After leaving Jinyue Garden, everyone hailed their own taxis.
Xiao Feng and Hui Jiu, along with Hui Shi, got into one car. Once inside, the two behind took off their hats and opened the window a bit.
The driver glanced at the rearview mirror, saw the two shiny bald heads, and didn't dare to say anything.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
Xiao Feng replied, "To the city village."
After speaking, he also opened the window a crack.
This was because the air-conditioned car felt stuffy. In sumrti it wasn't too bad, but in winter, especially when there were many people onboard, it was suffocating.
Therefore, he would rather bear the cold than endure that feeling.
The driver skillfully released the handbrake, pressed the clutch, shifted gears, gave it so gas, and released the clutch.
The entire starting process was as smooth as flowing water, clearly showcasing his experience.
While driving, he couldn't help but be curious about whether these three were going to the city village for sothing or for a fight.
"Brother Feng, have you ever considered…" Hui Shi hesitated, seemingly unsure if he should continue.
"Considered what?" Xiao Feng asked.
Hui Shi pondered and said, "Could it be that Aspergillus oryzae and Old Ha have set a trap, waiting for us to fall in?"
"Indeed, one should not be without a sense of precaution," Hui Jiu agreed, "although those two usually joke around and seem harmless, villains often disguise themselves well. It's better to be cautious."
The driver, upon hearing this, was approximately 70 to 80 percent sure that these three were going for a fight.
After a mont, Xiao Feng smiled and said, "I rember saying it more than once that until the truth is clear, any speculation could be the truth.
So, theoretically speaking, even if you suspect Alien abduction of Old Ha and Aspergillus oryzae, you can't dismiss it completely."
In other words, feel free to guess, even wildly.
But no matter how wild the guesses, they are futile!
After silencing Hui Jiu and Hui Shi, Xiao Feng leaned back on the seat to rest his eyes.
With the limited information known, unraveling the mystery with Old Ha and Aspergillus oryzae was essentially down to guessing.
It was better not to tire the mind over it and just face whatever cos head-on!
Just then, Hua Ling sent a ssage: "Brother Yanhuang, I just checked, and the latest signal cos from three kiloters north of the city village.
The signal is weak, which suggests their phone batteries are damaged, or soone has discovered the chip and is trying to remove it."
Xiao Feng replied with "understood", inford the driver of the new location, and pondered — why did this place sound so familiar?
While thinking, the driver nervously asked, "This won't implicate , right?"
"Implicate you in what?" Xiao Feng asked, puzzled.
"Aren't you guys going for a fight?"
"Who told you we're going for a fight?"
The driver smiled bitterly, "You can't fool . In the past two years, all the fights have been near Wild Lake."
"Wild Lake?" Xiao Feng furrowed his brow, feeling the na was strangely familiar.
Thinking for a while, his eyes lit up.
During the ti Hui Shiba went missing, Hua Ling had ntioned the location was three kiloters north of the city village, near Wild Lake.
At this thought, Xiao Feng explained to the driver, assuring him that they weren't going for a fight, yet feeling a tide of suspicion within.
What were Old Ha and Aspergillus oryzae doing near Wild Lake?
Clearly, this was a question impossible to solve blindly and could only be answered once they t them.
"Send the new location to the group," Xiao Feng instructed calmly.
"Okay, Brother Feng." Hui Jiu replied.
The driver felt even less secure, with a sense the passengers were indeed going for a brawl.
Yet, he dared not refuse and continued driving with gritted teeth.
...
About forty minutes after they set out, Xiao Feng and his companions finally arrived at Wild Lake.
The stone bridge and the withered willows by the shore were just as before.
The only difference was, the lake had been filled in more than half, only reaching up to an adult's ankle.
The official reason was to prevent accidents from wild swimming.
But thinking about it slightly, this reason was nonsense.
In the dead of winter, who the heck would swim in the wild lake?
"How much?" Xiao Feng got out of the car and asked.
The driver, wearing a polite smile, said, "Calculating by kiloters, it should be fifty. But I'll give you a discount, make it twenty-five.
No, make it twenty."
In fact, fifty bucks was already a fair price.
Twenty-five barely broke even, while twenty would incur a loss.
Xiao Feng naturally understood the driver's consideration and paid the full fifty without a fuss.
Everyone has it tough, and it's unnecessary to make soone miserable for a little savings.
The driver expressed endless gratitude, as if he had gained a huge bargain, thanking repeatedly.
Other cars were more or less the sa; nobody in this business was naive. They knew that demanding too much would only bring trouble upon oneself.
Therefore, prices were kept low, almost to the point of cost price.
However, others clearly were not as generous as Xiao Feng and paid exactly what the drivers quoted.
"How do we search?" Xue Nuofu ca over and asked.
Xiao Feng waved his hand, saying, "Let's first go to the middle of the bridge and listen for any noises."
Everyone nodded and marched onto the stone bridge.
But after waiting quite a while, not a sound was heard.
"Do you think there are fish down there?" Hui Shisi pointed to the rippling water below.
Hui Shisan looked and just in ti saw a few bubbles rise, nodding, "I think so."
Hui Shisi, upon hearing this, picked up a pebble from the bridge, pinched it with three fingers, and flicked it towards the rippling water surface.
The highest-ranked Martial Monk, Hui San, clasped his hands together, shaking his head, "Amitabha, Thirteen, how can you…"
Before he could finish, the area where the pebble was tossed suddenly shook violently, and if there were fish, it had to be a large one.
However, the next mont, a head popped out, cursing, "Stop hiding, he's already found us, what's the point of hiding!"
"Old Ha?!" Everyone cried out in unison.
"Huh?" Old Ha widened his eyes, struggling to pull his hand from the mud, propped himself up with his arms, and looked up, similar to a seal.
"Boss! You finally ca!" Old Ha was nearly tearful, pulling Aspergillus oryzae up beside him.
Xiao Feng frowned, "What's up with you two?"
"Bla that bastard Aspergillus oryzae, if you hadn't co, I'd have frozen to death in the water!" Old Ha shouted with a quivering voice.
Xue Nuofu took out a thin parachute cord, tossed it below the bridge, and pulled the two up one after the other.
As Old Ha took off his coat, wringing it while shivering, he recounted the ordeal.
Aspergillus oryzae listened and occasionally interrupted to correct, ensuring his account was objective and true to the facts.
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