Jiang Xueming got out of the car and immediately shivered in the cold and damp air.
The scenery in the deep alley is very strange. In addition to the dirty old walls, there is also thick fog and white smoke like gauze and brocade.
He knocked on the car window and returned to the car to take a look. The mysterious female driver was gone.
Look again at the street sign at the entrance of Moon Alley, and there is a line of small words written on it.
——It is the route to the VIP reception hall of Jiujie Station.
That being said, just keep moving forward.
He calmed down, took out his mobile phone, took photos of the surrounding scenery, edited text messages and WeChat messages, and sent these pictures to his sister's mobile phone to report that he was safe.
Then he opened the navigation map and wanted to know the specific location of this place.
What surprised him was that Moon Lane's position on the map navigation was very unusual.
——Position shows that Xueming’s current location is next to a Japanese food shop on the main road in Kowloon West.
But in fact, he checked the shop signs on the map one by one, but none of them matched.
The grocery, fashion, and food shops on both sides of the alley look like they were decorated more than ten years ago. The stores are old and most of them have no signboards.
Occasionally there are storefronts with light signs, and their names are very ordinary. Facades like "Tiantian Convenience Store" or "Qunying Fashion" are everywhere.
This scene made him feel as if he had returned to his childhood, to the market in the mountain city of his hometown.
He still refused to give up and repeatedly clicked the GPS navigation reset button.
After repeated attempts more than a dozen times, he was shocked to see a column about altitude numbers among the parameters on the map.
Current location: No. 15, Tung Fai Building, Kowloon West Corridor
Altitude: -17521.11 meters
"I'm... I'm underground?" He raised his head and looked at the stars: "I'm seventeen thousand meters underground?"
The deep stars in the sky are like ten thousand eyes.
The cell phone clock shows that it is July 5th, 9:40 in the morning.
He clearly remembered that the departure time was 8:55, and the time taken for this journey was basically consistent with the journey time mentioned by the female driver.
He took a deep breath, choking on the cold moist air and coughing.
Then, he hugged each other with his arms, lowered his body, and dove into the deep alley, heading towards the VIP reception hall.
This alley has no forks and occasionally makes a few small turns.
He didn't know how long he walked, but his eyes gradually adapted to the dark environment, and the buildings on both sides became taller and taller. It was as if he was heading toward a crevice in a deep underground mountain.
He turned on the pedometer on his mobile phone and had walked about three kilometers. Then he turned right and saw a bright view.
What comes into view is the huge fountain square.
In his field of vision, there should be more than ten kilometers of smooth road from the extreme left to the extreme right of the square, and behind it is a bottomless thick fog.
Every two or three kilometers, there will be a towering bronze sculpture. They are hidden in the fog, looming. The statues are majestic and strange, and the images they depict are like giants kneeling on the ground.
He saw the large bronze sculpture closest to him.
The muscle texture, acne spots and pits on the skin of this huge copper and iron statue, and even the capillaries are so real, as if they could come alive at any time.
They half-knelt in front of the tower of the vast and far-reaching reception hall gallery. The muscles of the two arms were twisted and swollen, and the arms were raised toward the stars.
They are as high as more than forty stories high, as if they are supporting a dome made by the entire starry sky.
On their bodies, they wore short knee-length cloth robes with exposed breasts. The cloth robes were made of layers of strong ropes, and cast-iron-colored metal double-ring locks were added to the outer layer of the ropes.
The faces of these bronze sculptures seemed to have been hollowed out by some kind of parasite.
Starting from the chin, there are mottled and messy wounds with bite marks, and the teeth marks of large rings and small rings have chewed up these huge copper heads beyond recognition.
He looked at these magnificent and strange huge statues, and for a moment he forgot to step forward and froze in place.
Suddenly - the flash of the camera and the sound of the shutter brought him back to the world.
He glanced warily to left and right. Only then did I realize that there was more than one alleyway behind me. There were many travelers in a similar situation to him who had already come out of other alleys.
The flash and shutter sound just now came from another passenger a hundred meters behind.
Xueming could see clearly that the man seemed to have two tickets in his hand.
He carefully distinguished the buildings behind him - it was almost difficult to describe these strange stone corridors and dangerous paths in words.
There are countless staircases and exits in the huge and complex complex building.
They are densely packed in a cliff pass facing the same direction.
There are cliffs and strange rocks everywhere that have been trimmed as if they were hewn with knives and axes.
There are man-made creations everywhere, stairs and paths used to guide travelers.
The complex structure made him feel the designer's almost crazy geometric architectural aesthetics.
Above the exit of the alleyway where he was, there were nearly a thousand other exits that were patchwork-coupled with different roads and stairs.
