130: Birthday wishes and promises for the future

Excellence's birthday had long been marked on the calendar of the "Homeland" by Su Mu and Evelyn as a day needing special treatment.

Compared to the simple celebration during his recovery period at the base, which felt a bit lonely due to his illness, this time, in a true "Homeland," they were determined to give Excellence a birthday filled with surprises and warm memories.

Weeks in advance, secret preparations began with the tacit understanding between the two women.

Su Mu was responsible for creating the atmosphere and everyday surprises.

Taking advantage of the time when Excellence was napping or buried in his studies in the studio, she quietly rounded up a few familiar logistics aunts and started getting busy on the empty lot next to the Greenhouse, which was originally a bit barren but had excellent sunlight.

They carefully leveled the ground and transplanted various bright, seasonal flowers—marigolds, pansies, daisies—and even built a small trellis with morning glories climbing up it.

Su Mu specifically chose Excellence's favorite blue and orange flowers to make the garden look bright and full of vitality.

She also hand-wove colorful fabric strips and hung them between the trees and the trellis; as the breeze blew, they looked like a floating rainbow.

Evelyn focused on gift selection and knowledge-based surprises.

Knowing Excellence's thirst for knowledge and passion for exploration, she spent a great deal of time browsing the "Homeland" internal database and externally screened resources, carefully selecting books and tools suitable for his current cognitive level that could also stimulate further interest.

She contacted the technical department to customize an open-source hardware platform designed specifically for Excellence, with a friendlier interface but powerful functions.

She personally added detailed notes and guiding thought questions to the accompanying introductory materials, her handwriting neat and clear, filled with the patience of a teacher.

She also secretly communicated with Wang Jianguo to apply for that special privilege symbolizing trust and expectation for Excellence—a pass to the highest-level library.

Even more touching was that the two women were not fighting alone.

Their intentions infected many people in the "Homeland."

When listening to the report, the corners of Wang Jianguo's mouth rarely showed a gentle smile; he tacitly approved and supported this event, even personally coordinating the venue and resources.

The uncle in the kitchen, who always added an extra scoop of food to Excellence's bowl and had an honest smile, heard about the birthday party and patted his chest to guarantee he would make the "biggest and most beautiful cake in history," testing recipes in the kitchen for several days, filling the air with fragrance.

Several researchers who often interacted with Excellence and liked this simple yet clever boy also secretly prepared small gifts, either mineral specimens they made themselves or a set of exquisite drawing tools.

A silent, warm consensus flowed through the "Homeland": to give this boy, who carried a special destiny yet still maintained a pure heart, a truly happy birthday.

On his birthday, Excellence was led out of the residential area by Su Mu under the pretext of "The weather is good today, let's go to the Greenhouse to check on your tomatoes," just like usual.

Halfway there, Su Mu suddenly took out a soft silk scarf and gently covered his eyes.

"Class Monitor, what are you doing?" Excellence asked curiously, his tone filled with trust and expectation.

"Shh—I have a surprise for you. Follow me, watch your step." Su Mu held his hand, guiding him forward slowly.

Evelyn followed quietly behind, watching Excellence's cautious and curious appearance, a faint smile on her face.

Passing through the familiar Greenhouse, the scent of flowers and soil in the air became increasingly rich.

When Excellence was finally allowed to take off his blindfold, he was completely stunned by the scene before him.

The warm afternoon sun shone on the brand-new little garden in front of him; every petal and every ribbon seemed to be glowing.

The carefully arranged flower beds were colorful, and the small trellis cast mottled light and shadows.

In the center of the garden stood a long table covered with a snow-white tablecloth, on which sat the giant birthday cake meticulously made by the kitchen uncle—the cake was carefully decorated with cream and chocolate in patterns of rockets, planets, and nebulae, vivid and lifelike, with "Happy Birthday, Excellence!" written in jam on the side.

What made Excellence's heart race even more were the people standing by the table—not just Su Mu and Evelyn, but also Wang Jianguo, whose face was usually stern but whose eyes were gentle at this moment, Doctor Xiao Zhang who always accompanied him during rehabilitation training, several researcher uncles and aunts who often patiently answered his questions, and even the kitchen uncle, who was wearing a clean apron, rubbing his hands, and smiling honestly while standing to the side.

Everyone was smiling, watching him with warm eyes.

