Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

An Ning and Director Zhao drove on, the route becoming more and more remote.

In the car, An Ning was given an ID card.

”From now on, you can come here on your own with this.”

An Ning nodded in understanding and said, ”Thank you.”

After passing through several checkpoints, the car finally entered a courtyard with a multi-story building. The guards on patrol stood with ramrod-straight backs, like pine trees, making their origins easy to guess.

The car stopped. An Ning got out with Director Zhao and followed him into one of the buildings.

However, they didn’t go upstairs. Instead, they entered a specific room, keyed in a password, and as a reinforced steel door shut behind them, they began to descend.

After walking for some time, they passed through another iron door, and a brightly lit laboratory unfolded before An Ning’s eyes.

”Xiao Zhao is here.”

”Whose family does this young lady belong to?”

”Zhao’er, what brings you here?”

Xiao Zhao, Zhao’er—the two different forms of address didn’t faze Director Zhao. In fact, they helped him settle into his role more comfortably.

”Mr. Wang, I’ve brought someone for you all.”

Director Zhao took a step back, gesturing with one hand to present An Ning to the group of elderly men. ”This is the person who produced that electric stone.”

With a sudden clatter of noise—

The moment he said this, the old men scrambled to their feet and hurried over, surrounding An Ning.

”Young lady, where did you find the electric stone?”

”Do you remember what the surrounding environment was like?”

”Are there any more?”

From the moment she entered until now, An Ning hadn’t said a word. She was in shock, but more than that, she was ashamed.

All this time, An Ning had thought that Zhou Xiaoshan was the person with the highest spiritual power, and the most intelligent, that she had ever met.

But upon seeing these elderly men, she knew she was wrong.

Most importantly, their high spiritual power was just the baseline. A faint, reddish spiritual glow enveloped each of them.

A spiritual glow was something that could only be generated when a person devoted themselves wholeheartedly to a cause, with absolutely no thought for themselves.

It had no offensive power, but in the interstellar era, it was the most respected quality of all.

”Sirs, An Ning pays her respects.”

An Ning performed a traditional rite, bowing deeply to the elderly men.

’They are worthy of it!’

They were the true backbone of Huaxia, and An Ning was merely someone standing on their shoulders.

”This girl... Hurry and stand up!”

”Quickly, get up!”

The old men felt a sense of indescribable comfort, yet they didn’t feel they had done anything particularly remarkable.

In their eyes, they had simply done what they were supposed to do when Huaxia needed them.

An Ning straightened up and began to answer the five elders’ questions.

”This stone, which I’ve named the electric stone, was found under the guidance of a Feng Shui Master. I remember there are more there. The surrounding environment is quite profound because of a Feng Shui Formation. I didn’t pay too much attention to other details.”

An Ning explained the situation again, but the elderly men showed no prejudice toward her because of the mention of Feng Shui.

They only wanted one thing: for Huaxia to become better.

As long as it benefited Huaxia, they would have believed her even if she’d said she got it from the Electric God and Thunder Mother.

As long as they had the item in hand, its origin was not important.

After that, An Ning joined the elderly men’s discussion. Her breadth of knowledge was revealed step by step, filling them with gratification.

They were gratified that there were successors to carry on their work, gratified for Huaxia’s bright future.

An Ning didn’t dump all her knowledge about the electric stone at once. She followed the flow of the discussion, progressively peeling back the layers and exploring the topic bit by bit.

The important but not-too-intense discussion continued from the moment An Ning entered until she left, even carrying on through their meal.

By the time An Ning left, the old men’s fondness for her had reached its peak.

”An Ning, when are you coming next time? I can tell you about computation.”

”No way, it’s my turn to talk about physics next time.”

”You two have already said so much today. It should be my turn!”

The old men began to bicker over who would get to teach An Ning, like children fighting over candy.

An Ning stood obediently to the side, waiting for a pause in their conversation before speaking.

”I’ll learn it all. I’m willing to learn.”

”Good, good, good!”

”Exactly! Our An Ning is smart!”

Now ”our An Ning,” she left with Director Zhao, a smile on her face the entire way back.

”You seem happy.”

”Mmm, I am.”

The ever-straightforward An Ning said, ”I’m happy we have so many incredible people. I’m happy to know that even without me, Huaxia would still rise.”

”Yes, they are the most admirable people.”

Director Zhao agreed with her, and An Ning nodded emphatically.

After today, An Ning had a much clearer understanding of her own existence.

She was here to accelerate things.

The prosperous future would arrive one way or another. Her job was to be a catalyst, to catalyze an even better future.

”An Ning, about that electric stone, you...”

”I’ll go get them, but it requires the right time, place, and people. Otherwise, they could be damaged.”

”Alright. Just proceed at your own pace.”

The car stopped at the entrance of Beijing University. An Ning got out, but just as she was about to leave, she turned back and knocked on the window.

Director Zhao rolled down the window. ”What is it?”

”I’d like to get a telephone line installed at my home in Shili Gou. And if possible, I’d like one for my house in Beijing, too.”

”Okay, it’ll be installed within the next couple of days.”

An Ning thanked him and turned to leave.

As she walked across the Beijing University campus, she felt some unusual stares.

’Why is everyone looking at me? Am I famous or something?’

An Ning didn’t use her spiritual power to investigate. She simply endured the stares and returned to her dorm.

Just as she opened the door and walked in, she heard Luo Li say, ”Welcome back, milady.”

”Who’s ’milady’?”

”You!”

Luo Li pulled out An Ning’s chair, pressed her down onto it by the shoulders, and began to massage her like a diligent servant.

”According to reliable rumors, this year’s top scorer, student An Ning, though born in the countryside, is actually the long-lost young lady of a wealthy family...”

”PFFT!”

An Ning spat out a mouthful of water. She grabbed a tissue, wiped her mouth, and turned to look at Luo Li.

Luo Li just pursed her lips and nodded solemnly, her eyes full of gossip. She pulled over a chair and sat down next to An Ning.

”That’s really what they’re saying. To investigate this bit of gossip, I spent the whole day wandering around the sports field, the cafeteria, the bathrooms, and the public bath.”

”According to my analysis, someone saw you getting in and out of a luxury car, with a middle-aged ’butler’ opening the door for you. You carried yourself with an air of pride, while the person opening the door was very careful. So they’ve completely ruled out the possibility that you have a sugar daddy.”

Listening to Luo Li’s gossip, An Ning didn’t know what to feel.

”So, some ’experts’ have composed a melodramatic soap opera of love and hate among the rich for you. In short, you’re the long-lost, genius daughter of a wealthy family.”

An Ning put down her water glass and pinched the bridge of her nose. ”And then?”

”There is no ’and then’.”

An Ning frowned, deep in thought. ”So, starting tomorrow, do I have to eat pickled vegetables and collect scrap to prove my real identity?”

”That won’t work! Even the scrap collectors are rich!”