[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies":3,"chapter-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-227":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Notes on Kraft Anomalous Studies",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2283705,4467,"Chapter 227: The Turquoise Estate","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-227",227,"\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, a person of taste and self-regard invariably owns an estate on the city’s outskirts, used for leisure residence and hosting events and gatherings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s easy to understand why this model became popular: as Dunling expanded without restraint, no matter how advanced its underground drainage network, it could never fully metabolize the waste generated by such a colossal entity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, aside from the early, meticulously crafted old district, the rest of the city’s space was simply too cramped to accommodate estates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving behind the crowded, low buildings huddled beneath the church and Zhong Lou did indeed lift his spirits—it always evoked thoughts of dense crowds, which, for infectious disease, were like vast waters to fish: promised lands for proliferation and spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Green surged around him, diluting the oppression from days spent shuttling between clinic wards and tunnel tombs. Sometimes he felt those things were like pen tips embedded in his skin’s keratin, leaving pigments that refused to wash away, becoming part of himself; or he felt himself slowly merging into them, becoming part of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weather was decent; after days of scorching sun, the suburbs had finally received a light shower, and the air was freshly crisp. Kraft had specifically chosen an open-top carriage to commune with nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it wasn’t truly natural: most trees around the city had been felled, and some fields—whether abandoned or in rotation—had been reclaimed by dense shrubs and herbaceous plants, presenting a vibrant, summery flourishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft felt a sense of distance from the past two weeks: the mystery of the academy fire, the hidden ruins of heretics—all seemed far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, there was only a young, successful professor riding to a banquet. The upper circles had long opened their doors to him; the world showed kindness to the capable, and even the grasses spilling between cobblestones looked like specially laid carpets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In places rarely trodden by wheels or feet, some plants with broad leaves or tall stalks rose above his waist, vividly green, as if one could pluck off half of them with a single hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But anyone foolish enough to reach out would find the tiny, invisible serrations along the leaf edges slicing their palms into a mosaic of torn skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The open view also revealed unnatural traces across the fields: sunken strips, appearing and ending without pattern—neither irrigation ditches nor field boundaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding soil had slumped and collapsed into them, leaving them half-buried, with regular lines intermittently extending within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A makeshift bridge of planks spanned one of these trenches; as the carriage passed, Kraft saw clearly what it was—a tunnel near ground level, exposed after its roof collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the city’s suburbs, ant-hill-like ruins were everywhere—they were still within its bounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this had an immeasurable negative impact on the professor’s mood. He abandoned thoughts of unpleasant things and tried to chat to lighten the atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nice weather—perhaps we should go out more often. I can’t even remember the last time we went on a countryside hike together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was Westmin.” Kup gently reminded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well said. Don’t say it again next time.” Clearly, Kup was not a good conversational foil with any sense of atmosphere. Kraft abandoned the idea of recalling past team memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least this time we can enjoy the lawn and food together. If they’re thoughtful, there might even be music, and the children will find something to interest them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This last point mattered—it determined whether Kraft would truly stay and linger, rather than extract the information he needed and vanish by the second half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage continued for a while; when the distant city became a dark-brown smudge, they neared their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man-made forest blocked the external view; a stone-paved path branched off the main road and led into the woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After passing the short path, the view opened abruptly: a neatly trimmed, short lawn spread out, quiet yet spacious. The attendant waiting at the main gate briefly checked the invitation, then silently guided the guests inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This won Kraft’s approval—he still remembered the embarrassment of his first appearance at Rivers University’s banquet, when his name and a string of awkward titles were loudly announced. He believed most people disliked such public declarations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter the occasion—good or bad—it always gave one the premonition that someone would soon shout, “There isn’t room for so many.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, this was an informal, leisurely banquet, designed with scholars’ comfort in mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of the estate’s open lawn stood a long table piled high with white porcelain and silver serving trays holding sweets and drinks. A band played beneath the trees, their gentle background music composed of double pipes and stringed instruments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, objects the size of tea tables appeared to be display stands, holding sets or large devices primarily of glass and metal, polished until they gleamed in the sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever guests walked from the semi-open corridor’s resting areas to fetch food and drink, they passed between these small displays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strategy had succeeded: several women of varying ages now clustered around the stands, their puffed skirts resembling velvet mushrooms sprouting after rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the reclusive academics huddled under the eaves, whispering and trying to turn this into an academic gathering, were passively drawn by their wives and daughters toward the center, offering insincere praise of the ornaments while glancing at the instruments they could understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft spotted several familiar faces—some from Rivers University, others from Dunling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their relationship had visibly improved; merely standing together to critique a device was proof enough—perhaps the presence of ladies had made them consciously moderate their sharpness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this rare scene of harmony, he decided it was best to approach acquaintances alone, allowing those here purely for leisure to roam freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yin Feng, and Kup, you two can wander on your own.” Remembering the invitation’s description, Kraft added, mainly to Yin Feng: “If you see anything interesting, feel free to pick one—but be careful when handling them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl nodded, gazing at the glittering objects on display—few could resist the innate allure of shine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yin Feng soon turned, like Kup, toward the food table, took a sweet, and retreated to the side, showing no interest in interacting with peers. Her sensitivity and rationality toward money were high; her capacity for building interpersonal connections was low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft had no intention of forcing change in this regard—he always preferred to provide conditions and let things unfold naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching them lift their trays, he paused, mentally reviewing his main purpose for being here: to join his colleagues’ circle. It was an excellent networking opportunity—much of Dunling Medical Academy’s gossip flowed unconsciously through casual conversation, serving as appetizers before the main meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crisp sound, like green turquoise clinking, echoed behind him and halted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, Professor Kraft, how delighted I am that you found time to attend, amidst your war against the White Death. That must have been no small effort.” The speaker’s voice was perfectly modulated, drawing no extra attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it seemed dinner had come to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft turned and saw a young woman in a green dress. She removed her wide-brimmed hat and curtsied lightly, as she had on their first meeting, slipping effortlessly into conversation with familiar ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On behalf of the Xiguo family, I welcome you.” She smiled, then naturally shifted tone: “And of course, your student.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1225,"2026-06-20T02:15:56.940Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8605df9621427e715e23db0a08258a00d4f8b11606e7099b1df7f911c9413fb4","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-228","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-226",406,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnotes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-cover.jpg"]