While the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing a cold winter, the South Pacific is at its hottest.
When Qingmu came out of the airport, he felt a little uncomfortable in the glaring sunlight.
Compared to China, Auckland feels like a world without air. The sky is so blue it seems unreal, with a few lazy clouds floating in the distance, like wallpaper pasted on a sapphire screen.
The Sun hung high overhead, unhindered by dust, casting its radiant light that slanted across the buildings, reflecting strange rays. Ultraviolet rays were equally unrestrained, leaving brown marks on human skin.
Su Huilan put on sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, and draped a white shawl over her shoulders, covering her arms. Seeing Qingmu's unchanging appearance, she asked curiously:
"In the dead of winter, when it's below zero, you're wearing a trench coat—you must be healthy! But it's Xia Tian in New Zealand right now, with the sun blazing down. Are you afraid people on the streets of Auckland won't recognize you?"
Qingmu's attire indeed attracted attention, with many people pointing and whispering about him. It seems everyone has a gossipy nature, no matter where they are.
Airport security guards watched him warily, even bringing over a large wolfhound. However, both people and dogs obediently walked away when they came near him, as if ignoring his presence.
Su Huilan leaned closer and whispered, "You're obstructing official business."
Qingmu said, "I didn't do anything."
Su Huilan said, "Hypnotizing people in public is a violation of the convention, and if the Alliance were still in existence, you could face charges."
"What convention? What Alliance?" Qingmu asked in surprise.
He knew Su Huilan possessed powerful Mental Power and an extremely unique and subtle control over Mental Power. He had also vaguely sensed some connection between her and the Awakeners' Alliance, but it wasn't convenient for him to ask further. Now, Su Huilan had brought it up herself. Qingmu didn't know if she had let something slip, was hinting at something, or was it a test for him.
However, Su Huilan remained silent, dragging her suitcase forward while shaking her head with a smile, "Forget it, I'd better stay away from you to avoid being implicated."
Qingmu quickly chased after him.
This is Auckland, a place he doesn't know at all. If he loses Su Huilan, he has no idea how to get to the campsite on Rapa Island, where no one knows him.
He only carried a black backpack. Since it's Xia Tian in New Zealand, he didn't need to change his clothes, so he brought very little. This was something Bi Shenghua insisted on preparing for him.
Aside from a credit card, he didn't carry any cash; RMB was useless anyway. Of course, he didn't know that Bi Shenghua his bag, probably for emergencies, so he hadn't told him. He never opened the bag to check, because he figured he'd never use the contents.
He realized that following a woman he barely knew to a strange place was not a wise decision; going to Southern Yunnan with Shi Dazhuang back then would have been much more straightforward. But there was really no other way; he needed to go to the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and without this opportunity, he really wouldn't have had a good plan. He couldn't just wander around the islands of the South Pacific like a headless fly.
Su Huilan quickly walked up to a young man holding a sign.
The young man immediately asked politely, "Are you Professor Su from Columbia University?"
"Yes."
"Oh, that's great. I'm the Professor Field sent to pick you up."
The young man warmly took the luggage from Su Huilan, then saw Qingmu standing next to Su Huilan. "You must be the professor's assistant? Hello, my name is Pierce."
Without waiting for Qingmu's reply, Pierce shoved the suitcase into Qingmu. " Professor Su, wait a moment, I'll go get the car."
Qingmu, pulling on the handle of his suitcase, stared in disbelief, while Pierce had already jogged off towards a Toyota.
Su Huilan spread her hands towards Qingmu and couldn't help but laugh, "You're my assistant!"
Helpless, Qingmu waited for Pierce to drive over, then put Su Huilan's luggage in the trunk before getting into the car. He sat in the passenger seat, and Su Huilan sat in the back seat.
This Toyota was old and worn out, looking like it had been around for a while, but Pierce drove it with great enthusiasm, chatting with Qingmu in the passenger seat as he drove:
"My car is pretty good, isn't it? Driving is much faster than taking the subway, Auckland is as slow as an oxcart. And there are so few buses; the time spent waiting for a bus could be equivalent to walking from Auckland to Hamilton!"
"Your name is Qin Mu? Oh, that's a good name. I know Qin Shi Huang, one of the greatest emperors in China. Do you share the same surname? Are you a descendant of him?"
"First time in New Zealand? Then you've come to the right place, Auckland. It's the best city in New Zealand. Don't go to Wellington or Christchurch. Auckland has everything they have, but they don't have what Auckland has."
Pierce's incessant chatter reminded Qingmu of the Boss Coal, and just two hours later, he saw the Crow that was almost going crazy.
"I'm going to die!" the Boss Coal shouted as he jumped on Qingmu's head as soon as he saw him.
"What's wrong?" Qingmu asked.
"They feed me bugs Tiantian! You know what bugs are?" Crow said, pointing to Hanran beside her. "She gets cat food and sausages, but I only get to eat those disgusting bugs!"
Why didn't you tell them you wanted steak?
"I haven't spoken a word since I got off the plane. That's one of the reasons I said I was going to die."
"Why?" Qingmu couldn't imagine what a Boss Coal silently ate insects would be like.
The Crow said, "You have no idea how terrifying these scientific research fanatics are! If they heard me speak, they would lock me up like a lab rat, then dissect my brain and throat. Caw, that's horrible!"
Qingmu looked at Su Huilan with concern.
Su Huilan said, "Don't worry, your bird has a home. To put it bluntly, your bird now nominally belongs to me. They won't harm him without my permission."
Um... why does this sound so awkward? Qingmu scratched his head.
The Crow, however, ignored this and said, "Alright, Professor, since I belong to you for now, could you take me out for a good meal? If you don't have braised pork knuckle, braised beef will do."
"No problem!"
Su Huilan agreed and led them to a very unique restaurant.
The Boss Coal enjoyed a Meimei meal, then sprawled out on his chair, patting his belly with his wing, and burped, saying, " Ruhua's braised pork knuckle is still the best. Foreign meat is just too coarsely prepared, burp--"
Hanran, who was beside him, was already fast asleep, snoring away.
During the meal, Qingmu asked Su Huilan about the upcoming itinerary and specific arrangements.
Su Huilan said, "The flight to Tubuai Island is tomorrow morning, then we'll take a boat to the camp in Rapa. As for what happens after we get there... what are your plans?"
Qingmu said, "I'm your assistant, so of course I'll listen to you."
Su Huilan laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare to really treat you as an assistant!"