Chapter 21: I Don’t Want to Go to Jail!

Chapter 21 I Don't Want to Go to Jail!

"If this is the reason for the Doomsday, then we're dying for nothing, right?"

"Who would have thought that a few seemingly ordinary fruits could be so important. Important enough to determine the fate of the entire world."

"No, I need to check if the book specifies a time."

"When exactly did that old woman pick the fruit?"

Sheng Qingquan began flipping through the book. To quickly grasp the cause of the apocalypse, he had always skimmed novels. He would first skim the general plot to get the gist, then go back to carefully examine the details and look for the necessary clues.

This time was the same.

But the staff didn’t have time to wait for Sheng Qingquan to figure it out.

Who knows if that old woman might show up while they were waiting!

They had to act first.

"To avoid any mishaps, the higher-ups sent someone nearby, and they’re already on their way."

Phew! That’s a relief. Everyone let out a sigh. The atmosphere immediately became less tense.

One of the female staff members stood up: "I’ll go talk to Ms. Yu now."

Not just about the oranges, but also about Sheng Qingquan’s thoughts.

Mainly because she’s been at school this whole time and has no idea what’s going on. She’ll need to cooperate later, so we’d better fill her in first.

"Knock knock knock."

Yu Jiaojiao heard the knock and hurried to open the door.

Outside stood a woman in casual clothes, with a more commanding presence than most. She hesitated: "Who are you?"

The staff member gave a polite smile and showed her ID: "Hello, Ms. Yu. There’s something I need to tell you."

Inner thoughts, Doomsday, precognition.

Yu Jiaojiao went from completely confused to suspicious, her mouth hanging open in shock. "So what I just heard was his thoughts?"

She glanced at the sky outside—broad daylight. This wasn’t a dream.

Could this really be happening?

Meanwhile, Sheng Qingquan was still flipping through the book.

"December 29th. That’s tomorrow, isn’t it?"

"And it’s Yu Jiaojiao’s birthday?!"

"Ugh, that’s so messed up. Did they pick that date on purpose?"

Having seen the previous context, Sheng Qingquan did not hesitate to speculate with the utmost malice about that pair of scumbag mother and son.

He carefully read this part of the plot again.

"Just as I thought. Although it wasn’t detailed, based on the author's brief mention, that scumbag lured Ms. Yu away that day. Probably using her birthday as an excuse to lead her away."

"This makes me so mad. If it were me, getting such a 'special' birthday gift, I would never want to celebrate my birthday again in my life!"

Tomorrow is indeed her birthday. Hearing this, Yu Jiaojiao, who was initially skeptical of what the staff had said, now became somewhat convinced.

Because she had always publicly shared her birthday as per her ID card. But in reality, the birthday on her ID card is wrong. When registering her birth, it was done by an elderly family member. The elderly relative didn't speak Mandarin clearly, with a heavy accent, saying "29," but the staff heard "19."

The elderly relative didn't notice at the time, and after realizing it later, everyone thought it wasn't necessary to change it for just a few days, so it remained as is.

No one else knows about this. Only her family does.

At this moment, her phone screen lit up again, and the man sent another message. Yu Jiaojiao reluctantly checked it.

He still didn't get the hint. Seeing that Yu Jiaojiao hadn't replied, he thought she was busy. So he eagerly asked her out.

[Jiaojiao, tomorrow is your birthday, let's go out for hot pot.]

[Eating hot pot in winter is the coziest, we haven't had hot pot together for a long time. A new cake shop has opened recently, didn't you say their small cakes are especially delicious? I ordered a birthday cake from them for you, asking for less cream, more fruit, and a thicker cake base. You will definitely like it!]

[I also prepared a little surprise for you, wanna guess what it is?]

[Don't worry, it's not a proposal. Although my parents are in a hurry, marriage isn't just up to me, I definitely have to consider your thoughts.]

[If you think it's not the right time yet, then I guess I haven't done enough. I'll keep working hard, and when you feel it's time, we can take the next step. Although in my life plan, you're already a big part of it.]

