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墨書 Inktalez
Xin Yi was puzzled by the sudden change in attitude of the young officer, so he asked again, "Did you not say you were sent by my Old Friend? I am Xin Yi. Who is that Old Friend you mentioned, and where can I find him?"
The young officer impatiently replied, "Sorry, I wasn't authorized to disclose that information! Hurry up and leave; I assume you wouldn't want to get involved in military matters."
At this point, Xin Yi realized he wouldn't be able to extract anything valuable from him, so he clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you! Please convey my gratitude to my Old Friend for his assistance!" After saying this, Xin Yi and his group exited the small restaurant. They figured the military would handle the situation from here on out, so there was no need for them to worry. As they walked down the street, the soldiers made way for them.
Once they left Old House Street Town, Xu Maogong remarked, "You don't even know who your Old Friend is that helped us?"
"I don't know," Xin Yi replied. He had gone over it countless times in his mind but couldn't think of anyone he knew in Taiwan. He shook his head and said, "I really have no clue. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any acquaintances here, yet it seems someone who knows me is involved." After a pause, Xin Yi asked Yanming Shop Elder, "Elder, based on your knowledge, what do you think about those soldiers we just encountered?"
"This is the area of Guokan. Although Guokan falls under the jurisdiction of Taiwan, the real authority here is the local Chieftain, whose surname is Yang," Yanming Shop Elder explained. "If I'm not mistaken, those soldiers were likely from the army of the Guokan Chieftain, and the middle-aged men who were shot were probably agents from other factions, such as other Chieftains or the Taiwan Authorities."
"Oh? It seems that the situation in Taiwan is quite unstable," Xin Yi said. Meanwhile, a bold plan quickly formed in his mind. If this plan succeeded, it would give him a better chance at revenge. So he asked, "Elder, where should we go next?"
Yanming Shop Elder replied, "My destination is to take you to Guokan. If you're heading to the capital of Taiwan, Abayir, then passing through Guokan is essential. Let's head there; once we arrive in Guokan, I can return home sooner."
"Alright then, let's go to Guokan!” said Xin Yi.
Guokan was nearly a day's journey from Old House Street Town. Along the way, they encountered no further incidents. By the evening of the next day, the five of them finally arrived at Guokan. True to its reputation as an economically developed area, its city scale could be compared to a second-tier city back home. Not only was it economically prosperous, but its tourism industry was also thriving. Tour groups and backpackers could be seen everywhere on the streets. Thus, Xin Yi and his companions treated themselves as tourists. The locals warmly approached them to recommend hotels. One middle-aged woman even pulled over Topology, claiming that her recommended hotel offered special services at fair prices without deception. This made Topology eager with anticipation.
Having married four wives would typically overwhelm most men; however, Topology managed to keep all four of his wives in line due to his strong capabilities in certain aspects. Since setting out with Xin Yi, he had been feeling deprived and now found himself intrigued by what the middle-aged woman described.
Consequently, Xin Yi decided to fulfill Topology's wish and chose to stay at that hotel. Such matters couldn't be suppressed; if something were to cause an imbalance in Topology's abilities due to pent-up desires, it would lead to trouble—he might end up being torn apart by his four wives upon returning home. The others had no objections to this decision; only Roxy shot a resentful glare at Xin Yi, saying, "Not a single man isn't a cat who loves to stray!"
All Xin Yi could do was chuckle awkwardly; there was no need for further explanation as it would only irritate her more.
When they arrived at the hotel to arrange their accommodations, initially, Xin Yi planned to book three rooms: one for himself and Topology, one for Xu Maogong and Yanming Shop Elder, and one for Roxy. However, Topology adamantly refused to share a room with Xin Yi, fearing that he might disrupt his happy life. Additionally, Roxy disagreed with having both men share a room as well. She said, “Sister Shurui and Shanshan entrusted me with monitoring you; if you share a room with him, he’ll surely lead you astray!”
Xin Yi had no choice but to book a room for himself. After settling in, Topology couldn't wait to rush to the lobby to check the situation, fearing that if he was late, he might miss something. The others took a moment to rest in their rooms and enjoyed a refreshing hot shower. Since Yanming Shop Elder mentioned he would be heading back home the next day, Xin Yi decided to treat everyone to a nice dinner that evening as a farewell gesture and to thank Yanming Shop Elder for his dedicated care over the past twenty days. Xin Yi always felt that Yanming Shop Elder could be more than just a Guide; he possessed exceptional abilities and wisdom in many aspects. Perhaps in the future, Xin Yi would need his help, so maintaining a friendly relationship was quite important.
