Linbiangui Village-Infinite Streaming Chapter 22

A First Glimpse

Gang Zi tugged at his sweat-soaked collar. The half-past noon sun was nailed directly overhead, making the entire corrugated iron factory feel like it had been thrown into a smelting furnace.

“What’s your name?”

“Liao Ming Gang, just call me Gang Zi.” Gang Zi’s eyes darted around. This was a tin shack. A dozen men just like him were huddled on long iron benches. A crooked wooden sign reading “Registration Office” leaned by the door, and heat waves mixed with the smell of old tobacco smoke churned inside the room.

The registering man glanced at him sideways, taking a deep drag from the cigarette dangling from his stubble-covered mouth. Ash fluttered down onto the desk. His rough knuckles tapped the distorted handwriting on the table, then he waved toward the shadows, “A Jie, take him away.”

A tall, burly man stepped out. His muscles bulged, and every patch of exposed skin was slick with sweat, glistening with oil. As he approached, Gang Zi felt the surrounding air grow even thicker.

A Jie handed each person a small loaf of bread. His knuckles were thick with calluses, appearing strangely deformed. Gang Zi took a look—it was a cheap, soft, knock-off brand, the kind of counterfeit product even someone from his remote mountain village might not bother buying.

A Jie urged the group of several men out the door. The sunlight outside was scorching and blinding, but they were quickly pushed into another room, which was pitch black.

They heard the sound of a drawer being pulled open, the screech of metal on metal startling the flies into a buzzing swarm. As Gang Zi’s eyes adjusted to the room’s dim light, he vaguely saw a faint glow approaching. The next second, A Jie grabbed Gang Zi by the neck and slammed him against the wall. Blood instantly gushed from the back of his head.

“Brother Gang, they…”

“They can’t even speak properly. Slaughter them.” The registering man raised his hand, finished the last puff of his cigarette, and closed his eyes in satisfaction. The exposed side of his neck was a distinct yin-yang of black and red from the sun. Then, with a flick of two fingers, the cigarette butt flew out, hitting the wall and extinguishing its life. “What kind of trash thinks they deserve to be called Gang Zi.”

A henchman nearby suddenly noticed the clear writing on the registration book: Kidneys, 5 units.

The stained ceiling fan spun laboriously, and a thick, metallic stench permeated every corner.

Inside the card parlor on the street.

Aunt Jiu?

Although the woman in front of him looked more polished than before, her appearance was unmistakably that of Aunt Jiu. This auntie was quite capable, having a jarring presence in both worlds.

“Mom, let me do it.” The woman’s slender, jade-like fingers cupped the side of the teacup, swaying forward step by step. The amber tea sloshed, scattering tiny points of light. She held the cup with both hands, her pinky finger snaking out, trying to brush against Wu Zeng’s palm. “This brother has incredibly good luck. If he wins two more rounds, he might take the whole shop.”

The woman’s voice trailed off, sticky like freshly steamed glutinous rice, buzzing into a blur in Chen Jin’s ear. She was talking about Chen Jin, but addressing Wu Zeng.

Wu Zeng rotated his wrist and withdrew his hand, neatly avoiding the pale fingertip. His well-defined knuckles tapped the tabletop a few times, performing the polite tea-tapping gesture, distant and courteous.

Steam rose from the teacup on the tray. The woman smiled at Wu Zeng through the misty vapor, her eyes full of unspoken meaning.

Chen Jin stared at the woman’s affectionate gaze, his eyebrows unconsciously twitching upward. He pressed his fingertip firmly onto the corner of his tile.

“It must have taken eight generations of ancestral virtue to land you this little daughter-in-law.” Aunt Jiu seemed annoyed by the woman’s actions, muttering under her breath before slamming the tray down onto the mahjong table with a thud. “You can’t even pour water yourself!”

So, this was Aunt Jiu’s daughter-in-law. Chen Jin had been wondering how Aunt Jiu, with her ordinary looks, could have given birth to such a beautiful woman. Now he understood.

“Let’s go.” Chen Jin pushed off the table and stood up, his gaze casually sweeping over Aunt Jiu’s face. The tea on the table remained untouched. In some places, this was considered rude, and cautious Chen Jin certainly knew that.

“Coming.” Wu Zeng smiled and followed him.

Aunt Jiu watched the two figures. She felt they looked intensely familiar but couldn’t recall who they were. Wu Zeng’s outstanding appearance certainly made him unforgettable.

It seemed the two worlds were not entirely independent of each other.

The woman behind them placed the teacup back on the tray, seeing the two off without looking away. The card parlor’s noise continued unabated.

At the base of the mold-stained wall of the Guesthouse, Chen Jin walked into the room without looking back and slammed the door shut.

Wu Zeng jammed one foot into the closing gap, blocking the door to prevent Chen Jin from shutting it. “I wasn’t looking at her.”

“What does whether you look at her or not have to do with me?” Chen Jin pushed Wu Zeng away and pulled the door closed.

“Are you jealous?” Wu Zeng squeezed through the gap and clung to him.

“What are you going crazy about?” Chen Jin thought, why didn’t the door crush him just now? “I’m going to sleep.”

“Then say you aren’t jealous of me before I leave.” Wu Zeng suddenly leaned in, reaching out to stroke Chen Jin’s slightly bruised eye socket. The calloused fingertip made a soft, rustling sound on his face. “Otherwise, I’ll worry that you won’t be able to sleep tonight…”

“I’m not jealous.” Chen Jin turned his head to avoid Wu Zeng’s hand. He felt his tolerance level had improved considerably lately.

