Chapter One 1
The funeral process from Zhu Fugui's home to the crematorium was much easier. A simple memorial service was held, followed by cremation of the body, and finally the ashes were sent to the Feng'an Hall built uniformly by the county for burial. This kind of funeral saved many cumbersome rituals and procedures, and the whole "business" was over quickly.
The funeral was delayed for several hours because of the strange incident. By the time a simple ceremony was held in Feng'an Hall and the ashes were placed, it was already dark.
The Zhu family and Gao Hongjin repeatedly invited Mu Linfeng to have dinner with them. This is also the local custom. After the deceased is buried, relatives, friends and people who help must have a meal together.
However, Mu Linfeng resolutely declined, because he had always had a strange feeling in his heart. He couldn't tell what it was exactly, but it was a very strange feeling, as if something was about to happen, so he hurried home and wanted to think about it quietly alone.
Only after returning home did Mu Linfeng feel a little tired. He half-lay on the sofa in the living room , staring at the ceiling, quietly recalling what happened today.
To be honest, today's experience seemed like a dream. Mu Linfeng himself also felt very strange. He was very familiar with having "bumps", as if the souls of his ancestors were attached to him, reminding and guiding him in the dark. Perhaps the genetic genes left in his body by his ancestors were awakened.
Suddenly, Mu Linfeng felt a voice in his heart reminding him that he should inherit his ancestral business. At that moment, Mu Linfeng realized that perhaps being a "bump" was his ultimate choice.
Thinking of this, Mu Linfeng immediately stood up and walked into the study room, lighting a stick of incense in front of the ancestor's shrine. This was the tradition of the old Mu family, and the family had always worshipped the ancestor's shrine. Because he was the only child in the family, the ancestor's shrine was passed on to him after his father disappeared.
Then Mu Linfeng took out a shiny black wooden box from the drawer under the desk, which contained the Mu family's genealogy.
Mu Linfeng gently opened the lid of the box, revealing a yellowed, folded octavo book. The book was bound with coarse linen thread and the edges were torn, showing its vicissitudes.
This genealogy is not a general genealogy, but only a branch of their family. It started in the early Ming Dynasty, with the Mu family who moved to Mujiaying as the first ancestor. It has been passed down to Mu Linfeng for the 21st generation. Since the great-grandfather, it has been a single-line inheritance, so this genealogy came into the hands of Mu Linfeng. There are also strict regulations on the transmission of the genealogy, and only the eldest son of the eldest family is qualified to keep it.
Mu Linfeng gently opened the family tree and found his name. The words on the family tree were all written in regular script with a small brush, and each stroke was very neat.
This family tree has a history of several hundred years. The name Mu Linfeng existed many years before he was born. He didn't know which ancestor gave him this name, but it was already written in the family tree. If there was no such person, the name would be left blank. If there was such a person, the name would be used. Moreover, under Mu Linfeng's name, the names of his sons and even grandsons were already listed, and there were several of them.
Seeing this, Mu Linfeng couldn't help but grin, thinking that the ancestors must not have thought that family planning would be implemented now. Not to mention three or four sons, one is good enough, and it might even be a daughter, but women don't appear in the family tree. This is probably the reason why Mencius said, "There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants."
In fact, what Mencius said, "To have no descendants is the greatest misfortune," was also the ancients' consideration of posthumous sacrifices.
The sacrifices of deceased ancestors by their descendants are called "blood sacrifice" or "Xinxiang". The ancients emphasized in their sacrifices to their ancestors: "The gods will not accept sacrifices from those who are not of the same kind, the people will not eat sacrifices from those who are not of the same clan, and the gods will not eat sacrifices from those who are not of the same clan." This means that when offering sacrifices to deceased ancestors, the real blood and bones of the ancestors must be used, otherwise the ancestors will not accept them.
Therefore, in the local tomb-sweeping customs, if there are no descendants to offer sacrifices and add soil to the graves, it is a very serious matter, which means that the incense has been cut off, and the ancestors will become powerful hungry ghosts that snatch other people's sacrifices. This is not only unfilial for the descendants, but also makes the ancestors shudder. That's why there is a saying that "There are three unfilial acts, and the worst is to have no descendants."
Mu Linfeng brought his thoughts back to reality. He suddenly felt a little hungry. Then he remembered that he had not had dinner yet. He looked up at the quartz clock on the opposite wall. Before he knew it, it was already ten o'clock in the evening. This is what life is like when you are alone, often without a regular pattern.
Mu Linfeng was about to go to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles. At this moment, the doorbell rang. Who could come so late? Could it be that Gao Hongjin was drunk and ran here? It was not uncommon for people to get drunk at funeral banquets, and Gao Hongjin liked to drink. Mu Linfeng muttered as he went to open the door.
