Chapter Nine, Night Talk (Part One)

It would be good if guests have arrived. At this moment, immediately return and use the intercom to inform Coral that she has something to attend to today, and that she should not go to the treehouse or the junkyard. She must stay at home tonight. As for that big dog... he does not know what to do for the time being, but who knows if that strange creature will remember Coral, who was with him.

The sound of the coral grew fainter outside the door, and the old man smiled: "This child..." Xing Zhiwei also turned her head back and casually remarked: "Actually, it’s not that serious. Over twenty days ago, we heard that a body was discovered in a landfill nearby. It was initially an ordinary matter, but as the news was reported layer by layer, it drew attention. We suspect it may be related to that batch of fruit. This body likely belongs to an anomaly that 'Boundary Stone' pursued four years ago, and the code name we assigned to him was 'Leech'.

Xing Zhiwei pondered for a moment: "Vice President Yan has not discussed his views on this matter in recent years, perhaps knowing that not many would agree. The 'boundary markers' within the organization would certainly oppose it, especially since General Lan sacrificed himself seven years ago precisely for this issue. The new generation remembers the blood debts from that time very clearly, and it is unlikely that Vice President Yan's thoughts would find any acceptance. " She smiled as she continued, "Especially since you, Dad, do not agree with this idea either. If you just say a word, no matter what Vice President Yan does, it would be of no use."

He turned around and disappeared into the night at the fastest speed, not even able to pay attention to the strong wind above. What he did not notice was that at the moment he turned, by the car in front of the villa, another woman dressed in black instinctively turned her head, looking into the void for a moment, rubbing her eyes in confusion. What he did not notice was that at the moment he turned, by the car in front of the villa, another woman dressed in black instinctively turned her head, looking into the void for a moment, rubbing her eyes in confusion

Not long after, the villa on the hillside

Amidst the sound of rustling, the figure of the yellow dog weaves through the grass and thorns, occasionally stopping abruptly to change direction. At this moment, there is not a single intact patch of skin left on its body, yet it continues to run ceaselessly through the dark woods, evading the pursuers above.

The sky was indeed too dark; even though his eyes had adapted to this level of darkness to some extent, all he could see were the outlines of thickets and brambles, making it impossible to distinguish between what was moving and what was still. After hovering in the air for a few minutes, he finally confirmed that he had lost track of the dog.

I ... ... "Xing Zhiwei was about to speak, but suddenly stopped, glancing around and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of her eye: "Xie Shanhua, stop hiding, bring me the - picture - book ... ... "

After all, he was still a young man. Suddenly realizing that he seemed to be caught up in something bizarre and even somewhat detached from reality, his mind was in a state of chaos, unable to sort through his thoughts. Suddenly, he saw the yellow dog turn around too late and crash into a tree. Almost instinctively, he rushed down, striking it several times with a stick. The yellow dog was knocked back half a meter. It turned around, baring its bloodied mouth and lunged back at him. Lan Zi's legs lifted off the ground as he ghosted backward more than a meter, sweeping forcefully with his stick. This time, he struck the yellow dog solidly, sending it flying again, rolling down a small hillside nearby.

If it were just an ordinary dog, it would have likely died in that alley

Ah, only my quirky daughter can run around pulling the old man's beard, and he still smiles happily. It is said that when my husband was young, it was during the time when the old man reached the peak of his academic career, yet he did not receive much affectionate paternal love. To this day, although my husband respects and loves his father, it is still difficult for him to express the same kind of uninhibited closeness as his daughter does.

The blood dripped across the street, then trickled over the low field ridges. As night had fallen, the droplets of blood were not clearly visible, the scattered drops extended over the hillside, ultimately entering the woods

I know, I know, Lan Zi, I want to take my mom to play at the treehouse tomorrow

It is already on the right track. I heard that you were the planner of this base back then, Dad

Lian, she has entrusted you with... Coral, be a good girl and go back to do your homework and sleep

Flying back to the dangerous building at the fastest speed, the light on the walkie-talkie was flashing, and it seemed to have been flashing for quite a while. Lan Zi sneezed and looked at the bloodstains on his body. He picked up the walkie-talkie, and on the other end, Coral was saying: "Yangtze River, Yangtze River, I am the Yellow River, Yangtze River, Yangtze River, I am the Yellow River, Yangtze River, Yangtze River... Lan Zi, are you there..."

Indeed, however, the proposal to establish this base is not intended for my son and daughter-in-law to abandon their granddaughter for work..." The elder smiled, noticing that his daughter-in-law seemed a bit reserved again, and waved his hand, "Sit down, sit down, pour your own water, let’s not talk about this anymore... Over the past few years, I haven’t really inquired much. In any case, you and Wenxi are still involved in handling that batch of fruit, right?

