Tuanzi sat in the car, pondering thoughtfully: “Can I ask you another question?”
Qing Chen rubbed his icy hands, exhaling warm breath into them as he said: “Sure, you’re giving a lift, it’s like saving my life, you can ask anything.”
Tuanzi pondered for a mont and asked: “What are the tis of year the Federation is affected by the southwest and southeast monsoons, respectively?”
Qing Chen looked astonished: “The Federation is only affected by the southeast monsoon; there’s no southwest monsoon.”
This question was clearly chosen by Tuanzi specifically to identify Ti Travelers. In the Outer World, sumrs in China are affected by two monsoons: the southwest and southeast monsoons. However, the Inner World is vast, and the southwest mountain ranges are taller and grander than those in the Outer World, completely blocking the southwest monsoon.
Any good student from the Outer World would not waste their ti studying the monsoons once in the Inner World. If they answered instinctively, it would reveal certain information.
But Qing Chen happened to be soone who had looked at the textbook in his spare ti.
It wasn’t exactly spare ti, as he also had the identity of a Li Clan school teacher—a physical education teacher, to be precise.
Seeing Qing Chen's precise answer, Tuanzi imdiately smiled: “Looks like I got it wrong…”
But she wasn’t worried. Since Qing Chen wasn’t a Ti Traveler, he wouldn’t know why she asked that; he would probably just think it was a slip of the tongue.
“The math problems you brought up were quite difficult. Why did you fail the exam?” Qing Chen asked innocently and earnestly.
“Ah?” Tuanzi was startled: “I…I had a fever, so I didn’t perform well on the exam.”
In the Inner World, there’s only one chance to take the college entrance examination. If you fail, you go to work or learn a skill; there’s no such thing as retaking the exam.
Actually, there used to be, but many students knew that only the college entrance exam could help them transcend social classes, so so people would retake the exam for six or seven years without working.
This kind of thing didn’t fit the Conglorate's values at all. They needed workers, not people who strived to change their fate, so the parliantary bill over thirty years ago passed banning retakes.
Qing Chen looked at them: “Are you all exam failures? I don’t know if I can get into Qing He University, but I heard that even getting into Qing He University doesn’t guarantee success.”
Sun Chuci glanced at Qing Chen in the rearview mirror: “It’s definitely better than working, you don’t have to struggle in the wilderness like us. As a white-collar worker, you will live comfortably. If you major in law, you might even beco a mber of parliant.”
At this point, Tuanzi and Sun Chuci were certain that ‘Qing Xiaotu’ was a native Inner World examinee, so they relaxed.
A student couldn’t pose much of a threat, after all.
Tuanzi sighed: “Your friends probably thought you would die in the wilderness this season. If you hadn’t t us, you would have undoubtedly died. This is murder. You should report this to the police in City 10 as soon as possible. The PCE Public Security Committee will still handle such matters, especially the case of an examinee.”
The reason examinees are treated specially is that their future prospects are uncertain. Many Qing He University students beco white-collar workers, and so who study law beco mbers of parliant, acting as spokespeople for the Conglorate.
Although they’re puppets, they’re high-status puppets, so the PCE Public Security Committee generally takes examinee reports seriously.
At least it's not like in the lower three districts, where they would take an hour to process a cri scene.
Qing Chen played his role carefully: “Yes, I will definitely report this to the PCE. Once I get my money back, I’ll thank you for the ride.”
In fact, he wasn’t suddenly abandoned; he parted ways with Li Ke and Hu Xiaoniu after leaving Forbidden Zone 002.
He let the two of them take the off-road vehicle back to City 18, while he went to City 10 alone.
When they parted, Li Ke and Hu Xiaoniu wanted to go to City 10 with him, but Qing Chen refused.
A Qing Clan Secret Intelligence Agency spy wouldn’t be wandering around with one of the heirs of the Li Clan’s main branch. It’s very unusual.
Qing Chen originally planned to walk, and coincidentally encountered this Wilderness Hunters team, so he decided to hitch a ride.
To be honest, the fact that seven people in this team are Ti Travelers is quite surprising.
He imagined that after reporting to the Secret Spy Agency, he would inevitably have to deal with the Ti Travelers in Zheng City. This was a good opportunity to learn more.
Zheng City has a much larger population than Luo City, so there should be many Ti Traveler organizations. But for so reason, compared to the rest of the country, Ti Travelers are very low-key.
Qing Chen curiously asked: “I’ve never been to City 10. Is it as the outside world says—full of socialites, celebrities, and politicians everywhere?”
Sun Chuci calmly replied: “That’s the glamorous side of City 10. In my opinion, City 10 is one of the most chaotic cities in the Federation. The chaos and extravagance of the Vanity Fair are fully manifested here, and human rights and all kinds of power struggles are also evident.”
Before his last trip, Qing Chen had searched for information about City 10 on the Outer World internet, and found it to be a very strange city.
