CFRSIO Chapter 42

Ten days after leaving home, and also ten days after leaving the capital.

Opening his eyes and looking at the yellow ceiling with spots of mold, Zhang Qing’an originally thought he wouldn’t get used to this kind of life. Although Zhang Qing’an was not well-received at home because he didn’t have a spiritual body, he had never lacked food or clothing since he was young.

This was the first time he had defied his family’s orders and then quickly left the capital, coming to such a remote and backward small town.

He didn’t regret it, but he knew clearly that if he married Zhou Shiyue according to his family’s requirements, he would regret it, and he would regret it much more than now.

He left quickly. As for what happened to his family afterward, Zhang Qing’an didn’t want to manage, nor was he willing to manage. He should also have his own life. Moreover, he had a strange thought in his heart: he wanted to find Lin Yunliang. He always felt that this person was not dead.

They say that a wicked person lives a long life, he must be somewhere unknown.

“Good morning,” the owner of the small inn greeted him enthusiastically. Their place was small, and running an inn didn’t actually earn much, so although he claimed to be in the inn business, he was actually in the rental business. It was rare to have an outsider, who looked clean and wealthy, so the owner naturally had a good attitude.

“Boss, I want to ask if there’s any place hiring here?” Zhang Qing’an had some money, but he couldn’t just spend it all.

Since he didn’t plan to go back, he definitely had to find a job to support himself. The locals’ suggestions could be taken as a reference, but specifically, Zhang Qing’an definitely had to find out for himself.

Hearing this, the owner’s eyes rolled, and he had an idea: “Are you planning to settle here?”

“Yes, boss, do you have any suggestions?” Zhang Qing’an wasn’t stupid. He could see that this inn was still in the rental business, and he knew that this owner likely had no ill intentions.

“After you go out, you can go to the supermarket in front and ask. They often hire people there, and the treatment and wages are very good.”

The owner couldn’t wait for Zhang Qing’an to really stay and settle down. Although their place wasn’t wealthy, it was a stable area. Although the rent didn’t earn as much as the inn, it was a continuous stream of income, and it was always a source of profit.

“I see, thank you.” Zhang Qing’an nodded, he had a general idea, it was probably some manual labor. He could do these things. As a student from the Capital Academy, he still had strength.

“After you go out, turn left, enter the alley, and the third house in the alley, their wontons are very delicious. You can try them.”

“Okay. I know.” Zhang Qing’an didn’t reject the inn owner’s kindness.

Following the owner’s directions, he arrived at the shop where the wontons were delicious. It was a very small shop. If someone hadn’t pointed it out to him, he really wouldn’t have found it.

Standing at the entrance, he hesitated for a while before walking in.

There was no one in the shop, only a few tables and chairs. The decoration was very simple.

“Hello, is anyone here?”

Zhang Qing’an called out, and after a long time, someone replied, “Coming, coming! Wait a moment!”

A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and a young man walked out. When he saw Zhang Qing’an, his expression paused for a moment before quickly returning to normal.

“Hello, hello. What do you need?” He immediately went forward enthusiastically.

Zhang Qing’an didn’t think the person was overly enthusiastic. When doing business, one had to be hospitable, didn’t they?

Zhang Qing’an looked around, didn’t see a menu, and thought to himself, if a big man like him ate a bowl of wontons, would it be enough? So he asked, “What’s your specialty?”

“Give me one of everything,” Zhang Qing’an said.

He wasn’t afraid of not finishing it, after all, in this current interstellar era, the growth of crops was also limited, and the portions were probably not large.

“Okay,” he said, enthusiastically gesturing for him to sit down, “Here, here. You sit down first!”

“I’ll serve the food in a moment!”

The young man in front smiled brilliantly. If it weren’t for his identity, Zhang Qing’an might have been suspicious.

Zhang Qing’an enjoyed this meal very much because it suited his taste. He not only finished everything but even ordered another portion. If the owner hadn’t stopped him, he would have ordered another one.

He also asked about other things.

“Are you here for sightseeing?” the owner asked curiously and concernedly.

“Life is quite leisurely here, and I’m thinking of settling down here.” He nodded, not mentioning that he had run away from his arranged marriage, as there was no need to say such things.

“Is that so.” The young man nodded thoughtfully, as if recalling something. He paused and continued, “That’s perfect! The supermarket ahead is looking for employees, you can go and take a look.”

