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

The piercing screams of the kitten caught in the animal trap stabbed into Lu Nianci's heart like a needle.

Her instincts as a doctor in her past life made her want to rush down and save the patient almost without hesitation.

But reason pulled her back instantly.

It's the middle of the night. If a five-year-old child runs out, the noise will be too loud and will inevitably alert Lu Zhenguo and Zhou Yayun. How will she explain why she's not sleeping at night, and how will she explain the "professional" rescue methods she might use?

More importantly, she saw the bear trap.

That's the kind of device you only find in military logistics warehouses, used to prevent stray dogs and weasels from stealing food. This kind of thing should absolutely not be in the family compound.

Who put it there?

Was it an unintentional mistake, or... a deliberate act?

Countless thoughts flashed through Lu Nianci's mind in an instant. She forced herself to calm down and didn't make any rash moves. She just watched silently as the kitten struggled in pain until its cries grew weaker and weaker...

The kitten's body was indeed discovered early the next morning.

The entire compound was abuzz with discussion about this incident. Lu Zhenguo was furious and immediately ordered a thorough investigation.

Lu Nianci, like an ordinary, frightened child, hid behind Zhou Yayun, watching the adults busy themselves. But for the first time, a sense of wariness arose in her heart towards this seemingly peaceful and harmonious military compound.

This is not a paradise.

Where there are people, there is conflict; where there is light, there is shadow.

……

The controversy surrounding the animal traps was quickly overshadowed by a new "hot topic" at the school.

It was Wednesday afternoon, during school art class.

Art classes in those days were so simple they were almost shabby. There were no professional drawing boards or paints; each child only had a few rough, even yellowed, sheets of scrap paper and a box of twelve-color crayons.

The art teacher was a young woman surnamed Wang, who had just graduated from teachers' college. The assignment she gave the children was very simple—"My Favorite Thing".

"Children, what do you like best? Is it the delicious braised pork that your mother makes? Is it the carousel that your father takes you to the park? Or is it the new clothes you wear for Chinese New Year?" Teacher Wang guided the children in a playful voice.

The classroom immediately became noisy and bustling.

"I love White Rabbit Creamy Candy!"

"I love the tanks of the People's Liberation Army!"

"I love my dad's military medals!"

The children discussed excitedly, then picked up crayons and began to scribble their colorful dreams onto paper.

Li Hao drew a crooked basketball, which was the birthday present he had been dreaming of.

Ma Xiaohong drew a beautiful dress that she had seen in a department store window.

Lu Nianci simply drew a scalpel that gleamed with a cold light.

She drew with great seriousness and focus, as if it were not a crayon, but her closest "comrade-in-arms" from a past life.

Teacher Wang was patrolling the classroom when she was taken aback when she saw Lu Nianci's painting.

A five-year-old girl's favorite thing is... a knife?

This is... really strange.

But looking at Lu Nianci's focused and devout expression, she couldn't bear to disturb her for some reason.

She shook her head and walked to the last row of the classroom.

Sitting there was the most "special" student in the class—Lu Xiaoshi.

Because of Lu Nianci's influence, and with Lu Zhenguo's personal intervention, the kindergarten made an exception and allowed Lu Xiaoshi, who was not yet of school age, to "audit" classes in the third-grade classroom with his older sister.

He had no textbooks or homework. Every day he would sit quietly in his seat, sometimes looking out the window, sometimes looking at his sister.

He didn't speak or communicate with anyone, like a transparent little shadow living in his own world.

Teacher Wang felt sorry for the child. She walked over to Lu Xiaoshi's desk, wanting to see what the quiet little boy had drawn.

Don't look at it, look at it!

Teacher Wang's eyes widened instantly!

On Lu Xiaoshi's small drawing paper, there were no candies, no toys, and no parents.

It was a... fighter jet!

A silver-gray fighter jet she had never seen before, full of futuristic aesthetics!

The aircraft had incredibly smooth lines, a powerful canard layout, and two uniquely shaped vectoring nozzles on the sides of the fuselage!

This...this is not something that should exist in this era!

It's like it just flew out of a science fiction movie!

What shocked Teacher Wang even more was Lu Xiaoshi's painting skills!

He used the same rough crayon, but the lines he drew were as precise as if they were carved with a knife!

He perfectly replicated every detail of the aircraft, every rivet, and every interface using a method almost akin to "engineering drawings"!

The light and shadow, the perspective, the structure...

This...this is not something a three-year-old child could draw!

Even her art teacher—no! Even the most outstanding art teacher in their school who has taught art for decades—could never create such a precise and stunning painting!

"Oh my god..." Teacher Wang covered her mouth and exclaimed in disbelief!

Her voice attracted the attention of the whole class.

The children craned their necks, curiously looking towards Lu Xiaoshi's seat.

When they saw what was on the drawing, the entire classroom fell into a deathly silence!

Everyone was completely stunned by that fighter jet that exuded a sense of futurism and power!

"Wow! What kind of plane is that? It's so cool!"

"This...this was drawn by Little Stone? No way!!"

"Is he...is he a god?"

Li Hao jumped up from his seat, rushed to Lu Xiaoshi, snatched the painting, and examined it closely.

The more he looked, the wider his eyes widened! The more he looked, the more shocked his expression became!

"This...this vertical stabilizer! This air intake! My God! This design...it's simply genius!" Li Hao's father was an air force ground mechanic, and he had been exposed to all kinds of aircraft since he was a child.

He could tell at a glance that this drawing was definitely not a child's doodle!

This is a concept design drawing with extremely high military value!

Lu Nianci also came over.

When she saw that painting, she was deeply moved!

She knew her brother could draw, but she never imagined he had such a terrifying talent!

She looked at the powerful and beautiful fighter jet on the drawing paper, then at her younger brother who looked bewildered and didn't know what had happened.

An idea popped into her head uncontrollably.

Is it...

Little Stone's father is not an ordinary pilot.

But he's... a top-notch aircraft designer?!

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class.

As if waking from a dream, Teacher Wang excitedly snatched the painting from Li Hao's hand and held it high!

Her face was flushed red with excitement!

"Class! I hereby announce that the best artwork of this art class is Lu Xiaoshi's 'Future Fighter Jet'!"

"I'm going to hang it on our school's bulletin board! So all the teachers and students in the school can admire the masterpiece of our class's...little genius!" Teacher Wang's voice was full of pride and joy.

However, her words caused Lu Nianci's expression to change drastically!

No!

Absolutely not!

This painting is too eye-catching!

The information it contains is far too dangerous!

Once it's posted online and seen by someone with ulterior motives...

The consequences could be disastrous!

"Teacher Wang, wait a minute!" Lu Nianci hurriedly tried to stop him.

But it was too late.

Teacher Wang had already excitedly run out of the classroom with the drawing in her hand.

Lu Nianci noticed that at the very moment Teacher Wang ran out, a bespectacled boy who was usually the quietest in the corner of the classroom had a glint of sinister and greedy light in his eyes that was incongruous with his age!

His gaze was fixed on the lower right corner of the painting.

There, Lu Xiaoshi drew a small, almost unnoticed mark in his childish handwriting.

A pattern of a five-clawed golden dragon.

That's the pattern on the jade pendant he was wearing around his neck!