
Or rather, wherever Lin Xi built a hotel, she would open a barbecue joint nearby. On the way to the city, after discussing Yao Yuran and the schooling of Xiao Fang and Xiao Yue, the two of them continued talking about this plan.
Yao Yuran had already finished taking her anti-inflammatory medication for the day. During Lin Xi’s absence, she had hired a caregiver—ten yuan an hour—whose job was simply to help Yao Yuran to the bathroom, monitor her fluid intake, and call the doctor promptly if needed.
When Lin Xi arrived, she paid the caregiver thirty yuan, and the caregiver immediately left. There were many patients like Yao Yuran in the hospital who needed caregivers, but there were even more caregivers available. If she didn’t hurry to find clients, she would have to sit idle for the day.
Yao Yuran felt somewhat reserved when she realized the woman who came with Lin Xi was the Women’s Affairs Director. Although she had gained a lot of awareness recently, facing an official still made her a bit intimidated.
Elder Sister Fu had been working in women’s affairs for many years and had her own well-established approach. Her demeanor was very kind. The first thing she said was to warmly welcome Yao Yuran and her daughters to settle in Lianhua Village.
Just that one sentence was enough to bring tears of joy to Yao Yuran’s eyes. With her defenses lowered, the rest of the conversation became much easier.
Under Elder Sister Fu’s inquiries, Yao Yuran boldly expressed her wishes.
“I want to change the surnames of Xiaofang and Xiaoyue.” Both names had been given by Yao Yuran herself. Since their birth, Hu San had never even held them once.
Compared to his attitude toward Hu Mingpeng, it was like night and day. Seeing this, Yao Yuran loved her two daughters even more, her affection tinged with a trace of guilt.
As for Hu San, ever since she married him, Yao Yuran had felt nothing but disgust. Over the past two days, that disgust had only intensified to the point where she didn’t even want to mention his name.
Changing Hu Mingfang’s surname was a decision Yao Yuran had thought through carefully. Hu San despised Xiaofang and Xiaoyue, calling Xiaofang a “loser” and a “little bitch” for eight years.
Since Hu San didn’t care for Xiaofang and Xiaoyue, then they shouldn’t bear his name. Of course, the surname Yao came from Yao Yuran’s own father, and she wasn’t entirely happy with it either. But she thought, if not after her or her father, then let them take the surname of their aunt, Yao Xiran.
Yao Yuran hoped that when her daughters grew up, they could be like their aunt Yao Xiran and get into college. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about anything.
She had just consulted Xiaofang about it, who was especially happy, chattering excitedly about what names she wanted to change to.
Yao Mingxing was the name Xiaofang chose herself. She said she especially loved the stars in the sky. Xiaoyue would be changed to Yao Mingyue—just by looking at their names, anyone could tell they were sisters.
“Did you bring the birth certificates and household registration documents for both children?”
“Yes, yes.” When Yao Yuran gave birth, Yao Xiran had insisted on going to the hospital, making repeated requests.
Xiaofang was Hu San’s first child. Before she was born, he had been very hopeful, calling Yao Yuran’s belly “big son” every day.
He was fifteen years older than Yao Yuran. When Yao Mingfang was born, Yao Yuran was sixteen, and he was already thirty-one. To welcome his first son, he had specifically taken Yao Yuran to the hospital.
Although the baby was a girl, the local maternal and child health department gave him a subsidy of two hundred yuan.
Moreover, they had cooperative medical insurance, which the village chief and the party branch secretary had ordered everyone to pay without exception.
In the remote mountains, the power held by the village chief and the party branch secretary was immense. No one dared to disobey their orders. Hu San paid for both himself and Yao Yuran’s cooperative medical insurance but grumbled about it for days after returning home.
Yao Yuran also got scolded a few times. However, when she went to give birth, it didn’t cost much, and she even received a subsidy of two hundred yuan. Although those two hundred yuan barely covered the expenses she had already paid out of pocket, being able to benefit from government support was, for someone like Hu San, like making a profit. That’s why Yao Yuran gave birth to Xiao Yue in the hospital with Hu Mingpeng by her side.
As a result, the birth certificate was complete. All those documents were entrusted to Lin Xi for safekeeping since Yao Yuran didn’t trust the hospital—a place with so many people coming and going.
