Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 575 363, a Wilderness Hunter with the surname Qin

Tuan Zi sat in the car, pondering seriously, ”May I ask you one more question?”

Qing Chen rubbed his cold hands, while blowing warm breath into them he said, ”Sure, youʼre willing to give me a lift, which is just like saving my life. You can ask anything you want.”

After thinking for a bit, Tuan Zi asked, ”What are the times of the year when the Federation is affected by the southwest monsoon and the southeast monsoon?”

Qing Chen looked astonished, ”The Federation is only affected by the southeast monsoon, thereʼs no southwest monsoon.”

This question was obviously chosen by Tuan Zi to test if Qing Chen was a Time Traveler; in the Outer World, China is affected by two types of monsoons during the summer—the southwest monsoon and the southeast monsoon. However, in the Inner World, with its vast territory and the Southwest Snow Mountain range even higher and more majestic than in the Outer World, the southwest monsoon is completely blocked.

For a good student from the Outer World who comes to the Inner World, who would bother to specifically look up something as mundane as the monsoon patterns? If they answered instinctively, it might reveal some information.

But Qing Chen was precisely the kind of person who, having nothing better to do, had looked over the textbooks.

It wasnʼt out of idleness, after all, he also had the identity of a teacher at Liʼs School, even though he was a physical education teacher.

Seeing Qing Chenʼs precise response, Tuan Zi immediately laughed, ”It seems I remembered wrongly.”

She wasnʼt worried though. Since Qing Chen wasnʼt a Time Traveler, he would not know why she asked this and would probably just think she misspoke.

”Looking at these mathematics questions youʼve brought up, none of them are simple. What was the reason for your exam failure?” Qing Chen innocently and purely asked.

”Ah?” Tuan Zi was taken aback, ”I... I had a fever back then, so I didnʼt perform well in the exam.”

In the Inner World, you only get one chance for the college entrance examination; if you donʼt pass, you go to work or learn a trade. Thereʼs no such thing as retaking the exam.

At first, retaking the exam was an option, but many students knew that only the college entrance exam could help them cross class barriers, and some would retake the exam six or seven times without seeking work.

This was entirely at odds with the values of the conglomerates; they needed workers, not people striving to change their fate. So, over thirty years ago, a bill was passed in the legislative assembly to prohibit retaking the exam.

Qing Chen looked at them, ”Are you all exam failures? Iʼm not sure if I can get into Qinghe University, but Iʼve heard that even if you get in, it doesnʼt necessarily mean youʼll make something of yourself.”

Sun Chu Ci glanced at Qing Chen through the rearview mirror, ”Itʼs certainly better than being a worker. You donʼt have to struggle for a living in the wilderness like us. As a white-collar, youʼd have no worries about food and clothing. After studying law, you might even become a legislator.”

At this moment, Tuan Zi, Sun Chu Ci, and the others had confirmed that ʼQing Xiaotuʼ in front of them was indeed a native student from the Inner World and so they felt much more secure.

After all, what threat could a student pose?

Tuan Zi said with a sigh, ”Your friend probably thought youʼd die in the wilderness this season. If you hadnʼt run into us, you would have undoubtedly perished, and that kind of incident amounts to murder. When you get to City No. 10, you should contact the police immediately. The PCE Security Management Committee will take care of such matters, and students like you have a somewhat special status.”

That so-called special status for students was because it was uncertain whether they might be promising in the future. Many students from Qinghe University ended up as white-collars, and some who studied law became legislators, acting as spokespeople for the conglomerates.

Though puppets, they were still puppets with high social status. So the PCE Security Management Committee generally took cases reported by students a bit more seriously.

At least, it was not like in the lower third district where they would arrive an hour late to process a crime scene.

Qing Chen earnestly played his role, ”Yes, I will definitely go to the PCE to report. Once I get my money back, I will thank you for this journey.”

In fact, he had not been suddenly abandoned by others, but had chosen to part ways with Li Ke and Hu Xiaoniu after leaving Taboo Land No. 002.

He gave the off-road vehicle to those two to return to City No. 18, while he set off alone for City No. 10 to report in.

As they parted, both Li Ke and Hu Xiaoniu wanted to accompany him to City No. 10, but Qing Chen refused them all.

A spy from Qingʼs Spy Agency with one of the heirs of Liʼs Big Room wandering around aimlessly would indeed make for a very peculiar scene.

Originally, Qing Chen planned to trek to City No. 10 leisurely on his own, but he happened upon this team of Wilderness Hunters, so he decided to try for a ride.

To be honest, finding out that seven people in this convoy were Time Travelers was a bit unexpected for him.

It seemed that after reporting in at the Spy Bureau, he would inevitably have to deal with the Time Travelers from Zheng City. This was a perfect opportunity to get to know them.

Zheng City had a much larger permanent population than Los Angeles City, so logically, it should have many more Time Traveler Organizations. But for some reason, relative to the rest of the country, Time Travelers were very low-key.

Curious, Qing Chen asked, ”Iʼve never been to City No. 10 before. Is it really as the outside world says, where social elites gather, and you can see celebrities and politicians everywhere?”

Sun Chu Ci calmly responded, ”That is the glamorous side of City No. 10. In my eyes, City No. 10 is in fact one of the most chaotic cities in the Federation. The chaos and extravagance of the celebrity lifestyle is fully exhibited there, and all sorts of human rights and messy power demands are also highlighted.”

