Chapter 024
Jongharng Chioujen
Chioujen once again looked around him. The shops in that place were very diverse. This section of the road appeared to be the commercial center of that area. Chioujen racked his brains to find similarities between Shinnshiow and Jenqyih as a starting point he could use to track down the two people's whereabouts. Then Chioujen remembered that Shinnshiow really liked to cook, while Jenqyih really liked to eat. So the similarity between them was food. Maybe this time, they stopped by a restaurant that was here.
Of course, Chioujen realized such thoughts were completely unfounded. Maybe they had eaten before they left, so why eat again now? Moreover, it is not yet night. Even if it was confirmed that the two of them had stopped by the restaurant, Chioujen couldn't possibly know which restaurant they were at either. There were many restaurants on this road.
Now, where should I go? Uh? What kind of food do they sell there?
Thinking of the food, Chioujen felt hungry. Even though he had lunch earlier, he had just run so fast that his energy was drained. He walked on to see which restaurant he should go to. Quickly, Chioujen had to satisfy the hunger that was whacking him. After walking for a few minutes, he finally entered a restaurant that didn't seem to be very crowded. According to his calculations, a restaurant filled with customers must have very busy employees, so it was likely that the food ordered would take longer to arrive at the customer's table.
Only waiting five minutes, the waiter had served the food in front of him. Chioujen ate voraciously. While he was eating, he tried his best to forget everything. Focus only on the food he is eating. After knowing Shannchyuan for so long, to some extent, he felt Shannchyuan's philosophy had influenced him. Shannchyuan so highly values food. For Shannchyuan, daily eating, which to others was a trivial matter, had almost become a matter of ritual.
The food that Chioujen ate was really delicious. Chioujen didn't know what food it was. He had never eaten such a dish. Earlier, he just ordered any food he saw on the menu. In a menu sheet the waiter handed to him, the food was also written in a larger size and bold font, apart from being at the top. Throughout its history, the big city has received a lot of immigrants. People who came from different parts of their new world brought their own cooking style. They took part in coloring the city's culinary culture. It was one thing Shannchyuan and Chioujen liked about the city.
After eating, he decided to just sit there. This restaurant wasn't crowded, so it was fine if he stayed there for a long time. At least, a little longer than usual. Chioujen took out the small notebook he always carried with him. He decided to write down in detail the things he had experienced during the past two days. If he doesn't write down these things, usually there are always things he forgets. It was impossible for him to forget the main things, but the small things, usually after a few days, quickly disappeared from memory.
How about those two? Is it time I give up on looking for them?
Unconsciously, Chioujen had been in the restaurant long enough. He wrote interspersed with daydreaming. Sometimes Chioujen felt that Shannchyuan really had a significant impact on him. He even had the habit of daydreaming like Shannchyuan. Chioujen didn't know if that was a good thing or not. One thing he was sure of, Shannchyuan's influence was natural. Everyone, consciously or not, would definitely influence each other. More dominant people would leave a larger footprint of influence.
Finally, Chioujen felt it was time for him to leave that place. His next destination was the flyover station, which he had only seen before. Chioujen also had no plans after arriving at the station platform. He really didn't know what to do there. Chioujen shook his head several times. He laughed to himself. Doing something without such careful planning was Shannchyuan's style. It seemed that everyone in their group had been affected by that style.
The sun was already sliding below the horizon. Chioujen walked along the sidewalk in that section of the street. He sauntered. Not rushed at all. While walking past a small alley at the end of the road, he suddenly heard a loud noise from inside the alley. It was like the sound of a tin barrel being hit by a wooden block. After that, he heard the sound of people screaming. The alley was so dark, Chioujen couldn't see clearly. It sounded like someone was fighting in the alley.
Chioujen didn't want to interfere. For a moment, he was worried. He knew he had to admit that some crime might be going on there. There was a chance someone in there needed help. But he also couldn't deny the possibility that he could get hurt if he was too rash and interfered in the matter. For a moment, there was a terrible inner conflict in Chioujen's mind.
Is it a big sin if I just keep quiet?
Suddenly, there was the sound of approaching footsteps. Chioujen looked around him. The road wasn't tranquil, but the only person who stopped when they heard a voice coming from inside the alley was only him. Without thinking, he immediately walked a few steps forward and directly entered a cake shop which was right next to the mouth of the alley. The front of the shop was made of glass so Chioujen could see out from inside the shop.
Just as Chioujen was inside, he immediately turned around. This time, he could clearly see the street outside. He saw a figure passing in front of the shop. When Chioujen entered the shop earlier, that person wasn't behind him, so he must have come from the alley earlier. Chioujen held his breath. That person was one of some people who followed Shinnshiow and Jenqyih. The man's hand gripped his stomach. Looked like he was hurt. Chioujen didn't know how badly injured that person was. However, he was still able to move quickly, so it seemed he could still seek help on his own.