Lin Xi casually stored them in her digital space. At this moment, when Elder Sister Fu asked, Lin Xi pretended to rummage through her bag and pulled out the documents.
Elder Sister Fu examined them carefully and said, “No problem. When you transfer the household registration, just explain the situation to the police.”
In their area, where many ethnic minorities lived, the management of children’s household registrations was much more lenient compared to other places. If you had some connections, the process became even simpler.
The township was small, and Elder Sister Fu, the village party secretaries, and the township police officers all knew each other well. If you wanted to handle something, as long as it wasn’t illegal, the police would be willing to help.
Moreover, with the development of information networks, transferring household registrations no longer required going back to the original place to get a transfer certificate. As long as the destination township approved the transfer, it was just a matter of coordination between the two police stations.
Elder Sister Fu took the documents for Yao Yuran and her family. It was better to handle this as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary complications later. If they waited too long, once Lianhua Village started developing, it would be much harder to transfer in. Although land and dividends weren’t divided by village, some people still wouldn’t be willing to accept newcomers.
If they transferred before Lianhua Village developed, it wouldn’t be a big problem.
Yao Yuran didn’t even know how to thank them. Everything was going so smoothly, it felt like a dream. Just as she had hoped, her life was turning around.
She had suffered so much in the first half of her life; once those hardships were over, the second half would finally bring peace and prosperity.
Yao Yuran even began to believe in fate.
With the sky still light, Elder Sister Fu needed to go to the township, and Lin Xi knew how urgent this matter was, so she offered to drive her.
Coincidentally, Yao Yuran was also about to be discharged from the hospital. Elder Sister Fu helped her pack, while Lin Xi went to handle the discharge procedures. Under the guidance of a nurse, Lin Xi bought a wheelchair at the pharmacy near the hospital entrance.
The three of them then headed to the township together.
Lianhua Village belonged to Xingshui Township, which was the same place Lin Xi and Chi Xiangping had visited recently for the market.
It wasn’t far—less than an hour’s drive—and Lin Xi soon arrived at Xingshui Township with Yao Yuran and Elder Sister Fu.
The township government of Xingshui was composed of three two-story buildings arranged in a C-shape, enclosing a courtyard in the middle. At the center of the courtyard was a circular flower bed planted with evergreen shrubs, which, despite the cold weather, remained lush and vibrant.
Lin Xi pushed Yao Yuran’s wheelchair as they followed Elder Sister Fu, walking up and down through the various departments inside. They were preparing a series of official certificates, and by the time they had filed all the documents at the township police station, it was already past six in the evening.
The police officers at the station had been so busy handling this matter that they hadn’t even had time to eat. Elder Sister Fu gave Lin Xi a subtle signal, and Lin Xi immediately extended a warm invitation for them to join for dinner.
The officers gladly accepted, and at Lin Xi’s insistence, they even called two colleagues who had already finished their shifts to come along.
The entire township police station had only four staff members. Among them was a female officer, Ren Xiaoyou, a newcomer Lin Xi had just learned about from Elder Sister Fu’s conversation with the others. Ren Xiaoyou was strikingly confident and spirited.
Xingshui Township was known for a particularly good restaurant—a farmhouse-style eatery located in a village near the highway exit just outside Xingshui. The food there was excellent, and whenever passing by, one could always catch the enticing aroma of the dishes being cooked.
Lin Xi drove at the front, with Yao Yuran sitting in the back seat. Elder Sister Fu and Ren Xiaoyou rode in the police car behind.
On the way to the farmhouse restaurant, Lin Xi called Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng, inviting them to join the dinner.
Yao Yuran was going to live in the village from now on, so it was important to maintain good relations with the village officials.
When invited to a meal, Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng readily agreed without hesitation.
The farmhouse was close to Lianhua Village. By the time Lin Xi and the others arrived, night had already fallen. Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng were standing by the roadside, smoking.
In the dim, almost dark night, the glow of their cigarette tips flickered on and off.
Lin Xi parked the car steadily, then took the wheelchair out from the trunk and helped Yao Yuran settle into it. Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng had already come over to join them.
