A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

"Whoosh—! Clang! Clang! Clang..."

With a long and resounding whistle, the green train finally started moving slowly.

The wheels rubbed against the rails, producing a rhythmic, monotonous sound.

The platform outside the window began to slowly recede into the distance.

Those who came to see the train off ran after it, waving and shouting as they went.

Su Nianci's gaze found that familiar figure precisely in the crowded throng.

Lu Zhenguo was standing there.

He didn't run, nor did he wave.

He simply stood there quietly, like a statue.

Its tall, upright figure cast a long, lonely shadow in the morning light.

His gaze pierced through the bustling crowd and the thick car windows, locking onto her intently.

Eyes facing each other.

A thousand words are left unsaid.

Su Nianci raised her hand and waved vigorously at him through the car window.

She opened her mouth and silently uttered two words.

--"goodbye."

Lu Zhenguo's body trembled slightly.

He finally raised his arm and gave her a perfectly standard military salute!

That was a father's highest expectation for his daughter!

That was a soldier's most solemn entrustment to his comrade!

Su Nianci could no longer hold back her tears, which flowed freely.

The train was going faster and faster.

The figures on the platform grew smaller and smaller, and became increasingly blurry.

Until it completely disappeared from sight.

Su Nianci slowly withdrew her gaze.

She leaned against the cold car window, watching the familiar scenery rushing past outside.

High-rise buildings, streets, trees...

It all felt like a grand farewell.

She knew that from this moment on...

She was about to say goodbye to the city where she had lived for several years.

Her life is about to embark on a completely new, unknown journey, full of challenges and opportunities.

Beijing.

That place that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

That place that held her obsession across two lifetimes.

I am coming.

……

The time spent on the train was long and boring.

Su Nianci's sleeper berth was in a four-person soft sleeper carriage.

In the 1970s, those who could afford to travel in a soft sleeper berth were either high-ranking cadres or people from very well-off families.

This is the best treatment Lu Zhenguo could get for his daughter.

He hoped his daughter's trip would be more comfortable.

Su Nianci's upper bunkmate was a middle-aged man who wore gold-rimmed glasses and looked refined.

Opposite them were two people who looked like a mother and daughter.

My mother looked to be in her forties or fifties, wearing a well-tailored dark blue dress, and had a very elegant demeanor.

The daughter was about the same age as Su Nianci, around twenty years old, with two long braids and an undeniable youth and vigor on her face.

After getting on the bus, everyone just nodded politely and didn't exchange many words.

The middle-aged man took out a copy of the People's Daily from his briefcase and began to read it intently.

The mother and daughter were talking in hushed tones.

Su Nianci did not disturb them.

She took out a copy of "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" that her teacher, Gu Jiusi, had given her from her small schoolbag.

Then, I leaned against the headboard and quietly flipped through the pages.

For a moment, the entire carriage fell into an eerie silence.

Only the clanging sound of the train echoed in my ears.

I don't know how much time has passed.

The girl with braided pigtails across from us finally broke the silence.

Her gaze, tinged with curiosity, fell upon Su Nianci's book, which appeared to be profound and unfathomable.

"Little sister, can you understand this?"

Her voice was beautiful, like a nightingale in a valley.

Su Nianci looked up from the book.

Looking into her clear, kind eyes, he nodded.

"I can understand a little bit."

"Wow! You're amazing!" The girl's eyes lit up instantly!

"My name is Lin Huirou, a freshman in the Chinese Department of Peking University. What about you?"

"My name is Su Nianci." Su Nianci paused for a moment, then said, "I'm also a freshman at Beijing University, majoring in medicine."

"What?!"

Lin Huirou, her mother beside her, and even the middle-aged man who had been reading the newspaper all exclaimed in shock!

Their gazes, like searchlights, instantly focused on Su Nianci!

His eyes were filled with disbelief!

"You...you're also a freshman at Peking University?!" Lin Huirou stammered.

"How old are you this year?"

No wonder they were so shocked.

Although Su Nianci is over five years old, she is much shorter than other children her age due to long-term malnutrition.

It looks like a three- or four-year-old toddler.

How could a three- or four-year-old toddler claim to be a freshman at Beijing University?

This...this is simply unbelievable!

"I'm five and a half years old," Su Nianci replied calmly.

"boom!"

This answer was like a bombshell, leaving the three people in the carriage completely stunned!

Five and a half years old?!

A freshman at Beijing University?!

They felt their worldview had been completely overturned in that instant!

"You...you wouldn't...it's that..." Lin Huirou's mother suddenly remembered something, and her eyes widened abruptly!

"That top science student from Heilongjiang Province?!"

"That five-year-old prodigy who scored over 700 points?!"

Su Nianci looked at their expressions, as if they had seen a ghost, and nodded helplessly.

"...It should be me."

"Oh my god!!!"

Lin Huirou could no longer control herself!

She let out a deafening scream!

He leaped over from the opposite bunk in one swift motion!

They looked Su Nianci up and down as if she were a rare animal!

"Alive! It's actually alive!"

"I actually sat on the same train as the legendary provincial top scorer!"

"Oh my god! This is even more exciting than getting into Peking University!"

Her enthusiastic fan-like demeanor upon meeting her idol left Su Nianci somewhat overwhelmed.

Even the man with the gold-rimmed glasses who had always maintained a cool and aloof demeanor put down his newspaper at this moment.

He pushed up his glasses and looked at Su Nianci with a scrutinizing, probing gaze.

"Young student, I've long admired your name."

His voice was very steady.

"My name is Zhao Guodong, and I am a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences."

"This time I'm going to Harbin to attend an academic seminar."

"I never expected that on the way back I would have the honor of riding in the same car as one of our country's future scientific giants."

He spoke very politely.

But Su Nianci could keenly sense a hint of disapproval and...doubt hidden behind his politeness.

Clearly, he didn't believe the seemingly outlandish "child prodigy" legend as easily as Lin Huirou.

He is more inclined to believe that there may be some kind of unknown "operation" behind this.

Su Nianci didn't care about his attitude.

She simply nodded politely to him.

"Hello, Researcher Zhao."

However, Zhao Guodong did not give up.

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Su Nianci, since you are the top science student in Heilongjiang Province..."

"Then you must have your own unique insights into the future development of our country, right?"

"Why don't you share it with us?"

His question was quite tricky.

It is both a test and an assessment.

Another test.

It is also a kind of "dimensional reduction attack" from a superior position.

He wanted to see just how good this "prodigy," who was being touted as a genius by the media, really was.

The atmosphere in the carriage instantly became somewhat subtle.

Lin Huirou also sensed the tense atmosphere.

She glanced at Su Nianci with some concern.

However, Su Nianci's face remained calm.

She looked up and met Zhao Guodong's scrutinizing eyes.

He spoke slowly.