I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 157Book 2: : Spring and Visitors
Vol 2 Chapter 157: Spring and Visitors
Old Man Bai’s words made Zheng Fa fall silent.
Tang Mu Dao said, “To be honest, the data I can get isn’t the most precise or complete... some of it is highly classified.”
“On the other hand, a faster way to identify potential Spirit Wood Thunder signals would be to use powerful supercomputing platforms—but those are only accessible to major academic institutions and government entities.”
Zheng Fa understood what the two were implying.
He fell into thought.
He was, by nature, a relatively cautious person, preferring to take things step by step.
On the other hand, Zheng Fa had always considered the modern world a kind of pure land—not that everything modern was good, but because life in the Xuanyi Realm was already exhausting, and in the modern world, he just wanted to keep things simple.
To him, the modern world was, on one hand, a place to gain knowledge and conduct experiments.
On the other hand, it was a harbor of rest.
But then he thought of Senior Sister Zhang and the others...
“What ideas do you all have...”
The moment he said that, everyone knew he had already leaned toward their suggestion.
Old Man Bai kept silent and just looked toward Tang Mu Dao.
Among the people here, Tang Mu Dao was probably the most capable in this area.
“The most important thing is, Zheng Fa—what kind of outcome do you want to achieve...”
Zheng Fa looked at him, not quite understanding why he phrased it that way.
“Simply put, are you aiming for some level of power and status? Or do you just want collaborative research?”
Zheng Fa understood what he meant. After thinking for a moment, he said, “To me, collaborative research has more value.”
Tang Mu Dao nodded, as if he understood: “That makes things simpler—your personality poses the least threat to society...”
Zheng Fa heard that and also came to a realization:
To the authorities, he was actually an unpredictable element. Think of the qigong craze back in the day, and even older times with those religious sects.
Someone like Zheng Fa, with this kind of pursuit, would actually put a lot of people at ease.
Tang Mu Dao continued:
“First, we need to show respect for social order.”
“Second, we need to clearly express our goals.”
“Third, like Professor Bai said, we need to demonstrate our value.”
Zheng Fa was silent for a moment, then gently nodded.
He looked toward Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu.
No one here was stupid—they all knew that once this step was taken, life afterward might change completely.
Zheng Fa made this choice because of the crisis in the Xuanyi Realm—there was a real, pressing need.
But for Old Man Bai and the others, it was something else entirely.
Old Man Bai seemed to understand the look in his eyes. He pouted and said, “You’re just overthinking it.”
...
Hongshan Mountain lay in the distant suburbs of Jingcheng, with four distinct seasons.
It was late winter now. The trees and plants on the mountain were withered, and the hills were full of dry branches and fallen leaves, giving off a sense of bleakness.
Down at the foot of the mountain, in a guesthouse, the owner was still bundled up in a thick down jacket, livestreaming as usual.
But now that the weather was bitterly cold, even the number of viewers had dropped—his livestream room was even bleaker than the scenery on the mountain.
Still, he wasn’t in a rush and just chatted casually with a few regular viewers in the room.
They were old followers, and he was comfortable with them, chatting like they were just friends.
“The Rainbow Mountain Goddess? I didn’t believe it before either, but last time—I totally did!”
He dramatically recounted the story of visiting the Rainbow Mountain Goddess’s temple.
Naturally, the livestream audience didn’t believe a word.
The owner swore with conviction, “If I’m lying even half a sentence, may I... never find a wife in this lifetime!”
At that moment, a viewer sent a bullet comment:
“That’s a curse? As if the rest of us haven’t been single too?”
The owner froze, feeling a little sympathetic.
“Alright then! If I’m lying even one word—may I never make a fortune in my life!”
“……”
Now that was a vicious oath.
It immediately stunned the audience into silence.
A while later, that same viewer sent another bullet comment: “Bro, I want to believe you, but what you’re saying is way too far-fetched...”
The owner shook his head, clearly done with the conversation, and said, “Believe it or not, I didn’t lie... if you don’t believe it, just treat it like a story.”
“That story is so dumb only a fool would—wait, holy sh*t!”
The owner blinked, not knowing what got into the viewer.
Then he saw the bullet comments lighting up: “Look behind you!”
“Turn around!”
“Your goddess is showing a miracle again!”
The owner turned his head—and his jaw dropped wide open, unable to believe his eyes.
Behind him, the once silent and desolate mountains had suddenly burst into vibrant life.
From the peak down to the foot, one tree after another bloomed, one blade of grass after another sprouted.
As if in the dead of winter, the entire mountain had erupted into sacred, radiant vitality.
Even the mountain birds and beasts seemed to awaken with the arrival of spring.
Chirping and calls filled the forest with joyful noise.
The owner looked at the scene before him, and a strange feeling welled up inside—
It felt like something extraordinary had just happened.
...
Watching Evergreen Talismans scatter across the mountain, Old Man Bai nodded and said, “That’s enough.”
Tang Mu Dao added, “Now we just wait for people to come to us.”
Zheng Fa looked toward Tang Lingwu beside him, only to see her holding her phone, sending someone a message.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m chatting with my mom,” Tang Lingwu said, startled. She looked up and added, “I told her, if she can’t reach me in a few days, not to worry.”
“……”
Zheng Fa was stunned and glanced at Old Man Bai and the others.
They all gave a bit of a helpless chuckle.
Tang Lingwu, after all, lacked real-world experience.
Zheng Fa had lived an unusual life—he only hesitated because it would be troublesome, but to be honest, he wasn’t really afraid of anything.
Tang Lingwu, on the other hand, had grown up in comfort and privilege, everything smooth and easy. It was natural for her to imagine the worst.
Still...
“So... you’re not scared?”
Old Man Bai glanced at Zheng Fa and asked with a sigh and a smile.
Tang Lingwu clutched her phone, thought about it, and shook her head: “As long as we’re together, I’m not scared.”
Hearing those words, the corners of Zheng Fa’s mouth couldn’t help but lift in a faint smile.
...
Three days later, at dusk, a black car quietly drove into Hongshan.
The driver was a young man with a straight posture. In the passenger seat sat a woman with short hair, her face both troubled and stern, to the point that it was difficult to tell her exact age.
Resting on the woman’s knees was a file folder. The flap was open, with document pages visible inside.
The top document featured a photo of Zheng Fa.
The woman looked at the file and murmured to herself.
“Twelve years old, parents died in an accident, personality changed drastically.”
“Did not leave the house for five years, withdrawn and solitary.”
“Academic performance surged in high school, ranked first in the city.”
“Extremely diligent since junior high, no other special traits displayed.”
“Social relationships…”
“Financial status…”
“Personal interests…”
“Neighborhood committee evaluation…”
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Page by page, the documents detailed Zheng Fa’s past with incredible precision.
Besides him, the folder also contained information on Tang Lingwu and the others.
Looking at these files, the woman frowned, as if struggling to make sense of it all.
