Alien Science Cultivation

Zhang Qiang, a simple young man born and raised in rural China, experienced a significant turning point in his life in 2002. That year, he successfully entered Jiangcheng Normal University. In an era of surging university enrollment, a college diploma might not have been particularly impressive among many other academic qualifications. But for Zhang Qiang, simply holding onto the hope of becoming a teacher was enough to fill him with joy.

On September 2002, 9, Zhang Qiang, alone and with only a simple backpack, embarked on a journey full of uncertainty to pursue his studies. His university sat at the foot of a towering mountain in Jiangcheng, and the buildings on campus were somewhat dated. The peeling paint on the walls, the half-meter-tall saplings growing in the cracks, the towering trees dotting the landscape, and the ubiquitous moss all testified to the institution's rich history. Yet, precisely because of this, the campus was imbued with a rich and unique atmosphere of history and culture, a feeling that filled Zhang Qiang with genuine satisfaction.

Their dormitory was a six-person room. In 2002, air conditioning was an absolute luxury, and the lack of fans was standard. A single, dim electric light was the only necessary fixture. Fortunately, the room was located in Room 404 on the fourth floor. While the southern summers were scorching, the night breeze was relatively cool. When the six grown men slept, they left the door and windows open, allowing the gentle night breeze to freely flow through the room, bringing a subtle coolness that was no less than that of modern air conditioning. Furthermore, Zhang Qiang's bed faced the door. Perhaps it was a gesture of consideration from his roommates, or perhaps it was simply his preference, but he was perfectly content with his position.

As university life began, he encountered a variety of group activities, from lively basketball games to passionate oratory contests. But aside from the necessary military training, morning runs, and classes, he found little real interest in other activities. At the time, he assumed he would likely spend the next three years in this routine, graduating, working, getting married, and having children—a dull, uneventful existence. Even so, he felt a deep sense of pride in leaving his village, fulfilling the earnest wishes of his elders and setting an example of academic excellence for his fellow villagers.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the second semester of his sophomore year has begun. During a computer class, Zhang Qiang, bored, logged into his QQ account and put on his headphones to listen to his favorite QQ music. The beeping sound of QQ, which he hadn't heard in half a year, interrupted his dream of wandering through the starry sky. The verification message read: Ugly Duckling... Request approved... and it was actually a girl, and it was sent via the school's local area network. "She's been noticed? Impossible! I'm so low-key, not handsome, and I have body odor!" Zhang Qiang quickly stopped his wild thoughts. After clicking "Agree," he felt a lingering feeling. After all, the chemistry and biology department was having a class in the computer lab, so he assumed the girl must be from the same department, so he couldn't refuse her.

After that, he waited anxiously for the other party's message, but the other party displayed "typing..." for a long time, and finally sent two simple words: Hello, classmate!

"Damn! His typing speed is so slow!" He couldn't help but complain in his heart, "Are you here to ask me to copy your computer homework? Girl! You've got the wrong person!" Zhang Qiang yelled in his heart, while secretly complaining: "I'm also a poor student! I have to glance at others when I do my homework!"

Zhang Qiang counted on his fingers what he knew, "All I know is turning on and off the computer, watching movies online, and listening to music. These have nothing to do with computer homework!" Even when his mind was full of random thoughts, his fingers were still honest and typed a polite "Hello" and sent it.

A moment later, a message popped up on QQ: "Hello! How many siblings do you have?" Zhang Qiang's phone froze instantly. "You're typing fast, and you're checking my household registration right away? Girl, who are you?" Zhang Qiang was filled with confusion, a cloud of doubt enveloping him like a fog. He thought, "Not many people know my QQ number." He looked around, but didn't see any beautiful women looking his way. "A prank? That doesn't seem like it!" After all, not many people use QQ these days, and online spaces are generally quite open and honest.

Thinking of this, Zhang Qiang replied truthfully, "I have two sisters, and I'm the youngest!" A moment later, the dialog box chimed again: "You're so lucky, you have two sisters to take care of you! I'm the only one in my family, can you be my brother?" Looking at the subtitles before him, Zhang Qiang's brain seemed to short-circuit, and his heart seemed to skip a beat. The intense shock left him in a moment of daze. After recovering, he couldn't help but reply: "Who are you? Beautiful." It was the first time he was "teased" by a girl, and his heartbeat was so loud that it seemed the entire computer room could hear it, its rapid rhythm like a frantic drumbeat.

"I'm Ni Fang sitting across from you." This answer instantly cleared Zhang Qiang's confused mind.

Zhang Qiang slowly raised his head and looked across at the person opposite him. What a stunning beauty that was! Her long black hair, like a waterfall, fell softly on her shoulders, swaying gently with her movements. Her straight nose was like a small mountain, delicate and charming. And her smiling eyes and lips were like flowers blooming in spring, so gorgeous that they were tempting to the touch. Her tall figure, long legs, and perfect proportions were amazing. The moment their eyes met, he felt as if he was in a brilliant firework display, and the whole world became blurred. But he kept thinking in his heart: "Why me? Why me?"