For a while, Chioujen was still inside the shop. He couldn't decide whether to follow the person who had just passed or enter the alley to check the place out. Chioujen was worried about his friends. He had to find them as soon as possible.
While he was still in doubt, another figure appeared from the left. Chioujen couldn't tell if this figure was from inside the alley earlier or if it was just someone who happened to be passing in front of the shop. That person was very tall. Taller than Jenqyih. According to Chioujen's estimation, he was in his mid-fifties. He was wearing an expensive-looking suit. Chioujen didn't know how much it cost. What Chioujen knew was that the suit looked very luxurious. What stood out the most about him was the black hat he was wearing. The hat also looked very expensive.
Just like the person who looked injured earlier, that person walked towards the station. After waiting a few seconds, Chioujen came out of the shop. The tall man in the black hat walked about forty meters in front of Chioujen. Chioujen didn't dare to walk too close to that person because that person seemed very dangerous. He didn't stop at the train station but walked straight to the crossroads. Chioujen continued to follow the person. Because he was tall, that person's footsteps were longer than Chioujen's. Chioujen tried to go faster, but he had to keep the distance between himself and that person from getting any closer.
Arriving at the intersection, the person turned right. Chioujen guessed he was heading to the bus stop earlier. After the man arrived at the bus stop, from a distance came a bus. The man seemed to get closer to the edge of the bus stop, so it was clear that he was going to get on the bus. Chioujen quickened his pace. He didn't want to miss the bus. Once at the bus stop, Chioujen immediately got on the bus.
The person in the black hat sat at the front, two rows from the front, to be exact. He sat in the right lane, right next to the window. Calmness was something Chioujen had to pay attention to at that time. Chioujen tried not to stare at the person. He continued to walk to the back of the bus. Chioujen sat in the right row, two rows from the back. The bus route was the same as the bus he had taken earlier. The route was so long that it took quite a while to get to the last stop. Chioujen was grateful that he had eaten earlier, so he was prepared if he had to follow this person for a few hours.
The sky was dark. Even though there were lights on the bus, they were not as bright as the sun's light. Luckily, Chioujen's eyesight was still relatively good. He could still clearly see things that his friends couldn't. All he needed to do was concentrate fully so that he didn't lose track of the person he was following.
The bus kept going. Chioujen was feeling a bit bored. Part of him was afraid. The other part was curious. He also felt a little bored because he wanted to know immediately what would happen. When Chioujen was feeling sleepy, suddenly, the person in the black hat stood up. Looks like he would get off at the next stop. Chioujen also prepared to get off the vehicle. He stood up and headed straight for the exit at the back of the bus. He wanted to get off the bus before that person, so it wouldn't be too apparent that he was following him. Chioujen was fully aware that doing so might actually make that person aware of his presence, but at that moment, that was the only thing that crossed his mind.
Within a minute, the bus had arrived at the next stop. The following stop was not the last stop of this bus. This stop was hectic, as it was the hub of several bus lines. The bus did not immediately drop passengers because they had to wait their turn. Many buses in front are queuing to drop and pick up passengers. Because it is a hub stop, many passengers also get off to change buses. They rushed to their feet, although they still had to wait for the bus to start dropping passengers. This was very profitable for Chioujen because if only he and that person got off at this stop, of course, that person would be suspicious, and he would not be able to follow that person again. After getting off at the stop, Chioujen immediately looked for a seat. He didn't know which bus he would take.
This hub stop turned out to be huge. There were a total of eight bus stops to drop off and pick up passengers. Earlier, they got off at stop number two. Now the person was walking towards the end. Chioujen continued to observe him from afar. The person then queues at stop number eight. The queues there were so long, Chioujen thought that if a bus on that line came, that person would definitely not be able to get on there. Too many passengers in front. He definitely had to wait for the next bus. Chioujen quickly walked towards the toilet box that was nearby. Luckily, the toilet was empty. Inside, he quickly flipped over his jacket, replaced the hood with a baseball cap, and swapped out his glasses. His appearance differed entirely from before.
Chioujen got out of the toilet box and rushed to the queue at stop number eight. He changed clothes in the toilet only briefly. However, in a short time, it turned out to be a significant increase in the queue's length. Chioujen was worried that he could not get on the same bus as the person in the black hat. The bus they were waiting for then arrived at the stop. Exactly as Chioujen predicted, that person couldn't get on the bus because there were too many passengers queuing in front of him. Chioujen looked back. Passengers queuing behind it turned out to be more and more. In the middle of the city, it was rush hour. If they were on the city's outskirts, it would probably be quieter.
About ten minutes later, the next bus arrived at stop number eight. That person and many other passengers, including Chioujen, immediately boarded it. Unlike the bus that Chioujen had taken before, which was relatively not too full, so everyone could sit, this bus was very crowded. The tall man in the black hat got a seat, but Chioujen and many other passengers had to stand up. Once again, Chioujen was grateful that he had eaten earlier. If not, he could limp if he had to stand for a long time.