Gu Dahong was a native of Lianhua Village, and his family had ties with Lin Xi’s going back three generations. Yao Yuran called him Uncle Gu.
Du Shuncheng was about the same age as Gu Dahong, and Lin Xi addressed him as Uncle Du. When Lin Xi’s grandfather passed away, Du Shuncheng had just been assigned to Lianhua Village. Upon learning of the situation, he lent Lin Xi some money.
Although his gesture was somewhat performative, aimed at better integrating himself into the village community, so what? A gentleman judges deeds, not motives. Lin Xi was genuinely grateful.
Yao Yuran’s hands were nervously sweating, but she maintained a composed and confident expression.
Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng exchanged approving glances. Despite the bruises and wounds on Yao Yuran’s face and body, her gaze was clear and steady. Such a person couldn’t be wrong!
Elder Sister Fu and the others arrived as well. The group of nine entered the restaurant, greeted by a wave of warmth mixed with the rich aroma of meat dishes. The enticing scents made everyone’s already rumbling stomachs grow even hungrier.
Gu Dahong and Du Shuncheng had already started chatting with the police officers. Being familiar with each other, their conversation was easy and natural.
The farmhouse restaurant had private rooms. Gu Dahong immediately ordered a pot of pig’s trotters, some wild vegetables for the hotpot, and a few other hot dishes.
Since the policemen were all public servants and it wasn’t a weekend, they didn’t order any alcohol. Instead, they had a pot of good tea brought over.
These hotpots were usually pre-cooked. Before anyone had even finished a cup of tea, the dishes were already served, and each person had a bowl of spicy chili dipping sauce in front of them.
The pot steamed vigorously as the wild vegetables were placed on the table.
At the sight of the wild vegetables, everyone burst out laughing. “Who would have thought? These wild greens used to be pig feed. Now they’re served for people to eat—and at a high price, no less.”
A single plate of wild vegetables contained several varieties: water celery, communist greens, and lianjin vegetables, among others. These were all abundant in the fields but rarely eaten by anyone under normal circumstances.
At the restaurant, even a small amount of these vegetables came with a hefty price.
“Normally, no one would think to eat wild vegetables. We’re not living in hard times anymore.”
“That’s true. Under normal circumstances, who would even consider these wild greens? If you came across some good-looking pigweed, you’d probably think it was delicious.”
Everyone laughed heartily.
The private room buzzed with cheerful conversation.
The pig’s trotters were simmered to perfection, fragrant with no hint of gaminess, tender enough for the meat to fall off the bone. Dipped in the spicy, numbing, and flavorful sauce, each bite was utterly satisfying without any greasiness.
After getting tired of the pig’s trotters, they moved on to the wild vegetables to refresh their palates, and finally, they dipped some rice in the broth to finish the meal.
Halfway through, Lin Xi took the chance to go to the restroom and settled the bill. The total wasn’t high—nine people had shared a pot of pig’s trotters, several dishes, and some drinks, all coming to just over two hundred yuan.
For the taste, the quantity, and the price, it was a very reasonable deal. If they started running tourist routes, and the farmhouse restaurant didn’t raise their prices, it would surely become a bustling hotspot.
Satisfied and full, everyone went back to their own homes. Lin Xi drove Elder Sister Fu home; her house was in the center of the village. As Lin Xi drove into the village, several dogs barked loudly.
After Elder Sister Fu locked her door, Lin Xi took Yao Yuran back home. Little Fang and Little Yue, the two sisters, were still awake, waiting for Yao Yuran’s return.
Chi Xiangping couldn’t sit still and was busy shelling a basketful of corn in the living room. Little Fang and Little Yue helped her, and the winnowing basket next to the corn was already filled with plenty of corn husks.
The two sisters eagerly pitched in.
When Lin Xi and Yao Yuran came in, the three of them ran out together. Upon seeing Yao Yuran, Little Yue burst into tears.
Since Yao Yuran couldn’t move his legs, he held her gently in his arms, soothing her. Little Fang didn’t lag behind either; she held Little Yue’s hand, occasionally letting go so the sisters could wipe their tears.
His gaze was extremely gentle and full of love.
