Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

Yin Xuemei and An Ning stood on the vast campus, pondering their next move.

”Yin Xuemei, go back to class. Don’t draw attention to this, and don’t make contact with anyone. Just let me know if anything suspicious happens.”

Yin Xuemei nodded repeatedly and hurried back to her classroom.

An Ning was left standing alone, and the name Jiang Dongcheng surfaced in her mind.

The kind of person who could pull this off in Beijing had to have considerable power. And when it came to people who didn’t want Jiang Xia to do well, Jiang Dongcheng topped the list.

At a time like this, An Ning didn’t know who she could trust.

Her mind made up and with a clear direction, An Ning went straight to the Yu Family’s home to find Yu Zheng.

When she arrived at the Yu Family home, she didn’t say a single word. Instead, she just beckoned for Yu Zheng to come with her to Zhou Xiaoshan’s house.

At Zhou Xiaoshan’s house, Zhou Yicheng, who was secretly exercising again, was startled by An Ning’s sudden appearance.

”Don’t tell Xiao Shan.”

”I won’t. Besides, Xiao Shan isn’t dumb; he can probably guess on his own. I’m here on business.”

An Ning’s concise and direct manner made Zhou Yicheng and Yu Zheng realize something serious had happened.

The three of them sat down in the room, and An Ning told them everything about Jiang Xia’s spot being stolen by an impostor.

”Damn it! How dare they!”

Zhou Yicheng was genuinely shocked. He couldn’t believe someone would dare to do such a thing. Yu Zheng, on the other hand, was quiet but clearly had a great deal of worldly experience.

”Things like this are actually not that uncommon.”

Yu Zheng looked at An Ning and continued, ”However, Jiang Xia’s grades were so outstanding that not just anyone could have orchestrated this.”

An Ning caught Yu Zheng’s subtle implication and asked, ”Do you know the address of Jiang Xia’s biological father, Jiang Dongcheng?”

”You suspect him?”

Yu Zheng first questioned her, then nodded in agreement. ”It’s certainly a strong possibility. After Jiang Dongcheng remarried, he had a son who’s a year older than Jiang Xia. His grades, however, are extremely average.”

”But...”

”But what?”

An Ning pressed, and Yu Zheng continued without concealment, ”This son of Jiang Dongcheng’s bears some resemblance to Jiang Xia. And his name is also Jiang Xia, just written with a different character.”

’Premeditated?’

That was the only explanation An Ning could think of, and she felt it had to be the right one.

An Ning then learned a great deal from Yu Zheng about Jiang Dongcheng’s current wife. She was surprised that a good-for-nothing like Jiang Dongcheng had managed to marry such a formidable woman.

”How do you know so much?”

An Ning asked.

”When you’re in an unfamiliar environment, you have to stay informed. Otherwise, around here, you never know when you might offend someone you can’t afford to cross. My father and I can’t take any more trouble.”

Yu Zheng explained that he frequented teahouses and authentic local eateries, allowing him to meet all sorts of people and hear all sorts of things.

Listening to An Ning and Yu Zheng’s conversation, Zhou Yicheng, who stood to the side, felt like a complete idiot. It was as if he were living in a completely different, fake version of Beijing.

”So... what can I do to help?”

Zhou Yicheng raised a hand, genuinely unsure of what he could do. All these schemes and complexities were just too much for him.

An Ning fell silent for a long moment, her mind racing as she formulated a plan. ’The first step is to find Jiang Xia.’

”Yu Zheng, I’ll need you to keep gathering information on Jiang Dongcheng—his daily schedule, for instance. And if you can, I want more details on his current wife.”

Yu Zheng nodded and left to get started.

In the courtyard, Zhou Yicheng waited for An Ning’s instructions, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. He’d been idle for days and was eager for some action.

”You must know people who are skilled in reconnaissance and familiar with the local terrain, right?”

Zhou Yicheng nodded. It was their specialty.

”Find the one you trust most—the kind of person who would kill for you, no questions asked. I need someone like that.”

An Ning’s words made Zhou Yicheng just a little bit uneasy.

”Don’t worry. I won’t, unless I have absolutely no other choice.”

An Ning left, but Zhou Yicheng didn’t feel reassured at all. Nevertheless, he went to find the person she’d asked for.

After leaving the Zhou Family’s home, An Ning walked alone down the street, replaying what Jiang Xia had told her.

’The chances of Jiang Dongcheng catching him are slim,’ she thought. ’He’s not that foolish.’

’So, where could he be?’

An Ning stopped in her tracks. The memories in her mind connected, and she began to meticulously sift through them, tracing everything back to its origin.

’The old house...’

Jiang Xia had once mentioned an old house that was one of his secret hideouts.

The problem was, An Ning didn’t know its address.

In a flash, An Ning thought of someone: Hua Cheng.

Hua Cheng had returned to Beijing a step ahead of them. He was one of Jiang Xia’s most trusted childhood friends. The two of them had certainly taken their share of beatings together as kids.

’Whether he knows or not, I have to try.’

An Ning found a place nearby where she could make a phone call and dialed the number back in her village.

”An Ning, has something happened to Jiang Xia?”

Grandpa Jiang’s accurate guess put An Ning in a difficult position for a moment.

”I expected something like this might happen. You don’t have to say anything if it’s not convenient. Just tell me, is Jiang Xia safe?”

”Grandpa Jiang, I don’t know.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Grandpa Jiang’s voice came through again. ”No news is good news. Don’t you worry. Jiang Xia made preparations before he left.”

”Grandpa Jiang, I’ll find him. I will.”

”I know you will, Grandpa knows. Thank you, An Ning.”

After a few more words, An Ning got the information she needed.

Then, someone else took the phone on the other end.

”An Ning.”

”Master Tang.”

”Rest assured, I’m handling things here.”

With a tacit understanding, they both hung up.

After hanging up, An Ning dialed the number Grandpa Jiang had given her.

This time, someone answered on the second ring.

”Hello.”

”Hello, I’m looking for Hua Cheng.”

The young woman’s voice on the other end immediately changed its tone upon hearing An Ning. ”You have the wrong number,” she said curtly.

The BEEP BEEP BEEP of the disconnected line made An Ning’s brow furrow.

She didn’t try calling again. ’The girl on the other end is probably one of Hua Cheng’s flings,’ she thought. ’There’s no reasoning with a woman like that.’

An Ning paid for the call and headed directly to the address she’d been given.

After transferring buses several times, An Ning arrived at a residential area. She looked at the gated community with its security guard and took a deep breath.

’Hua Cheng, you’d better show your face today, or else...’

An Ning went into a small park across from the guard post, sat down quietly, and closed her eyes.

Her spiritual power reached out, spreading wider and wider as she searched.

Her consciousness swept past house after house, family after family, seeing and dismissing each one.

In the twenty-third house, An Ning found Hua Cheng.

He was impatiently fending off a girl who was trying to flirt with him.

’Hua Cheng, someone’s at the gate for you.’

’Hua Cheng, go to the gate.’

Under the influence of several spiritual suggestions, Hua Cheng, who had been in the middle of a meal, abruptly shot to his feet. Clutching his stomach, he said, ”Excuse me, nature calls.”

With one hand on his stomach and the other on his rear, he scurried away from the table in an extremely undignified posture. He ran up to a room on the second floor, and the door SLAMMED shut behind him, making the whole act seem utterly convincing.

In reality, once inside the room, an agitated Hua Cheng pulled out a rope he had long kept hidden and climbed down from the second-floor window.