[I'll pick you up at 12 noon tomorrow, we'll have lunch, watch a movie, then go eat hot pot, how about that?]

He really brought up celebrating her birthday tomorrow. As a boyfriend, he indeed knows her real birthday.

Looking at these gentle words, if she hadn't known his purpose in advance, she would have really believed him.

What a beautiful date, what a birthday celebration. It's all just sugar-coated shit!

Thinking that this seemingly sweet invitation is actually just sugar-coated shit.

Yu Jiaojiao felt totally sick. Just then, her mentor called with a video call, and Yu Jiaojiao directly answered the phone.

Let him text all he wants, she didn't see them anyway.

After verifying with her mentor that the identity of the official staff was genuine and the documents were not forged, Yu Jiaojiao finally fully believed what the staff had said.

Yu Jiaojiao's mind went blank. Do all good-looking people get to be the main characters?

Yu Jiaojiao doesn't think she's the main character, but the guy upstairs, his skills are just too much. If it weren't for the experience of the diplomatic relations between aliens and Tianlanxing, she probably wouldn't have come back to her senses.

But now, besides being shocked, a wave of anger washed over her.

The scumbag is simply too much!

"So what I lost is not just my graduation project, but also the hope of ending the apocalypse?"

Damn, that mother and son deserve to die even more!

She'd wake up in the middle of the night, fuming, and curse a few times.

Compared to this, having an ex-boyfriend who is a scumbag is nothing. After all, he's already an ex, and she has already sentenced him to death in her heart. Who hasn't been blind when young.

Yu Jiaojiao only regrets that the price she paid for being blind was too high. Not only does she have to pay the price, but others have to bear it too. This is what Yu Jiaojiao finds hardest to accept.

Even though she was a victim in this matter too, the mere thought of this possibility made Yu Jiaojiao feel an overwhelming sense of regret. She should have been more careful and cautious. What's the point of celebrating a birthday? She never had the habit of celebrating birthdays in the first place. She should have stuck by the orange tree like glue.

The hope for humanity's survival was snuffed out.

Compared to having no hope from the beginning, the feeling of having hope only to find it had been cruelly extinguished by someone else was even more devastating.

If it weren't for the staff's timely reassurance that someone had already gone to guard the area, Yu Jiaojiao would have rushed out by now.

Since there was no need to worry about the experimental area, after understanding the whole story and briefly discussing with the staff, Yu Jiaojiao knew what she needed to do.

She purposely stepped into the hallway. Usually, she's all about manners and consideration, but now she intentionally spoke loudly on the phone in the hallway.

It was office hours, and the hallway was dead silent. Yu Jiaojiao's loud movements made it impossible for Sheng Qingquan, who lived upstairs, not to notice.

"Is that Ms. Yu? Is she home now?"

"It really is her!"

Sheng Qingquan had been struggling with how to notify Yu Jiaojiao. He was thinking of checking the property group later to see if he could contact her, but he didn't expect such a coincidence that she was home.

Sheng Qingquan flung open the door and bolted downstairs, just in time to see her pacing back and forth at the hallway entrance while on the phone, probably waiting for the elevator.

Sheng Qingquan hurriedly stopped her: "Hey neighbor, aren't you the one researching oranges at the city's Ag University?"

"Well, my friend said that Professor Lu Xiaohua's lab is looking to hire and will soon come to the Ag University to select candidates."

"In the storyline, Ms. Yu ended up working with Professor Lu Xiaohua. This shows that even if that jerk managed to screw over Ms. Yu, he still didn't win. The professor simply didn't think much of him."

"Too bad those lowlifes don't know their own limits. Not only are they unworthy of their positions, but they also lack the talent to match."

"Driven by his ambition, he not only wrecked Ms. Yu's research but also doomed all of humanity."

"Someone heard this news in advance and is planning to play dirty tricks to eliminate other competitors."

"She wouldn't think I'm stirring the pot, would she? It does seem a bit strange to suddenly come up to someone and say these things."

"But, I can't sweat that now."

Thinking this way, Sheng Qingquan found an excuse: "This is just some gossip my friend passed along."