"Hap—py—Birth—day, Excellence!" everyone shouted in unison, their voices filled with sincere blessings.

Excellence froze in place, his eyes wide, as if he couldn't believe everything before him.

He had experienced long periods of loneliness, the torture of illness, and the shadows of danger.

At this moment, tightly surrounded by so much heartfelt kindness and warmth, that huge sense of happiness submerged him like a tide.

His eyes reddened instantly, his nose felt sore, and his lips trembled slightly.

He wanted to say something but found himself choking up, unable to make a sound, and could only nod vigorously, tears swirling in his eyes.

Su Mu stepped forward, gently putting her arm around his shoulders, and said softly, "Silly child, today is a happy day, why are you crying?"

Evelyn also handed him a tissue, her eyes full of understanding and encouragement.

Sincere Wishes: Promises to the Future

Surrounded by everyone, Excellence was brought to the cake.

The candles were lit one by one, the warm flames dancing in the sunlight.

Everyone sang the birthday song; the singing wasn't exactly in unison, but it was exceptionally moving.

"Excellence, make a wish!" Su Mu reminded him softly.

Excellence nodded vigorously, closed his eyes, and put his hands together, his expression one of unprecedented piety and focus.

His long eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if he were having a solemn conversation with some important existence in his heart.

At this moment, the noisy garden quieted down, and everyone watched him silently, as if they could feel the weight of his wish.

After a while, he took a deep breath, opened his eyes, gathered his courage, and under everyone's encouraging gazes, shouted his wish:

"My first wish is," he looked at Su Mu and Evelyn beside him, his voice clear and firm, "I hope the Class Monitor and Sister Evelyn will always be happy and can always be by my side!"

This simple and sincere wish struck Su Mu and Evelyn's hearts with a warm current instantly.

The corners of Su Mu's eyes were also a bit moist, while Evelyn turned her face slightly to hide the waves in her heart.

They looked at each other and smiled; that smile contained too many storms they had weathered together and a tacit understanding that needed no words.

"The second wish is," Excellence's gaze swept over every adult present, finally landing on Wang Jianguo's face, with a seriousness that surpassed his age, "I hope I can grow up quickly and become very, very capable! Capable enough to protect everyone, to protect the 'Homeland,' and never let Uncle Wang, the Class Monitor, Sister Evelyn, and everyone worry about me or take risks for me again!"

The sense of responsibility and gratitude in these words moved all the adults present who had experienced countless storms.

The lines on Wang Jianguo's stern face softened a lot, and a hint of imperceptible relief and emotion flashed in his eyes.

He seemed to see a seedling that, after experiencing wind and rain, began to long to grow into a big tree that could shelter others.

"The third wish is..." Excellence's voice suddenly dropped, he scratched his head a bit embarrassedly, and muttered in a low voice: "I hope my next 'hand-crafted' big project... goes smoothly, at least... at least don't let it explode again, and don't set off the alarm again..."

After a second of silence, a burst of even louder and merrier laughter erupted in the garden!

This childish, incomparably "Excellence"-style wish instantly blew away the slightly sentimental atmosphere from just a moment ago.

Even Wang Jianguo, who was usually stern, couldn't help but shake his head, the corners of his mouth upturned.

The kitchen uncle laughed the loudest, slapping his thigh and saying, "Don't worry, kid! Even if it explodes, Uncle will make you something delicious to calm your nerves!"

After blowing out the candles and cutting the cake, it was time for the most anticipated gift-giving session.

Every gift was full of deep meaning.

Su Mu took out a carefully wrapped box containing a sweater and scarf she had knitted stitch by stitch over countless nights.

The sweater was a warm beige, with an abstract circuit board pattern knitted in dark blue yarn, both warm and ingenious; the scarf was a gradient blue, symbolizing the sky and the ocean.

"It's getting cold. When you're tinkering with your treasures in the studio later, remember to wear it." Su Mu helped him put on the sweater; the size was just right.

Excellence loved it so much that he rubbed his cheek against the soft wool like a satisfied kitten.

Evelyn's gift was full of technological flair.

It was a top-tier, modular open-source hardware development platform, beautifully packaged with complete accessories.

Even more precious was that thick copy of "Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective," its edges already slightly curled from her flipping through it.

The margins of the pages were densely yet neatly filled with her notes, insights, and customized study path suggestions for Excellence.

