Lu Yan stayed at Tang Xunan's house for several days. Tang Xunan did ask Lu Yan if he wanted to go out, but Lu Yan declined, finding too many people outside.
What pleasantly surprised Lu Yan was that besides the swimming pool, Tang Xunan's house also had an archery range. If Tang Xunan hadn't bought this house over a decade ago, the system would seriously suspect it was part of his conspiracy.
The bow that Lu Yan had bought for thousands finally found its place. However, as soon as he shot an arrow, Lu Yan frowned; the accuracy of his shots decreased.
Lu Yan shot several arrows in a row. Tang Xunan watched by the side of the archery range for a while. "You used a competitive compound bow before; this is a northern hunting bow, with different usage techniques."
Tang Xunan naturally bent down, approached Lu Yan, and adjusted his posture. "As long as you live long enough, you can learn anything. Hunting bows use a smaller wheelbase for portability, with a greater draw weight. Compared to the competitive bow you used before, the angle of the bowstring is smaller."
Tang Xunan got quite close. Lu Yan smelled the faint scent of laundry powder on him, a warm and comforting smell. The system couldn't help but fume: [He's making a move; this guy!]
Lu Yan: "Not really."
"Pay attention to the direction of the back muscles exerting force," Tang Xunan said, not looking away, picking up another bow and arrow, pulling it back. "Practice a bit more, and you'll get the hang of it."
An arrow shot out and hit the bullseye. Lu Yan's romantic thoughts instantly dispersed, replaced by a strange desire for competition.
He practiced archery in the range all morning, breaking a sweat. When he finished his bath, Tang Xunan was in the kitchen cutting vegetables.
Today, the Eighth Research Institute sent fresh ingredients – horned pig meat. This pollutant had a pure white body, wings, and horns. Its pollution level ranged from 100 to 300. Processed, the pollution value could be controlled below 50.
The horned pig was a new breed formed by feeding ordinary white pigs with plant pollutants, now in large-scale farming. However, they were more aggressive than regular pigs.
The system coughed at the information. [Headquarters has been considering how to maintain social order after a full outbreak of the contamination disease. "With a full granary, we understand etiquette; with sufficient clothing and food, we know honor and disgrace." Finding a stable food source is one of the future deployment plans. Apart from that, several survivor base plans have been drafted.]
Lu Yan pondered for a moment: "I can't imagine what a full outbreak of the contamination disease would look like."
[Most of the evolving pollutants now tend to be lethal rather than contagious. You've already seen an outbreak in K City. If it happens again, it's just a shift from fish eggs to other pollution sources.]
Tang Xunan didn't talk much, and Lu Yan didn't either, especially with the "Delirium" talent. Moreover, Tang Xunan shot ten arrows in the morning, all hitting the bullseye, while Lu Yan's accuracy was only around 8 to 10 rings after a morning of practice. It made him not very inclined to talk.
Lu Yan tied an apron and looked at Tang Xunan. He initially thought the other wouldn't be good at cooking, but his knife skills were excellent, slicing the meat thinly and evenly.
They decided to have hot pot for lunch. Lu Yan held the knife, feeling that strange competitive desire again. He took out a piece of tofu from the fridge, saying, "Let's have literary tofu today."
The system hesitated: [...]
For a while, only the sound of chopping vegetables and boiling water filled the kitchen, and the birds outside seemed more lively than the people inside. Ah Bai was anxious, slapping his dog paws impatiently.
Lu Yan wished Tang Xunan were younger, more lively, and less like a clueless block of wood.
Just as Lu Yan was cutting tofu, his phone rang. He didn't have many contacts, and glancing at it, the call was from his former class leader in college.
Lu Yan attended college in City A. His high scores in the college entrance exam were not publicized due to policies against promoting top scorers. Instead, the banner his alma mater hung read, "The person who did better in the science entrance exam in the Western Province." With a score of 727, he could choose any school and major in the country.
Lu Yan chose Yanjing Medical University, completing both undergraduate and master's degrees in seven years, including a direct Ph.D. During his university years, he always topped his class in academics.
