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墨書 Inktalez
After sending his sister home, Zhang Qiu headed to school. However, on the way, he received a call from the capital, but it wasn't from the number Bai Jingwei had previously contacted him with.
"Hello, who is this?"
"It's me, Zhang Qiu."
A cold voice echoed from the phone, sending chills down Zhang Qiu's spine.
"Do you remember our agreement?"
"Of course, I keep my word."
"Good. Come to the capital tomorrow to find me. I've checked; your province has a month-long break between classes, so I can only delay you for that long. I know you're about to take the college entrance exam, and I'll resolve this as quickly as possible—aiming to finish it in one go, at most two. How does that sound?"
"Can it wait until after the exam?"
With Chen Hu under investigation, Mao Tong arrested, Liu Xiaolong sentenced, and Lu Bin on the run, Zhang Qiu rarely had a chance to study in peace.
"No," Bai Jingwei directly rejected Zhang Qiu's request and reminded him, "Don't forget what allows you to take the exam."
"I understand. I'll come to the capital tomorrow; tell me the route."
"Take a bus to Capital West Station; I'll send someone to pick you up."
"Okay."
"I've already bought your ticket. Tomorrow at 8:10 AM, just take your ID to the automatic ticket machine to collect your ticket and board. Don't miss it."
"Got it."
The phone call ended, and Zhang Qiu shook his head helplessly, sighing, "Another peaceful day has come to an end."
He was quite excited about going to the capital, especially as the time drew closer. Zhang Qiu found himself unable to focus on his studies. Tomorrow, there would be an explanation for his miraculous recovery abilities. If his blood was special, that would indeed be strange, but Zhang Qiu always felt that his unique recovery ability was related to the White Tiger he wore on his chest. Regardless of his current speculations, tomorrow would bring verification.
That night, lying in bed, Zhang Qiu held Jiang Xue close and said, "Xue'er, tomorrow I'm going to the capital."
"Going to the capital?" Jiang Xue lifted her head. "Is it to find that person who can help you?"
"Yes, I'm going to find him. He has already bought my train ticket."
Jiang Xue said, "I'll go with you."
"No, I'll go by myself. You stay home and take care of things until I return."
"But I'm worried about you."
"If you go, I’ll be worried about you too. It's easier for me to handle any unexpected situations alone. I promise you I'll come back safely and won't break my word."
"Well, okay." Jiang Xue admitted that Zhang Qiu had a point; if something unusual did happen, she might not be able to help him and could end up distracting him instead.
"Don't worry," Zhang Qiu said as he hugged Jiang Xue tightly and gently kissed her forehead.
The next morning at five-thirty, Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue got up at the same time to wash up. After they were done, Jiang Xue helped Zhang Qiu pack a bag filled with bottled water, tissues, a power bank, and two packs of snacks. She handed the bag to Zhang Qiu and said, "Take good care of this."
Zhang Qiu accepted Jiang Xue's thoughtful package and rode his electric vehicle to school with her. At the school gate, he waved goodbye to Jiang Xue and reminded her, "Make sure to wait for Rui Rui before leaving school at noon."
"Don't worry; I'll listen to everything you say. You don't need to worry about me."
"Let's go."
"Okay."
Jiang Xue turned back a few steps until she entered the teaching building.
Zhang Qiu left the Electric Vehicle by the roadside and took the earliest bus to Beilan County Bus Station, where he bought a ticket to the city.
In the waiting hall, Zhang Qiu noticed a few suspicious individuals whose eyes kept darting around at the passengers. However, at the entrance, two Patrol Officers in uniforms were patrolling. A Ticket Seller with a paper box sign was shouting loudly in the hall, and Zhang Qiu followed an aunt onto the bus.
The first bus was not crowded, with less than half of the seats filled. The journey from Beilan County to the city center took about an hour, and Zhang Qiu dozed off for a while. He woke up when the Ticket Seller shouted, grabbing his bag and getting off the bus.
The city Bus Station was only about a kilometer away from the train station. He got off right by the roadside and walked south along the main road to reach the train station. Along the thousand-meter stretch between the two stations, various stalls were set up, mostly selling drinks and food, along with vendors dressed in what seemed like ethnic minority attire selling animal skulls and gem-inlaid swords.
Zhang Qiu spotted a dagger with its handle wrapped in golden silk thread. The dagger was straight, and its blade shimmered blue under the sunlight, looking quite beautiful. Thinking about the potential dangers he might encounter on this trip to the capital, Zhang Qiu stopped to ask, "How much for this dagger?"
"One hundred twenty for the Mongolian Dagger. If you like it, I'll sell it to you for one hundred."
Zhang Qiu picked up the dagger and pretended to wield it a couple of times. "The dagger is nice, but it's not worth one hundred. How about sixty?"
The vendor, wearing a straw hat, opened his coat and laughed heartily. "Brother, sixty is too little! I've already given you a discount. How about this: if you really like it, I'll give you an even better deal—ninety-five. At that price, I'm not making any profit."
"Forget it," Zhang Qiu said with a smile, shaking his head. He turned to leave but was called back by the Boss: "Wait! Just add a little more and you can take it."
