What? You're a notorious bandit? What a coincidence, me too!

"We are approaching Guancheng Station. Due to a landslide on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen section of the railway, the line is temporarily closed. All passengers are requested to disembark at Guancheng Station. For subsequent transfer arrangements, please consult station staff."

As the two were talking, the train's loudspeaker started crackling and broadcast the announcement three times in a row.

The already noisy carriage became even more chaotic.

The sounds of cursing and arguing were incessant.

The train attendant walked back and forth in the carriage to comfort the passengers.

However, this was a natural disaster, and the people on the bus had no choice but to accept it, no matter how unwilling they were.

Guo Xiaowu's face fell, and he clicked his tongue, saying, "Damn it, what bad luck! I finally managed to go on a long trip, and then we ran into a landslide."

Lin Chang'an didn't care.

Although the landslide disrupted the plan to go directly to Huaqiangbei, Guancheng is not far from Shenzhen, and it is possible to take a car there.

The train quickly pulled into Guancheng Station, and the moment the doors opened, a humid evening breeze rushed in.

People poured out of the train carriages like dumplings being dropped into a pot, and the platform was bustling with activity.

The two followed the flow of people to the station square, where stranded passengers, migrant workers carrying snakeskin bags, and vendors with suitcases were all crammed together.

Guo Xiaowu had never seen anything like this before. He stood on tiptoe, looked around, and clicked his tongue, saying, "Good heavens, even the Spring Festival travel rush isn't this bad."

Lin Chang'an nodded: "Let's go, let's find a place to eat first, stay here for the night, and then take a bus tomorrow."

The two walked through the crowd and came out of the train station.

Lin Chang'an's gaze inadvertently swept over a corner of the square in front of the train station, and then his gaze suddenly stopped.

There huddled together a dozen or so thin beggars, all children aged seven or eight to ten, covered in dust, their clothes tattered, and all bearing obvious disabilities.

Some had their legs twisted at strange angles, while others had their arms hanging limply...

The most conspicuous thing was a boy squatting on the ground, missing both legs, lying on a wooden board.

In front of him was a chipped porcelain bowl, and he would bow and whine as people passed by.

Guo Xiaowu also noticed the group of children and sighed, "There are beggars everywhere, but there are more here in Dongguan."

Lin Chang'an remained silent, a sense of melancholy rising within him.

Most of these children are not born disabled; they are deliberately maimed and then forced into begging.

The seemingly scattered beggars are actually controlled by organized groups, with clearly defined areas.

Anyone who crosses the line to demand money will be beaten at best, and have their hands or feet broken at worst.

Of course, there are also some "professional beggars" who pretend to be pitiful during the day to swindle money, and then change into clean clothes at night, looking all high and mighty.

He remembered seeing a news report about an old beggar who had been begging in subway stations for years and had earned more than a million yuan in ten years. You could say that begging was a profession for him.

Of course, these disabled children are not; they belong to the lowest end of the begging industry and are merely tools for some people to make money.

Lin Chang'an felt his pocket, originally intending to take out a 100-yuan note and hand it over.

But then he thought that the money would eventually end up in the hands of the controllers, so he took out a 10-yuan bill and gently dropped it into the boy's bowl.

The boy's eyes lit up, and he immediately knelt down and kowtowed, his sobbing voice filled with gratitude.

Lin Chang'an felt a pang in his heart at that timid and numb look in his eyes.

The boy's tongue was shorter than usual, clearly cut off.

"Let's go find a place to eat first."

Lin Chang'an withdrew his gaze and said in a calm tone.

It was already getting dark.

As the sunset faded behind the distant buildings, the two were exhausted from the bumpy train ride.

Walking along the street next to the station, you soon arrive at the night market of Dongguan City, where red lanterns hang densely and steam rises from the food stalls.

The aromas of fried noodles, claypot rice, and fish balls mingled together, and the air was filled with authentic Cantonese vendors' calls.

Lin Chang'an found a clean-looking claypot rice stall and sat down, giving orders to the owner in Cantonese with practiced ease:

"Two servings of claypot rice with preserved meat, less salt, crispier rice crust, and two bottles of chilled soy milk."

"Okay, handsome, just a moment!"

Guo Xiaowu, who was standing nearby, was suddenly startled when he saw Lin Chang'an speaking Cantonese in a broken tongue. He leaned over and said:

"Chang'an! How come you can speak Cantonese? It actually sounds quite authentic!"

Lin Chang'an lit a cigarette and smiled without saying a word.

He couldn't very well say he learned it in his past life. He was on the run in his past life and hid in this coastal area for many years; it would be strange if he didn't know how.

When Guo Xiaowu pressed him for an answer, he casually made up a reason: "I learned it from watching Hong Kong TV dramas."

Guo Xiaowu gave a thumbs up and said Lin Chang'an was awesome.

Two steaming hot claypot rice dishes were served, with golden and crispy rice crusts and a rich aroma of preserved meat.

Lin Chang'an naturally enjoyed his meal, but Guo Xiaowu's was only so-so. After all, the food in the two places was quite different, and the taste and texture of the food were quite different.

However, compared to the unpalatable and frustrating meals on the train, this was incredibly delicious.

The two were extremely hungry and buried their heads in their food, wolfing it down.

After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Chang'an got up, patted his stomach, and planned to find a nearby hotel to stay in.

Guo Xiaowu followed behind, dawdling, his face showing a mixture of unspoken words and hesitation.

"Why are you hesitating again? Just say what you have to say." Lin Chang'an said, smoking a cigarette and glancing back at him.

Guo Xiaowu scratched his head, his face slightly flushed, but his eyes revealed a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He leaned close to his ear and whispered:

"Chang'an, I've heard that... the service industry in Dongguan is particularly famous, but I've never tried it before."

"We've really stumbled upon this place by accident, and the train broke down here. It's just fate, isn't it? How about... we go take a look?"

Lin Chang'an raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a half-smile: "You seem to know quite a lot."

"Of course!"

Guo Xiaowu immediately perked up and lowered his voice to add:

"Last year, some brothers from our area came here to work. They told me about it when they went over for the Lunar New Year. They said the places here are really wild. Since we're already here, we should at least see for ourselves and broaden our horizons."

Lin Chang'an chuckled inwardly as he looked at his impetuous yet curious demeanor.

No wonder he was so distracted during dinner; he was thinking about this.

He was extremely familiar with the ins and outs of Dongguan in his previous life, so he wasn't particularly interested.

But then I thought, since we're already stuck here, I might as well not spoil Guo Xiaowu's fun.

Let this kid broaden his horizons and gain some knowledge.

"Okay, let's go."

Lin Chang'an waved his hand and walked forward first.

Guo Xiaowu's eyes lit up instantly, his excitement barely concealed. He quickly followed, his voice filled with admiration: "Chang'an is awesome! I knew you were a true friend!"

Stop flattering me.