"We've been neighbors for years, living right above and below each other, and we've never had any issues. If I didn't know, that would be one thing, but since I do know, I thought I should tell you."

"Anyway, keep your guard up. Even with your closest colleagues in the same field, stay on your toes. It's best to keep a close eye on your research and never let it out of your sight. Otherwise, if the fruit gets picked and eaten, it would be bad."

"Although I didn't name names, you should understand what I mean, right? Your boyfriend is also within the scope of caution!"

"Whether you watch out for others or not, the main thing is to watch your boyfriend; he's up to no good. If you don't want to go back to square one, keep that orange tree under lock and key."

Afraid that Yu Jiaojiao wouldn't take it seriously, Sheng Qingquan racked his brains for examples: "Remember last year, there was that story about a team working on colored wheat? The whole team slaved away for over ten years, finally got results, and then the wheat got swiped by some villagers. It'd be a disaster if something like that happened again."

"One must always be wary of others!" Sheng Qingquan said earnestly.

Sheng Qingquan originally thought that after he finished speaking, Yu Jiaojiao might not take it too seriously, and he even considered going to help guard the tree himself if necessary. He just didn't know the specific location and would have to figure out where exactly the orange tree was planted and which one it was.

Besides, how to get in was also a problem.

This was a bit troublesome, but trouble is better than the end of the world.

Starving to death because there's nothing to eat—that's a way to die he absolutely cannot accept! Unexpectedly, just after he finished speaking, Sheng Qingquan saw Yu Jiaojiao suddenly hang up the phone, look over with a very serious and earnest expression, and after confirming that what he said was true...

Yu Jiaojiao immediately said, "Professor Lu Xiaohua is recruiting? This opportunity is incredibly rare. Her lab hasn't accepted any new members for five years."

"Thank you for informing me. Otherwise, I might have missed this chance."

"You're right, I'll head back to the experimental area to keep an eye on things. I won't feel at ease if I don't. Even if my boyfriend tells me to leave, I won't budge."

"Did she buy it?"

"That's good, I can breathe easy now." Sheng Qingquan felt slightly relieved.

Fortunately, Professor Lu Xiaohua's offer was attractive enough to make Yu Jiaojiao believe that someone would go to any lengths for it.

Otherwise, it would have been hard to say.

"This time, I owe it all to you. Next time I come back, I'll bring you some honey from our school's apiary. It's great mixed into yogurt or spread on bread, and it's also delicious when stirred into water."

Before, it was fine just hearing her thoughts, but now with both thoughts and speech overlapping, Yu Jiaojiao almost couldn't tell which was which.

Fortunately, everything that needed to be said was finally said.

Yu Jiaojiao made a quick exit. She stepped into the elevator in front of Sheng Qingquan, looking like she was heading straight to the experimental area.

She was indeed heading to the school, but not to guard the orange tree—she was going fishing.

Sheng Qingquan was unaware of this and was eager for her to rush to the school to keep watch. Seeing her go, he didn't try to stop her. After she left, Sheng Qingquan went back home, opened the novel, and continued reading it meticulously, searching for more clues about the apocalypse.

The staff also had their own duties to attend to.

Everyone got busy.

Yu Jiaojiao's 'ex-boyfriend' Cheng Zhinan and his mom Shi Qingmei were no different.

Knowing Yu Jiaojiao was heading home to grab some materials, Cheng Zhinan seized the chance to take Shi Qingmei to scout the spot. Unfortunately, time was tight, and she could be back any minute. It was broad daylight, which was too risky. Otherwise, it would've been perfect to make a move right then.

Luckily, there was still time to do it the next day.

The next day, Cheng Zhinan managed to lure Yu Jiaojiao away. He was clueless that the situation in the experimental area had already changed dramatically.

Even while scouting, he didn't dare get too close the day before. He just took his mom nearby, showed her the way, explained how to get there, and described the orange tree's location and features before leaving.

Luckily, the orange tree stood out. Among the many fruit-heavy orange trees, one with just eight oranges would be hard to miss if you knew where to look.