In general, the trip was smooth. Of course, at busy times like that, the traffic was hefty. So, in some sections of the road, the buses run sluggishly. In some areas of the city, traffic was terrible during rush hour. Chioujen tried to keep an eye on the person without being conspicuous. He had never had any training on trailing people, so he didn't really know if he had made it this far. He didn't know the person he was following was aware or not that he was being followed.
Suddenly, the person stood up. Just like before, it seemed that luck was still on Chioujen's side. Many other passengers were also preparing to disembark. Chioujen, who will also get off the vehicle at that place, would definitely not be conspicuous. The next stop turned out to be next to the entrance of an underground station. It was natural that many people got off at this stop.
The man in the black hat came down and was followed by many others, including Chioujen. More than half of the people who got off immediately headed for the subway station entrance. The day was a bit cloudy. The temperature was a little cold. Luckily, Chioujen was wearing a thick jacket. Besides being useful for disguise, it also protects his body from the cold.
They went underground. The subway station was quite significant because it served three subway lines. Looking at the floor plan plastered there, Chioujen realized that one of the train lines passed the subway station close to their house, namely Jongharng subway station. The man did not enter the platform. He sat on a bench in the waiting area, which was the area before people entered the platform. If that person wanted to get on the train immediately, he would enter the platform and sit on the bench there. It meant there was something else he wanted to do.
He sat there for a long time. Chioujen didn't know what that person's true intention was. It had crossed his mind that he had been caught, and that person was only testing him. After a while, the man in the black hat looked at his watch. Chioujen had to act lightning fast. According to his suspicion, the person was waiting for someone else. So he couldn't possibly get onto the platform right away.
Chioujen was fully aware that he might be wrong. But this time, he had to bet. Chioujen turned around. He entered the mall in the subway station. Just like before, he also bought a new set of clothes. After changing clothes in the nearby toilet, Chioujen headed to the storage locker to drop off the clothes he had worn earlier. As quickly as possible, Chioujen rushed back to the waiting area where the person was sitting.
Arriving at that place, Chioujen did not see the person he was looking for. Chioujen panicked. He had to act fast. After he bought the ticket, Chioujen rushed onto the platform. Arriving on the platform, Chioujen glanced around while still trying not to attract the surrounding people's attention. Chioujen breathed a sigh of relief. The person he was following was standing at the platform's front end. That person would definitely get on the first car when the train arrived. Chioujen chose to sit on the bench closest to where he was standing. He wanted to watch from a distance. Later, when the train came and the person got on, Chioujen would also get on the train. After that, he would walk across from the car where he boarded to the first car.
The train was coming. And Chioujen's guess wasn't wrong at all. The man got into the first car. Chioujen immediately lunged into the car in front of him. As planned, he walked towards the first car. He didn't want to walk too fast because it would look unnatural. The number of passengers was quite full, so it took quite a bit of time to get to the first car. When Chioujen arrived at the first car, it turned out that the train had already arrived at the next station. The distance between these two stations was not far.
Chioujen saw the person in the black hat preparing to get off the car. Chioujen gasped. He felt that the person wearing a black hat had really caught him at that moment. Maybe that person was toying with him. However, everything was abysmal. Chioujen still had to continue with his plan. He stood behind the man to prepare to get off the car. At that station, both sides of the door equally function for the entrance of passengers who will get on and off. When the train had stopped, the person who was already standing in front of the door immediately stepped down to the platform. Chioujen also immediately jumped out. He intended to move his feet more slowly.
Chioujen immediately moved away from the side of the platform that was near the rails. He kept walking forward. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the figure of a person standing in front of the door of car number seven. That person was obviously going to get on the train. He turned around briefly to wave to his friend, who wasn't on the train. After waving his hand, he turned back towards the car door and immediately got into the car.
The person who was getting into the car was not a stranger at all. Chioujen knew that person very well. That person was Jenqyih. One friend he had followed. But that person's friend, who didn't get on the train, wasn't Shinnshiow. Chioujen didn't see Shinnshiow there. He could only guess that Shinnshiow had already entered the train before Jenqyih, so Chioujen didn't get to see him.
Chioujen froze for a moment. A bit nervous, he shuffled to sit on the bench there. Chioujen pretended to read a magazine. At that time, Chioujen completely forgot about the existence of the person he was following, namely the person wearing a black hat. The focus of his attention was only Jenqyih and Jenqyih's friends, whom Chioujen didn't know.
As the train started to move, Chioujen saw Jenqyih waving from behind the window to his friend, who was still standing on the platform. The person was still standing there until the car that Jenqyih was riding was out of sight. Someone then came closer to that person. The man was tall. He wore a fancy suit and wore a black hat.
It was a big surprise for Chioujen. The person who had been followed by Chioujen was now walking towards Jenqyih's friend. They both seem to know each other.
"What do you think?" The tall person who recently got off the car stared intently at Jenqyih's friend.
"They don't know anything." Jenqyih's friend's voice was so firm. After nodding respectfully, he walked away from the platform.
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