Before this trip through time, Qing Chen had searched for information on City No. 10 on the Outer Worldʼs internet, and he found it to be a very peculiar city.

In the Federation, each city was relatively autonomous with its own city council and relevant laws and regulations.

City No. 10 was a city with its legal bills hijacked by public opinion.

In City No. 10, cats and dogs have identification cards; by law, one cannot abandon them at will.

In City No. 10, all cell phones sold have a shutter sound that cannot be silenced, and any undercover photography in public places is prohibited.

There were many such laws and regulations, and they were quite good, but paradoxically, the labor law still allowed the existence of servants.

The consortium seemed to be sacrificing the small for the big, conceding in every area where they could afford to, keeping the residents of City No. 10 happy.

The real, fundamental interests of humanity were never safeguarded.

These were all the deeds of the parliament and the parliamentarians.

So when Li Changqing said he had ”taken care of” City No. 1, he didnʼt mean a bloody purge, but rather a reshuffling of the parliament there, ensuring that the Li Family would always secure a ʼmajority voteʼ in the assembly, with the Republican Party supported by the Li Family occupying the majority of seats in the City No. 1 council.

Democracy had become an empty shell, yet still glossy and splendid.

At that moment, Qing Chen suddenly felt something was amiss; he turned to Sun Chu Ci, ”Youʼre not heading due north anymore.”

City No. 10 lay directly to their north, and this Wilderness Hunter squad was veering off course.

Sun Chu Ci glanced at the rearview mirror, ”We have our own matters to attend to, so we need to make a detour first. Later, please stay in the truck and donʼt ask or interfere with what weʼre doing. Rest assured, as long as you hear nothing, ask nothing, and donʼt interfere, we can definitely bring you safely to City No. 10.”

”Okay,” Qing Chen smilingly agreed.

Typically Wilderness Hunter convoys would not travel at night, and since it was just dawn, it indicated that Sun Chu Ci and his companions had a timed appointment, possibly to reach a certain destination at a specified time.

Four hours later, Qing Chen saw from a distance two pickup trucks parked by a patch of woods, with seven ragged wilderness people leaning against them, smoking.

Qing Chen felt that something was off; he glanced at Sun Chu Ci, who was oblivious to the imminent events, and finally decided to give a kind warning, ”Donʼt park too close to the woods.”

Sun Chu Ci was taken aback for a moment, surprised, he looked at the boy in the back seat.

Qing Chen continued, ”Although those wilderness people are smoking, they are all doing so with their left hands, leaving their more dexterous right hands free to grab a gun and attack at any time.”

To most people, smoking with either hand is normal, without any particular convenience or inconvenience, but itʼs not normal if all wilderness people are smoking with their left hand.

Sun Chu Ci said, ”Classmate, itʼs normal for them to be cautious of us, as we are of them.”

Qing Chen shook his head.

At the moment when they drew within 400 meters of each other, he made full use of his keen hearing and overheard the wilderness people whispering in the distance, ”Theyʼre coming.”

”Have the brothers hide in the woods first, wait for my signal before acting, I need to ask them a few questions first.”

Qing Chen spoke to Sun Chu Ci, ”Their truck is backed up to the edge of the woods; there could be people lying in ambush inside. Trust my advice, stay further away from them—itʼs always good to be extra cautious in the wilderness.”

Sun Chu Ci, upon hearing this, subconsciously slowed down.

He wasnʼt foolish or stubbornly insistent; otherwise, he wouldnʼt have listened to othersʼ suggestions to take Qing Chen on board earlier.

So, he now found Qing Chenʼs words reasonable, gently tapped the brakes a few times, and spoke softly into the vehicleʼs intercom, ”There might be a situation; everyone be cautious. Iʼll have them hand over the falcons for the drug trade, and once we get the falcons, weʼll leave.”

”Falcons?” Qing Chen asked curiously.

Sun Chu Ci glanced at him, ”Classmate, donʼt ask. We donʼt want to say.”

Qing Chen nodded, ”Understood!”

Tuan Zi curiously sized up Qing Chen; this young classmateʼs demeanor was entirely different from before, not at all like someone stranded in the wilderness.

Moreover, whether Qing Chenʼs judgment was correct or not, he must be a very cautious person. How could he have been so easily betrayed by his own teammates?

As Tuan Zi pondered, he saw Qing Chen turn to him and flash a grin. For some reason, Tuan Zi found the smile to be very pure, devoid of any impurities.

Qing Chen looked out the window, gauging the rough distance and spoke, ”Stop here, let them bring the goods over.”

Sun Chu Ci looked at Qing Chen in surprise; whether it was the certainty in Qing Chenʼs tone or something else, he involuntarily stepped on the brake.

Stepping out of the truck, Sun Chu Ci shouted to the wilderness people, ”Long time no see.”

The wilderness people glanced at each other seemingly surprised that Sun Chu Ci had stopped the vehicle so far away but hesitated for only two seconds before walking over.

One of them warmly smiled, ”Friend, have you brought the stuff we asked for last time?”

Sun Chu Ci patted the bed of the truck, ”Brought it, itʼs all here.”

Another wilderness person casually approached and asked, ”By the way, thereʼs a group of Wilderness Hunters surnamed Qin in City No. 18—are you familiar with them?”

Qing Chen suddenly realized, the key question the wilderness people intended to ask was this.

Wait a minute.

Wilderness Hunters surnamed Qin in City No. 18, isnʼt that Xiao Yiyiʼs family? What do these wilderness people want with them?