"Mom, remember, after you pick the fruit, run away quickly. Don't stay at the scene or linger nearby. If you're discovered, just insist that you know nothing, and you just picked a few oranges because they looked good and you were thirsty."

Before the official action, Cheng Zhinan reminded her again. After making sure his mother remembered everything, he brought her into the school.

He let his mother wander around the school first, waiting until it was dark to act. Cheng Zhinan himself went on a date.

Shi Qingmei, following her son's instructions, patiently waited until it was dark before carefully making her way to the experimental area, avoiding people.

She had a good memory; no matter how complex the path, she wouldn't get lost after walking it once.

Moreover, this path wasn't hard to find.

"Third section, near the middle, an orange tree with only eight oranges."

"There's a big red sign on the tree with white characters, reading 'Sprayed with highly toxic pesticide'."

Found it!

The sign was prominently displayed, so even at night, Shi Qingmei noticed it immediately, even from afar.

Shi Qingmei took another look to make sure that there were only a handful of fruits on the labeled tree. After counting exactly eight, she glanced around cautiously and, seeing no one nearby, hurried over.

Her fingers just about to brush the fruit,

“What are you doing?!”

A sudden shout came from behind.

Then a hand reached out, clamping down on her wrist.

Before she could even react, her hand was pulled away from the fruit, and she was yanked back a few steps.

Oh no, they’ve caught her!

Shi Qingmei's heart sank, and she was about to feign ignorance when she was forcefully pinned to the ground.

Looking up, Shi Qingmei saw that the once-empty woods were now surrounded by heavily armed soldiers.

She’d only seen scenes like this on TV.

Only during the arrest of drug dealers facing execution did such a scene occur.

Her legs went weak, and the next second, her wrist met something cold and metallic.

Even though her hands were twisted behind her back and she couldn't see the specifics,

No matter how clueless, Shi Qingmei knew she was being handcuffed.

It’s over, all of it.

But Shi Qingmei still didn't understand how things had come to this. She was just trying to steal a fruit, right? The fruit wasn't made of gold, was it?

This has to be a mistake.

“You’ve got the wrong person! I’m innocent!” Shi Qingmei's mind went blank, and she began to plead her innocence. She had to explain.

“No mistake, we saw you going for the fruit ourselves.”

What, is it some kind of magical fruit?

While Shi Qingmei was full of confusion, feeling wronged and panicked, Cheng Zhinan was sitting in a hot pot restaurant cutting a cake for his girlfriend.

As he cut, Cheng Zhinan’s mind wandered: By now, mom should have succeeded, right?

Thinking this, Cheng Zhinan's smile grew wider. For today’s date, splurging on a gift was worth it.

“Eat slowly, don’t wolf it down,” Cheng Zhinan handed over a small piece of cake, saying meaningfully.

Understanding the hint, Yu Jiaojiao didn’t eat it directly but used a fork to divide the small piece of cake into bite-sized portions.

Sure enough, she dug out a thin gold chain from the cake.

“A gift?” Yu Jiaojiao asked knowingly.

“A gift!” Cheng Zhinan affirmed, “Surprised?”

“Quite a surprise. Speaking of which, I also have a gift for you,” Yu Jiaojiao picked up the gold chain and set it aside.

Yu Jiaojiao’s action of picking up the bracelet with a cake fork was far too casual.

She wouldn’t even touch it with her hand, which really irked Cheng Zhinan. It’s just a thin bracelet, no beads or pendants. What’s with the attitude?

This is a *gold* bracelet, not silver!

But Cheng Zhinan bit his tongue and didn’t react. Instead, he planned to ask her what gift she had prepared.

Just as Cheng Zhinan was about to ask, he suddenly heard a sudden commotion around him.

Two fully armed Armed Police officers walked in. Cheng Zhinan was on high alert, scanning the room for signs of a fugitive in the hot pot restaurant… but then he realized these two officers were heading straight for his table.

"Mr. Cheng Zhinan, your mother, Mrs. Shi Qingmei, is suspected of endangering nationally protected plants and damaging important national treasures!"

