Era: Rise from the Wilderness

The brief intimacy and excitement in the carriage just now seemed to evaporate instantly under the scorching sun and the surging crowd, leaving only a faint, unusual atmosphere between them.

"Let's go, let's get down to business."

Li Yunjing took a deep breath and took the first step.

"Um."

Lu Ruoxi followed half a step behind him, looking at his tall and straight back. The lingering warmth in her palm seemed to be still pulsating, reminding her of everything that had happened along the way.

Stepping onto the slightly rough cement sidewalk of the city, the heat and noise instantly pulled the two out of the private atmosphere of the carriage.

Li Yunjing squinted and looked around.

The city of Bincheng in the early 1990s was far removed from the modern city with towering buildings and bustling traffic that he remembered more than 20 years later.

The street in front of us is not wide, with mostly five- or six-story slab buildings on both sides. The exterior walls are covered with small white or light yellow mosaic tiles that were popular at the time, many of which have become mottled and peeled off.

Most of the GG signs were handwritten, with red and blue paint applied to wooden boards, advertising "Flying Over TV", "Phoenix Bicycle", and "Bee & Flower Shampoo".

Bicycles were the main mode of transport, their bells ringing incessantly, while occasionally a Lada or Volga car, trailing black smoke, would drive by, honking its horn shrilly.

The air was filled with a mixture of gasoline, dust, fumes from roadside food stalls, and a unique atmosphere characteristic of industrial cities.

Many landmarks don't match up; the commercial center I remember might now be an empty lot or low-rise residential buildings.

Li Yunjing frowned, completely dispelling any lingering hope he might have had of taking a shortcut based on the "prophet's" memories.

Times have changed, and the face of the city has undergone a complete transformation.

Lü Ruoxi wasn't much better off. She used to go to her cousin's house with her parents. Her father would drive her straight to her cousin's house in his Jetta.

Having never been to the city before, she was also completely disoriented. The tension of being in an unfamiliar environment even made Lü Ruoxi subconsciously hug Li Yunjing's left arm tightly, as if only in this way could she feel a sense of security.

"I need to buy a map."

After thinking for a moment, Li Yunjing made a quick decision and glanced at a newsstand made of green sheet metal on the side of the road.

The newsstand's glass windows were covered with various magazine covers, mostly martial arts novels and popular literature.

The newspaper vendor was an old man wearing reading glasses, reading the newspaper by the light from the window.

Li Yunjing walked over, took out a dollar: "Grandpa, give me the latest traffic map of Bincheng."

The old man pulled a large folded map from the shelf and handed it over, along with a few cents in change.

The map was printed on thin offset paper, and the printing wasn't very fine, but the streets, bus routes, and major buildings were marked fairly clearly.

Li Yunjing and Lü Ruoxi stood under the shade of a tree next to the newsstand, unfolding the map.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, casting shimmering spots of light on the map.

Li Yunjing moved his finger across the map and quickly found the approximate location where they got off the bus. Then, based on his memory and the information he had gathered, he located the locations of several target banks and trust companies.

"The nearest ICBC bank is here. Take bus number 5, it's three stops away."

Li Yunjing pointed to a point on the map, "There's a department store right next to it, and it's crowded. Let's start from here."

Having identified their destination, the two walked to the bus stop not far away.

The bus stop sign is made of iron and painted green, with the stop name written on it in white paint, though the lettering is somewhat blurry.

There weren't many people waiting for the bus, just a few women carrying shopping baskets and a worker in overalls with an oil-stained face.

The No. 5 bus arrived quickly; it was an old-fashioned articulated bus with faded red and white paint that rattled as it started moving.

The car door opened with a "whoosh," and a wave of hot air mixed with the smells of sweat, gasoline, and dust rushed out.

Li Yunjing took out a five-cent coin and dropped it into the rusty metal coin box next to the driver.

Lü Ruoxi followed his example and inserted a coin.

The carriage wasn't crowded, but all the seats were taken.

The two walked to the back of the carriage and stood still, grabbing the overhead handrails.

The car started moving slowly, and the street scene outside the window began to move slowly.

Without Li Hongfeng present, the hidden tension and unease that had been in the private car quickly faded away, replaced by a sense of companionship in facing an unknown mission together, and a little bit of relaxation that came with finally being able to talk freely.

"Just now……"

Lu Ruoxi spoke softly, her cheeks still slightly flushed, her eyes glancing out the window, "In the car..."

"Um?"

Li Yunjing looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What's wrong?"

"No...it's nothing."

Lu Ruoxi swallowed back the words she was about to say and instead asked, "When we get to the bank, are we... really going to wait at the entrance? It feels weird."

"It's a bit strange, but it's the fastest way to find the 'way'."

Li Yunjing lowered his voice, "Bincheng is so big, and we have limited time. We can't just wander around like headless flies."

"At the entrance of banks, especially long-established banks with a lot of money exchange business, there are always some people who make a living from this business loitering around."

"Let's just wander around the neighborhood, not too close, and not too deliberate."

Lü Ruoxi nodded, keeping his words in mind.

The bus lurched along, and outside the window were unfamiliar streets and pedestrians. Everything was new and exciting, and I felt a little nervous about my first "real-world" experience.

"Oh, right."

Remembering something, Li Yunjing said, "If anyone approaches you later and asks where these coupons came from, don't say a word. Leave everything to me..."

"Okay! I understand!"

Lü Ruoxi picked up the conversation, her eyes serious, "I'll listen to whatever you say!"

"clever."

Li Yunjing gave her an approving look.

Lü Ruoxi's comprehension and adaptability were even better than he had expected.

The bus stopped at a stop, and a few more people rushed on, making the carriage even more crowded.

Lu Ruoxi was pushed closer to Li Yunjing, their arms lightly touching.

Through the thin summer clothes, we could feel the temperature of each other's skin.

Neither of them moved; they just stood there quietly, swaying slightly as the vehicle moved.

The brief intimacy and excitement in the carriage just now seemed to evaporate instantly under the scorching sun and the surging crowd, leaving only a faint, unusual atmosphere between them.

The bus swayed and rattled along, the carriage stuffy and crowded.

Because of her strikingly pretty face and slightly nervous expression, Lü Ruoxi quickly attracted malicious glances.

Two young men, around eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing floral shirts, with hair longer than average for boys and slightly wavy, had cigarettes dangling from their mouths and their eyes darting around Lü Ruoxi.

They exchanged glances and deliberately squeezed closer to Lü Ruoxi as the vehicle swayed.