"Seventh Master, there’s not much going on at the newspaper office, so I’ll accompany you for a walk around the city," Bai Qiusheng said, packing his things and ready to set out. However, Li Banfeng didn’t want to take him along.
Sometimes, Li Banfeng preferred to be alone. Having someone with him was inconvenient for official business and for returning to his Portable Residence.
Just yesterday, Yu Wenqi had mentioned that a new dance hall had opened in the eastern part of the city, with over a dozen dancing girls, all performing nude.
"Just give me a map, and I’ll go by myself. Make sure the new landmarks are marked."
Bai Qiusheng provided Li Banfeng with a map. "Seventh Master, this is the latest map, but in Black Stone Slope, a map might not always be reliable, especially near the New Land. You must be very careful. I’ve marked the entrances for you. You can enter those places, but don’t go to the spots I haven’t marked. Too many coal mines and quarries have opened up over the years in Black Stone Slope; some mountains have even been mined away, and places that weren’t entrances have become entrances. Don’t go near these areas. They’re dangerous. There are also some areas that aren’t marked on the map, and I can’t remember all the details. It’s better you don’t venture there either. And be sure to remember clearly what I told you about the New Land..."
Bai Qiusheng rattled on at length, and Li Banfeng listened intently.
Actually, Bai Qiusheng was only worried about two things: one, that Li Banfeng would get lost, and two, that he would encounter Strange Monsters in the New Land.
Since he was going to familiarize himself with the routes, Li Banfeng initially intended to walk.
But some temptations are hard to resist, like a Little Train suddenly appearing in an alley.
Around ten in the morning, there were few passengers on the train. Li Banfeng bought some magazines and perused them as the train rocked and swayed, unknowingly reaching the final stop.
Following the map, he transferred to another train.
Anyone who regularly takes public transportation knows that knowing how to walk and knowing how to make transfers are two different things.
After changing trains six times, Li Banfeng had not reached the edge of the New Land, nor had he found the dance hall in the eastern part of the city. He was lost.
The architectural style of Black Stone Slope was similar throughout, and the city’s development was relatively uniform, with few noticeable landmarks. Li Banfeng could roughly tell he was in the southern part of the city, but his exact location was unclear.
There was a construction site ahead, with a crane operator smoking by the roadside.
Li Banfeng approached and greeted him, "Big brother, I want to go to the New Land. How do I get there?"
"What do you want to do in the New Land?"
"Hunting!"
"Hunting? That’s a deadly business. Wouldn’t it be better to get a regular job?"
This big brother was quite enthusiastic. He took Li Banfeng to the side of the road and pointed. "Go straight down this road, turn left at the intersection ahead, then right at the third intersection. Walk all the way to the end and turn left, and you’ll see the entrance to the New Land. You must follow only the path I’ve told you. Don’t go anywhere else, or you’ll risk your life!"
Li Banfeng thanked him and gave the driver ten yuan.
The driver frowned and said, "What’s this for? Why are you giving me money just for asking for directions?"
Li Banfeng smiled and didn’t reply. He never let people do things for him for free, not even the smallest of favors.
Seeing Li Banfeng walk away, the driver pocketed the money, actually quite pleased deep down.
Another driver climbed down from a different crane, shouting, "Shift change!"
The new driver climbed into the crane and began operating the machinery to lift stones.
The person below directing shouted, "Right, move it right, a bit more to the right! I told you to go right, you damn..."
CLANG!
The crane’s grab went off course, nearly hitting someone. The director fumed, "Damn it, I told you to go right! Do you even know which way is right?"
The crane operator raised his left hand and said, "Isn’t this right?"
The director angrily retorted, "Are you kidding me?"
The crane operator thought for a moment, then raised his right hand. "Seems like it’s this side..."
「...」
Li Banfeng walked quickly, following the path indicated by the crane operator, and in the blink of an eye, he entered a train station.
In Black Stone Slope, train stations were a common sight, but this one seemed to have been abandoned. The rails were still there, half of the platform had collapsed, and the ticket office (waiting room) was completely caved in.
But when Li Banfeng stood next to the tracks and looked south, he realized he was mistaken.
The tracks extended southward, stretching into endless darkness.
As he pondered, he suddenly heard the sound of a steam whistle behind him.
"CHOO! CHOO!"
Li Banfeng was startled and quickly moved away from the tracks. On closer inspection, there was no train coming from behind; instead, an old man was standing there.
The old man had a high forehead, round cheeks, and a sturdy build. He was pacing in place on the tracks.
CHUFF!