"She confessed that you told her to do it."

"Please cooperate with the investigation."

The cold handcuffs snapped around his wrists, and Cheng Zhinan was still in shock as they led him away.

"What? Endangering protected plants and damaging national treasures? How?"

"You’ve got to be mistaken. My mom’s just an ordinary woman. She couldn’t do something like that."

As they led him out of the hot pot restaurant, Cheng Zhinan spotted a police car outside, with officers escorting his mother.

When Shi Qingmei saw him, she broke down. She tried to rush over, but the officers held her back. "Son, tell them! What kind of fruit did you tell me to pick?"

"How did I end up committing a crime?"

"Am I going to jail? Are they going to execute me?"

"You’re smart, think of something!"

"Save me! I don’t want to die!"

Was it the fruit I told her to pick?

It’s just student-grown research material. How is this a big deal? At most, it should’ve been a slap on the wrist—even professors’ plants don’t meet protection standards.

On Tianlan Star, endangering protected plants or damaging national treasures are both serious crimes.

Just one charge could land you a minimum of ten years, and the maximum is even worse. Both charges together? That’s even worse. If convicted, he could get life with no chance of parole.

With how fast things change, even if he got parole, would he even recognize the world by then? Forget finding a job—he wouldn’t even know how to use a phone. He’d be useless. And prison? That’s no walk in the park.

The thought of that future made Cheng Zhinan’s heart sink.

At that moment, Cheng Zhinan heard a cheerful female voice from behind.

"Gift!"

Cheng Zhinan turned to see Yu Jiaojiao waving the bracelet: "Surprise!"

The gold gleamed dazzlingly under the lamp's light.

Cheng Zhinan lowered his head, avoiding the glare, and noticed the silver bracelet on his wrist. It hit him in an instant what the other person meant by "gift."

"Was this all your doing?!" Cheng Zhinan snapped, furious. He tried to rush over to confront her, but before he could get close, he was hauled off in a police car.

"Looking back, I guess I wasn’t exactly generous."

"He gave me a gold bracelet, and all I gave him were two silver ones."

"Sure, the silver bracelets were my pick—big and heavy—but still, silver’s no gold." Later, when Yu Jiaojiao gave honey to Sheng Qingquan as a thank-you gift, after recounting the incident, she couldn't help but evaluate herself.

"You’re such a schemer!"

Sheng Qingquan respectfully accepted the honey: "I’ll definitely never offend you in the future!"

"But being cunning is good!"

"Cutting him down with words felt amazing! One word: satisfying!"

It was like all the pent-up frustration from the past few days had finally been let out.

Feeling better now that the fruit issue was resolved, even with the plant crisis still looming, the worst-case scenario was off the table. Sheng Qingquan's stress was also somewhat alleviated.

"But just relying on the fruit isn’t going to cut it. We still need to find a way to locate that tomb robber. Who knows what other trouble the tomb robber’s haul might cause?"

"We also need to get the tomb’s location out of him, at least to recover the ashes of the plant from the tomb. With this, the vitality issue should be easier to solve."

"Even if the ashes are gone, the tomb isn’t going anywhere. The tomb is also important."

"The plant that started this mess came from the tomb. Who’s to say there isn’t another one in there?"

"Even if there isn’t, what about the other things in the tomb?!"

"We’ve got to make sure everything in there is safe and harmless. Furthermore, after finding the tomb, we can deduce the plant's situation based on the tomb's condition. It could also help with our research."

"So whether it's finding the tomb robber or locating the ancient tomb, both are crucial."

"Yet the novel went on and on about everything, padding the word count like crazy, but this part? Completely skipped."

Sheng Qingquan was so frustrated, his eyes nearly gave out from searching, but he still came up empty.

Sheng Qingquan was anxious, and the staff were even more anxious than him. If they could see the novel, they’d have jumped in to help him search.

Luckily, persistence paid off. After seeing off Yu Jiaojiao, Sheng Qingquan spent some more time with the novel and finally made a discovery.

"Wait, hold on—does this passage give us a clue about the tomb’s location?"