“It’s time to go,” the leader said.

As the car started, the Tianhe Base receded further into Cen Zhengnian’s view.

He withdrew his gaze and fixed his eyes determinedly on the road ahead.

At the train station, the leader patted Cen Zhengnian on the shoulder and handed him a train ticket. “Someone will pick you up when you get off the train. Go, and do a good job.”

Cen Zhengnian took the ticket, nodded, saluted the leader, and walked into the station.

After entering the station and checking the train ticket, Cen Zhengnian realized that his destination was the capital, Jingcheng.

He was momentarily stunned by the realization but wasn’t surprised.

His research was connected to the main research institute, which was initially established in Jingcheng and later expanded with many branches across the country.

Each institute had its focus, and the Northwestern Base where he currently was was one of the branches.

When he first arrived at the Northwestern Base, it was still in its early stages and lacked talent.

Being from the Northwestern military, he was recruited even before graduating.

Now, with new national initiatives and the need for talent for new goals, Cen Zhengnian was moving to Jingcheng to participate in a new research direction.

On the train, Cen Zhengnian’s mood was a mix of anticipation and nervousness about the new future.

Although the journey from the Northwest to Jingcheng was long, he didn’t feel tired and was still in good spirits when he got off the train.

As he was about to leave the station, Cen Zhengnian saw a sign held up with his name on it.

He hurried to the person holding the sign.

“Hello, comrade, I am Cen Zhengnian.”

The person, a young comrade, was very happy and extended a hand with a bright smile. “Hello! Comrade Cen, welcome to our big family. I am Li Liang.”

In addition to picking up Cen Zhengnian, Comrade Li Liang was also there to pick up another researcher, who, like Cen Zhengnian, was transferred from another base.

Li Liang seemed a bit embarrassed and scratched his head. “Comrade Cen, are you hungry? Shall we get something to eat first?”

Cen Zhengnian had eaten on the train, so he declined. “No need, I can wait here.”

Since discussing work wasn’t suitable here, Cen Zhengnian didn’t ask many questions.

He took out a book and stood under a tree to read.

After waiting for about an hour, the other person arrived. Li Liang excitedly called out to Cen Zhengnian, “Comrade Cen! Comrade Ye has arrived. Let’s go.”

Cen Zhengnian closed his book and saw the person Li Liang mentioned, Comrade Ye. Ye Xingxiu was strikingly handsome, with a young face that showed a hint of arrogance and a scrutinizing gaze.

Cen Zhengnian gave him a nod, recognizing him as a talented and confident individual.

Li Liang introduced the two. Cen Zhengnian learned that Comrade Ye’s name was Ye Xingxiu and he came from Anzhou.

Li Liang had driven the unit’s car to pick them up.

He took the two into the car and said with a smile, “I’m also benefiting from you. I usually don’t get to drive the unit’s car.”

Li Liang was not a researcher but handled administrative affairs under the director. The research-related tasks were managed by Vice Director Yan Hemin.

In this field, everyone had heard of Yan Hemin; he was the leader and a pioneer in their industry.

The main institute was established under his leadership.

Ye Xingxiu admired Yan Hemin greatly. Hearing that Yan was only a vice director, he frowned and asked, “Wasn’t the main institute established under Director Yan’s leadership? Why isn’t he the director?”

Cen Zhengnian glanced at Ye Xingxiu but didn’t speak. He knew the country would not treat Yan Hemin unfairly, and there must be other reasons behind this.

Indeed, Li Liang smiled and explained, “I knew you’d ask this. No one who I’ve picked up these days hasn’t asked. Director Yan chose not to be the head. He wants to focus entirely on research. If he were also handling administration, there would be too many tasks.”

It was known among researchers in Jingcheng that Yan Hemin’s decision to step down from administrative duties even drew the attention of higher-ups.

Yan Hemin still had to approve documents related to the institute’s family housing and affiliated schools.

The leaders agreed to his resignation from administrative affairs but kept him in charge of research matters.

Thus, the head of the institute managed administration, while Yan Hemin remained in charge of research.

“Your transfer was also proposed by Director Yan.”

Li Liang, not very knowledgeable about research matters, mainly talked about life at the institute.

The research institute that Cen Zhengnian and Ye Xingxiu were heading to was in the southern suburbs of Jingcheng, not in the city center.

The surroundings were relatively open, with suburban villages visible in the distance.

“Here we are. I’ll first take you to the staff quarters. Your housing has been arranged.”

Both Cen Zhengnian and Ye Xingxiu were single, so they were assigned single dormitories next to each other on the same floor.

After settling in, Cen Zhengnian immediately asked Li Liang, “When do we report to the institute?”

Li Liang looked at him in surprise. “Aren’t you going to rest for a while?”

Cen Zhengnian showed no signs of fatigue and replied, “No, I want to start working as soon as possible.”

Ye Xingxiu stared at him, clearly bewildered: Is he even human?

After sitting on a train for so long, doesn’t he feel sore?

“Don’t you have a sore back or tired legs? Aren’t you tired?” Ye Xingxiu asked, puzzled.

