Son of the Stars

Chapter 144 Long absence
From Dongyang to Lu Chen's "hometown", vacuum pipeline transportation requires two transfers.The two rides took a total of three hours and fifteen minutes, and the waiting time for transferring was two hours.

Five hours and fifteen minutes was enough for Lu Chen to take a plane across the ocean and fly from the base of Mount Argentario to the vicinity of the North American Research Institute.At the same time, it was enough for Lu Chen to set out from Dongyang City, pass through mountains and rivers, and finally reach his hometown.

There is a layer of yellow sand on the Yellow River beach, with pebbles underneath.The yellow water flow slowly slides through the mountains on both sides, and occasionally white water splashes appear, like white lotuses that bloom only in dreams.

Honestly, this is a very beautiful city.Although the mountainous terrain allows it to only extend east-west among the peaks and valleys, it also gives the city a unique slender figure.

Before Lu Chen went to Dongyang City to study at Central University, he always believed that the city should look like this - you can see through it from east to west, thirty kilometers from north to south.Along the rivers and mountains, ups and downs, you can see green mountains and yellow waters.

Walking in this city again, Lu Chen felt like a foreigner who suddenly broke in.It seemed that people looking at him on the street had scrutiny and vigilance in their eyes, and even the restaurants specializing in mutton on the street were a little unfriendly.

Even though Lu Chen knew very well that the people had no ill intentions and no "unfriendly" behavior - they just saw him carrying the suitcase and were a little curious.

The so-called fear of being close to home is probably what it means.

Stubbornly refusing to use the navigation software, and repeatedly ignoring Baozi's suggestions of "Brother, you seem to have gone astray", after walking uphill and in alleys for about an hour, Lu Chen regretfully accepted that he was in his "hometown" The reality of getting lost in it.

It's a bit embarrassing.

Fortunately, this area is not too far from the hotel Lu Chen booked.Under the guidance of several enthusiastic store owners, an old man who had just completed the purchase volunteered to take on the task of using his hydrogen-electric tricycle to carry Lu and Shen's luggage.

Lu Chen didn't want to trouble others at first, but the uncle was too enthusiastic, and even the enthusiasm was a bit humble - he felt that Lu Chen's refusal was because he disliked the sheep oil and sheep blood that could not be cleaned in the truck bed, so he put it in the car. The white crocheted upholstery that was spread on the sofa in my shop was spread in the bed of the car.

Lu Chen tried to persuade him, and then asked the uncle to remove the crocheted doily.Then he put the suitcase in the car with great gratitude.

The man with dark skin and a face that resembled loess hills and ravines rode in front, and Lu Chen followed behind empty-handed.The two of them kept walking at a pace suitable for walking and walked slowly on a street with few cars.

"Young man, where did you come from?" The uncle smiled and started chatting, "Looking at your clothes, I'm afraid you're not a scientist?"

Lu Chen looked down at the plaid shirt and black trousers he was wearing, but he couldn't see how he looked like a scientist - he didn't even have glasses.

"The times have been bad recently," the uncle said with a smile, as if the bad "years" had nothing to do with him. "Everyone is busy rushing forward, and there is little thought of going out to play. You are carrying such a big luggage. , and still have the heart to walk slowly on the street and look around, then you can only be a smart person who is engaged in science."

The scientific myopia led by the coalition government has a comprehensive and far-reaching impact on society. At least the treatment of scientific workers is indeed much better than that of ordinary people.

It's just that Lu Chen himself has never been conscious of this - after all, he is mostly just an unlucky rheumatologist who earns hard night shift wages. A hard night shift is not enough to eat a family bucket.After coming out of the base of Mount Argentario, he had a very comfortable time on the chartered cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean...but there was something on his mind during that time, and Lu Chen didn't even enjoy it.Thinking about it this way, it turns out that Academician Tang is the one I've seen before - soaking in a hot pool on the deck of a cruise ship, and then drinking a bottle of Dom Perignon by himself without spending any money.

I really know how to live it...

"I came back from Dongyang." Although he had a lot of thoughts in his mind, he still responded seriously to the question of such a warm-hearted and talkative old man, "I just arrived at Jincheng Station at noon. It turned out that this The scenery changes so much – you’ll be lost once you leave the orbital station.”

The uncle said with a smile, "It's true that it has changed a lot. This road has been dug for more than ten years, and it was finally filled back last year - every road can be walked, we are not used to it yet!"

The old man and the young man chatted for a while. When the old man learned that Lu Chen came back to "visit" the orphanage this time, the way he looked at Lu Chen changed.The old man said that in recent years, there have been fewer cases of major collapse, and there are very few cases of people who are in urgent need of support but cannot find relatives at all. There are no people in the orphanage now.

The tricycle stopped at the door of the hotel. Lu Chen took the suitcase and thanked him profusely for a while, and made the promise "I will definitely come to your house for more meals" before carrying the suitcase into the hotel.

Lu Chen himself actually didn't have any bad feelings about "no one in the welfare home anymore". He himself even wished that there was no one in the welfare home.There were too many children in the orphanage who were neglecting food or even harming themselves. The shadow in Lu Chen's heart was too deep.
After checking in and changing his clothes through the hotel's clothing printer, Lu Chen hesitated while holding his phone.He didn't know whether he should call first and ask about the situation.If he had followed the schedule he had when he lived in the orphanage, it would now be free time for preschool children.

Children of school age should still be in school.There shouldn't be too many people in the orphanage now - and it's not easy to be surrounded by people for "forced visits."

I don’t know if the orphanage’s schedule has changed over the years.

Lu Chen hesitated for a while, then opened the door and walked out.He was going to take a look around the orphanage first. If he didn't hear anything during his free time, it wouldn't be a big deal to go in and take a look.

Jincheng Welfare Institute is a large place. Before the collapse, it used to be Jincheng's sports park.In addition to the huge cocoon-shaped sports venue in the center, the sports park also contains six professional venues and a large number of open-air sports fields.

The hotel opposite the swimming pool is used as a dormitory for school-age children and teenagers, and the comprehensive gymnasium is a collective store for preschool children - a large number of AI robots shuttle between various venues to take care of these orphans.

Lu Chen stood at the door of the gymnasium and listened for a long time, but heard nothing.On the contrary, the AI ​​robot on the side recognized Lu Chen, "Classmate Lu, are you back for a visit?"

Seemingly seeing Lu Chen's embarrassment, the AI ​​robot explained very enthusiastically, "There are also many students who came back to visit, and many students who left the orphanage settled in Jincheng - they occasionally come back to borrow the venue. If If you are here to visit, you can come in now."

The electric door slowly opened. Lu Chen looked at the passage that could only accommodate one person. After being silent for a long time, he lowered his head and walked in.

"Mom, I'm back."

(End of this chapter)