Zhang Qiu replied, "Sixty-five; I can't go any higher."
The vendor looked extremely reluctant and frowned. "It's not easy for me to set up this stall in this heat. At least let me earn some pocket money. How about this: sixty-five for you and seventy-five for me? Deal?"
"Seventieth!"
"Alright, let's just be friends." The stall owner gritted his teeth and agreed, wrapping the dagger for Zhang Qiu and handing it over with both hands. Zhang Qiu took the dagger, stuffed it into his bag, and pulled out a bill from inside, handing it to the stall owner. The stall owner accepted the money, gave Zhang Qiu some change, and smiled, saying, "If you want to buy something in the future, come back to me for a discount."
Seeing the boss's cheerful expression after receiving the money, Zhang Qiu suddenly felt that even though he had bargained down to Seventieth, he was still being ripped off. However, in transactions like this, what mattered was the joy of buying; as long as he liked it, it was worth it. After purchasing the dagger, Zhang Qiu headed straight for the train station. He took the elevator to the second floor and mimicked the steps of the person before him to retrieve his ticket from the automatic ticket machine. After getting his ticket, Zhang Qiu immediately entered the station but was stopped during security checks.
"You! Come here!"
Two uniformed personnel rushed out from a nearby room and blocked Zhang Qiu's path. This was Zhang Qiu's first time traveling alone by train, and he had no idea what was happening. He stared blankly as they approached him and asked, "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, it's you. Come here."
"What do you want?"
"Just come over when we say so. What do you have in your bag?"
"Nothing much."
"Come look for yourself!"
Zhang Qiu was taken into a room where one person pointed at a graphic on a screen. Zhang Qiu immediately recognized that it was the dagger he had just bought. Oh no, he had completely forgotten about this! If this delayed his trip to the capital, it would be serious trouble. Zhang Qiu hurriedly said, "I'm sorry! This is my first time going out; I bought this dagger on the street as a gift. Is it not allowed on the train?"
The person sitting in front of the computer remained expressionless and said, "Take it out for us to see."
Zhang Qiu took out the dagger from his bag and carefully unwrapped it layer by layer until it was revealed before everyone. The security personnel took the dagger, examined it closely in their hands before putting it back down and said, "You cannot bring controlled knives onto the train."
"Then..." Zhang Qiu didn't know what to do.
"Leave the dagger, you can go now. Remember not to bring any sharp objects or other prohibited items onto the train next time."
Zhang Qiu reluctantly glanced back at the dagger she had just acquired, then hurried away, fearing that they might change their minds and detain her again.
Standing on the platform, Zhang Qiu felt the vibrations of the ground. In the distance, two bright white lights approached, and a streamlined train came to a stop in front of her. Looking at this train, which appeared more futuristic than any she had seen before, she suddenly realized that this was the High-Speed Rail mentioned in recent news.
Zhang Qiu stepped inside, and indeed, the interior was vastly different from ordinary trains. There were comfortable single-row seats, tables at every spot, and even clean bags provided. The train attendants were also more attractive than those on regular trains, particularly tall.
The High-Speed Rail started moving, slowly departing from the platform. Before long, it picked up speed. Zhang Qiu sat by the window, watching the scenery outside and involuntarily recalling a line from a song by the band Beyond. She smiled and opened her phone to send a short message that perfectly captured her current sentiment—"Lonely Wanderer."
In less than an hour, Zhang Qiu arrived at Capital West Station. Following the crowd to disembark, she stood at the exit and dialed Bai Jingwei's number, even though she disliked hearing his voice.
"I've arrived at the exit of Capital West Station. Are you sending someone to pick me up or should I go on my own?"
"My people are already there. Stay where you are; I'll have them come find you."
Zhang Qiu pressed further, "How will I know who your people are?"
"There are three of them; they all have tattoos on their wrists—a Venomous Snake Coiled Sword."
"Oh, that tattoo is quite unique," Zhang Qiu felt a chill run down her spine.
Bai Jingwei didn't say more. Instead of waiting as he suggested, Zhang Qiu moved a bit farther away to observe. After about ten minutes, three young men indeed appeared near the exit, looking around. Zhang Qiu noticed their distinctive tattoos on their wrists.
"I'm over here!"
Zhang Qiu stepped out and waved to them.
Three young men approached Zhang Qiu, and one of them asked, "Are you Zhang Qiu?"
"That's right, I am Zhang Qiu. May I ask your name?"
"You can call me K."
"K?"
"Yes, that's my name."
Zhang Qiu smiled lightly, not paying much attention. It was understandable that some strange people would appear given the peculiar nature of Bai Jingwei's organization.
The three men led Zhang Qiu out of the station and into a black Mercedes-Benz Business Sedan. This was Zhang Qiu's first time riding in such a luxury car, and the interior decorations left him in awe. However, just as Zhang Qiu was enjoying the luxury vehicle, K suddenly said, "Someone is following us; shake them off!"
"Understood!"
As soon as the driver finished speaking, he slammed on the accelerator, and the immense centrifugal force pressed Zhang Qiu firmly against the backrest. Zhang Qiu clearly heard K mention that someone was tailing them. He turned to look out the rear window and indeed saw a black sedan closely following them.
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