The car followed behind as Tan Wenjing walked ahead, speaking. She was dressed in a beige professional outfit, a tailored women's blazer, wide-leg trousers, and high heels. She walked with grace, always at an unhurried pace, her feet stepping in a straight line, her hips swaying gently with each step. Though petite, her figure was well-proportioned. Li Haojun followed behind, his gaze resting on the neckline of her attire. A white shirt collar peeked out from the suit collar, and a braided hair adorned her left neck, cascading down to her chest, with a purple crystal pendant dangling from her right ear.

Exiting the back door of the house led to an arched corridor covered in vine plants. Inside, they saw a silver car parked. The gloomy weather and the reflection of green leaves on the car's paint gave it a dignified and soft appearance, especially the lines of the chrome grille, complementing the headlights and the bumper of the same color. A Volvo 960, Li Haojun recognized.

"Yeah, it's your favorite," Tan Wenjing said with a smile as she walked around the front of the car. She seemed very happy, facing Li Haojun as she walked towards the driver's seat, then she opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.

Li Haojun followed and sat in the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt. He watched as Tan Wenjing took off her driving shoes from the back seat, replaced them, and then started the car. He was surprised he remembered the model of the car himself; he wondered what else he might recall. However, the sound of the car starting was not that of a petrol car, but of an electric car, albeit with a mechanical transmission.

"I thought this was an antique car, turns out it's a replica electric car," Li Haojun remarked.

"Yeah, a boutique replica. Otherwise, how could it be? It's been nearly a hundred years," Tan Wenjing replied as she drove the car onto the road.

On the country road surrounded by white wax trees, a silver car drove smoothly. The shadows of green trees and the pale gray sky alternately reflected on the light green windshield and the silver body of the car, as if all things had merged into one.

At some point, Tan Wenjing put on a pair of gold-framed glasses. The wind from the side window occasionally tousled her hair, and the bumps on the road occasionally jostled her earrings. Her lips, painted with lipstick, curved slightly upwards.

"Where are we going and what are we doing? Can you tell me?" Li Haojun asked.

"To Spokane, to exchange data keys, at a biotech company. Nowadays, work is voluntary, of course, for those who are capable. However, power and obligations are always equal. But with the current development of society and technology, ordinary people can no longer participate," Tan Wenjing explained.

Lincoln once said, "If you ask me what kind of government I want, I want a republican one, but the voters must be able to supervise it."

"Why do you work for this company then?" Li Haojun inquired.

"Because... you," Tan Wenjing hesitated for a moment, "because you work for this company."

"Haha," Li Haojun laughed self-deprecatingly, "I don't even know who I am now."

"It'll be fine, at least you're already a quasi-interstellar citizen."

"What do you mean?" Li Haojun asked after a moment of hesitation.

"We both are. Since the outbreak of artificial intelligence and the legislation allowing human enhancement programs, it's necessary to assign different rights and obligations to people of different levels. After the Third War, the big government of the United States ceased to exist. Those who can meet the demands of citizens have political power, such as voting for governors. Those who cannot meet the current social requirements can only be residents. They also have basic social welfare but no economic or political decision-making power. Of course, some people do not agree with the current government's jurisdiction, such as family planning, educational requirements, vaccine programs, etc. Most importantly, they don't have to pay taxes, or else you can't escape the IRS in the United States. They go to natural reserves, and unless there is a large-scale humanitarian disaster, the current regime will not intervene with them."

"Let them fend for themselves?" Li Haojun asked.

"Not necessarily. They're doing okay. Haven't humans lived like this for thousands of years? We also don't enforce laws on them. Completely natural."

"So, are we enhanced humans?" Li Haojun asked.

"No, not necessarily. You don't have to be a superhuman to meet the standards of a quasi-interstellar citizen. As long as you can keep up with the pace of this era. We're all ordinary people, natural persons. Of course, our IQs are generally above 120. Just like those who immigrated to Mars, they basically have one or more professional skills and can cope with various situations."

"Yeah, that makes sense. In such harsh environments, superior abilities are indeed needed."

"And there are also personality traits, such as teamwork, psychological resilience, etc. These are evaluated through the social activity evaluation system, which is also why I work here."

"Cool, you're great," Li Haojun applauded.

"Hehe, stop it," Tan Wenjing teased, although she smiled broadly.

As they bantered, the car had already driven off the section of road surrounded by white wax trees and arrived at undulating hilly terrain. They traveled on a two-way single-lane country road winding between hills and small streams, passing by small villages, shops, and cafes. The sky gradually cleared up, and the rooftops and fields washed by the rain appeared refreshed.

Arriving at a flat straight road, Tan Wenjing gradually slowed down and parked the car on the side of the road.

"Could you drive for a while?" she asked.

"What? Me drive again? Last time it ended up like this," Li Haojun said, recalling their previous mishap.

"Last time wasn't your fault," Tan Wenjing said, looking back and then getting out of the car, stretching lazily.

"So tired," she exclaimed.

Following her tender complaint, Li Haojun glanced out of the door frame and happened to see Tan Wenjing raising her hands high, revealing her slender waist. Her white shirt under the small blazer outlined the curves of her chest.

Li Haojun also got out of the car, unable to help asking, "You said you're 42, but you look like you're 22."

"Bio, tech!" Tan Wenjing pursed her lips, twisting her head, and made a mischievous face, "You say I'm 36, but look at me, I seem like I'm 46. How come I don't have biotech?"

"You're forever young and mature!" Li Haojun chuckled.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Li Haojun familiarized himself with the gears and controls. Just as he was about to speak, Tan Wenjing got out of the passenger seat and sat in the back.

"Ah, I just wanted to tell you, you looked mischievous just now, like a character from a TV drama, 'A Dream of Red Mansions,' that Qingwen," Li Haojun thought to himself, finding her playful demeanor

 charming but feeling too embarrassed to say it out loud. As he spoke, Li Haojun seemed to realize something and stared straight into Tan Wenjing's eyes.

"Welcome back!" Tan Wenjing exclaimed, extending both thumbs.

Li Haojun drove the car onto the road. After driving for a short while, he realized that he could indeed drive. Tan Wenjing didn't disturb him while he drove; she just sat quietly in the back seat, leaning against the headrest, slightly tilting her head to look at Li Haojun through the rearview mirror.

Li Haojun occasionally glanced at her in the rearview mirror, feeling a strange sensation.

"Why are you so quiet?" Li Haojun asked.

"I'm tired," Wenjing replied softly, her eyes still silently fixed on him.