“Okay.” He didn’t refuse. “What’s that supermarket like?”

“Don’t worry, that supermarket is very reliable, and it’s usually not too busy.”

—

Zhang Qing’an did go in the end. As the restaurant owner said, the supermarket job wasn’t very busy. The salary offered by the owner was a bit low from Zhang Qing’an’s perspective, but this money could allow him to live a good life here.

Realizing that he had once again compared this place to the capital, he silently told himself not to think about the capital anymore. Living his own life well was the most important thing now. After he could support himself, he would think about other things.

“Alright then, you can come to report tomorrow directly.”

“Yes, I know.”

Having figured out one thing, Zhang Qing’an breathed a sigh of relief and walked out. He stopped and looked back at the supermarket behind him. Some thoughts flashed through his mind, but he didn’t catch them.

Inside the supermarket:

The owner was still looking at Zhang Qing’an’s resume. Zhang Qing’an’s photo was also attached to the resume. He looked like a delicate person. He couldn’t understand why this person could make his friend personally contact him.

He couldn’t understand, couldn’t understand.

“Boss,” the subordinate saw the person leave and then knocked on the door to go in. He also said with gossip, “Boss, is that person the one Master Lin asked us to protect?”

The owner glanced at his subordinate and instructed, “Tell everyone outside to be alert, don’t offend anyone, you know?”

“Yes, yes, don’t worry! I know what to do!” The subordinate quickly said, but his gossip heart remained undiminished. “But, boss, what exactly is the relationship between this person and Master Lin?”

That Master Lin guy, he’s like a smiling tiger, full of twists and turns in his stomach. It’s rare to see him value someone so much, how can people not be curious?

“Why do you care so much?” The owner exclaimed, glared, and raised his hand to hit him. “Is the work done? If not, go do it!”

The subordinate shrank his neck and ran out.

Seeing the person run out, the owner mumbled a few more words in a low voice before withdrawing his gaze. He was also curious, but compared to asking about this matter, he was more looking forward to the cooperation with Master Lin.

Such a capable guy must build good relationships. So naturally, he had to take good care of this Zhang Qing’an for him. Zhang Qing’an… the owner muttered the name again.

He knew this name, after all, the Zhang family’s name was not small. However, with Zhang Qing’an’s identity, why did he come here? And the fact that he knew Master Lin, there wasn’t even a whisper about it.

It was indeed a bit strange.

Although he felt strange, he didn’t think too much about it. After all, he was only after money and didn’t care much about other things.

Zhang Qing’an’s departure caught the Zhang family off guard. They originally thought he was just throwing a tantrum, but they didn’t expect him to be serious.

“How long has it been, and there’s still no news? This is how you do things!” Zhang’s father was furious. He never thought that his son would dare to disobey him.

In the interstellar era, where spiritual bodies were highly valued, not having a spiritual body was like being disabled. Most families would not choose to keep such children, and their family was nobility, so they should value the strength of spiritual bodies even more.

Yet they kept the person. Zhang’s father felt that Zhang Qing’an should be grateful and obedient. He should not do anything that went against him. As a result, the person not only defied him but also threw his face to the ground and trampled on it fiercely.

“Husband, did we push him too hard this time?” Zhang’s mother still felt sorry for her child, but more importantly, she cared about the family.

“Why don’t we talk to that Zhou Song person first, put this matter aside, and then we can go find An’an back.” Because she hadn’t given birth to an excellent heir for the Zhang family, Zhang’s mother always felt guilty. Regarding this matter, she naturally had some thoughts.

“After An’an comes back, we can discuss it then?” Zhang’s mother wasn’t without complaints. In her opinion, this marriage was a great advantage for their family.

“Will that be useful?” Zhang’s father was usually busy with work and had limited involvement in his children’s education. Most of the time, Zhang’s mother managed the children. Now that things were like this, he naturally listened to Zhang’s mother.

“It will be,” Zhang’s mother said, “An’an is a filial child, and we shouldn’t pressure him so much. Then he will definitely be willing to come back.”

Zhang’s father waved his hand with some annoyance. “Tell them to find the person back soon.”

“This marriage is so good, where did he get the temper to refuse it!” Zhang’s father felt a sharp pain in his face when he thought about how he had confidently told Zhou Song that Zhang Qing’an would definitely agree.

