Chapter 1, Prologue

The security guard also rolled his eyes: "There are no Xu youths or Xu children here! You have come to the wrong place!"

Then let's enter the world!

The security guard let out a cold snort, tugging at the hem of his gray uniform as if it were the most luxurious garment in the world: "Dream on! With someone like you, not even the talent market would want you! Go to the labor market yourself!"

The young man, however, showed no signs of the inferiority complex that comes from being looked down upon. He simply nodded and stepped aside, not obstructing others' paths, and clasped his hands together, saying: "Could you please help me by asking? I am here to see Mr. Xu Shaolian, the elder Xu."

The two young men and women passing by couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "This person is insane"

Somewhat interesting

Occasionally, surprised glances swept over him from those around.

At a glance, it is evident that this is someone from the rural countryside who has been deceived

The usually quiet young man finally appeared somewhat dazed: "Huh? This envelope..." It was only natural for the arrogant and disdainful doorman in front of him to behave that way; he certainly did not care. Moreover, now seeing those items covered with red, white, and blue striped cloth, he counted them and found there were indeed eight. Could it really be the Jiangzhou Natural History Museum? The young man, secretly praising himself for being exceptionally clever, felt a bit stunned.

Master? Huh, Master?! Old man? Dead old man? ... ... Really dead?!

The young man just looked up and laughed, cursing, "Damn old man, even at this moment, you're still trying to trick me!" With a thought, he turned and asked, "May I trouble you to ask where I can find a job? Are you still hiring here?"

Master, you should say a few less words; I have been listening for over ten years! To benefit the world, I must first benefit you. Come, drink this medicinal soup; it is made from freshly dug ginseng today

Every day, hundreds and thousands of people pass by this wall, and those who can recognize this wild cursive script are truly rare, let alone a careless security guard

With a somewhat amusing expression, he walked towards the bright and grand entrance, only to be stopped by the uniformed security guard at the door: "Improperly dressed, entry is not permitted"

The white shirt, although relatively tidy, clearly appears to be homemade due to the lack of cufflinks, and the collar is buttoned all the way up to the neck. Who wears clothes without unbuttoning the collar these days? It looks distinctly unsophisticated. The deep blue pants below are slightly short by two inches, seemingly in line with the trendy cropped style, but the inevitable wrinkles and shine on the fabric indicate that the quality is abysmally poor. Not to mention the pair of worn-out Liberation rubber shoes with several holes, which are exposed beneath the cropped pants, revealing the ankles. Draped over the shoulder is a small bundle suspended from a dark stick. Is this a clown sent by a monkey?

As it is said, the young person playfully clasped their fists towards the horizon, as if that kind and gentle elder who had raised them since childhood was still watching over them at all times

The young man who had followed the house number was astonished as he gazed at the enormous staircase that stretched dozens to hundreds of meters wide before him, and the equally massive building adorned with glass curtain walls and stainless steel decorations, which was an unusual shape. Just like the countless things he had seen along the way, how could this be compared to the seemingly unchanged appearance of the land beyond the mountains for thousands of years! He swallowed hard, for he was hungry. Just like the countless things he had seen along the way, how could this be compared to the seemingly unchanged appearance of the land beyond the mountains for thousands of years! He swallowed hard, for he was hungry

May you live a long life in peace and happiness, you have lived beyond a hundred years... this can be considered a good end, please accept my bow... come, come, let us bury you!

"Aren... you can truly descend the mountain now..." The aging voice revealed little sign of life, "Take this letter to find Lord Xu, assist him..."

The young man took half a step back in slight surprise and looked around: "Isn't this No. 201, Renmin Road, Jiangzhou City? I see that over there is No. 199, and further ahead is No. 203. It should be No. 201 in between, am I wrong? It says here that this is the People's Government!"

The security guard finally made a move: "Let me see..." The envelope was empty, and surprisingly, it had that long, old-fashioned design with a red border. A long string of rural addresses was written in neat, upright small script, with the words "To Brother Mei" in the center. The lower corner indeed read "201 Shaolian Di, People's Road, Jiangzhou City." Upon flipping it over, I couldn't help but burst into laughter: "A postmark from 1987! How many years has it been! Why didn't you bring something from ancient times? Maybe our museum could even collect it! Go on, go on... don't cause a ruckus here; there has never been anyone called Xu Shaonian!"

Turning around, he picked up the shiny black wooden stick and walked down the wide steps towards the bustling street

I tell you, I am truly exceptionally clever. Right now, digging for mountain ginseng is a unique skill, and the flavor produced... Old man, do respond, will you...

If one must describe the first impression, it would be gentle, a kind of quiet gentleness

The security guard impatiently shoved the envelope back, saying: "Alright, alright, stop causing trouble. At your young age, you should find a job and not spend your days wandering around aimlessly."

A month later, having sold two old ginseng roots to cover travel expenses, a young man, who had endured a difficult journey to reach the bustling metropolis, appeared amidst the flow of traffic, holding a stack of worn, frayed-edged kraft paper envelopes: "No. 201 Renmin Road... Huh, why is there no No. 200?"

The young man ascended the steps with a sense of indifference, muttering to himself as he looked up: "Are the government offices nowadays this grand? Our village at the foot of the mountain in H County isn't this extravagant, is it? Quite interesting!"

... ...

The security guard rolled his eyes: "Could you please open your eyes wide and take a look... Oh, the sign has been covered for maintenance these past few days. This is the Jiangzhou City Natural History Museum! It used to be the location of the People's Government, that's true, but that was a long time ago when the space was cleared to build the Natural History Museum. This is something from the distant past!"

It is just that my stomach is making a bit of noise due to hunger

The young man opened his eyes wide and looked into the deep and radiant interior of the natural history museum. Due to the winding corridors, he naturally could not see the large marble wall at the end of the spacious porch, which bore the gleaming inscription "Nature's Gift." The elegant and vigorous final signature in running script, however, was a wild cursive "Shaolian"

The young man looked down at his attire in surprise: "Neat, isn't it? All the buttons are fastened!"

How can this still benefit the world? Old man, are you deceiving me into entering the world?

Certainly, some women may linger their gaze on that slightly dark face, characterized by a high nose, large eyes, a square mouth, and thick lips, which seems to suggest a simple rural appearance. However, it carries a calm gaze, and upon closer inspection, there is a hint of handsomeness. It is just that the messy long hair, carelessly tied into a bun at the back and somewhat greasy, makes it uncomfortable for those city dwellers who are particularly concerned about cleanliness.

The security guard pointed at the torn rubber shoes, feeling so disgusted that he didn't even want to speak

The young man was not angry at all; he stuffed the stack of envelopes into his pocket and smiled while cupping his hands together, saying, "Thank you for your guidance."