There was a knock at the door. "Dong, dong, dong."
Zhang Shuai shouted toward Lin Wei, who was sleeping in the master bedroom: "Someone's here! Get up quickly!"
Lin Wei hurriedly put on his clothes, rushed to the door, and opened it. Standing outside was a woman in her twenties, wearing an ESA uniform. She asked politely:
"Hello, are you Lin Wei?"
Lin Wei hesitated for a moment, then replied:
"Yes, that's me. Are you from ESA?"
"Yes," the girl answered. "You should know why I'm here."
Lin Wei said: "Come in."
He quickly went to the second bedroom and saw Lü Yanjie sleeping on his desk. Lin Wei woke him up:
"Wake up! You're lying on my computer."
Lü Yanjie got up groggily. Lin Wei turned on the computer, opened the email, and showed the PDF attachment to the girl.
"You must be here for this," he said.
"That's right," she replied. "I just want to confirm again: do you want to join us?"
Lin Wei smiled: "I'm definitely joining. The reason… well, I don't really know."
The girl said: "My name is He Chang. I've been with ESA for more than four years. If you're sure, come with me."
Lin Wei answered: "Am I really that lucky? You chose me?"
He Chang replied: "You are. And I have even better news. Due to the special situation and our current shortage of staff, you can invite up to five family members or friends who are willing to come with you."
Lin Wei looked at the two sleeping on the floor and smiled: "I already know who to invite."
He went over and shouted: "Wake up! Something good is happening!"
The two woke up dazely and checked their phones. He Chang handed a document to Lin Wei. He quickly skimmed through it and passed it to the others. After reading for a while, they were shocked.
Lü Yanjie jumped for joy: "We actually got this lucky too! I'm going to space! Bless my ancestors!!"
He Chang said: "Since you're all willing, come with me to the China ESA office in Wuhan. I'll take you there. Do you need to get ready?"
All three replied in unison: "No, we can go now."
They walked to a black Audi A6. The three got into the back seat. He Chang started the car.
They quietly talked about her appearance.
Lin Wei said: "She's pretty even without makeup. She'd look even better with it."
He Chang seemed to hear them. She turned around, and they immediately fell silent.
"What's wrong?" she said. "You can talk to me. I'm not that serious."
Zhang Shuai said: "Lin Wei said he likes you."
Lin Wei immediately denied it: "Shuai! When did I say that? Do you want me to tell everyone about your middle school stories?"
Zhang Shuai calmly said: "Wei, we're brothers. Let it go."
He Chang smiled: "Really?"
Lü Yanjie said: "We just think you're nice and gentle."
She didn't reply and focused on driving.
Lü Yanjie was bored and reached for his phone, only to see a fish can fall out of Lin Wei's pocket.
He tried to take it secretly, but Lin Wei caught him.
"Nice try! You ate two of mine yesterday. You're not getting this one!"
Zhang Shuai also noticed the can.
Lin Wei said: "You want it too?"
The three started fighting over it. During the struggle, the can hit He Chang on the shoulder.
"What was that? That hurt!"
She stopped the car, picked up the can, and said:
"Fermented black beans tilapia. Looks good. But you can't fight like this—it's dangerous."
Lin Wei apologized awkwardly: "Sorry, it's mine. Let me give it to you."
He Chang said: "No, thanks. I bought a lot of bread yesterday. Let's share."
"Sure!" Lin Wei said.
She took some bread from her backpack in the passenger seat and passed them around.
Lin Wei opened the fish can: "Let's eat together. It's really good."
He Chang put a piece of fish inside a piece of bread and took a bite.
"Delicious," she said. "Even the bones are soft."
The three ate the same way.
After eating, He Chang gave them wet wipes.
"The can is good. The manufacturer was generous—so much fish in such a small can.
By the way, we're getting on the highway soon. Please keep the windows closed."
Zhang Shuai said to He Chang: "Should I pay the toll?"
She smiled: "No need. I have ETC, and the company covers it."
She started driving again.
On the highway, the three in the back fell asleep without noticing.
When they woke up, they were only a few hundred meters away. In the distance, they could see a tall office building with the ESA logo.
Zhang Shuai asked confusedly: "Where's the spaceship?"
He Chang replied: "It's far away. The launch center is over an hour away by shuttle bus."
After arriving, she parked in the underground garage and led them to the lobby.
They went to a self-service machine. He Chang made a call, then began operating the machine.
The three sat nearby, spacing out.
"Come here," she called.
They approached.
"Zhang Shuai, fill in your personal information. You two wait patiently."
The other two looked at the screen curiously. The interface was simple: two boxes for ID number and name.
A message read:
Please enter your ID number and name. After successful verification, the system will automatically retrieve and fill in your information. You may edit it if incorrect. Your data is provided by official authorities. ESA will not misuse it. Click for details.
Lin Wei said: "Isn't this notice unnecessary?"
He Chang said: "It's to put you at ease. If a website suddenly knew all your personal details, wouldn't you be worried?"
Lin Wei said: "I guess so. Getting such detailed info legally must require access to official records."
The machine asked for facial recognition.
After verification, a large amount of personal information appeared.
Zhang Shuai checked everything, confirmed it was correct, and clicked confirm.
Numerous electronic contracts and agreements showed up, very long.
He Chang reminded him: "Read carefully. Never rush this, no matter the situation."
Zhang Shuai sighed: "Why do I have to read everything? And fingerprint verification? So many signatures?"
He impatiently signed on the screen with a stylus.
By the time all three finished the process, it was late.
He Chang said: "I'll take you to the medical examination department. Since you've eaten, some tests will have to be done tomorrow. Remember to stay fasting overnight. You'll be staying here."
After all the checkups and procedures, it was past 8 p.m.
Their supervisor assigned each of them a single luxury dorm room, as nice as a five-star hotel.
Lin Wei and Zhang Shuai went to Lü Yanjie's room.
Zhang Shuai asked: "Was that really astronaut training? The standards seem so low—we all passed. I remember it used to be super strict."
Lü Yanjie replied: "Spaceships are way more advanced and safer now. Frankly, they're easier to operate than cars. If you have the money, you can go to space anytime."
Lin Wei said: "Since Vostok 1 in 1961, space technology has advanced rapidly. Most rockets used to be disposable. Reusability is basic now."
Lü Yanjie said: "You underestimate modern tech. Even airplanes have had autopilot for over a century."
They chatted for a while, then returned to their own dorms, waiting for the next day.