American comic: From Beijing with Love, starting with a mutant.

Xiao Liu pushed open the door and handed out four temporary study manuals to everyone in turn.

"Director Zhou, the training room is ready."

"How about this?"

Zhou Xingxing stood up and straightened his tie. "You all go with Xiao Liu to attend the 15-day basic training first. After the training, we'll proceed according to today's schedule."

"Does anyone have any further questions?"

Bao Bao flipped through the handbook, somewhat puzzled: "The Ability Management Regulations...is there going to be an exam?"

"Of course, but you'll be exempt from the practical exercise."

The four of them followed Xiao Liu out, while Gegebu clung to the door frame and looked back.

"Boss, will my chicken farm be shut down because of this training?"

"Don't worry! We're still choosing a site for your fifty acres of land, and we need to get water and electricity and build houses! Even if you went there now, you'd only be sitting on the wasteland hatching stones."

"But you can't hatch a chicken from a stone, can you?"

Zhou Xingxing nodded seriously and said solemnly, "Not bad, you already have basic agricultural judgment. Maintain this level during training, and passing won't be difficult. Go."

Xiao Liu led the four people out of the room, and the room became quiet.

Storm remained seated by the window, watching him: "Do our compatriots who came before also have to undergo fifteen days of training?"

"Sigh...we never had these conditions before..."

Stephen Chow was a little worried when he brought this up, because in the past these guys would learn the local dialect wherever they were assigned.

Some dialects are difficult for even the speaker to understand.

Fortunately, the bureau is keeping up with the times, and relevant policies are constantly being adjusted and improved.

Zhou Xingxing's eyes lit up, and he came up with a good idea.

"You've been sitting here for ages, how about I take you somewhere to look around?"

"Oh?" Storm tilted her head. "Is this a new scouting arrangement?"

"No, no, no."

Stephen Chow pulled down his hat brim and said seriously, "This is simply another way of showing you how vast our country is."

three days later.

The off-road vehicle drove off the national highway and rolled over the gravel in the Gobi Desert.

All that could be seen outside the car window were low sand dunes and a bottomless irrigation canal.

Storm placed the tablet on her lap and looked at the scenery outside: "Evaporation rates on the outskirts of the Tarim Basin far exceed precipitation. Did you bring me here to make rain?"

Zhou Xingxing gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed straight ahead: "No, no, no! I'm just taking you on a site visit! Creating rain is up to you to take initiative."

Storm sneered and waved the tablet around: "But you prepared all this information."

"You need to do your research before traveling! The Tuoketuo area receives an average of 16 millimeters of rainfall per year, and 90% of it is Gobi Desert. This kind of natural scenery is not common in America, is it?"

"Really? What do you mean by the water requirement cycles for cotton, jujubes, and specialty orchards attached to these documents?"

"Introduction to local specialties!"

"And the last page?" she read aloud. "Localized rainfall at night? Diverting dust storms? Protecting farmland?"

Stephen Chow remained unfazed: "The tourism program should be more diverse, right? We'll look at the desert in the morning, study agriculture in the afternoon, and observe artificial rainmaking in the evening—making the most of our time!"

"If you want me to stay at my job, just say so."

"That won't work."

Why?

"Didn't you just come to take a look?"

Storm was utterly speechless at his shamelessness.

This guy told her countless times about the many water-scarce places in China along the way.

Examples include the entire Ningxia region, the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang, and the Hexi Corridor in Gansu.

There is also the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi and eastern Gansu.

It all boils down to two words.

Water shortage.

This is no longer a subtle hint or suggestion; it's a blatant declaration!

It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I'm just being all hesitant and indecisive here!

Sigh... Men are quite troublesome too.

Storm wasn't in a hurry either; she wouldn't say anything, and she'd see who could hold their temper longer.

As the off-road vehicle rounded the dry riverbed, the tips of the yellowing leaves of the protective forest on both sides were visible.

Storm opened the car window, stretched her palm out, and the wind passed through her fingers without any dampness.

"There is water vapor in the upper atmosphere to the west, but it is too far away, and the airflow is separated by the mountains, so it takes time to bring it into the basin."

"Can you do it?"

"Can."

"Can it be done now?"

"It can be done."

"Can it be done in the car?"

Storm turned and glared at him: "Can you please stop asking me so many pointless questions?"

Driving with one hand, Stephen Chow pulled out a pre-prepared folder:

"Here are temporary technical consultation letters from the meteorological department, water use scheduling opinions from the water resources department, and experimental areas designated by the agricultural project team."

Storm almost laughed in exasperation, but still silently accepted it.

"Is this what you mean by 'no arrangements'?"

"How foolish! This is travel insurance! What if you see farmland lacking water, and out of kindness and compassion, you volunteer to help... I can't just let you rain without a permit, can I?"

Fine, I can't argue with you.

Storm decided to shut up.

As evening approached, the vehicle stopped in front of the Shaliang Village Committee.

The village party secretary's name is Aili Muhtar.

Before coming, Comrade Lao Zhou had someone make arrangements for him.

Hearing the commotion outside, Ali came out of his office, his trouser legs covered in dry dirt. Upon seeing Zhou Xingxing, he warmly shook his hand and ushered him inside: "Oh, you must be Director Zhou! You are indeed young and promising, a truly handsome man!"

"You've traveled a long way and must be tired. Our village has limited resources, and we're afraid we won't be able to provide adequate hospitality. Please bear with us..."

After welcoming the two into the house, Eric couldn't help but ask, "We were notified that weather experts were coming. I thought a whole working group would be coming, so why are there only the two of you?"

Zhou Xingxing stepped aside to introduce: "Oroluo Monroe, a special expert in international climate and extreme weather governance, is currently a member of the delegation visiting China for research."

Eric extended his hand: "Munroe expert, welcome."

Aurora grasped his hand and took out the translator Stephen Chow had prepared for her: "Just call me Aurora. How long has it been since the village had any significant rainfall?"

"Sigh...it's been nine months already..."

Aili sighed and said, "There was a little snow at the beginning of the year, but it melted in the spring and was gone. The water supply to the canal was interrupted once last month. After the water supply was restored, the flow was only enough to save a part of the land."

"Where's some water?"

"The village supplies water to each household, and it's on for two hours every other day. The elderly have buckets, and the young people help them fill them. The amount of water supplied to livestock has been reduced."

Zhou Xingxing glanced at the several rolls of drip irrigation tape clustered together in the yard and deliberately asked, "Secretary Ai Li, why weren't these laid out?"

"Sigh... It's no use spreading water in the fields if there's no water! The village has discussed it and decided to prioritize ensuring people have drinking water, then save the jujube orchards, and we'll try to save as much cotton as we can."

"What about this year's income?"

"What can we do? Go out and find work, and plant again next year..."

Aili led the two to the back of the village committee building, where there used to be a reservoir. The water level had receded to the lowest mark, and a few leaves that had been drying in the sun were floating on the bottom.

Storm looked at the frowning Eric and asked, "If there were a rainstorm, where would you want it to fall?"

"The village's drinking water storage tank."

Eli gave the answer without hesitation, but quickly shook his head in denial: "The orchard may not survive the next heat wave."

How could Storm possibly hold back after hearing this?

She quickly turned her head to look to the side.

When Zhou Xingxing was caught staring at her, he awkwardly looked away and looked up at the sky, pretending nothing had happened.

All right...

Steve Zhou, you win.