Visitors from Baokun City

September 1st, the seventh day after the torrential rain ended.

The weather was clear.

A vehicle bearing special license plates slowly drove into Xuanhe Village.

"This is Xuanhe Village, right?" In the front vehicle sat a man around thirty, fair-skinned and wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

Looking ahead through the windshield, they saw Xuanhe Village nestled at the foot of the mountains, its houses arranged in an orderly line. Quite a few elderly people sat along the streets.

"Phew, we finally made it." The driver, Xiao Liu, let out a long breath, his face full of exhaustion.

"It really wasn't easy." Recalling the bumps and the long journey, Zhou Xu nodded in deep agreement.

Though a country road led directly to Xuanhe Village, the entire route had been winding mountain roads. Coupled with the long distance, both of them were rather tired.

But when Zhou Xu thought of their mission, he let out a soft breath, rallied himself, and smiled. "The chairman truly wants to set up an example."

After a pause, his voice lowered. "It's just that this Chen Yuan is rather strange. He actually can't bear to leave this place."

The vehicles slowly entered Xuanhe Village and stopped where the elderly had gathered.

Zhou Xu rolled down the window. Before he could ask anything, a villager shot him a wary look. "What are you here for? Without permission, you're not allowed to enter the mountains on your own."

"That's right, that's right. The village chief said we should stop suspicious people," another villager nodded in agreement.

Zhou Xu smiled kindly. "I'm not here to enter the mountains. I'm looking for Chen Yuan. May I ask where he lives?"

"Chen Yuan?" Uncle Zhao abruptly rose to his feet. He suspiciously eyed the courteous Zhou Xu and asked warily, "What do you want with him?"

Zhou Xu smiled faintly. "I represent the Baokun City Beast Tamer Association. I've come to offer congratulations."

The villagers all looked bewildered.

Then Uncle Zhao slapped his forehead as if something had occurred to him. "The Beast Tamer Association? That organization that's been showing up on TV all the time lately?"

Zhou Xu nodded with a smile.

An auntie spoke without any reservations. "I saw online that the Beast Tamer Association is a scam. Not only do you have to pay a membership fee to join, you also—"

A black line appeared across Zhou Xu's forehead. He hurriedly interrupted, "We are a legitimate organization recognized by the higher authorities. There is no membership fee."

"Then I heard that after joining, you have to hand over your own pet beast."

Zhou Xu: "..."

He turned to look at Xiao Liu and took a deep breath. "Contact Station Chief Song Guohao."

"Tell him... we're trapped at the entrance to the village."

A few minutes later,

Song Guohao hurried over and cleared up the misunderstanding. He then shook hands with Zhou Xu and apologized. "Sorry, Secretary Zhou. Publicity work regarding Xuanhe Village hasn't been fully carried out yet."

"It's fine. The association has only just started; misunderstandings are normal." Zhou Xu nodded without concern.

Song Guohao smiled in agreement, then asked, "Secretary Zhou, what matter has brought you here in person?"

Zhou Xu replied, "Comrade Chen Yuan has made enormous contributions to the association. Although he is unwilling to come to Baokun City to take up a position, the chairman still wishes to recognize his contributions."

"Therefore, he specifically sent me here to deliver something."

Zhou Xu stepped aside, revealing a wooden plaque engraved with five gleaming golden characters—New Era Pioneer.

Song Guohao's eyes lit up, and a sharp-eyed villager loudly read it out. "New Era Pioneer!"

One stone stirred up a thousand waves. All kinds of chatter surged forth. Some people even pulled out their senior phones, made calls, and shouted at the top of their lungs, "That boy from the old Chen family has rendered meritorious service! I heard he's some kind of New Era Pioneer!"

"Come to the village entrance and watch the excitement! The higher-ups have come to deliver a plaque!"

"Could Little Chen have died in the line of duty? They're even sending a plaque!"

"Bullshit! He was fishing with me yesterday!"

A moment later, Zhou Xu and Xiao Liu carried the plaque, their expressions wooden as they walked at the very front of the procession.

Song Guohao followed closely behind.

Further back came a team of nimble, strong, fifty-something villagers. They discussed things enthusiastically among themselves, occasionally taking out their phones to record videos.

At the very back was a mixed group of uncles and aunties in their sixties and seventies. Some leaned on canes, some supported one another, and some tightly clutched their senior phones, their steps slow yet steadfast.

"Woof woof woof!"

"Awoo awoo awoo!"

There was also a special team made up of Condensing Wind Hounds, Spark Hounds, and Chinese Rural Dogs. They barked and yowled as they darted through the crowd, filling the air with a chorus of barks.

Chen Weiyi held his phone, his expression more stunned than ever before.

"Alright, alright, I'll prepare right away." After hanging up the eleventh call, Chen Weiyi switched on Do Not Disturb mode and let out a long breath.

He carried a large sack of sunflower seeds out of the storeroom, then brought out a pile of homemade village popcorn and arranged it neatly in the main hall.

After finishing all that, Chen Weiyi still felt it was not enough. So he brought several dozen plastic stools out of the storeroom and prepared tea beside them. Only then did he finally relax.

This was the highest standard of hospitality he could think of on such short notice.

"Kid, wake up. People from the city have come to see you."

The old man's voice reached Chen Yuan's dream through his ears. He jolted awake and groggily opened his eyes.

What?

The city?

He got up and exchanged a look with Chen Weiyi, who stood in the doorway. The two stared at each other wide-eyed, neither saying a word.

Just then,

faint clamor was already drifting in from outside the farm. Chen Weiyi turned around. "Get up quickly. They're already here."

Chen Yuan sprang to his feet like a carp leaping from water, quickly washed up, and had barely stepped into the courtyard when he saw the swarming crowd.

Whoa, half the elderly people in the village had shown up.

Chen Weiyi was busy greeting the elderly villagers, while Chen Yuan spotted two unfamiliar people standing beside Song Guohao and hurried over.

"Comrade Chen Yuan, nice to meet you for the first time. I'm Zhou Xu, an officer of the Baokun City Beast Tamer Association. The chairman sent me to congratulate you." Zhou Xu shook Chen Yuan's hand, his face wreathed in smiles.

Chen Yuan lowered his head and saw the plaque Zhou Xu and Xiao Liu were holding.

"New Era Pioneer," Chen Yuan murmured, immediately understanding why the two had come.

Could the gift mentioned in that text message have been this? he secretly guessed.

"Accept it first. Xiao Liu, take a photo," Zhou Xu said.

Chen Yuan stood before the plaque and took photos with Zhou Xu and Song Guohao respectively, while a group of villagers applauded enthusiastically nearby.

"Old Chen, your kid is really capable."

"What good fortune."

"Both your grandsons are so impressive. You don't have to worry about either of them anymore."

Chen Weiyi looked calm, but the hands hidden in his sleeves trembled nonstop. His mouth humbly replied, "Not at all, not at all."

Once the plaque had been delivered, the villagers gradually left.

"Chirp~"

Chen Yuan was about to lead the three of them to the main hall when an orange-yellow figure suddenly appeared in the sky. Spark folded its wings and dived down, its tail feathers trailing a pale orange stream of flame.

Zhou Xu's eyes lit up. "This is that Flame Cloud Falcon, right?"

Chen Yuan looked at Spark returning from its morning training and nodded with a smile. "Yes."

"Very impressive." Examining the extraordinary Flame Cloud Falcon up close, Zhou Xu adjusted his glasses and praised it sincerely.