When he reached the door, Mu Linfeng stretched out his hand and was about to open it, but suddenly stopped, thinking to himself, let's see who it is first; if Gao Hongjin is really drunk, he will pretend not to be at home. This guy gets excited when he drinks too much, and he can chat with people all night. He has to go to work early tomorrow morning. If he lets him in, he won't be able to sleep tonight...
Thinking of this, Mu Linfeng put one eye close to the door mirror, and with the help of the light in the corridor, he saw two strange men standing outside the door. The man in front was in his thirties, dressed very formally in a dark suit and white shirt, but without a tie. The man behind him was blocked and could not be seen clearly.
Seeing that the person coming was not Gao Hongjin, Mu Linfeng opened the door and glanced at the two people standing outside. At this time, he also saw the man behind him clearly. He was in his twenties, wearing jeans and a jacket, very casually dressed, with a short flat head, looking very energetic.
The man standing in front of him was very capable and asked politely, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Mu Linfengmu?"
Mu Linfeng nodded: "Who are you?"
The man in a suit unzipped his black handbag, took out a police ID and handed it to Mu Linfeng: "We are from the National Security Bureau. Can we talk inside?"
Mu Linfeng was stunned when he heard the word "National Security Bureau", because the National Security Bureau always gave people a very mysterious feeling, as if it was very far away from him. He glanced at the silver national emblem on the black cover of the police officer's ID card, and quickly moved aside, saying, "Okay, please come in."
After the two guests entered, Mu Linfeng reached out to close the security door. He was very puzzled. What did the National Security Bureau want to do with him? He was just a chef, and it didn't seem to involve matters related to national security.
Mu Linfeng returned the police ID in his hand to the person without taking a closer look, and asked curiously: "Excuse me, what do you two officers want to see me about?"
The man in a suit smiled and said, "Let me introduce myself first. My last name is Li Jianping, and this is my assistant Xiao Cao. The two of us are currently in charge of the security work of a national key research group. The purpose of our visit is to invite you to come with us. The person in charge of this research group wants to meet you..."
Before Officer Li finished speaking, Mu Linfeng asked in surprise, "Are you sure? I'm a chef, not a scientific researcher. Why does the head of the research team want to see me?"
"I'm sorry, we don't know the content of the meeting because it is not within our scope of work..."
Li Jianping paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about something, and then continued, "Mr. Mu, to be honest, we investigated you before coming here. You were once an excellent soldier, and you should understand some things without me having to explain them in detail. The reason why our National Security Bureau is responsible for the security of this scientific research project is because we have learned that some foreign institutions are very interested in this topic, or more precisely, we have obtained information that they have started to take action. That's why we came to invite you at night to prevent others from finding out about the situation..."
After hearing what Officer Li said, Mu Linfeng was even more confused and wondered what happened today. The experience in the morning was bizarre enough, and now this incident sounded even more outrageous. A cook was suddenly connected to a national key scientific research project. It sounded like a fairy tale to anyone who heard it.
Seeing Mu Linfeng's doubtful expression, Li Jianping smiled and said, "Mr. Mu, please don't worry. We won't do you any harm. Besides, you know you didn't do anything..."
The police speak directly. If you have done nothing wrong, you don't have to worry about ghosts knocking on your door. Mu Linfeng waved his hand: "Oh, I'm not worried about that. I'm just wondering what I can do for the country's key research projects..."
"Haha... Mr. Mu will know after he goes there."
Mu Linfeng suddenly said coldly: "What if I don't want to go with you?"
Li Jianping was slightly stunned, probably not expecting Mu Linfeng to say such a thing, and then he said calmly: "Haha, I believe Mr. Mu will not refuse."
"Why?" Mu Linfeng asked curiously.
"Because people who have served in the military have a deep impression of serving the country in their minds, not to mention that Mr. Mu has been a special forces soldier for six years... To be honest, I also came from a military background, so I can deeply understand this point..." Li Jianping knew very well what kind of words could touch the other person's heart.
It seems that he is being forced to do something, so he has to go. Besides, Li Jianping's words really touched his heart. Mu Linfeng nodded: "Okay, shall we go now?"
"Yes, our car is just outside the community." Li Jianping replied immediately.
It seems that what the other party said was right. To avoid being noticed, the car did not drive in. Mu Linfeng said nothing more, walked into the bedroom and put on his coat. Just as he was about to go out, he suddenly thought of a question: "Officer Li, when can I come back?"
"I'm sorry, I really can't answer this question." Li Jianping said truthfully.