After she finished speaking, the old man smiled and shook his head: "Hehe, Zhiwei, you are also a scientist, so you should know how persistent scientists can be in their own beliefs. Yan Qingnian's ideas cannot be said to be entirely bad; he is a very good researcher. However, this kind of endeavor is too risky, and the stakes are too high. Moreover, research is also being conducted abroad. What if they achieve results that we do not understand? This is a matter of balance. And even if we take a step back, he is younger than I am. How many years does he have left? How many years do I have left?"

Upon entering the study, the elderly man was organizing several books on the table. Xing Zhiwei closed the door and walked over with a smile, saying, "By the way, Dad, this set of pajamas was chosen for you by Wenxi, and I brought it over for you."

It is not a big deal; it was just a few months ago that Yan Qingnian came to see me and brought up this matter again. He has been subtly hinting at the developments in the United States in this regard over the past few years. He is currently considered a leading figure in this field domestically, but everyone knows his consistently radical stance. By discussing this with me, he clearly hopes that I will agree with his views. I am concerned that such dangerous ideas may resurface, and I want to ask you; in fact, the opinions of you researchers are not the most important. What matters more is how the perspective from the 'boundary marker' side views this.

Hmm, my mother is always keeping this and that a secret, hiding things from me. However, she will definitely tell my grandfather. I must eavesdrop and find out. What my mother is doing is very interesting. Once I overhear it, I will let you know

However, the casual conversation at the dining table did not touch upon any particularly interesting topics; it was merely about how so-and-so was doing lately. After the meal, the housekeeper had arranged the rooms, and Xing Zhiwei went to her daughter's room to take a look and chatted with her for a while. Time was getting late, and her daughter had not yet completed her homework. Watching her daughter engrossed in solving a few problems at the table, she went to the bedroom, opened the two boxes she had brought, took out a box of items, and walked towards the elderly man's study.

On the other side of the small vehicle, the woman holding the coral in her arms noticed her companion's confusion. She glanced over this way and, after a moment, the woman in black shook her head and said, "It's nothing."

The two exchanged a few words, and Coral said over there: "Then I'll take my leave, I need to go install something. After Mom finishes her meal, I can eavesdrop on the conversation between Mom and Grandpa"

By this time, he had probably started to recall that on that night, the large yellow dog had been hovering above the streetlight. Could it be related to the incident involving the orange that Aunt Tang had given him? ... But he had already crushed the orange, and he couldn't clearly see what had happened that night. Aunt Tang had indeed been acting a bit strangely these past few days; what was she really up to?

Holding her daughter in her arms while conversing with her father-in-law, she finished dinner. Although she is widely recognized as a strong woman in the outside world, she always approaches her father-in-law with a sense of reverence during their interactions, with respect being the predominant emotion. After all, in her current field of study and its related areas, this elder is an undeniable giant and authority. Several senior colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Sciences show him utmost respect. Since her marriage to her husband, due to their busy work schedules, the time spent interacting with the elder has not been extensive. A few months ago, when they were about to be transferred to another location, the elder expressed his displeasure over the possibility of his granddaughter being moved around. She was quite frightened and even considered giving up her current project to take a less demanding position to care for her daughter. Fortunately, her husband dissuaded her, and the elder took the initiative to bring his granddaughter to Yuling. Now that she has the opportunity, she hurried to Yuling to reunite with her daughter, while also hoping to earn some favor in the elder's eyes.

Sighing, he ascended to the treetops. As he flew out from the dense foliage, a cold wind suddenly blew in. At this moment, there was still some time before Coral would eat, bathe, and then go to the treehouse. Currently, that strange dog was still lurking in the woods. Although it had been beaten nearly to death, it still posed a considerable threat. He made his way through the treetops towards the treehouse, but Coral had not yet arrived. He then followed the path Coral would take and exited the woods, flying towards the villa where her home was located. Upon nearing the villa, he finally saw the door swing open. Coral, along with her grandfather and the villa's housekeeper, had already stepped outside. A small car was parked on the road, and someone was getting out of it. Coral happily rushed over, clearly welcoming a familiar visitor.

"Hmm, is it an ability that cannot die..." The old man picked up the pajamas on the table and looked at them, then smiled, "This corpse, I have heard about it; at that time, Coral was still nearby..."

Lian? What happened?

Just thinking about it gives me a headache

That's good. These days, stay at home with Mom and avoid going out unnecessarily, especially at night

"Who is your mother, Coral?" Xing Zhiwei smiled as she picked her up, "Alright, I know you are curious, but there are some things that you shouldn't hear just yet. Knowing them won't do you any good..."

After all, all the reverence and trepidation are within the family circle. The elder is not usually strict; it is merely the limited interactions that create a slight distance. Whether in the context of academia or as a family member, the elder hopes to gain more recognition from him.

