"Heaven and Earth Longevity Research Institute....."
"Is a name like that legitimate?" Ansheng had both paws on Grandmaster Lin's shoulder, his two hind legs kicking against his back with a bizarre expression on his face, asking Lin Qi about the attributes of the research institute.
In Ansheng's stereotypical impression, in Xia Country, when naming important treasures, the names are very steady and often carry beautiful and meaningful historical references, quoting classics.
But the name Heaven and Earth Longevity...
Makes Ansheng feel like it carries an air of nuclear rationale, like after he signs off on it, the fox will turn green and transform into a massive green giant flying into the sky.
Lin Qi, who was on his way to Lin Ying's house, glanced at the little fox and smiled, saying:
"Heaven and Earth Longevity is from Qu Yuan's Nine Songs. Both Heaven and Earth Longevity and Being As Bright As The Sun and Moon originate from this. Actually, at the very beginning, the director of the Heaven and Earth Longevity Research Institute intended to name it 'The Rock-Solid Research Institute', but the upper-level Academy of Sciences and Academy of Engineering vetoed it."
"Like the Xinxing Agricultural Science College, they also have a national-level research institute called 'Peony', but Peony Research Institute is an abbreviation, the full name is: Group of Celibate Researchers."
Lin Qi smiled broadly as he spoke about some early humorous anecdotes involving top research institutes in Xia Country.
A question mark appeared on Ansheng's little fox face.
"No need to be surprised. 'Spiritual Particles' are new to everyone. No one dares claim rich experience in this field; basically, everyone starts from the same point."
Lin Qi spoke with a tinge of emotion and an unusual expression, saying: "Although the elderly have very rich life experiences, in emerging fields, the old do not have enough energy to learn new things...."
"In the forefront of Xia Country's spiritual particle research, the average age of senior scholars is about forty. Excluding administrative positions and consultants, the average age of scholars might be compressed to the thirties."
"If you see a research institute with ample funding but little output, the core work of the institute is likely to be involved in 'spiritual particle application' research."
When it comes to age and energy, Lin Qi has very profound insights of his own.
At fifty, he developed mild presbyopia.
At sixty, his energy noticeably declined, and he could feel an obvious diminishing ability, with a subtle sense of inability to fully understand the evolution of new things.
At seventy, perhaps it was due to rigid thinking or a habitual dependency on certain thought patterns, he instinctively harbored a sense of rejection toward some new things, gradually relinquishing clan management responsibilities, focusing on major strategies, and choosing successors to pass on his experience.
Throughout the decade, Lin Qi could visibly feel his waning energy. Old injuries and illnesses would resurface, and although his mental state hadn't drastically changed, he occasionally felt an unfathomable sense of time leaving him feeling ill at ease as if he were a boat anchored in a river.
Rejection of the new.
Questioning one's own choices.
Ultimately, becoming a conservative, seen by outsiders as stubborn and rigid.
In extreme moments, Lin Qi even considered using his power to stifle certain so-called frontiers to keep the world's operational order within his own understanding, observation, and control.
Until....
"You are quite familiar with the internal structure of Xia Country!" Ansheng nodded slightly before asking with a hint of doubt.
"It's always one's enemy who understands them best," Lin Qi replied nonchalantly with a smile: "When unherdable sheep appear in the pasture, the shepherd naturally worries about the lead sheep causing a slipped disc with their headbutting."
"Or the lead sheep might organize other sheep to take long knives and hack the shepherd to death...."
In the core of the Longevity Club, those new era landowners view the Blue Star as a mere pasture.
They feast on lamb chops whenever they please.
If they want to pinch a sheep's butt, they do just that.
However, at some point, a goat mixed with the flock of sheep, giving them a hard time.
And.
That goat really picked up a rock and clobbered the shepherd on the head, knocking out three of the shepherd's four sharpest canine teeth, and also used benefits to coerce and divide, causing the shepherd's mind to be at odds with itself.
Until.
The shepherd realized that by ignoring the goat, the pasture would not turn chaotic with succubi everywhere...
What goat?
It doesn't exist; it's just a nightmare from dozing off while pinching a sheep's butt last night.
"Wow! You really dare to speak! Aren't you afraid I might call the police on you?"
"I smuggled my way in, I don't have any identity, besides, catching Lin Zhe has what to do with me, Lin?"
Responding to the jive from Uncle Fox, Grandmaster Lin responded cheerily, tossing out an old Zhou Shuren reference in return.
Uncle Fox's face was full of question marks.
Holy smokes!
I don't have an ID card either, but at least when deworming, I bring a registration certificate. You're just a black household!
Amidst the exchange, Lin Qi led the little fox back to Lin Ying's villa.
This time, Lin Qi received much better treatment, not needing Uncle Fox to show his face to unlock the door by fingerprint to enter.
Previously, he didn't have this privilege, and when no one was around to open the door, he could only squat by the villa entrance.
"Uncle Fox!"
As the villa's front door opened, a mature woman's voice reached Ansheng's ears, prompting him to look over and see Jin Wanlin sitting on the lounge chair in the courtyard, and Feng Wenyu sitting cross-legged by the flowerbed, looking at a tablet.
A long-unseen Uncle Jinlong was standing on two legs at the bar, holding a plastic cup, his face exuberant as he stuck out his tongue and energetically shook the cup.
Besides the three familiar figures of Jin and Feng.
The most eye-catching item was the rectangular wooden box placed on the garden path.
"Your big lizard... why has it become from the canine family?"
Ansheng leapt from Lin Qi's shoulder onto the ground and looked at Jin Wanlin, glancing at Uncle Jinlong while speaking.
"....."
Jin Wanlin was taken aback upon hearing that, looked at Jinlong who was shaking the cup, and said with a helpless expression:
"It might be... that every mage has a fantasy of being a berserker? Ever since it got flung into the air by a passing cockroach's slap last time, it developed a habit of drinking muscle gain powder when it got home."
Jin Wanlin glanced towards the bar with a strange expression.
Inside the Dongxiang Research Institute, where he could reign supreme and manage all beasts, Uncle Jinlong was utterly trounced by the Fungal Parasitic Beast, which tossed him around like a rag.
After leaving the institute, he witnessed the ferocity and dominance of Uncle Fox unleashing the ground with a singular hammer, stirring up dust and stones, and even a passing cockroach could smack him around.
Uncle Jinlong...
Has, more or less, had his mentality completely shattered.
"Muscle gain powder..... isn't it just milk tea?" Ansheng looked at Jin Wanlin with a strange expression.
Muscle gain powder..... Though Ansheng hadn't drunk it, during his previous office job, his colleague drank it!
And then, the check-up revealed pre-diabetes.
"But its product label says muscle gain powder." Jin Wanlin said with a helpless expression.
"Well..... after Jinlong uses the bathroom, remember to take a sniff and see if there's a sweet smell or ants crawling inside."
Ansheng quipped, then turned his attention to the large wooden box on the main path:
"Inside that.... is it my new hammer?"