A few days later, the Boss Coal and Hanran were sent to Shenfu University. Someone put a ring around their necks with their species, name, and number written on it. Then they were put into cages separately and taken through the green channel from Shenzhou International Airport to the cargo hold of a flight from Shenzhou to Auckland, along with some other animal and plant specimens.
The Boss Coal, upon learning that the flight from Shenzhou to Auckland would take twelve hours, kept muttering before setting off that going twelve hours without eating was simply the cruelest punishment in the world.
Although there was some food in the cage, it was all food that had undergone strict inspection and was allowed to be taken on the plane. The Boss Coal believed that he would rather starve to death than eat such things. On this point, he was absolutely unwilling to compromise.
On the contrary, she was completely at Hanran, showing no anxiety or worry whatsoever. She obediently went into her cage and fell into a deep sleep. It wasn't that she was satisfied with the food, although she wasn't particularly picky, but the main reason was that she wasn't hungry.
Ever since visiting Xia Wenyuan's house with Qingmu, Hanran hasn't been very hungry these past few days. She doesn't know if it's because Xia Family's cat food is too nutritious, or because Xia Wenyuan swallowed that shadow in his dream. Hanran just seems to be sleepy all the time.
The plane took off, the roar of the engines drowning out everything; no one heard the screams coming from the cargo hold.
"Caw--It's so noisy! Why is the airplane's noise level so low? I can't hear myself! What am I saying? Why can't I hear myself talking? Oh, I'm feeling a little dizzy!"
"Oh my, is the sky spinning? Hanran! Are you feeling dizzy?"
"Oh my god, finally it's quiet! Hmm, this is much calmer. Is this... already in space?"
"Hey, Hanran, we're up in the sky!"
Snore... Snore...
Hey, Hanran, can you hear me?
Snore... Snore...
"Hey, silly cat! Wake up and eat some dried fish!"
Snore... Snore...
"Why aren't the lights on? Hey, I bought a ticket! Is this how you treat your passengers? Do you want me to spend twelve hours in the dark? My eyes won't be able to adjust to sunlight. What if I go blind? You'll be responsible, Guagua!"
" Boeing Company's designers are all idiots! Why didn't they design a window in the luggage compartment? Oh, I want to open the window, I want to see the gods!"
" God — God —are you there? Taishang Laojun wants you to come to a meeting!"
The Boss Coal left, Qingmu was initially worried about Bi Shenghua's safety, but at that moment, Zhao Pengcheng sent him a message through Ghost:
All personnel are on low alert, awaiting orders for a major operation.
This was the first message Zhao Pengcheng Zhao Pengcheng had sent to Qingmu since his escape. In fact, his superior, Howard, had already hinted at this message before the escape, so this was essentially confirmation.
Qingmu recalled that the shadow in Xia Wenyuan's dream had hidden itself and ceased its Xia Wenyuan, likely having received a similar order to infiltrate. The timing also matched. However, its parasitism hadn't been successful yet. How had it received the order? If they had other special methods of communication, could everything Qingmu had done in Xia Wenyuan's dream already be known to him? And the book?
Judging from the message sent by Zhao Pengcheng, the main point he wanted to make was not the "entire team going into hiding," but rather the second half of the sentence—that there was a major operation. However, he didn't specify what kind of major operation it was, so it seems he couldn't find out either.
Qingmu recalled Zhao Pengcheng's other life, in Dream Society quickly taking control of the world within the next few years, forcing Professor Mei and other scientists into an underground resistance organization. Judging from the timing, it was very likely related to this "major operation."
Qingmu knew he had to act quickly; he couldn't let their operation succeed, and he couldn't let this planet be taken over by another group of consciousnesses from who-knows-where.
However, Zhao Pengcheng's news reassured him a little. Since "they" were lying in wait, they probably wouldn't harm the people around him.
Just to be on the safe side, he called Hou Biao back before leaving. At this point, it was pointless to send Hou Biao to fight the assassins; it would be better to bring him back and gather the reliable forces of the entire security company to protect Bi Shenghua, Professor Mei, and the others.
Hu Xing and Yao Jingjing don't really need protection. One is a police officer, and the other works for a security company, making it difficult for ordinary people to harm them. Moreover, their level of awareness in the dream has already given them a certain ability to protect themselves, making it difficult to assault them in the dream.
Yao Jingjing's progress was somewhat beyond Qingmu's expectations. Not only did she quickly master lucid dreaming, but her Mental Power was also growing at a remarkable rate. Qingmu judged that she had already surpassed the Medicine Granny he had met in Southern Yunnan, and if she continued at this pace, she would soon reach Du Juan's level.
Despite Yao Jingjing's hard work, Qingmu still attributed it to her talent. After all, she was the great-niece of Old Madam Cuan! You see, even Qingmu found this old lady unfathomable.
After a tearful farewell at the airport, Qingmu and Bi Shenghua returned to Liuying Lane. As they passed the large willow tree, they both stopped at the same time.
Looking at the willow tree again, Qingmu felt that it was different from before. He vaguely sensed that this tree had a different vitality than other trees, and felt its courage and perseverance in standing tall in the wind and rain.
It stands like a mother, watching her children return from the wind and rain.
Children will never see the complex emotions and sincere love in their mother's eyes until they are about to embark on their own journeys and experience the hardships of life. Only then will they remember that their mother shielded them from all the storms of the past.
By then, her mother was already old.
The willows lining Liuying Lane are all its children. But they will not travel far, nor will they leave their mother. At this moment, only the Qingmu can feel so many emotions, inexplicably, like a piece of wood.
It was a bright, sunny day, but the temperature, like the willow branches, was very low. The paper strips were covered with yellow leaves that had not yet fallen after being swept away by the autumn wind, and some of the yellow leaves still retained a trace of green.
It was that little bit of green hidden in the desolation that bloomed on the streets of the cold winter, like a speck of green ink accidentally spilled by an angel when painting. Although it was swept away by the cold wind again and again, it could never be completely erased. Instead, it spread into the blue sky and became the color of immortal life.
Bi Shenghua casually broke off a small branch, looked at the remaining green on it, and said, "Look how good this willow tree is; it can grow anywhere you plant it."
Qingmu looked up at the willow branches and said, "It has a passion for color and a tenacity for life, which is why it thrives."
Bi Shenghua laughed and said, "Have you become a philosopher? You really are influenced by your surroundings; you've been spending a lot of time with professors lately, and your knowledge has improved considerably!"
Qingmu coughed softly, looked at Bi Shenghua earnestly, and said, "You know me, I..."
Bi Shenghua quickly waved the willow branch in front of him and said, "Never mind, we can talk about it when you get back."
Qingmu nodded and said, "Okay, then wait for me to come back."