Chapter Thirty-Six: A Familiar Stranger

Walking along the familiar street, Zhu Lan held the leash of a white dog, strolling down the spacious road. As she gazed at the path she had traversed for years, it felt as if she had been absent for more than a decade. Today, Zhu Lan had no work to attend to; only three matters occupied her mind. The first was the agency rights for the gene optimization serum—she had yet to make a decision, so she set it aside for now.

The second was the construction of the bio-building and gene factory. Though the structures were nearly complete, they still required more than a month before they could be put to use, and Lan Tianxin was overseeing everything, so Zhu Lan had no need to worry.

The most pressing issue was the design blueprint for the base. Zhu Lan had devoted herself to it for days, only to realize last night how poor her design truly was. The base was a confidential project, and naturally, she could not entrust it to anyone else. If the government discovered it, the trouble would be immense—domestic mistrust, and even greater suspicion abroad.

Zhu Lan had believed her abilities, though not meeting her ideals, would at least suffice for a passing grade. Reality proved harsh. A base, especially one deep underground, demanded consideration of countless factors—how to build it, how to control the pressure, how to avoid disturbing the earth’s veins, and so on. While the site had been chosen, construction could not yet begin.

Recently, Zhu Lan had tried to extract some basic intelligence components, but aside from individual parts, she could not produce the core. At this critical juncture, unable to manifest the engineering robots needed for the project, boredom drove her out for a walk.

After two months of feeding, Little White had grown remarkably large. Among the batch of wolfdogs raised alongside it, none matched its size; now, Little White was as big as an adult dog. Its rapid growth seemed tied to some genetic mutation. Luo Wuyan had once wanted to study Little White, but Zhu Lan refused. She had worried the dog would keep growing endlessly, but thankfully, in the past few days, its growth had slowed to a normal pace.

The weather was pleasant, so Zhu Lan brought Little White to the city center for a bit of fun. The prolonged stress had weighed on her, and she truly needed to relax.

“What a cute big dog! Xiao Ke, look, quick, look!”

“What is it?”

Approaching the bus stop, two lively voices rang out. The people waiting turned their heads to see two girls in school uniforms standing nearby, gazing at Zhu Lan. Following their gaze, Zhu Lan frowned and looked up.

Everyone was staring at her. Hearing the girls’ words, Zhu Lan was momentarily at a loss. Though Little White had grown up, it was even cuter than before—short ears, large black eyes, a coat of snow-white fur, and an undeniable charm. Its maturity had not diminished its lovability; in fact, it seemed to grow cuter with age.

Noticing Zhu Lan’s gaze, the two girls edged away, appearing somewhat shy. Their uniforms were trendy, with a hint of Japanese and Korean style, and their appearances were striking. If an experienced otaku were here, he would have rushed over immediately; they looked like fragile sprites straight out of an anime.

Zhu Lan smiled and greeted them. The girls seemed even more frightened, as if encountering a strange uncle.

Just then, the bus arrived. Zhu Lan intended to board, but the vehicle was already packed, and recalling the discomfort of crowded buses, she decided against it.

The others at the stop saw the situation and reacted—those accustomed to it hurried onboard, aware of the bus routine. Some waited for the next bus, while others hesitated, but before they could finish deliberating, the driver closed the door; any more passengers would exceed the limit. A few protested, but the driver shook his head and drove off. Left with no choice, some hailed taxis.

Zhu Lan no longer minded the cost of a taxi; she simply wanted to enjoy herself. Looking around, she noticed the two girls were still waiting, and the crowd at the stop had thinned.

Woof woof~~~

Suddenly, Little White barked loudly toward the distance. Zhu Lan frowned and followed its gaze—Little White was usually very quiet.

In the distance, dozens of cars drove by, all seemingly normal, each moving at a proper pace.

“Little White, stop barking!”

Little White possessed a sort of warning instinct, which Zhu Lan knew, though it was unreliable, working only sporadically.

Screech~~~

A sudden sound of friction echoed. Zhu Lan looked up to see a white sedan veering sharply, its entire body heading straight for the bus stop.

“Damn!” Zhu Lan didn’t hesitate, grabbing Little White and running aside. In the past, she might have frozen in fear.

Zhu Lan didn’t panic, but others did. The harsh screech drew everyone’s attention. When they saw the car barreling sideways toward them, all were stunned, unable even to scream.