Now he had to go and talk to people about this matter, which made him feel even more embarrassed. His temper grew even bigger. Seeing his wife, who was still beautiful and compliant, he still felt annoyed.

“In short, find the person for me quickly! Otherwise…” Zhang’s father snorted coldly, leaving a threatening remark before leaving.

Zhang’s mother’s expression was not very good either, with a forced smile. She didn’t say anything.

When Zhou Song learned of this matter, he only felt a headache. His younger child at home insisted on marrying Zhang Qing’an and had already caused trouble several times. He had previously assured people that he would definitely let her marry Zhang Qing’an. At first, he thought it was nothing.

Who knew it would turn out like this.

“Brother Zhang, it’s not that I don’t care about the relationship between our two families, it’s just…”

“Don’t worry. If Shiyue can really become my daughter-in-law, then my Zhang family is the one benefiting,” Zhang’s father said with a smile on his face. “Don’t worry about this matter. Within a month. I guarantee that Zhang Qing’an will personally come to welcome Shiyue.”

“That’s good. Shiyue will definitely be happy.”

The Zhang family had good intentions, but whether Zhang Qing’an would listen was Zhang Qing’an’s own business, not to mention that someone was helping him from behind.

“We’ve sent back the people sent by the Zhang family,” the supermarket owner said, looking at the person in front of him with a playful look. No wonder it was like this, it turned out Zhang Qing’an had such a situation.

As for his teasing, the person opposite him was calm. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he waved his hand, “However, Master Lin, if you really like Zhang Qing’an, you can actually…”

Master Lin was a newcomer who had recently emerged. He was a capable person. Even a little bit of fine sand falling from his fingertips was enough for them to earn a lot, and this person clearly knew many things. Being friends with him was much more worthwhile than being enemies.

“I have my own plans,” Lin Yunliang said, interrupting the owner.

The owner then shut up and didn’t elaborate on this matter. They also had other things to discuss.

“The blueprints you gave us earlier have been made. Do you want to see them?” the owner said, his expression expectant. Master Lin had keen eyesight and could easily identify problems or propose new ideas.

If it weren’t for the fact that this person always came and went without a trace, the owner would have wished he could keep him to chat with them every day.

Of course, lately, his whereabouts had become much easier to discover, because Zhang Qing’an was here, Lin Yunliang visited more often. It was also because Lin Yunliang visited frequently that the owner’s teasing was provoked.

“That’s fine,” Lin Yunliang nodded. “By the way, I have new blueprints here.”

“Do you want them?”

The owner’s eyes lit up. “Of course! Name your price!”

Lin Yunliang smiled. “We’ve cooperated so many times, I trust your character. Also…”

“I can give you a fair price.” Lin Yunliang said.

Both of them were shrewd individuals. The owner could understand and guess what was hidden in Lin Yunliang’s unspoken words. Therefore, the smile on his face became even more sincere.

Lin Yunliang sincerely made friends, and he sincerely did business. Each got what they needed.

Lin Yunliang left satisfied. He went to see Zhang Qing’an again.

After leaving the Zhang family and those people, Zhang Qing’an’s entire mental state and appearance had clearly improved. The job arranged by the owner was very simple, asking him to do management in the office.

Although it was called management, there was usually nothing for Zhang Qing’an to worry about.

Seeing that he was in good condition, Lin Yunliang did not appear. Instead, he released Siam again.

[Go and coax him, you’re good at this, aren’t you?]

Siam wanted to say no, but it was not very convincing. He gave Lin Yunliang a speechless look, then twisted his body and burrowed in.

Seeing the familiar kitten, Zhang Qing’an was not surprised. He never thought Lin Yunliang was dead. Moreover, this kitten had appeared several times. Zhang Qing’an watched it familiarly burrow in, smiled at it, and patted his knee.

He was calling for him to come over.

Siam didn’t stand on ceremony. He twisted his body and went over, jumped up, and landed steadily on Zhang Qing’an’s lap.

Zhang Qing’an smiled. “Seeing how chubby you are, your owner must have raised you very well, right?”

Zhang Qing’an’s hands were soft and comfortable for the kitten, making it purr and rub against his arms. Zhang Qing’an looked at the kitten amusingly. He had heard before that the personalities of spiritual bodies were often similar to their owners.