“Say, ‘I will always trust Wu Zeng.'” Wu Zeng cupped his cheeks again, persistent.

“I will always trust Wu Zeng.” Chen Jin yawned. If he didn’t coax this idiot away, he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.

“Say, ‘I like Wu Zeng.'” Wu Zeng leaned in even closer, their breaths mere inches apart. He held up two fingers, a smile playing on his lips, and closed his eyes, looking like a budding flower.

However, there was no response for a long time. Wu Zeng secretly opened one eye to peek, and the last thing he saw was a fist coming toward him.

After finally managing to chase Wu Zeng away, Chen Jin leaned against the door, his heart pounding.

Since entering the second world, some changes had occurred in their surroundings. For instance, his phone could make normal calls again, but as soon as he mentioned certain things about this world, the sound would automatically cut out, leaving no trace of noise.

“Hello, may I ask if your factory is hiring?” Chen Jin called Ding Bo Company using the contact information he found online.

“Hiring what? The company is about to close down!” With a bang, the phone was hung up.

So, either Gang Zi was deceived, or Gang Zi was lying.

The two of them decided to go back to Sister Chen’s house. This time, they saw a familiar face there.

A pall of gloom hung over Sister Chen’s living room. Sister Li was sitting with her legs crossed, sinking into the faded sofa. She flicked a sunflower seed into her mouth, her white teeth cracking it cleanly. Her puffy eyes reflected Sister Chen’s red, swollen, teary ones. “If you ask me, it’s those bad people outside! Who knows if they’re hiding him! Look at Old Zhang!”

“Sister Chen! Have you made contact?” Li Ming Ming suddenly entered the room carrying a notebook, apparently there to take notes.

Wu Zeng instantly straightened his back.

Uncle Liao clenched his pocket, saying nothing, while Sister Chen shook her head, her face pale.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Wait a bit longer, and maybe they’ll contact you. After all, technology is advanced now, unlike my time when you couldn’t even get a call through!” Sister Li spat out a mouthful of sunflower seed shells, talking to herself. “I was frantic when I couldn’t find my dead Old Zhang for half a month, but later didn’t he…”

But her husband was never found! Chen Jin clearly noticed a hint of schadenfreude in Sister Li’s cheerful expression.

Sister Chen and Uncle Liao’s faces grew even uglier.

Chen Jin gave Wu Zeng a look, signaling him to quickly take this blabbermouth away.

Wu Zeng intended to comply, but his peripheral vision caught Li Ming Ming moving a small stool to the side. He immediately spoke up, “Doesn’t Xiao Jin have something to ask Sister Li? Go quickly while you have the chance. I’ll watch things here with Comrade Li Ming Ming.”

Chen Jin gave Wu Zeng a deep look, then walked over to Sister Li and politely said, “Sister Li, Sister Chen mentioned the other day that you know the village stories very well. I came specifically to our village to do research, so I’ll have to trouble you quite a bit.”

The sunlight outside the window shone on the gentle young man, making even Sister Li pause for a moment. His tall shadow stretched across the room, dividing Sister Chen’s house into two halves: cold and warm.

Sister Li muttered to herself, how had she just dealt with one writer only to have another researcher show up? “We are…”

“Shall we chat in the courtyard outside?” Chen Jin smiled, picking up her teacup for her, and walked toward the door without waiting for a reply.

Sister Li had no choice but to stand up and follow, her face full of reluctance to leave the conversation inside.

“Hey, Chen Jin!” Li Ming Ming quickly closed his notebook, making a move to follow them out. The notebook clattered to the floor.

“Why aren’t you registering properly? Why are you constantly hovering around Xiao Jin?” Wu Zeng stood up, his tall figure completely blocking Li Ming Ming. The edge of his shoe was right next to the notebook. In the spot Chen Jin couldn’t see, Wu Zeng’s expression was grim. “Sit down.”

“How old are you this year, Sister Li?” Chen Jin wasn’t as skilled at small talk as Wu Zeng, immediately asking what could be considered a sensitive question.

Fortunately, Sister Li didn’t seem to mind. She craned her neck to look toward the living room and casually replied, “48.”

“If I may ask, how old is your husband?”

Sister Li looked at Chen Jin with some hesitation. “Why are you asking that?”

“I’m just curious. Your husband is 10 years older than you, so he would have been 56 two years ago. At that age, is there really a need to go out and work? After all, your family’s financial situation is quite good in the village. Otherwise…” Chen Jin smiled, his attitude still humble and gentle, but the question was slightly sharp. “Where would the spare money come from to buy gold jewelry?”

Sister Li unnaturally touched the gold bracelet on her wrist. It was a zodiac snake design, brand new, not an old item.

“What happens in my family is none of your business!”

“I’m not prying. I just want to ask, why were you sneaking around outside the card parlor late at night?” Chen Jin pressed closer step by step. Sister Li suddenly turned her face away, unwilling to meet his gaze.

Last night, Chen Jin’s seat faced the door. In a dark corner by the entrance, he had spotted a pair of women’s sandals, identical to the ones Sister Li wore at the butcher shop during the day.

“I can go wherever I want! Do I need your permission to walk around my own village?” Sister Li became somewhat hysterical, though she kept her voice low despite her agitation.

“Let me guess. Is it because Old Zhang—your husband—lost a lot of money at the village card parlor?” Chen Jin spoke the sentence slowly, word by word.

The village office records stated: Zhang Guo Wei, went out to work after incurring massive gambling debts, and subsequently went missing.