Mu Linfeng said hurriedly, "I just took a day off. I have to go to work early tomorrow morning to cook for the guests before six o'clock. If I miss work, my performance salary for this month will be gone. Who will I ask for money from then?"
"Haha, how much is Mr. Mu's performance-based salary per month?" Li Jianping asked in a joking tone.
"It's not too much, just over 2,000 yuan, but absenteeism will give you a bad reputation, and it will also affect your year-end bonus..."
Li Jianping waved his hand: "Don't worry, we won't make it difficult for Mr. Mu. Someone will greet your leader when the time comes. Let's go quickly, we still have two hours to go."
It was a two-hour journey, and they would definitely not be able to return tomorrow morning. Mu Linfeng thought that his performance-based salary for this month might be lost, so he didn't say anything and followed the two of them out of the house.
The three people did not stop after coming out of the community. Li Jianping walked in front. He took out his mobile phone and made a call while walking.
Then an off-road vehicle sped over from the intersection ahead and stopped beside them silently. Li Jianping raised his hand to signal Mu Linfeng, and then the two of them got into the back seat of the car, while Xiao Cao sat in the front passenger seat.
Mu Linfeng knows a lot about cars and knows that this is a Toyota Land Cruiser, now called "Lanze Cool Road Ze". Apart from the name, there is nothing wrong with this off-road vehicle, it can be called a real off-road vehicle. The original Land Cruiser had such a loud name, but it was changed to "Lanze Cool Road Ze", what a shitty name, only a brain-dead person can come up with such a name.
After the SUV started, the four people in the car were silent, and no one spoke. Mu Linfeng stared at the road ahead through the front windshield. He wanted to know where he was being taken. To be honest, he felt like he was being kidnapped.
The SUV drove north out of the city, quickly got on the Jiqing Expressway, and then drove east quickly. Mu Linfeng secretly calculated in his heart that according to the two-hour drive mentioned by Li Jianping just now, it was obvious that the destination was Qingdao.
There are fewer vehicles on the highway at night, and the off-road vehicle is traveling at a speed of 110 miles per hour. The Land Cruiser is indeed the king of off-road vehicles. Sitting in the car at such a speed does not feel bumpy at all, it is almost like sitting in the living room at home.
The silence in the car was unsettling. Mu Linfeng couldn't hold it in any longer and asked Li Jianping beside him softly, "Officer Li, what is this research group that asked me to join studying? It can't be related to food, right?"
"You'll know when you get there." After saying that, Li Jianping closed his mouth again.
Seeing this, Mu Linfeng had no choice but to remain silent, thinking quietly by himself, trying to guess the purpose of the person looking for him.
Sure enough, in less than two hours, the off-road vehicle came out of the Qingdao Expressway exit and drove into the newly built ring road. This road was built for the Olympic sailing competition, and it can go directly to the "Olympic Sailing" base from the Jiqing Expressway.
Half an hour later, the SUV stopped in front of an unmarked gate. A soldier came out of the sentry box next to the gate, checked the pass, and then opened the automatic gate and let the vehicle pass.
At this time, Li Jianping, who was sitting next to Mu Linfeng, said, "The research team will temporarily borrow the troops' place."
Mu Linfeng couldn't guess what Li Jianping meant by saying this to him.
This should be a military camp of the North Sea Fleet, because the guards at the door were wearing navy uniforms. After the car drove into the military camp, Mu Linfeng felt his heart relax a little. The military camp was the most familiar place for him, and it was also the place he remembered most deeply and unforgettable. A familiar environment can relax tense emotions. Although this is a naval military camp, the atmosphere in the military camp is the same.
Although he felt more relaxed, a bigger question came to Mu Linfeng's mind. What kind of important scientific research project was this? Why would the research team be located in a military camp? Li Jianping just said that they would use this place temporarily. The military's territory is not something that anyone can use, unless the country needs it.
The Land Cruiser stopped in front of a gray building. After getting off the car, Mu Linfeng observed the surrounding environment. The building had only three floors and looked like an office building from the outside. A guard stood upright at the door of the building. When he saw Li Jianping coming over, the guard saluted and obviously knew Li Jianping and his friends.
Mu Linfeng was led to a small meeting room on the second floor. Li Jianping told him that someone would come to talk to him soon and asked him to wait for a moment, then left.
Mu Linfeng took a tour of the conference room. The furnishings in the room were very simple. There was an oval conference table in the middle, with more than ten leather chairs around it. There was also a cabinet in a corner, and nothing else.