Lin Xi’s house had four rooms in total. Lin Xi and Chi Xiangping each had one, leaving two rooms free. The innermost room had already been prepared by Chi Xiangping to accommodate Yao Yuran and his mother and child.
The blankets and sheets had all been freshly washed and laid out that afternoon.
Before going to bed, Lin Xi told Yao Yuran that tomorrow she would take Xiaofang to register at Xingshui Elementary School. Xiaofang’s eyes lit up in an instant.
Although the weather was cold, Lin Xi insisted on taking a shower. After returning to her room, she crawled into bed.
She took out her laptop and plugged in the USB drive Yao Xiran had given her. A website popped up immediately. Lin Xi entered the watch ID numbers for Yao Yuran, Xiaofang, Xiaoyue, and Chi Xiangping. The previously blank website instantly displayed four dots.
Out of the remaining three smartwatches, Lin Xi kept one for herself and planned to send the other two to the research institute.
Better to work with someone familiar than with a stranger. Lin Xi thought about how she and Professor Gu Anbang were already acquaintances, so she decided to deal with him alone.
This meant she would have to send the packages from another province or city. After all, she could no longer send anything from any courier station in Pingyuan City.
Lin Xi never underestimated the power of the state. Once the “Lantingji Xu” was sent out, the sender—the one with the red scarf—was probably already under intense scrutiny.
Most likely, Pingyuan and the nearby cities had long been monitored both overtly and covertly. If she sent something now, it would be like walking into a trap. Although Lin Xi knew that even if the government knew she was the “Red Scarf” student, they wouldn’t harm her.
But at this stage, Lin Xi wanted to avoid trouble. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to get entangled in any complications. So she had to send this package from a neighboring province. Fortunately, with today’s convenient transportation, she could drive there quickly.
With that happily decided, Lin Xi opened her phone and tapped into the group chat. The chat was lively today. She glanced through the chat history and returned to the real-time conversation, where Yao Xiran was talking to Lin Duxi.
[Interstellar Wanderer Yao Xiran: @Doomsday Wasteland Lin Duxi: The stones you sent me, I’ve tested them.]
Lin Duxi was in the office building of his base in the Doomsday Wasteland dimension. Outside, snowflakes drifted down; the extreme cold had arrived.
In his dimension, it had been snowing for a full day and night, and the snow outside was thick enough to cover an adult’s knees.
It was unbearably cold. Lin Duxi often thought that if the group hadn’t timely added Yao Xiran—the traveler from the interstellar dimension—he wouldn’t have gotten those high-powered air conditioners. Otherwise, with this weather, many people would have frozen to death again.
The air conditioners he exchanged for were distributed among the survivor shelters. So although it was freezing outside, inside it was warm.
He was also grateful that the air conditioners ran on solar power rather than electricity. Otherwise, even if he had exchanged for the air conditioners, the Doomsday Wasteland had no electricity, and they’d be stuck.
Seeing Yao Xiran’s message in the group chat, Lin Duxi’s heart immediately lifted.
Before he could reply, Yao Xiran’s second message arrived.
[Interstellar Wanderer Yao Xiran: According to our tests, these stones are meteorites. These meteorites float in space, and even in the interstellar world, catching them is extremely difficult.]
【However, this kind of star meteorite is an essential material for manufacturing mechas and starships. Only mechas and starships reinforced with star meteorite can truly withstand the rigors of battle.】
【But this star meteorite contains a radioactive substance that doesn’t harm humans or animals much, yet it wreaks havoc on plants. Let me put it this way: it’s even more deadly than paraquat.】
【Just placing this stuff near plants will cause them to wither within a week. Moreover, it severely damages the soil. Wherever it’s been, nothing grows—no grass, no life. Its destructive power surpasses even that of an atomic bomb.】
Yao Xiran’s words made Lin Duxi snap to attention immediately. It had been ten years since the apocalypse, and people all over the world were desperately searching for the cause of the catastrophe.
One particular nation had been notorious for its unethical human and virus experiments across the globe. After the apocalypse struck and no one could find a clear cause, everyone pinned the blame on that country.
Xia Nation valued peace above all, but other countries didn’t share that mindset. Less than two years after the apocalypse, the ruling elites of that infamous country were all wiped out.