He… really couldn’t imagine what Lin Yunliang would be like when he acted spoiled. The kitten in his arms was also very clingy. If it were Lin Yunliang… Zhang Qing’an’s ears turned a suspicious shade of red.

“However, when you see your owner next time, remember to tell him for me,”

“I’m doing well, and tell him to be careful not to let anyone discover his whereabouts.”

“Meow meow meow,” the kitten meowed a few times, thinking, it’s okay, his host is a disaster, a disaster lives for a thousand years, it’s not that easy to get into trouble.

The kitten’s meow was so soft and cute that it made people forget all their worries.

Lin Yunliang was actually standing at the door, watching the person inside, his heart softening beyond measure. He even wanted to rush out directly, to appear before Zhang Qing’an and tell him in person that he was fine.

However, the current situation was not suitable. Lin Yunliang still needed to hide for a while longer before he could appear before them more safely.

There had been quite a few things happening in the capital recently. His Majesty the Emperor had overruled all objections and made Lin Yunyong the Crown Prince. Now his status and position were much higher than before. This also brought his affairs with Alaisin into the open.

If Alaisin’s identity and status were sufficient, there wouldn’t be so many problems, but unfortunately, Alaisin’s current identity and status were lacking. Lin Yunyong wanted to arrange for him to join the army.

But everyone opposed it, without exception. Their reason was Alaisin’s qualifications.

Moreover, Alaisin came from a remote place, and his knowledge and experience became a point of criticism for everyone. Even with Specht stepping in to support him.

Things that were not properly named and spoken of were bound to be difficult to achieve.

Specht looked at Alaisin, whose eyes were red, and felt very distressed. He reached out and patted Alaisin’s back, gently comforting him, “Don’t worry, Alaisin, with me here, I will definitely help you realize your dream.”

Specht was not unaware of the relationship between Alaisin and Lin Yunyong, but he just couldn’t bear to watch Alaisin suffer such grievances. He was still willing to step forward for him.

“Really… really?” Alaisin looked at the tall man in front of him with his expressive red eyes, with a bit of shyness.

Alaisin was not unaware of Specht’s intentions. He didn’t know before, but after gaining those memories, he clearly knew who was sincere and who could give him everything he wanted.

This person could only be Lin Yunyong, and it could only be Lin Yunyong. And because he had regained those memories, Alaisin was certain of his feelings. He liked Lin Yunyong.

Therefore, he used Specht’s status and position to obtain many things for himself. This time was no exception. He knew about many of these things in advance, which made him gain Specht’s favor even more than in the “future.”

He didn’t just intend to let himself know these things; he wanted to research all of them so that the interstellar era’s strength and status could be further improved. Then they wouldn’t have to be confined to this small planet.

They could go and find more vast planets.

How could this not be exciting? So he absolutely could not miss this opportunity, nor could he let anyone disrupt his plans. He knew who the person obstructing his plan was.

Alaisin would not let that person go.

“Don’t worry, I’m here,” Specht said as if mesmerized, as if he hadn’t seen the greed in Alaisin’s eyes. Indeed, people lost in love are foolish.

With Specht’s strong intervention, it was finally agreed to let Alaisin join the army.

His Majesty the Emperor sat alone on the high seat, looking indifferently at everyone below. His son now had no intention of hiding at all.

Bringing a subordinate, he was constantly offending his bottom line. A biting dog indeed doesn’t bark, there’s truth to that saying.

“What are everyone’s intentions?” the Emperor asked, his tone flat, giving no indication of any emotion.

However, after being a minister and a ruler for many years, they could still read something from each other.

The Emperor was not satisfied. But now it seemed that it wasn’t entirely up to His Majesty the Emperor to decide. The picture Lin Yunyong painted for them was more attractive, so they all sided with Lin Yunyong this time.

“Fine,” the Emperor laughed in anger, “Very fine, all of you really have your own ideas and opinions!”

The Emperor regretted it in his heart. Lin Yunliang’s death caused Lin Yunyong to reveal his true colors completely. It seemed that he had been too hasty back then and should have given Lin Yunliang another way out. Now that things had come to this, it was useless for the Emperor to regret it.

Fortunately, Lin Yunliang didn’t know, otherwise, he would have been amused.

What use was it to know regret now? It was just that the one he could control was gone, so you would miss him like this. If Lin Yunliang hadn’t died, when would the Emperor have remembered that this person was also his son?

There was probably no possibility of that.

This matter was thus settled.