Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 15: Return to the City

After jotting down his notes, Wang Hao put his phone away and continued chatting with the group. The moon hung high in the sky as they exchanged pleasantries back and forth; time flew by, and before they knew it, it was nearly midnight. Only then did the group enter the cave to rest. “Bro, what’s this?” Zhang Xin looked on with a satisfied expression, as if she’d just finished a hearty meal, watching Wang Hao burn some green leaves, which gradually filled the cave with a pleasant fragrance. “It’s a mosquito repellent. With this, we won’t get bitten by mosquitoes tonight,” Wang Hao said with a gentle smile. Many things found in the mountains could serve as substitutes for modern items. Take the mosquito-repelling leaves in his hand, for example—they could ward off insects, and their faint, delicate fragrance slowly filled the cave. The night passed uneventfully, and the Sun slowly rose in the east. Wang Hao’s internal clock had already woken him up at six o’clock. Perhaps because the others had stayed up late chatting, they hadn’t gotten up yet, so he tiptoed over and sat on a rock outside the cave, slowly typing on his phone. Last night, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he finally figured out the problem that had been plaguing him for nearly a month: the issue of waste accumulation in Longnao. Once he’d figured it out, he hurriedly jotted it down and, taking advantage of the free time, set about refining his ideas. “To put this idea into writing… I’m guessing it’ll take at least ten days or half a month,” Wang Hao said with a look of frustration on his face. Although he’d figured out the concept, writing the code to make it work wasn’t something that could be done in a short time. “Xiao Hao, up this early?” Just as Wang Hao was pondering, Zhang’s father’s voice rang out from behind him. “I’m used to getting up early,” Wang Hao said with a smile as he watched Zhang’s father step out of the cave entrance. Mr. Zhang sat down next to Wang Hao, looked at him intently, and said, “Which university are you planning to apply to for the college entrance exam? Of course, the final decision is yours—I won’t interfere—I’m just curious.” “Yan’da University, I guess,” Wang Hao said after a moment’s thought. Yan’da University and Huaqing University had always held the top two spots, and Yan’da University was particularly strong in the sciences. He believed he could improve there and validate some of his ideas. “I always thought you’d be lucky to get into a second-tier university, but I never expected you to be hiding your true abilities so well,” Mr. Zhang remarked with a sigh. Seeing the look of embarrassment on Wang Hao’s face, he continued “I don’t mean to blame you.” Mr. Zhang’s words gave Wang Hao pause, reminding him that he needed time to write that garbage disposal program. “Uncle, could you do me a favor?” Wang Hao hesitated for a moment before speaking. Longnao’s garbage collection issue needed to be resolved as soon as possible; otherwise, it would eventually cause Longnao to crash, and all the time he’d spent developing it would be completely wasted. “This is the first time you’ve ever asked me for help. Go ahead!” Mr. Zhang’s eyes welled up with tears. This was the first time in four years that Wang Hao had asked for his help, and suddenly he felt that he still had value. “There are about twenty days left until the college entrance exams, and I don’t really want to go to school anymore…” Wang Hao thought for a moment before speaking. “What’s the matter? Did yesterday’s incident get to you?” Mr. Zhang gave Wang Hao a surprised look… He could guess what had happened yesterday just by looking at him. “No, I want to write a program, and I need some time,” Wang Hao said softly. Mr. Zhang pondered for a moment, then looked up and said “All right, I’ll go with you to school then.” He didn’t ask what the program was specifically; instead, he simply nodded and said Just as Wang Hao was about to speak, Fang Bing’s voice suddenly came from behind him. “Hao Ge, aren’t you planning to go to school for the next ten days or so?” Fang Bing asked, looking puzzled. Wang Hao nodded slightly and explained the situation. By then, everyone had woken up; they stretched and emerged from the cave. They had expected to sleep poorly in the cave, but the next day they realized they’d actually slept quite well. They had expected the nights in the mountains to be cold, but the fire burning at the entrance not only kept wild animals at bay but also kept the temperature inside the cave just right. Meanwhile, on Caoshan Mountain, Ma Ling and the others woke up shortly before sunrise. After taking a moment to admire the beauty of nature’s cycle, they began packing up their belongings, preparing to escort Ma Ye slowly down the mountain. After a night’s rest, Ma Ye’s spirits had visibly improved, and she wasn’t as weak on her feet as she had been the night before. Escorted by her classmates and accompanied by a doctor, she slowly made her way down from Caoshan. A sense of indescribable shame lingered in Ma Ye’s eyes as he glanced in the direction Wang Hao had departed. Only after the doctor’s explanation did he realize just how lucky he had been, but his heart was filled even more with shame toward Wang Hao—the other had gone to such great lengths to come to his aid, yet he had doubted Wang Hao’s ability to treat him. Yet after the doctor arrived, he didn’t perform any additional procedures at all—he simply followed Wang Hao’s treatment method to help his body recover. Although no tests had been conducted yet, he had a general idea… the toxins in his body should have been neutralized. He didn’t seem to have suffered much harm; although his body was weak, the doctor told him that a few days of rest and some nutritional supplementation would be enough to recover. Ma Ling also felt a sense of loss. Since Fang Bing had left with Wang Hao, she had no way to verify many of her thoughts with either of them—especially after reflecting on the events of the previous night. She now realized that Wang Hao was not as straightforward as he appeared on the surface. But there were simply no other ways to find out; the only person who knew Wang Hao well, Fang Bing, had already left. “Goodbye, I’ll come back next week…” Wang Hao waved goodbye to the people of Lanjia Village. The Sun was high in the sky, but deep in the mountains, there wasn’t the unbearable heat found elsewhere. After finishing lunch, he took Zhang’s father and the other three, along with Fang Bing, and bid farewell to Lanjia Village. Normally, he would have waited until the afternoon to leave, but considering the actual conditions—the mountain trails were difficult to navigate in the afternoon, and they might not make it out until nightfall—he decided to head out at noon. They walked for over two hours, taking their time on the way out. The mountain path remained as treacherous as before; although it was slightly easier than when they’d entered, it was still quite challenging. This time, Zhang Xin and Zhang Nan didn’t complain of fatigue but gritted their teeth and persevered the whole way. It wasn’t just the siblings who persevered—Zhang’s parents did as well. “Class President, look—isn’t that Wang Hao and the others?” Inside a small three-story building, a girl pointed at the people getting out of the car to buy water and said excitedly. “It really is them.” Ma Ling took a quick look and immediately picked up her phone. Since they’d run into them, she felt the class dinner wouldn’t be complete without Wang Hao and Fang Bing. But she was bound to be disappointed—both Wang Hao and Fang Bing’s phones were turned off. The reason was simple: Lanjia Village had no electricity… Wang Hao wouldn’t even bring a charger when he went into the mountains because there was nowhere to charge his phone.