The hotel they stayed at had its own restaurant, and since everyone was tired and didn't want to go out again, they decided to have dinner there. Xin Yi raised a glass of wine to Yanming Shop Elder, expressing gratitude for his care during this time. Considering it was inconvenient for Yanming Shop Elder to carry cash, Xin Yi wrote him a cash check, which could be cashed at any bank in the country without any time restrictions. Additionally, Xin Yi doubled the amount from their previously agreed price and added half of the deposit paid in Zhengkang County. As a result, Yanming Shop Elder ended up receiving one and a half times his original fee. However, he was reluctant to accept such a large sum and insisted that the agreed amount should remain unchanged. It wasn't until Xin Yi mentioned that this included a deposit for his next role as Guide that Yanming Shop Elder finally accepted it. He carefully wrapped the cash check in several layers of plastic before placing it in his inner pocket and said to Xin Yi, "I can see you are someone destined for great things. If you ever need my assistance in the future, feel free to reach out; I will do my best." He then left his home address and phone number with Xin Yi.
Next came the time for drinking merrily. Yanming Shop Elder and Xu Maogong preferred white liquor, but Guokan's white liquor was not like what they were used to back home. The locals didn't enjoy high-proof liquor and preferred lighter drinks like beer or fruit wine. So they ordered some Palm Wine. Palm Wine is essentially sap from palm trees; locals remove the aging bark and branches from mature palm trees, carve a hole at an appropriate spot on the trunk, insert a branch or bark tube into that hole, and collect the sap into a container. This sap requires no processing; it naturally ferments if left undisturbed for two or three hours, reaching an alcohol content of about six degrees—truly a pure natural beverage. The taste of Palm Wine is pleasantly sweet and sour; even Roxy drank quite a bit of it. Yanming Shop Elder and Xu Maogong drank heartily as if they were having fun, downing large cups with gusto. As they became more intoxicated, their conversation flowed freely; they embraced each other like brothers—Yanming Store as elder brother and Xu Maogong as younger brother.
The group started eating and drinking from nightfall until midnight. Topology urged them several times but was scolded by Xu Maogong each time. Finally, the restaurant staff apologetically informed them that all the Palm Wine had been consumed. Since Palm Wine is self-fermented, it must be consumed on the same day it is collected to ensure freshness; most restaurants don't stock much because if it's not sold that day, it won't taste good the next day. In fact, the staff had borrowed quite a bit from a neighboring establishment earlier but hadn't anticipated how much these guests could drink; had there been more wine available, they likely would have drunk until dawn. Seeing that all the wine was gone, they finally got up to settle their bill and return to their rooms for rest. Although Palm Wine is indeed natural, drinking so much would still lead to intoxication. Yanming Store and Xu Maogong leaned on each other unsteadily as they made their way back to their rooms while Roxy, though not overly drunk yet with flushed cheeks, obediently followed Xin Yi like a devoted wife trailing behind her husband.
That night, Topology was the most restless one; even while eating and drinking, he seemed distracted. Normally fond of drinking, he barely touched his Palm Wine tonight and kept urging Yanming Store and Xu Maogong to finish up so they could return to their rooms for rest. The others at the table knew well what was on his mind—he simply couldn't wait to get back to enjoy some exotic entertainment. So everyone deliberately took their time eating and drinking, finding amusement in watching him fidget anxiously. Finally finished, Topology greeted everyone before darting out of the restaurant in haste to find his entertainment.
Yanming Store and Xu Maogong supported each other as they walked ahead without paying attention to anyone else while Topology ran off on his own. Only Xin Yi and Roxy remained walking side by side behind them when Roxy suddenly asked, "Are you going to look for... those kinds of women like Topology?"
"Ah? What?" Xin Yi was taken aback by Roxy's unexpected question; discussing such topics between young men and women who weren't intimate felt somewhat inappropriate, leaving him momentarily unsure how to respond.
"Hmph! You definitely will!" After huffing indignantly, Roxy asserted confidently: "I've already told you that before leaving Sister Shurui and Shanshan told me to keep an eye on you! If you dare do anything disrespectful towards them, I will definitely... definitely tell them!" With that parting shot, Roxy stomped her foot and hurriedly dashed toward her room, leaving Xin Yi staring blankly at her alluring figure in confusion—what did I do wrong?
Across from Xin Yi's room, a bearded man peered through the peephole upon seeing Xin Yi enter before returning to bed to make a phone call: "Yes, he's at Inya Hotel in Guokan; you'd better bring someone with you this time... Okay, I'll keep following them and stay in touch..."
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