Cen Zhengnian glanced at him and replied naturally, “I don’t feel anything. If you want to rest, you can go ahead.”

He turned to Li Liang, asking him to take him to the work location. Ye Xingxiu, unwilling to fall behind, followed them, determined to prove himself as he was the most outstanding among his peers at the Anzhou research institute.

Li Liang looked at Ye Xingxiu and asked, “Aren’t you going to rest, Comrade Ye?”

Ye Xingxiu shot Cen Zhengnian a glare, forced himself to look energetic, and replied, “I’m not tired!”

Cen Zhengnian had considered various aspects of the new project but was surprised to find out that the project’s leader was Yan Hemin himself!

Seeing his long-time idol suddenly in front of him, Ye Xingxiu was stunned with excitement.

Cen Zhengnian also couldn’t believe it and was equally thrilled.

“Director Yan,” Cen Zhengnian tried to restrain his excitement, though his eyes betrayed his emotions.

Yan Hemin was not only Ye Xingxiu’s role model but also an inspiration for all researchers in the field.

He was kind and still vigorous despite his age, greeting the two younger researchers with a smile.

“Don’t be nervous. Just call me ‘Teacher,’ like everyone else.”

Yan Hemin led them into the research lab and explained their upcoming tasks. They were preparing to work on projects intended for the international stage, showcasing China’s achievements and strengthening the country’s defense capabilities.

Listening to Yan Hemin’s words, Cen Zhengnian and Ye Xingxiu felt a surge of emotion and a strong desire to start working immediately. However, Yan Hemin took his time, showing them around the entire project site before assigning them tasks.

Like before, their work involved extensive calculations, drafting, manufacturing, and experimentation.

However, their research focused on more advanced and experimental methods, navigating uncharted territory with uncertain outcomes.

Cen Zhengnian’s work quickly got into full swing. His project team at the research institute was the most prioritized and confidential one.

Every day, apart from working, Cen Zhengnian was studying.

Under the guidance of Yan Hemin, he was learning so much and absorbing knowledge eagerly.

Soon, he stood out in the project team, and Yan Hemin valued him greatly.

It was only at night before going to bed that Cen Zhengnian would think about his family, wondering if they had received the letters he had sent.

In Liangzhou’s residential complex:

Chu Xia had just received parcels from the Northwest and Beijing.

The parcel from the Northwest was sent by her mother-in-law, Jiang Shengnan.

However, the two parcels from Beijing puzzled Chu Xia. Could Grandpa have split the documents into two parcels?

But when she opened them at home, she realized one was from Cen Zhengnian. The envelope had Grandpa’s name on it and the address was also Grandpa’s home.

Cen Zhengnian had gone to Beijing?

Chu Xia hadn’t read the letter yet, but her heart began to race.

If his new job was in Beijing, then as long as she managed to get a transfer to Beijing, the family could be reunited!

She quickly opened the letter and, indeed, Cen Zhengnian mentioned that his new work location was in Beijing.

The exact location wasn’t specified, and Chu Xia knew well enough about the confidentiality of his work, so she wasn’t curious about that.

Confirming that Cen Zhengnian had indeed been transferred to Beijing, Chu Xia couldn’t contain her joy.

She had imagined what if Cen Zhengnian was sent to some remote island where even communication would be difficult. How would she and Huai’an manage if they couldn’t reach him often?

She had prepared for the worst, and now, with this unexpected and delightful turn of events, Chu Xia was overjoyed.

Since Cen Huai’an was at school, Chu Xia had no one else to share her happiness with, so she squatted on the ground and talked to the now much bigger puppies.

“Heizi(Blackie), Huangzi(Yellowie), I’m so happy! Do you know…”

The two puppies looked at Chu Xia with a semi-understanding gaze, as if puzzled by what their owner was saying.

But seeing her happy expression, they wagged their tails and kept rubbing against her legs.

They were hungry and wanted something tasty.

They had smelled the meat from the parcel and, after rubbing against Chu Xia, ran over to the parcel, eagerly making soft whining sounds.

Chu Xia looked at the two puppies and patted their heads: “How come your noses are so sharp?”

The parcel definitely had dried meat in it, and sure enough, when Chu Xia opened it, she found a large bag of beef jerky.

Since the puppies were still small and the jerky was hard, Chu Xia was afraid to give it to them.

Instead, she soaked some steamed bread in milk for them.

Watching the puppies eat greedily and quickly, Chu Xia was worried.

The weather wasn’t too warm yet, and the puppies were still small, so they weren’t too bothersome in the residential complex.

But puppies grew fast. In a few months, they would grow up, and in their small apartment on the second floor with so many neighbors, it would be impossible to keep them.

Some neighbors had already suggested that she get rid of the dogs, as they had children and were worried about the dogs biting them.

Even though the puppies were leashed and never allowed to run around, Chu Xia understood the neighbors’ concerns.

She was already looking for a suitable rental place, hoping to move out while the puppies were still small to avoid more conflicts when they grew larger.

However, finding a suitable small house was difficult, and most importantly, Chu Xia didn’t have many connections in Liangzhou.

