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She took off her goggles and tucked them into her pocket. Her narrow eyes glanced at He Xian, then silently drifted towards Shi Youchen. Then she pressed "11" and said, "It's rare to see you so busy with official business."

He Xian chuckled and said, "Don't say that in front of my friends. It makes me look like I'm not doing my job properly all day."

"Friends?" The woman looked thoughtfully at the figure reflected in the elevator door and said indifferently, "During this orange alert, you and your friends should pay attention to your own safety."

The elevator stopped on the 7th floor and the woman walked out first without looking back.

Shi Youchen noticed her observing gaze, but he just thought that it was just a brief encounter that left a bad impression on the other party. Besides, he couldn't understand what He Xian was saying to her, so he didn't care.

After reaching the 11th floor, He Xian led him into an office. "Just put it on the table, thank you." The room was heated, dispelling some of the chill from outside. He Xian took off his coat and hung it on the hanger. He gently said to Shi Youchen, "There's a shower over there. Don't catch a cold."

His hair was sticky after being wet by the rain and his scalp was slightly itchy, but Shi Youchen still didn't refuse. He went in, washed his hair and dried his wet clothes.

When he came out again, He Xian had already made two cups of steaming hot coffee.

"We only have instant ones here. Do you mind?"

Shi Youchen shook his head, walked over and sat down, taking a sip of the drink to warm his stomach.

He Xian looked at Shi Youchen's blow-dried hair and said, "They're on a mission now, and I have to be ready to contact and support them at all times. I might not be able to take care of you sometimes."

Shi Youchen: "It's okay, I have my own plans."

He Xian took a sip of coffee, the rim of the cup resting against his eyes. "Then I'll give you the controller. I probably won't be using it anytime soon anyway."

Shi Youchen, who was originally worried about the travel problem, said: "Not needed?"

He Xian's expression was miserable. "Yes, I have to stay at the association base 24 hours a day during this period. If they are fine, that's the best. But if anything goes wrong, I will be the first person in charge and I have to be on standby at all times."

"Well, so my car is yours for now," he said, taking out the controller and handing it to Shi Youchen. "But remember to let me know before you go anywhere, so I can have a heads up. And don't worry about me when you go home at night; it's up to you."

The problem was solved, which made Shi Youchen very happy. He took the controller and said, "Okay, thank you."

In the next few days, Ying Yungui and Yan Zhiyuan rushed around for the mission, He Xian was at the base around the clock, and Shi Youchen went to Lu Shen's mission area between 150 and 152 according to the original plan to conduct an investigation.

That day he set out from He Xian's manor in the southeast and headed west to the junction of districts 8, 9, and 10.

This border town was completely different from the one Shi Youchen had seen north of District 10. The people here were simple and honest, and the townspeople were warm and hospitable. He had barely stepped out of the car and walked a few steps when a half-grown child ran up to him, stuffed a handful of candy into his hand, and then ran off happily.

Shi Youchen looked at the colorful candies in his palm, glanced in the direction the child ran, picked a purple one, opened it and put it in his mouth.

He strolled leisurely in the town with a grape-flavored candy in his mouth. Here he did not feel cramped as he had felt elsewhere before, nor did he subconsciously walk with his head down to avoid meeting the gazes of others. Instead, he naturally blended into the place, nodding at the woman washing clothes by the stream, laughing with the children who were laughing and playing as they passed by, and walking slowly with the elderly who were supporting each other as they walked.

Shi Youchen hadn't felt this way for a long, long time.

It's not that he's naturally averse to socializing; it's just that the experience of losing family members at a young age has made him increasingly withdrawn, subconsciously believing that this will prevent him from experiencing the pain of separation. Therefore, he avoids overtures from others, maintains distance in interactions, and actively withdraws from situations.

But this small town made him feel very comfortable.

As he walked slowly, he heard the old woman beside him talking to him, so he turned on the translator and said softly, "Excuse me, mother-in-law, I don't speak the language here. What did you say?"

After listening to the translation, the old woman smiled and said, "Hey, child, you are so handsome. How old are you now?"

Shi Youchen was used to hearing compliments about his appearance, but now he felt a little shy: "Thank you, mother-in-law. I'm 21 this year."

The old woman said, "He's 21. My eldest grandson is the same age as you. He's always pretending to be profound and isn't as likable as you." Although her tone was disapproving, she still smiled kindly, "It's all because of his uncle that he became that way."

Shi Youchen thought of his uncle whom he had never met and said, "I have an uncle too, but I haven't seen him for a long time."

The old woman waved to an acquaintance across the stream, then turned and said, "That won't do. In life, seeing your family members less and less is more. You should go visit them more often."

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and Shi Youchen concealed the loneliness in his heart: "Grandma, it's not that I don't want to go, it's that his soul has gone to heaven to enjoy happiness." He spoke in a relaxed tone, and he didn't want to add to the old woman's sadness.

Unexpectedly, the old woman sighed softly, "Oh, I didn't think it through." She stopped, reached out to hold Shi Youchen's hand, and patted the back of his hand. "Don't be too sad, child. Parting is normal. The living should take care of themselves."

Shi Youchen had no intention of feeling sad, but the serious look on the old woman's face when she told him to take care of himself subtly touched a hidden thought deep in his heart. So a hint of sadness stained the corners of his eyes: "I'm fine."