“Why are you just standing there? Move, get away from here!” Zhu Lan didn’t want to warn them, but she did anyway.

Those who regained their senses quickly ran back, though some remained in shock.

“Take those still standing, quick, there’s no time!” Zhu Lan left the stop and called out to those still dazed.

Not everyone was so kind, but a few helped others escape.

Zhu Lan saw the two girls still frozen, shook her head, and shouted, “Run!”

The girls seemed not to hear, standing rooted in fear as the sedan rushed toward them. Their faces pale, clearly terrified—deep fear can paralyze the body.

Bang~~~

A violent crash rang out. Most people had escaped, watching as the car was about to collide with the stop, where five people remained motionless.

Many couldn’t help but close their eyes, fearing that five lives would be lost in the next moment.

The sedan, for reasons unknown, was moving too quickly sideways, and the resulting impact would be devastating.

“Ah~~~”

Shock—was it a glimpse of the divine?

Everyone was stunned.

Zhu Lan was stunned as well.

The car didn’t hit the stop, and the five people there were still alive.

It wasn’t the driver who changed direction, but another vehicle that collided head-on. The white sedan had been speeding, but unexpectedly, someone crashed directly into it.

The car that struck the sedan was a black SUV. Its speed couldn’t match the sedan, but its weight far surpassed it.

The two vehicles collided, the front of the white sedan was nearly obliterated, while the SUV’s front was simply crushed in a large section; aside from the hood, it was largely undamaged.

“Quick, help them!” Someone snapped out of it and rushed forward to check.

Only then did people realize the white sedan was a Honda, and the SUV was a Hummer—needless to say, the outcome was clear.

With the crash, the road was immediately blocked. Fortunately, this wasn’t a busy area, but within minutes, over a thousand people gathered at the scene.

The road was completely obstructed. It was the main route into the city, close to the suburbs, so there weren’t many vehicles, but even ten minutes of blockage was remarkable.

Emergency vehicles arrived. The Honda’s driver was declared dead at the scene by a doctor, while the Hummer’s driver suffered only minor injuries.

“It’s him?” Zhu Lan frowned as she watched the man step out of the vehicle.

The man walked straight to the two girls at the stop, and they rushed into his arms, crying out, “Brother!”

Woof woof woof~~~

Little White tugged at Zhu Lan, snapping her out of her reverie. She now stood in an inner spot, as most people had gone over to watch, leaving few nearby.

Squatting down, Zhu Lan patted Little White’s head. “Don’t fuss, I know you’re the best.”

Little White’s warning instinct was unreliable, but sometimes it worked. Zhu Lan, hardened by battlefield experience, had evaded danger with ease—but without Little White’s early alert, she might not have noticed.

Little White relished Zhu Lan’s touch, closing its eyes and wagging its tail in delight.

“All right, let’s go.” Zhu Lan led Little White away; the matter no longer concerned her.

The man comforting the two girls glanced around, as if sensing something, but found nothing. “Was I imagining things?”

This time, Zhu Lan didn’t bother with public transit, instead driving straight to the city center plaza. Sitting there, eating puffed rice, observing the city’s bustle, she watched as groups of people came and went.

Suddenly, Zhu Lan felt profoundly out of place.

“Young man? Why are you sitting here alone? Heartbroken?” A voice came from nearby. Zhu Lan looked up to find an ordinary old man.

This was the city’s largest plaza, with a huge crowd every day. Many elderly came to play chess, sometimes spending the entire day there. Though the place was noisy, some simply preferred the liveliness. At home, they were lonely; their children had to work. Sometimes, being among a crowd was a kind of life—far better than staring at an empty house all day.

“Grandpa, chess?”

The old man nodded. “Heartbroken? I’ve seen you sitting here for hours.”

Sometimes, it’s sad—children work hard outside, forgetting what their childhood should be like, forgetting the elderly at home need their laughter. Everyone has their own difficulties.

City elders love parks, because there, they never feel lonely. No matter what, at the park, you'll always find someone to talk to, easing that sense of isolation. It’s the best remedy for loneliness. Children have their hardships, elders have their solitude; every page of the city is a story.

ps: The update schedule is troublesome lately—the side effects of my medication are too strong, and I can only write when they subside at night. If there’s anything else to do, I can’t even write a single chapter; these days I’ve been living off stockpiled drafts. The New Year is almost here, and the drafts are running out! The author is recuperating now, so please bear with me!