Without intermediaries, reliable rental sources depended on word of mouth, and without connections, it was hard to find a place.

Chu Xia had asked Chen Chen’s mother, who knew of people renting in their residential complex, but the available options were similar to Chu Xia’s current apartment and not what she wanted.

Chen Chen’s mother advised her not to rush and promised to let her know if she found something suitable.

Chu Xia was also keeping busy.

During breaks from studying, she wandered through the alleys and streets near the residential complex, looking for houses or rentals.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t found any leads, which she attributed to her bad luck.

In the afternoon, when Cen Huai’an came home from school, Chu Xia showed him Cen Zhengnian’s letter with a smile, saying, “Your dad has some good news.”

“What good news?” Cen Huai’an asked, his eyes brightening as he held the letter.

Chu Xia pointed to the letter and said, “You can read it yourself.”

Cen Huai’an immediately looked down at the letter.

He recognized many common characters by now but still stumbled over some complex ones.

He occasionally asked Chu Xia for help with a character and read the letter completely.

He saw that his dad had been transferred to Beijing.

Was this the good news Mom was talking about?

But wasn’t Beijing where Grandpa was?

“Mom, is Beijing very far away?”

Huai’an asked Chu Xia, leaning in.

Chu Xia looked up from the letter and said, “It’s quite far from here.”

Cen Huai’an sighed quietly: “That’s not really good news then.”

So far away, and he couldn’t see his dad.

Chu Xia took the letter and put it in a special iron box for letters, smiling as she said, “How can it not be good news? If we move to Beijing in the future, it will be the best news!”

Cen Huai’an’s eyes lit up again: “Then, Mom, when will we move to Beijing?”

Chu Xia thought for a moment and said, “It’s hard to say, but after my summer exams, we should be able to go.”

Cen Huai’an immediately began calculating in his mind how much time was left.

What date was it today?

He jumped off the stool and ran to the calendar to check the date: “Mom, when is your exam?”

“July 7th, 8th, and 9th.”

Today was March 5th, and Cen Huai’an quickly calculated that there were just over four months left before he and Mom could go to find Dad in Beijing!

He jumped up and hugged the two puppies, excitedly telling them: “It won’t be long before I get to see Dad. My dad is amazing!”

The puppies didn’t understand what Cen Huai’an was saying, but they sensed his excitement and barked along happily.

“An An, stop teasing them,” Chu Xia said from the side. “Otherwise, someone will complain about the noise later. Take them downstairs to play.”

Cen Huai’an agreed and took the puppies outside.

Walking the dogs had become one of Cen Huai’an’s favorite activities.

Since he was the only one with dogs in the residential complex, he enjoyed the envious glances he received whenever he took them out.

Children wanting to pet the dogs also needed Cen Huai’an’s permission.

However, Cen Huai’an rarely allowed people to touch Huangzi and Heizi.

They were so small, and his mother said they were still very fragile.

What if a child’s touch was too rough and hurt the puppies?

Moreover, his mother mentioned that some parents didn’t like their children getting close to dogs, so when Cen Huai’an saw other children, he would pull the dogs away.

Cen Huai’an particularly disliked the Black dog( Nickname of Child in compound ) in the family compound because it would secretly throw small stones at the puppies.

Sometimes he really wanted to beat it up, but his mother said he shouldn’t hit people indiscriminately.

So, Cen Huai’an could only glare at Black dog, never daring to throw anything in its presence.

Today, he encountered Black dog again and saw malice in its eyes as it looked at the two puppies.

“Little Muffin, why are you out with these ugly dogs again?”

Since the puppies’ fur hadn’t fully grown, they were still wearing clothes and didn’t look very attractive.

Cen Huai’an hated it when others called Huangzi and Heizi ugly.

His brows furrowed as he glared at Black dog. “What’s it to you?”

After saying this, he walked away with the two puppies.

A few steps later, Cen Huai’an quickly turned around and saw the black dog picking up a small clod of dirt, preparing to throw it.

When the black dog saw Cen Huai’an had noticed, it tossed the clod away and made a face at Cen Huai’an, sticking out its tongue and running off quickly.

Black dog was like this—afraid of being beaten but unable to stop its mischievous behavior, which was very annoying.

Cen Huai’an watched it run away with disgust.

The two puppies were oblivious to what had happened.

They were excited about going out to play, pulling on their leashes eagerly.

Cen Huai’an softened his gaze as he looked at the puppies. “Heizi, Huangzi, don’t rush.”

He led them out, and the two puppies ran quickly, enjoying themselves thoroughly.

Cen Huai’an took the puppies to Bangzi’s house.

He knew Bangzi and the others were there because they had finished selling things at the school gate together.

“Bangzi!”

Cen Huai’an entered with the two puppies.

Bangzi and the others were inside, doing accounts. They responded from inside, “We’re in here.”

Cen Huai’an brought the puppies inside. Chopstick, who didn’t like doing accounts, immediately threw down his pen when he saw the puppies and crouched down to hug Heizi with a happy smile. “Heizi, Heizi!”

He rubbed Heizi’s head, and Heizi barked back at him.