After obtaining his master's degree, Lu Yan returned to his hometown in City K, leaving his university classmates and professors perplexed. Some professors, aware of his deceased parents, secretly contacted Lu Yan, offering financial assistance for him to continue his studies. Unbeknownst to them, Lu Yan had no strong attachment to academic qualifications; he aimed to get on the surgical table and become a lead surgeon.
Post-graduation, he lost touch with most of his university friends, but due to the class leader's insistence, Lu Yan reluctantly answered the call.
"Lu Yan!" The class leader's voice was still robust. "Since you graduated, you've become elusive, hard to find. Thankfully, you've kept the same phone number."
Lu Yan: "Is there something you need?"
"Damn, you're so cold..." The class leader scratched his head awkwardly. "Although you rejected my confession back then, we were still roommates for so many years. Isn't that a bond?"
Lu Yan wanted to clarify that the class leader misunderstood. Numerous people had confessed to him during college, but he never paid much attention. He simply wasn't fond of socializing.
The class leader chuckled, "Mid-Autumn Festival is coming in a few days. There's a class reunion; are you coming? Professor Zhao will be there."
The mentioned Professor Zhao was one of the teachers who offered to lend money to Lu Yan for his education.
After a moment's thought, Lu Yan replied, "Sure, send me the address later. By the way, can I bring a plus one?" He was still under supervision, and he intended to bring Tang Xunan along.
The class leader was astonished, "You, married? Why didn't you share such a big news on social media?"
"Not yet," Lu Yan glanced at the person beside him and whispered, "We're in the early stages of a relationship."
While Lu Yan was practicing archery in the courtyard, Tang Xunan watched for a while. "The competitive compound bow you used before is different from this northern hunting bow. It requires a different technique."
Tang Xunan naturally leaned in, adjusting Lu Yan's posture. "Hunting bows have smaller axle distances for better portability and higher draw weights. The string angle is smaller compared to the competitive bow you used before."
As Tang Xunan got close, Lu Yan caught a faint scent of laundry detergent, warm and comforting. The system couldn't contain its frustration: "[He's making a move, this guy!]"
Lu Yan: "Not really."
"Pay attention to the direction of force in your back muscles," Tang Xunan focused on his guidance, not looking away. "Just practice a bit more."
An arrow was released, hitting the bullseye. Lu Yan's romantic thoughts vanished, replaced by a strange competitive desire. He spent the morning sweating in the archery range.
After a refreshing shower, Tang Xunan was in the kitchen chopping vegetables. Fresh ingredients from the Eighth Research Institute had arrived, including pollution-resistant pork. The pork, with pollution values controlled below 50, was created from ordinary pigs fed with plant-based pollutants, displaying more aggression than regular pork.
The system coughed: "[Headquarters is considering how to maintain social order in case of a full outbreak of the contamination disease. Stable food sources and several survivor base plans are being devised.]"
Lu Yan pondered, "I can't imagine what a full contamination disease outbreak would look like."
"[Most evolved pollutants tend to be lethal rather than contagious. You've witnessed an outbreak in City K already. If it happens, it's just a shift from fish eggs to other sources.]"
Tang Xunan and Lu Yan didn't talk much, especially with Lu Yan's "Delirium" talent.
Lu Yan practiced archery for the morning, scoring between 8 and 10 in accuracy. This made him not very inclined to talk.
After tying an apron, Lu Yan observed Tang Xunan. He didn't expect Tang Xunan, who seemed unlikely to cook, to display excellent knife skills, cutting meat evenly.
They decided to have hot pot for lunch at home.
Lu Yan held a knife and felt the strange competitive desire again. Holding a piece of tofu from the fridge, he said, "Let's have intellectual tofu today."
The system hesitated: "[...]"
The only sounds in the kitchen were the chopping of vegetables, boiling water, and the livelier birds outside the window. Even Ah Bai, the dog dragon, was eager for action.
Regretfully, Tang Xunan, despite his mature age, remained like an unresponsive log.
While Lu Yan was cutting tofu, his phone rang. He had few contacts, but glancing at the caller ID, it was his college class leader.
Lu Yan attended college in City A, scoring high on the entrance exam. His banner proudly proclaimed, "The best in science in the Western Province." With a score of 727, he could choose any school and major in the country.