He turned his face to the side and exhaled.
"CHOO! CHOO!" Then he imitated a train whistle again, and his imitation was remarkably accurate.
CLANG! CLANG!
He swung his arms in unison, as if a train were about to depart.
Li Banfeng looked at the old man with a sympathetic gaze and sighed softly.
As Li Banfeng was lost in thought, he suddenly heard the old man say to him, "Get on the train!"
"Get on what train?"
"The train’s about to leave! Aren’t you getting on?"
Li Banfeng looked at the old man, scoffed, and said, "I haven’t even bought a ticket yet!"
"Get on, and you can buy a ticket then!" The old man suddenly appeared in front of Li Banfeng, his movements nearly imperceptible.
He hoisted Li Banfeng onto his back and sprinted along the railway line, chattering non-stop:
"HUFF, HUFF, HUFF! CHOO, CHOO!"
Li Banfeng said angrily, "Where are you taking me?"
"Don’t move around, or you’ll fall and be killed!"
The old man’s speed was incredible; Li Banfeng couldn’t make out the scenery on either side.
Li Banfeng silently took out his Sickle, only to hear the old man laugh. "Still moving? Believe it or not, I’ll throw you down and watch you turn into a flower."
Li Banfeng put the Sickle away.
He strained to distinguish the scenery on both sides, ready to act if they passed any woods or bushes.
But the old man’s speed increased. He had already dashed past the end of the railway tracks and continued to sprint forward relentlessly. Li Banfeng’s vision became increasingly blurry. In his anxiety, the old man suddenly let out a long cry: "SCREECH!"
He screeched to a halt.
He dumped Li Banfeng onto the ground and said seriously, "End of the line! Ticket, please!"
Li Banfeng replied earnestly, "How much is the ticket?"
"Hard seat, one hundred fifty!"
Li Banfeng shouted, "Do you have any other types of seats?"
The old man unfolded a stretcher from his back. "Hard sleeper, two hundred eighty!"
"Do you have soft sleepers?"
The old man then unfolded a mattress from his back. "Soft sleeper, three hundred thirty!"
Li Banfeng was speechless.
He gave the old man two hundred yuan. The old man declared generously, "Keep the change! CHOO! CHOO! CHUFF! CHUFF!"
He swung his arms and "drove" off.
Li Banfeng looked at his surroundings.
It was a lush jungle, vaguely familiar, though he couldn’t recall where he’d seen it before.
Li Banfeng started to follow the footprints back when he suddenly heard a sharp cry from behind:
"AWOOO! CHOO! CHOO! HUFF! HUFF! HUFF!"
Li Banfeng didn’t dare to dwell on it and immediately veered off the path of footprints. Fearing the old man would pursue him, he ran for several miles without stopping.
As he ran, Li Banfeng wondered:
Once certain the old man wasn’t chasing him, Li Banfeng examined his surroundings.
This place looked even more familiar; he was certain he’d been here before.
He walked eastward for several miles, crossed a mountain, and after about an hour in the wilderness, Li Banfeng spotted a village.
At the village entrance, a giant Straw Moth Lady was on patrol. Li Banfeng initially mistook her for Yanzi, but upon closer inspection, realized it was Qiaocui.
"Seventh Master, you’re back!" Qiaocui greeted him enthusiastically.
Geographically, Greenwater Bay and Black Stone Slope weren’t close in the Proper Land, but their respective New Lands weren’t far apart.
"Seventh Master, could you please tell Wulang to come to my place tonight?"
Li Banfeng was startled.
"Yeah, he’s filming by the lake."
Li Banfeng entered the village. Ma Wu, dressed in a black Chinese tunic suit, was by the lake, tinkering with a camera. It seemed "Blood Gun Detective" was filming again.
Nearby, a few people were setting up the scene, and several actors, their makeup complete, waited to take their positions. Li Banfeng asked, "Old Five, didn’t you say you were going to handle the coal and ore business? Why did you come back to the village?"
Ma Wu said, "Don’t I have to take care of urgent matters first? How come you’re back as well?"
Li Banfeng said, "My, uh..."
He didn’t explain.
Glancing over the film set, Li Banfeng saw Bai Qiusheng.
Bai Qiusheng was revising the script.
That was Ma Wu’s habit: when filming a movie, a screenwriter had to be by his side.
Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat and asked, "You’re back too?"
Bai Qiusheng stood up. "Seventh Master, they said there was an urgent matter here, so I returned first."
"I see..." Li Banfeng nodded, pulling his hat brim down even lower.