The two windows facing outwards were covered with light-proof curtains, and there was a projection screen on one wall, while the other walls were empty. Usually, there would be a slogan or two in a conference room, or a mural, but there was nothing here, which seemed a bit mysterious.
Mu Linfeng sat on the leather chair beside the table and waited for a few minutes. Then the door of the conference room opened and two people walked in. Both of them were in plain clothes and holding folders in their hands. After entering the door, they greeted Mu Linfeng and sat opposite him.
The two men sat down and opened the folder. One of the middle-aged men looked at Mu Linfeng and said seriously, "Comrade Mu Linfeng, before the person in charge of our research group talks to you, you need to sign a confidentiality agreement. The content of tonight's conversation and everything you see and hear must be kept secret and cannot be disclosed to anyone. Did you understand?"
After the middle-aged man finished speaking, without waiting for Mu Linfeng to respond, he signaled a young man sitting next to him to hand him the folder.
Mu Linfeng stood up and took the folder handed over. He opened it and took a look. There were several items printed on a piece of paper inside. He had learned the confidentiality regulations when he was in the army, so he was very clear about the contents. He didn't read it carefully. He picked up a pen and signed his name below. He thought that since he was already here, there was nothing to say. In addition, curiosity also prompted him to know the purpose of his coming as soon as possible...
After signing, Mu Linfeng closed the folder without saying a word, leaned over and handed it to the middle-aged man across the conference table.
The middle-aged man glanced at Mu Linfeng's signature, then nodded to the young man next to him. The young man said nothing, stood up and walked out of the meeting room.
Then the middle-aged man looked at Mu Linfeng and said, "Let me introduce myself. My last name is Wang, and my Chinese name is Zhao. I am the deputy leader of our research group and I am responsible for the logistics of the entire research group. In short, apart from the research project, everything else is under my charge..."
Mu Linfeng asked anxiously before Wang Zhao finished speaking: "Team Leader Wang, can you first tell me the purpose of calling me here?"
Team leader Wang's tone became much gentler, and he said with a smile: "Haha, this will be told to you by Professor Dongfang, the head of our research group. The professor will be here soon. Let me introduce you in advance. Professor Dongfang Xiaming is a famous archaeologist and historian in our country..."
Before Wang Zhao finished speaking, the door of the conference room opened from the outside, and an old man with white hair and a youthful face walked in. He should be over 70 years old, but his steps were steady and he was in good spirits. Needless to say, this old man must be Professor Dongfang Xiaming. Wang Zhao hurriedly stood up, helped Professor Dongfang open the leather chair, and asked the professor to sit down.
After seeing Professor Dongfang coming in, Mu Linfeng stood up involuntarily. The professor naturally exuded a respectable temperament. Mu Linfeng suddenly didn't know how to address the professor. The key point was that he was not sure that the person who came in was Professor Dongfang, so he could only smile at the old man.
Professor Dongfang smiled and said to Mu Linfeng: "I have read your file. You are even more handsome in person than in the photo..." As the professor spoke, he waved to Mu Linfeng to sit down.
Professor Dongfang's joke immediately brought the two closer, making Mu Linfeng feel particularly close. He asked in surprise, "Professor Dongfang knows about my situation?"
"Mu Linfeng, I just turned 28 this year, and I have been a special forces soldier for six years. Your Mu family has been funeral directors for generations, which is called 'lumps' in your local language. In addition, your ancestors are good at tomb-viewing skills and are very famous in the central Shandong area. Am I right?"
Mu Linfeng nodded repeatedly: "Professor, what you said is absolutely correct. Can you tell me why you know so much about me?"
The professor did not answer Mu Linfeng's question directly, but asked him with a smile: "From what I understand, you are an excellent young man in all aspects. Why do you want to be a chef?"
"What's wrong with being a chef?" Mu Linfeng asked without thinking.
"Haha..." Professor Dongfang laughed, "I'm not saying that being a chef is bad. What I mean is that a person should play to his or her strengths. If he or she does a job that can better display his or her talents, it will benefit both the country and oneself. Because some jobs can be done by most people, while other jobs require people with special skills to complete..."
Mu Linfeng shook his head and said seriously: "I don't find that I have any special skills or talents. To be honest, I like the profession of chef. Looking at the dishes I made, I feel satisfied."
"Gold will only shine if it is dug out of the soil. A person's strengths and talents also need opportunities to be brought into play and displayed. Now there is an opportunity for you to display your talents. I wonder if you are willing to seize it?" While speaking, Professor Dongfang looked at Mu Linfeng with anticipation.
Mu Linfeng smiled and said, "People go to higher places, and water flows to lower places. Everyone wants to get better development, but what else can I do as a chef besides cooking?"