"Okay? get out of class's almost over." The QQ chat box started to buzz again. "Okay!" There were many reasons not to, but Zhang Qiang couldn't say no at this point. The bell rang, and everyone stood up to leave. As Ni Fang stood up, she waved goodbye to him, her slender fingers gently waving in the air like a fluttering butterfly. Zhang Qiang waved mechanically, his mind still twitching for a long time.

"Where's my bag?" "What bag? We came from the internet cafe together. How could you bring a bag?" 404's gentle rebuke brought Zhang Qiang back to reality. He was Zhang Qiang's roommate and frequent internet cafe buddy. No one else in the dorm was particularly online, so it was just Zhang Qiang and him who would often go to the internet cafe, playing Counter-Strike, watching movies, and listening to music!

On the way back to the dormitory, Zhang Qiang was full of doubts and didn't dare to look forward, for fear that Ni Fang's bright eyes would look at him again. He didn't dare to tell the 404 male god, because he thought that if he told him, he would laugh his teeth off.

After lunch, a few of the guys in the dormitory were chatting and bragging when Boss Song, who was on the bed across from them, hurried back in. He shouted, "Holy crap! My buddy's got a girl, Xiaofang, our department's most beautiful girl, and he didn't even tell us when he got home! I heard about it from Lin Ling while I was fetching water!... Xiaofang from their dormitory is treating! Zhang Qiang, aren't you treating?" "Boss... I'll treat, but you have to give me some time..." Zhang Qiang said helplessly, his expression as if weighed down by an invisible pressure. "...That's right! Give it a rest this afternoon, and we'll start tonight," Boss Song replied after a moment's reflection. Zhang Qiang's closest confidant in the dormitory was Boss Song, who naturally understood him and seemed to sense the pressure he was feeling. He approached and patted him on the shoulder. "Good boy... Not bad... Boy... Awesome..." The dormitory erupted in a flurry of noise, the voices rising and falling like the surging waves of the ocean. It took a long time for things to quiet down. The students from the two neighboring dormitories came to watch the fun, looking at Zhang Qiang as if he were looking at a monkey. "Alright...alright...disperse...disperse..." Boss Song kept yelling, trying his best to help Zhang Qiang out. "Hey, sister, what are you doing? I'm really ashamed of your courage and boldness." Zhang Qiang sighed!

A meal was a small matter. Although they were poor, Zhang Qiang could still afford a little over 100 yuan. The pocket money his two sisters gave him was more than enough. Remember, in 2003, 100 yuan could buy a large table of delicious food and plenty of beer. Some people only had 100 yuan a month to live on, and for girls from less fortunate backgrounds, the 50 yuan subsidy from school could cover their food needs for a month.

After all, they couldn't avoid dinner, and everyone went to bed after eating and drinking. Zhang Qiang lay on the bed, looking at the sky through the small window on the door. The stars were very bright at night, like countless dazzling gems inlaid on the black sky. Children from the countryside always have a special liking for stars. When they are upset, sad... and wronged, they like to look at the starry sky silently. It seems that only the endless starry sky can dissolve their sorrow, grievances and doubts! "She just wants a brother... I guess all the girls in the city are so cheerful! It's no big deal! There is no shortage of money or love... Don't think too much! That girl looks simple, she just wants to find a brother!" Zhang Qiang comforted himself!

"Zhang Qiang hasn't slept yet? Don't think too much, you are just low-key. Apart from me, you are the most handsome one in our dormitory, really. Ask her out for hiking the day after tomorrow weekend! Let's chat! Don't be nervous, that girl looks so innocent, simple-minded and beautiful, don't hurt her." The male god 404 said slowly, and the voice was particularly clear in the silent night.

"Yeah! I'm going to sleep," Zhang Qiang responded, ending a day of anxiety. It was not until late at night that Zhang Qiang went home in a daze. There was a small class the next morning, and Zhang Qiang had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk into the classroom. As soon as he entered the class, Zhang Qiang clearly felt several eyes looking at him, mostly girls! Especially that Lin Ling, who called out "Brother Ni Fang..." without any consideration, which made Zhang Qiang at a loss. When Ni Fang's face turned slightly red and she turned to look at him with a smile, Zhang Qiang also smiled slightly, nodded to her lightly, and his cheeks felt hot. Fortunately, the bell rang a moment later, interrupting their respective thoughts!

Luckily, there was only this one short class in the morning and no classes in the afternoon, so the day wasn't too difficult. He stayed in the dorm all afternoon, racking his brains to think of where to take Ni Fang this weekend. Would she refuse? And if she did, would they go to the movies or hike? The school had free movie theaters on weekends, and all students were admitted; hiking was also free, and the Chemistry and Biology Department had a field biology course, which the school had issued a membership card for.

After much deliberation, he decided to go to the movies! After all, the light is dim when watching a movie at night, so even if there is an embarrassing situation, it is not easy to be discovered. Zhang Qiang silently made his own calculations in his mind, looking forward to the arrival of the weekend, but also a little uneasy.

This simple choice, however, seemed to weigh heavily on Zhang Qiang's mind. He rehearsed various possible scenarios in his mind, his face flushed with excitement at one moment and his palms sweating with nervousness at another.