Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

”Yeah, I know about it because of my childhood friend. Remember him? The one with the baby face? He’s extremely sensitive to smells. He can pick up scents that we can’t and can even pinpoint them to specific people and objects.”

”We all called him Doggy when we were kids. His own father sent him off to the army because of that special ability.”

Jiang Xia went on for a while. Noticing An Ning’s thoughtful expression, he realized something and asked, ”You know someone like that?”

An Ning shook her head.

”I’m not sure.”

”Remember what I told you about Tao Quan? He was wearing a helmet, and I’d knocked him unconscious, but I still got the feeling he knew it was me.”

After listening, Jiang Xia analyzed, ”That’s very possible. I’ve only had a couple of brief interactions with Tao Quan, but he’s... hard to read.”

”Usually, after meeting someone a few times, I can more or less get a sense of their character. But I can’t with Tao Quan.”

An Ning agreed with Jiang Xia. She saw Tao Quan the same way.

They both grew more wary of Tao Quan. As they spoke, they finished smearing the black liquid all over their bodies.

To avoid being spotted, they both put on army greatcoats, hats, and neck gaiters, then set out into the night on their bicycles.

An Ning had already done some digging on Tao Quan. While she hadn’t found any useful leads, she did know some of his daily routines.

Every Friday evening, Tao Quan would leave school and head home. His family lived right there in Beijing, so it was very convenient.

An Ning and Jiang Xia waited near Tao Quan’s bus stop, well-hidden, with a burlap sack at the ready.

A little later, the last bus of the night arrived, and Tao Quan stepped off.

Hiding in the distance, An Ning immediately sensed a shift in Tao Quan’s demeanor that lasted only for a fraction of a second.

’He doesn’t like going home.’

No wonder he always took the last bus. He was stalling. It wasn’t because he enjoyed the quiet, like he claimed.

As Tao Quan stepped off the bus, his true emotions flickered across his face for just an instant—a level of control an ordinary person couldn’t achieve. He seemed like he’d been professionally trained.

”Goodbye, Sir.”

”Oh, you too! Goodbye.”

The bus driver grinned from ear to ear, looking unexpectedly flattered to be addressed by someone so distinguished.

Tao Quan gave a polite nod and turned onto the familiar road.

The night was silent, the road straight.

A single, distant streetlight cast dappled shadows of trees across the asphalt.

Tao Quan walked slowly. As he reached a corner, his nose twitched, and his eyes darted toward a specific spot.

An Ning and Jiang Xia, hiding around the corner, burst out with perfect coordination. A burlap sack came down over Tao Quan’s head.

With the sack tight around his upper body, Tao Quan struggled violently, his legs kicking wildly.

But he was up against An Ning and Jiang Xia, two absolute experts when it came to fighting.

An Ning and Jiang Xia didn’t say a word, focusing solely on the beatdown.

One restrained, one struck.

Their fists were fast and their strikes, ruthless.

After the swift and decisive beating, Jiang Xia snatched Tao Quan’s bag to make it look like a robbery. He and An Ning exchanged a look, and then they both bolted.

With a hard shove, Tao Quan was sent tumbling into the bushes. His attackers even took the sack with them, leaving no trace behind.

Lying in the bushes, Tao Quan’s eyes were as dark as a demon’s crawling out of hell. His tongue snaked out to lick his bloody lips.

He savored the taste of bright red blood, his wicked eyes paired with an eerie smile.

’Very professional.’

’They didn’t leave a single scent behind. Even their shoes were identical—the most common kind you can buy.’

’The list of people who’d want to beat me up isn’t very long.’

Tao Quan climbed out of the bushes. ’An Ning is definitely on that list.’

Completely unfazed by being beaten and robbed, Tao Quan continued down the dark road. For him, what just happened wasn’t even an appetizer.

”So straightforward it’s almost cute. An Ning... it was you, wasn’t it?”

He gazed into the night. When he thought of An Ning, he felt no hatred. Instead, there was a sense of relief.

’She must be paying close attention to me now.’

’This is great. Everything is going according to plan.’

Only Tao Quan himself knew what he was truly thinking.

Meanwhile, An Ning and Jiang Xia, the sack-wielding assailants, quickly fled the scene and took off on their bikes.

In the dead of night, two figures with obscured faces, clad in dark clothes and covered in a strange odor, tore down the road.

”Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

”Don’t yell. You can tell there’s something off about those two.”

”So what if there’s something off about them...”

The man grumbled, but he did lower his voice significantly.

”Sorry!”

A loud apology rang out from one of the cyclists up ahead. The couple, who were either out for a stroll or on a date, whispered to each other in surprise, ”Wow, the moron actually apologized!”

Jiang Xia, who had just been labeled a moron, got a live translation from An Ning.

”You don’t have to be so kind as to translate for me. I’d rather not hear it.”

”That won’t do! We have to share the good and the bad.”

An Ning slowed her pedaling, and Jiang Xia slowed down to match her pace.

”Well, in that case, I guess I shouldn’t keep this from you...”

Jiang Xia trailed off. An Ning glanced at him curiously, waiting for him to continue.

”It’s nothing major, I just wanted to tell you... you have a flat tire.”

”What?”

The slang word slipped out of An Ning, who hadn’t used it in ages. She dragged a foot on the ground to brake and looked down at her tire.

”AHAHAHA! See ya!”

Jiang Xia shot past her like a gust of wind.

An Ning looked down at her two perfectly intact tires. She snorted, slapped her bike seat, and muttered viciously, ”Two can play at that game.”

”Hmph! I’ll even give you a ten-meter head start!”

Refusing to be outdone, An Ning leaped onto her bike, pedaled furiously, and gave chase!

Jiang Xia, for his part, was pedaling with all his might up ahead, desperate to keep An Ning from catching up.

And so, one chasing the other, they played a game of cat and mouse under the dark night sky as the north wind howled around them.

To any onlookers, they were just a couple of big idiots.

But as for them... ’How often in life do you get to be this foolish? If we’re being foolish, then so be it!’

They raced all the way home. Regardless of their fitness levels, both of them were panting by the time they arrived.

At the door, neither of them mentioned the beatdown of Tao Quan. It was as if it had never happened.

”I have one more exam tomorrow. You?”

”Me too.”

Jiang Xia nodded in understanding. ”Should we buy tickets to go home, or drive?”

An Ning thought for a moment. There were a few of them going back. ”Train,” she said simply.

”Alright, I’ll buy the tickets.”

Jiang Xia took on the task of buying the tickets, and An Ning readily agreed. After saying goodnight, she went to her room to rest.

At that same moment, a bruised and beaten Tao Quan finally arrived home.

The living room was brightly lit. As Tao Quan pushed the front door open, a woman in loungewear emerged with an enthusiastic expression.

”You’re finally back! You haven’t eaten, have you? I’ve got some soup warming on the stove for you.”

Her words were intimate and spoken loud enough for the neighbors to hear clearly.

Tao Quan’s lowered eyes were filled with sarcasm as he followed the woman—who completely ignored his injuries—inside.