Lan Zifei quickly caught up, and in the darkness, a rustling sound emerged. He soared two to three meters into the air, searching for the trace of the yellow dog down the hillside

She had no idea what her mother was doing... Lan Zi looked at the intercom and noticed that the signal was lost, which suggested that Shan Hu had run away. He couldn't help but curl his lips; in any case, Shan Hu wouldn't be running around for the next few days. Accompanying her to and from school should suffice. After that... He thought for a while at home, then took a shower, changed his clothes, and went downstairs, pushing the tricycle towards the garbage dump

I can't go out either. Coral smiled over there, probably rolling around on the bed with the intercom, saying, "My mom came over today."

Indeed, they initially mentioned something about a business trip, saying they would be mysteriously away for a year or several years. However, today my mother said that the business trip happened to bring her to Yuling. Hehe... It has been a long time since I last saw my mother, and Coral was clearly happy in her heart, which could be heard even through the intercom. Lan Zi also started to smile.

Exercise caution regarding safety

"I just arrived..." Lan Zi pressed the call button, "I had something to deal with outside just now. I probably have something to do tonight, so I won't be going to the treehouse or the junkyard. Coral..."

Eavesdropping on conversations

Due to her mother's visit, Coral has been bouncing around the villa during this time, seemingly busy with something, but anyone can see her excitement. She and her grandfather have already finished dinner, and when her mother suddenly arrived, it was a surprise. However, they had to ask the housekeeper to reheat the food for her and Aunt Lian, who came along, to have dinner. After not seeing her for a long time, her mother—Xing Zhiwei, a current academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—found it somewhat amusing to see her daughter, who still appeared to be overflowing with energy. For this daughter, who possesses exceptionally high intelligence but has a peculiar personality, she has always felt both helpless and proud.

During the conversation between the two, a woman named Lian quietly ate her dinner. After dinner, she began to patrol the vicinity of the villa, installing surveillance cameras one by one and enhancing the security system. Coral, on the other hand, sat in her mother's lap, listening intently to the conversation between her mother and grandfather. In fact, she also wanted to see how a highly professional bodyguard like Sister Lian worked, but comparatively, the dialogue between her mother and grandfather was always more captivating.

***

"Let me hear it, I'm not just talking nonsense..." Coral waved her hand in protest

Lan Zi held a steel pipe, soaring through the woods, watching the figure moving through the grass not far away. Along the way, the web of his right hand had already split open, bleeding, and his clothes were stained with splotches of blood. However, what astonished him the most was the relentless tenacity of the yellow dog that continued to flee. What kind of monster is this

Two women got off the car, and Coral rushed up and threw herself into the arms of one of the women wearing a white trench coat ... Perhaps it was her mother, Lan Zi did not approach too closely, just watching from a distance, and then decided to turn around and leave

Indeed, regarding this matter, her father... She understood that elders generally do not speak without reason. Since he brought it up, it indicated that he had some thoughts on the issue. Cautiously, she asked a question, but the elder merely waved his hand.

It is not advisable; listening to it would actually be detrimental to you. Children must progress step by step. Your thirst for knowledge is too intense, but these concepts are beyond your current understanding.

This statement seems somewhat pessimistic. As Xing Zhiwei said: "Dad..." not knowing what to say, the elder smiled and said: "Let's not talk about such matters. Since you have the opportunity to come this time, what is it really for?"

This is a placeholder text.

Then at least tell me what kind of fruit you and Dad are researching and what exactly is the 'boundary stone'. Why are you studying fruit? You and Mom are not biologists. I've already heard it; if you don't tell me, I won't be able to sleep... Ah ah ah ah ah, Mom, Grandpa, tell me... Coral struggled and resisted fiercely, but was eventually forcibly sent outside. Standing in front of her was Aunt Lian, who was smiling.

The room fell silent, and not long after, Xing Zhiwei walked over to the cabinet with a smile. Before her footsteps could get close, rustling sounds finally emerged from within. Coral opened the cabinet and crawled out, her appearance disheveled, her lips slightly pouting: "What is it? I didn't move at all, how did you find me?"

"Hehe, you know that we old-timers have no habit of sleeping in pajamas." The elder smiled as he took the pajamas, glanced at them, and turned to place the book on the shelf. "By the way, since you and Wenxi have been assigned to Xincheng, it means that the research base over there has been set up, right? How is it functioning now?"

Aunt? It seems that the one wearing white clothes must be her mother

Aunt Lian, Sister Lian, please don't

This dog runs extremely fast and is highly agile; it is impossible to catch up with it on the ground. If one is not careful, there is a possibility of being bitten by the yellow dog in a counterattack. Now, as it watches from the sky, the night deepens, and there is little light in the forest. It finds it somewhat difficult to keep its focus. Occasionally, it seizes the opportunity to swoop down from the sky and strike the yellow dog a few times, but at times it misses, allowing the yellow dog to evade and run even farther.