Choosing Yanda Medical College, he pursued both bachelor's and master's degrees in a continuous seven years, including direct admission to a Ph.D. program.
During college, Lu Yan consistently topped his class in academics.
The Prophet had already planned how to protect Gu Weibin after blowing up the First Research Institute and rescuing most of the experimental subjects, preventing him from being killed by other enraged test subjects. However, Shen Qingyang didn't listen; he retracted his tentacles, put on his hat, and said, "Do as you wish. I'm going out for a stroll."
He possessed the talent of mimicking, so he wasn't worried about being discovered. The Prophet initially wanted to stop him, but his large, upright eyes quickly squinted. Soon, a sneer appeared on the face of the person behind him. "Well then, go ahead and come back soon."
However, Shen Qingyang didn't go too far and quickly returned. He spread his hands, saying determinedly, "Teacher, give me some money." He could skip meals, but he needed money for the subway. Running in the streets with octopus legs waving around wasn't an option.
The Prophet: "..." Nowadays, who still uses currency among pollutants? The Prophet searched his pockets and finally found a 20 yuan banknote, handing it to Shen Qingyang.
Shen Qingyang's mimicked appearance was that of a high school student—neither good-looking nor ugly, with glasses, easily overlooked, and a common sight anywhere. He sneaked into the subway station without making a sound, carrying the 20 yuan living expense provided by the Prophet.
City A was much more bustling than K City. The subway station was crowded due to its proximity to the station. The sky was gloomy, and there was a light drizzle. Shen Qingyang stood in front of the subway route map, contemplating where to go. His gaze was drawn to the coordinates of Yanjing University on the map.
Lu Yan had studied there, and vaguely, Shen Qingyang remembered that the university was open to visitors. Spending 8 yuan, he took a nearly 90-minute subway ride and finally arrived at the entrance of Yanjing University. Surprisingly, they were selling maps at the entrance, and after some thought, he spent 2 yuan on one.
With the remaining 10 yuan, he could afford a pork-filled pancake at Yanjing University's cafeteria. The plan seemed good, but the countryside octopus was stopped at the entrance. The security guard said he didn't have a reservation. Shen Qingyang stood there, looking bewildered. The confusion on his face was too obvious, and the security guard said, "Student, you can make a real-name reservation with your mobile WeChat. It's quick; there are still slots available today. You're a high school student, right? Good luck on your exams."
Making a reservation required real-name information. Since he wasn't human and didn't have an ID, plus being on the special operations unit's wanted list, Shen Qingyang realized he might never get a chance to visit a university, even if he scored 700 points on the exam. He looked at the splendid university gate, smiled, and said, "Thank you, uncle. I don't have my phone. I'll come back another day."
Rain fell on his hat, and Shen Qingyang liked the damp air. He turned around to explore the nearby area. At that moment, a car arrived, stopping on the opposite side of the street. Shen Qingyang wasn't particularly interested in cars, but the black sedan looked expensive, making him take a second look. The rear door opened, and Lu Yan walked out. Even though they were far apart, and he looked slightly different from half a year ago, Shen Qingyang could determine it was Lu Yan.
Though he didn't know why Lu Yan was in City A, at that moment, Shen Qingyang's heart was filled with excitement. Lu Yan wasn't alone; another person quickly got out of the car. Tang Xunan opened an umbrella and held it over Lu Yan's head. The map in Shen Qingyang's hand dropped to the ground. It was as if an invisible hand had suddenly gripped his heart, making him gasp for breath.
Lu Yan had a cleanliness obsession. He always kept disinfectant at home, preferred walking to taking public transportation, and never liked going to the market but instead ordered groceries online. In other words, unless he was working, Lu Yan didn't like people getting too close. However, he allowed that man to approach him.
Shen Qingyang also knew that man; the Prophet had given him some information about things that still couldn't be provoked. Tang Xunan was specifically marked. The Prophet said, "This might be the only person capable of killing you now."
Shen Qingyang's hand trembled slightly. He crouched down, picking up the map booklet. There was a puddle under his feet. The water's surface reflected his shadow—a twisted and ugly face. He was jealous. Jealous enough to want to kill.
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