Xu Shu squinted, "So, what now?"
"So? Hey!"
The blonde youth glanced back at his companions, chuckled, and said, "Dude, you haven’t bought a ticket yet, how are you getting on the train?"
Ticket?
Xu Shu tapped on the table, face unchanging, asking, "Don’t they sell tickets at the station?"
"You gotta have connections to buy them," snickered the blonde youth.
One of his buddies said, "We’re from the Jin Baoshan Mine Entrance Office, this area is under our control. Seeing you’re new here, it’s normal not to know the rules. Let’s not fuss over it and make friends instead. Co with us, and we’ll take you to our supervisor."
With that, they stood up, thumbs pointing towards the door, implying that’s where one could get tickets.
Watching their aggressively unified stance, Xu Shu got it.
Ah, this is ticket scalping!
And not the sneaky kind, but almost openly coercive.
Even a ’supervisor’... They’re organized, huh?
Local scalpers here sure lack manners.
With such hustle and bustle, they boldly forced sales under broad daylight. Is there no law left?
All this for a re ticket, and they expect to grovel? Is there no law?
Xu Shu thought for a mont and said, "Wait a bit, I need to go to the restroom."
"What’s with the fuss? Okay, we’ll wait here." The n didn’t suspect anything, nor did they fear him running off; instead, they kept an eye on Father Zhou and Mrs. Zhou.
Xu Shu put down his backpack, woke up the orange cat inside, and handed it to his sister.
"Carry this for ," Xu Shu said.
Seeing Zhou Shiyu obediently strap on the orange cat, Xu Shu felt reassured and headed to the restroom at the back, climbed out the window, and quickly walked to the train station ticket office one kiloter away.
He couldn’t trust their word.
The ticket office wasn’t crowded at the mont, and Xu Shu waited in line for less than five minutes before it was his turn at the window.
"Hello, four tickets to the First-class Safe Zone, second class," Xu Shu told the ticket lady.
"Okay, sir, three hundred per ticket, twelve hundred total," the ticket lady said without looking up, her voice soft and sweet.
Xu Shu’s expression relaxed a bit—see, see, this is what I call quality!
That bunch were liars after all; Penglai is too bustling to be uncivilized!
Two hundred kiloters for two hundred yuan is indeed pricey, but the people here seem straightforward and not deceitful.
Worthy of being the ’Ho of the Confucian Sage’, worthy of being a First-class Safe Zone. Very nice!
Xu Shu took out the money and handed it over.
However, in the next mont, the ticket lady, after printing the tickets, looked up at Xu Shu, then at the money he placed on the counter. Her expression froze, voice changing as she said, "Oh, you’re from out of town? For tickets, you need to first get a pass from Jin Baoshan, next please! Move your money, don’t waste ti!"
Visibly annoyed, she destroyed the tickets and painstakingly pulled the money back through the slot to return it to Xu Shu, shooing him away.
Xu Shu’s expression stiffened, his mouth twitching.
Sister, hearing your tone, you don’t sound like a local from Penglai either!
Forget it, forget it, I won’t stoop to their level... Damn it!
Being new here, there’s too much I don’t know, can’t be too conspicuous.
This is sothing to endure for now; strong dragons don’t suppress local snakes. Once I’ve secured a footing in the Safe Zone, getting my parents and sister settled is the top priority.
Other issues can wait!
Xu Shu took several deep breaths, finally resisting the impulse to slam his high-level prosecutor’s ID on the counter, turning around and leaving the ticket hall.
Perhaps because he didn’t say ’thank you,’ the few people in the hall began whispering and pointing.
One plump aunt holding her child chided, "Nuonuo, study hard. When dealing with people in the future, be civilized, be polite, and never be like this person, completely uncouth, you got it?"
"Got it." The little girl, sowhat confused, gazed at Xu Shu’s departing figure, thinking her brother looked quite handso.
Just lacking in manners.
Her voice was sweet and innocent, eliciting laughter around the hall, filled with a lively vibe.
The "completely uncouth" Xu Shu expressionless, returned to the Ho Inn’s ground-floor restaurant.
Seeing him return after more than ten minutes, the blonde youth teased, "Bro, took you half a day just to pee."
"Yeah, sorry for the trouble. Please, lead the way. They don’t need to co, right?" Xu Shu bowed slightly and gestured toward Zhou Shiyu and the others.
"No need, only the necessary folks." The four n said no more and led the way right away.
Xu Shu nodded, assured his sister that it was safe for them to wait there, and followed the n.
While he still resented having to grovel just to buy a train ticket, et the boss; all this fuss seed absurd.
Still, first, Alice was there to ensure safety; second, with the presence of the Tai Chu Scroll[3/3] looming large, he felt secure to follow.
When in Ro, do as the Romans do—guess it’s just the local custom here.
The robust n moved swiftly, leading Xu Shu across streets, through alleys, past three intersections, into a secluded area, entering a sizeable two-story building.
The building, quite old and distinctive, had a curved line of golden letters hanging, reading "Jinbao Mountain Mine Entrance Office."
If not for the lack of bustle around, just by its appearance, renaming it ’Jin Baoshan Bath Center’ wouldn’t seem inappropriate.
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