The old woman, a woman with a wealth of experience, could not fail to notice his change of mood. She lowered her hand and began to walk slowly again, saying as she walked, "My husband died young due to poor health, and my eldest son died in the line of duty a few years ago, leaving behind a son in the care of his younger brother. My youngest son is very conservative and insists on not finding a partner. He just wants to take care of his older brother's child. Alas, I'm too old to urge him on, so I let the two of them open a restaurant. I didn't expect them to actually make a name for themselves."

As she spoke, pride appeared on her face: "Seeing them getting better and better in the past two years, I, an old woman, feel relieved."

Shi Youchen understood that she said this to comfort him, and he also said with appreciation: "Mother-in-law is a blessed person."

The old woman smiled and said, "I don't have any blessings. I just look at things in a positive light."

Shi Youchen changed the subject: "By the way, mother-in-law, do you know what happened here twenty years ago?"

The old woman said: "Of course, I grew up in this town. I know everything about this place. Just ask me if you want to know anything." She looked even prouder than when she mentioned her own children and grandchildren.

So Shi Youchen took her to a small pavilion nearby to sit down and rest, and asked, "You should also know about the mountain flood in 152 years? Can you tell me about the situation at that time?" Originally, he wanted to find a young and talkative person to ask these things, but after a conversation with the old woman just now, Shi Youchen thought she was a suitable person to ask.

The old woman thought for a moment and said, "I remember that incident. It was hot and rainy at the time, and there were still several construction sites going on in the town. The landslide happened in the middle of the night, and many people living near the foot of the mountain didn't have time to escape, so they were all crushed."

Shi Youchen: "Do you still remember how the rescue went?"

The old woman suddenly became excited. "Of course I don't remember it. We're at the junction of three districts. The people from the Public Security Bureau and the Water Conservancy Bureau haven't arrived yet, but the people from the association are already here!" She looked up slightly and recalled that night. "That night, the town was as bright as day..."

One night in the summer of the 152nd year of the new calendar.

45-year-old Jiang Shulan woke from a dream to the sound of a commotion outside. She jumped out of bed and headed for the door, where she ran into her neighbor. "Oh, Shulan! There's a landslide to the west! A lot of night workers are trapped!" Jiang Shulan, sweating, followed the neighbor to the higher ground to the west.

As soon as the two arrived near the construction site, they saw a circle of protection outside, and someone was blocking the town from approaching.

The auntie grabbed one of the young men who was trying to stop them and asked, "What's going on? What's going on in there?"

The young man said seriously, "The association's superpowers are on a rescue mission, please do not approach."

The auntie leaned against Jiang Shulan in shock and said, "Oh my god, the association people came so quickly! Shulan, can you see if your eldest son is here?"

Jiang Shulan's expression changed as she moved closer, craning her neck to peer inside. The dark place suddenly became brighter, and the scene inside came into view clearly.

Someone squatted beside the pile of dirt, covering it with a hand, his mouth opening and closing as he spoke something to someone standing nearby. It was too far away to hear clearly. The person standing there seemed to be a commander, giving orders to those around him. They used some unknown power to move many people out of the pile of dirt and rubble.

Jiang Shulan stared wide-eyed and looked among the people moving around. After a long while, she finally saw a familiar figure. But seeing the situation inside, she didn't want to make a sound to disturb them, so she stood there anxiously, clenching her fists and biting her lips, waiting.

More and more people were being moved to the open space. Some were injured but still able to move, while others lay there breathless. Jiang Shulan watched her son wipe his sweat and walk over to a young man. The young man touched the night workers one by one, looking up and saying a few words to each one. The two of them worked together to complete the record keeping work.

Personnel from the Public Security Bureau and the Water Conservancy Bureau also arrived. The wounded who were still breathing were taken away for emergency treatment, and those who were confirmed dead were sent to notify their families. The townspeople were dismissed, but Jiang Shulan could still hear the cries outside while sitting in her living room.

She drank water gulps of water in fear, and finally waited until the doorbell rang, and then the door was opened from the outside.

"Mom? Are you home?" It was a familiar voice.

Jiang Shulan coughed twice and said, "Dazi, come in." Jiang Da then walked into the house with confidence and asked, "Why don't you turn on the lights?" As she spoke, she turned on the headlights. Jiang Shulan then discovered that there was another person next to her son, the young man she had seen at the scene just now.

Jiang Da: "Mom, this is my friend. We just finished our mission. It's too late for him to go back, so I'll bring him to our house to spend the night and leave early tomorrow morning."

The young man bowed politely to Jiang Shulan and said, "Excuse me." His District 9 accent lacked the tact of a local, but Jiang Shulan knew the nature of her son's work, so she simply said, "Well, you two have worked hard. Are you hungry?"

The two looked at each other and said in unison, "We're hungry!" So Jiang Shulan got up to cook noodles for the two boys, adding two more eggs to each bowl.

Jiang Shulan looked at the two people wolfing down their food and said with amusement, "Why are you in such a hurry? No one is trying to snatch it from you. Eat slowly, there's more in the pot." Jiang Da was busy slurping noodles and drinking soup, while the other person slowed down his movements and said, "Auntie, your noodles are so delicious!"

Jiang Shulan looked at his eyes, which curved when he smiled, and the two neatly arranged moles at the corners of his eyes, and said, "What a sweet boy! What's your name?"

They were both startled when they heard this. Jiang Da said awkwardly, "Mom, I can't tell you this."

Jiang Shulan curled her lips and said, "Alright, alright. If you can't tell me, then don't tell me. I won't ask." But the young man interrupted her and said, "It doesn't matter. Da Zi and I are friends, and we hit it off right away. There's nothing we can't tell you."

He smiled again: "My name is Lu Shen."