In the Federation, each city is relatively independent and autonomous, with its own municipal council and its own laws and regulations. City 10 is a city whose legislation is bound by public opinion.
In City 10, cats and dogs have ID cards, and the law prohibits the abandonnt of cats and dogs.
In City 10, the cara shutter sound of all mobile phones sold cannot be turned off, and any surreptitious photography is prohibited in public places.
There are many similar laws and regulations. They’re good, but the labor law still permits the existence of servants.
It feels like the Conglorate is making concessions where it can to keep the residents of City 10 happy.
The true fundantal interests of humanity are not protected.
This is all the work of the council and its mbers.
Therefore, when Li Changqing said he handled City 1, it didn’t an that he purged the city. Instead, he reshuffled the council mbers of City 1 to ensure that the Li Clan would always have a majority in the council and the Republican Party supported by the Li Clan would hold a majority of seats in the City 1 Council.
Democracy has beco an empty shell, but it remains glamorous.
At this ti, Qing Chen suddenly felt sothing was wrong. He looked at Sun Chuci: “You’re not driving north.”
City 10 is to their north, but the Wilderness Hunters team was deviating from the route.
Sun Chuci glanced at the rearview mirror: “We have our own business to attend to, so we need to go sowhere else first. Please stay in the car, don’t ask us anything. Don’t worry, as long as you don’t ask, we’ll get you safely to City 10.”
“Okay,” Qing Chen readily agreed.
Wilderness Hunters usually don’t travel at night. It was just dawn, indicating that Sun Chuci and others may have an appointnt and need to arrive at a certain place at a certain ti.
Four hours later, Qing Chen saw two pickup trucks parked by a forest, and seven ragged Wildlanders were leaning against the trucks, smoking.
Qing Chen felt sothing was wrong. He looked at Sun Chuci, who seed oblivious to what was about to happen, and kindly reminded him: “Don’t drive too close to the forest.”
Sun Chuci was startled and looked at the boy in the back seat.
Qing Chen continued: “Although those Wildlanders are smoking, they’re all holding cigarettes in their left hands. This is to free up their most dexterous right hands, which can be used to attack with weapons at any ti.”
Normally, holding cigarettes in either hand is fine. But all Wildlanders holding cigarettes in their left hands isn’t normal.
Sun Chuci said: “Classmate, it’s normal for them to be wary of us, and we are wary of them too.”
Qing Chen shook his head.
As they approached 400 ters, using his enhanced hearing, he heard the Wildlanders whispering: “They’re here.”
“Have the brothers hide in the forest, and wait for my signal before attacking. I need to ask them a few questions first.”
Qing Chen looked at Sun Chuci and said: “Their cars are parked with their backs to the forest edge; there may be people ambushing in the forest. Take my advice, it’s better to park far away from them. It’s always better to be cautious in the wilderness.”
Sun Chuci, not a stubborn person, slowed down.
He wasn’t stupid, and he wasn't soone who would always do things his own way; otherwise he wouldn’t have listened to everyone and picked up Qing Chen.
Therefore, he also thought Qing Chen’s words made sense. He slowly applied the brakes and said softly into the car radio: “There might be sothing wrong, everyone be careful. I’ll have them bring the Hawk to trade for the dicine, and we'll leave once we get the Hawk.”
“Hawk?” Qing Chen curiously asked.
Sun Chuci glanced at him: “Classmate, don’t ask. We don’t want to talk about it.”
Qing Chen nodded: “Understood!”
Tuanzi curiously observed Qing Chen. This young classmate's state was completely different from before; he didn't look like soone who was stranded in the wilderness.
Regardless of whether Qing Chen’s judgnt was correct, he was a cautious person. Why would he be betrayed by his teammates?
As Tuanzi was pondering, she saw Qing Chen turn to her and smile. For so reason, Tuanzi felt that the smile was pure, unadulterated.
Qing Chen looked out the window, calculating the approximate distance: “Okay, let’s stop here and let them bring the goods over.”
Sun Chuci looked at Qing Chen in surprise. Whether it was Qing Chen's confident tone or sothing else, he unconsciously stepped on the brakes.
Sun Chuci got out of the car and shouted to the Wildlanders: “Long ti no see.”
The Wildlanders looked at each other, surprised that Sun Chuci parked so far away.
However, they only hesitated for two seconds before walking towards them.
A Wildlander warmly said: “Friends, did you bring the goods we wanted?”
Sun Chuci patted the truck bed: “Yes, they’re all here.”
Another Wildlander approached and casually asked: “By the way, there's a Qin Wilderness Hunters team in City 18 now. Are you familiar with them?”
Qing Chen suddenly realized that this was the key question the Wildlanders wanted to ask.
Wait.
A Qin Wilderness Hunters team in City 18…aren't those Xiaoyiyi’s family?! What are these Wildlanders asking this for?!
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