"I hope this set of tools and this book can help you turn your whimsical ideas into reality more systematically and safely." Evelyn's tone was as calm as ever, but her eyes were full of encouragement.

Wang Jianguo stepped forward.

He didn't take out a physical object but handed Excellence a card with a simple design but a special texture.

It was a specially approved pass to the "Homeland" internal highest-level library.

The library housed a massive collection of books, journals, and precious, de-sensitized technical materials; it was the knowledge treasury of the "Homeland."

"Knowledge is the foundation of strength and the guarantee of safety. I hope you can make good use of this privilege to absorb wisdom, but remember, apply what you learn, and use it in moderation." Wang Jianguo's words were brief but weighty; this gift represented the organization's infinite expectations and trust in him.

However, what surprised Excellence the most and made him jump up was the special gift everyone gave together.

Wang Jianguo pointed to a corner of the small garden, where there was a piece of land of about a few square meters enclosed by a small wooden fence, the soil already turned and fertile.

"Excellence, from today on, this piece of land belongs to you! This is your exclusive 'experimental field'!" Su Mu announced with a smile.

"You can plant anything you want here," Evelyn added, "and conduct any experiments within the safety range regarding your ideas about 'biological fields,' 'plant communication,' or 'quantum agriculture.' We will provide you with the necessary tools and guidance."

Excellence couldn't believe his ears!

He cheered and rushed over, running around the little field several times, then immediately squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and excitedly began to plan: "I want to plant tomatoes here that 'can understand Beethoven's symphonies'! Over there, sunflowers that 'can solve quadratic equations'! Hmm... in the corner, I can also plant some 'emotion-sensing' mint..."

His whimsical ideas made everyone laugh again, and the garden was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

The lively birthday party lasted until sunset before gradually dispersing amidst laughter and joy.

The guests left with blessings, and the garden returned to silence, leaving only starlight on the ground (the small string lights Su Mu set up lit up) and the lingering sweet scent of cake in the air.

Excellence, Su Mu, and Evelyn did not rush back but sat side by side on the garden bench.

In the night sky, the Milky Way was brilliant; far away from the light pollution of the mundane world, the starry sky here was exceptionally clear and magnificent.

The valley night was quiet and peaceful, with only the rustling of the breeze through the leaves and the faint chirping of insects in the distance.

Excellence looked up, staring blankly at the boundless starry sky, the light of billions of stars reflected in his eyes.

Suddenly, he said softly, his tone filled with longing: "Class Monitor, Sister Evelyn, what do you think it's like on the stars? Could there be a 'Homeland' like ours there too?"

He turned his head and looked at the two sisters beside him, his eyes sparkling: "When I become very capable in the future, let's go to the stars together, okay? I... I will build a big, super powerful spaceship! And take you both up with me!"

Su Mu was amused by his grand wish and reached out to ruffle his hair, which was messy from the night wind, her tone doting and encouraging: "Alright, ambitious! But you know, building a spaceship isn't as simple as 'hand-crafting' a small fan; it requires learning a lot of math, physics, and chemistry! So, from now on, you're not allowed to be lazy. You must follow Sister Evelyn and study hard, understand?"

Evelyn also turned her head; her profile looked exceptionally gentle in the moonlight.

She looked at Excellence, her eyes full of trust and expectation, and responded gently but firmly: "Mm, we believe in you. We will always be here, waiting for you to grow up, waiting for that day when you realize your dream."

The night wind blew by, bringing a chill.

Su Mu subconsciously pulled her collar together, and Evelyn also put her hands into her jacket pockets.

Excellence, seemingly sensing this subtle change, hesitated for a moment, then reached out his own hand, carefully, first holding Su Mu's hand on her lap, and then gathering his courage to find Evelyn's hand resting at her side.

His palms were a bit damp from excitement and a little nervousness, but they were exceptionally warm.

Both Su Mu and Evelyn were slightly stunned, and then, almost simultaneously, they held his little hand back, and also gently and naturally held each other's free hand.

Three hands, under the starry sky, were tightly clasped together.

Without too many words, a deep and resilient bond flowed in silence, more powerful than any vow.

The road ahead might still be long, full of unknown challenges and storms, but at this moment, they had each other, they had this harbor called "Homeland," and even more, they had an incomparably warm promise about the stars and the sea.

This promise would illuminate every step they took forward.