That nation, which had existed for less than four centuries, collapsed entirely.
Later, as their power reserves ran dry and radio signals ceased, news from other countries could only be passed by word of mouth. Lin Duxi hadn’t heard any foreign news for a long time.
If what Yao Xiran said was true, then the cause of the post-apocalyptic wasteland was those ubiquitous stones.
No one had expected this—scientists hadn’t identified the specific composition or effects of these stones.
A stone causing the apocalypse? If it weren’t for the time travelers’ chat group, Lin Duxi would have thought anyone claiming this was insane.
Yao Xiran’s message continued: 【Interstellar Wanderer Yao Xiran: If what you say is true, and your world is filled with these stones, then build starships and venture into space to find a new home.】
Yao Xiran added: 【Otherwise, plants will never grow. Your planet has so many star meteorites because a planet made entirely of them must have exploded, and your world was unlucky enough to inherit most of the debris.】
These words made Lin Duxi’s gaze fall on the cultivation vessels on Lin Xi’s windowsill.
Ever since Lin Xi developed the ability to transmit objects, they had never given up trying to grow plants. But just as Yao Xiran said, nothing ever sprouted.
They had always assumed the apocalypse’s air was to blame, but who would have thought the problem was in the very stones used to build their homes?
And in this world, those stones were everywhere.
The fear of a bleak future tightened its grip around Lin Duxi’s heart, suffocating him.
After a moment, he finally replied in the group chat: 【Post-apocalypse Wasteland Lin Duxi: But none of us know how to build starships. We don’t have blueprints. We don’t even have the technology.】
Starships—those two words felt so distant to Lin Duxi, so far away that in both his past life and this one, he had only ever encountered them in novels and anime.
If it weren’t for Yao Xiran joining the group, Lin Duxi might have even thought that starship mechas were just a human fantasy.
Yao Xiran had been waiting for this exact moment:
【Interstellar Wanderer Yao Xiran: I can help you with all of this. But I need star meteorites. Shall we trade?】
【Doomsday Wasteland Lin Duxi: Trading is no problem, but this is serious. I need to discuss it with the leaders here first.】
【Interstellar Wanderer Yao Xiran: OK.】
Everyone in the group was online, and they all saw the conversation between Yao Xiran and Lin Duxi. Lin Xi and Ye Bingbing’s world had a similar level of technology.
Normally, if they saw something as valuable as star meteorites, the two would have been tempted immediately.
But now, faced with the immense destructive power of star meteorites, they politely declined.
Both agreed that this world couldn’t lose its greenery; if the world lost its green, what would life even be worth?
Lin Duxi didn’t reply further. Xu Huanhuan and the others came online to liven up the atmosphere, and the topic quietly passed.
Chu Qianmo said a few words but didn’t respond again. He was still on the road to the mortal realm. Although he had the cultivation techniques left by the original owner, he had only just crossed over and had little time to train, barely a beginner.
He planned to find a relatively safe place to start cultivating. After all, everyone needed some means to survive, right?
The next day, Lin Xi took Xiao Fang to Xing Shui Elementary School to enroll. Xing Shui Elementary accepted transfer students. When registering, Lin Xi explained the situation to the teacher.
So on the enrollment roster, Hu Mingfang’s name was changed to Yao Mingxing, with Xiao Fang as her nickname.
Xiao Fang was overjoyed. She didn’t care about the surname Hu at all—after all, her father never liked her; besides beating them, he only knew how to scold.
After settling Xiao Fang’s schooling, Lin Xi called the construction team and explained her requirements. The construction team then found a designer she knew to design the guesthouse.
Using the excuse of going out to buy materials, Lin Xi drove toward the neighboring province.
After three hours on the road, she finally crossed into Gui Province.
While refueling at the gas station in the service area, Lin Xi took out her phone and opened the group chat. She raised an eyebrow.
【Whole Family Crosses Over ABO Wen Wan: Heaven has eyes! I finally found my people!】
【You don’t even know how unlucky I am! I crossed over into the legendary ABO world, and worse, I’m a B, but my father-in-law, mother-in-law, husband, and sister-in-law are all Os.】
【And they’re all being pursued by the same A! It’s terrifying!】
【Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!】