On those roads, many travelers can still be seen carefully going down the corridors and stairs. Turning on the searchlight of her mobile phone, she walked little by little toward the reception hall.
Xueming seemed to be the luckiest person, walking at the front of all the fellow travelers.
He shouted loudly behind him, trying to attract the attention of others.
But he shouted until his throat was broken, and no one responded to him. The shouts spread far and wide, and echoes could be heard.
In the empty square, only the fountain beside the huge bronze sculpture made the sound of gurgling water.
Man is a social animal.
Driven almost by instinct, Xueming decided to walk towards one of the partners who seemed more reliable.
He could clearly see the appearance of the tourist. He was a middle-aged man. He could only see the distance of more than 100 meters, which was about as far as a sports track.
But what frustrated him was that no matter how he walked, the pedometer numbers on his phone kept jumping, and that partner was still so far away, as if he had never moved.
Step after step, walking on the dark stone road, he gradually began to breathe heavily. The body gradually became heavier in the low-temperature and low-energy environment, and the legs seemed to be filled with lead.
When he stopped to rest, he held his knees with both arms and gasped and coughed.
When he raised his head, he suddenly realized that the target he had chosen, that partner——
——The middle-aged man who was less than a hundred meters away from him seemed to be walking towards this end.
Xueming waved his hands vigorously and stretched his limbs. He did not understand sign language or flag language.
He just hopes that the other party can see these actions, so that the two of them can connect and try to communicate.
Under the mist, figures in the distance are also waving their hands. As if responding to Xueming's body movements.
"It seems I can't get to him." He finally recognized the reality. "This weird square doesn't seem to want us to get together."
Xueming walked this road for more than two hours, trying to get to the bottom of the mountain.
There wasn't much time left for him, and there wasn't much time left for his sister.
He turned his head and looked in the direction of the VIP reception hall.
There is a huge moon hanging in the sky. The moon looks like it is painted with fluorescent paint on a canvas in the sky.
Under the moonlight, not far behind the huge bronze sculpture, rows of low-rise mansions looked like stars holding the moon, surrounding three square halls that were as huge as the bronze sculpture.
On the entrance hall of the center, there is an iron signboard for Jiujie Station. On both sides of the avenue are the men's and women's areas of the reception hall.
A long whistle sounded from a farther direction.
Then there was the low roar of the rails and the iron wheels rolling over each other.
A plume of scarlet smoke slowly rose from the mist. Like thick steam from a locomotive.
He walked in that direction.
This time, all the signs and references in his field of vision were moving closer to him.
The Colossus and the fountain were getting closer - and so were the buildings.
When he walked up to the huge bronze sculpture, his neck began to feel sore when he looked up at the huge statue. Only then did he slightly realize how outrageous the engineering requirements required to create these buildings were.
Continuing forward, according to the pedometer on his mobile phone, he walked for almost five kilometers and finally reached the entrance of the men's area.
There was silence all around, and the fellow travelers behind were still on their way.
Further ahead, there are more than fifty porch roads paved with red carpets. There seems to be a gate for transporting goods in the middle of these small gates, about eight lanes wide.
There was still about fifty meters to go before he could reach the entrance of the porch.
He could see the registration desks at the front of these porches, and a waiter stood at each one.
Yes, it's the waiter——
——Using the words he understood to describe it, it was different from the impression of ordinary waiters or waiters.
Those people were neatly dressed, their scissor tail dresses and vests were spotless, their white and black ties were red on the outside, the creases of their trousers, and the strap styles of their leather shoes were all the same except for the slight difference in appearance.
They all look proud and proud.
The look was like a replica carved from the same mold.
They were carrying silver dinner plates and hot towels draped over their forearms.
There are dinner bags, orange juice and pre-dinner wine on the dinner plate. There is a basin and makeup mirror on the registration desk.
They were both male and female, and most of them looked to be over twenty or under thirty years old, and the expressions on their faces were surprisingly consistent. It is full of strange vitality, as if it is ready at any time, just waiting for distinguished guests to come.
When Xueming walked to the front of the porch. Immediately a voice called to him.
"Mr. Jiang Xueming!"
The familiar voice cheered him up. It was a woman's voice.
He tried to remember, but still couldn't remember.
"Mr. Jiang Xueming, look over here, your entrance is over here."
He looked over in response and saw that one of the envoys had walked up to him slowly.
He still remembers where he heard this voice——
——The strange waitress stood in front of him.
"Mr. Jiang Xueming, please follow me. Your passage is on the left." The waitress held the dinner plate in her right hand and gently dusted away the dust on her shoulder with her left hand. It was like a meeting ceremony.
Xueming perked up: "I remember you! We've met before!"
Waitress: "Yes! See you in the rearview mirror?"
Xueming nodded: "Yes, you are the driver!?"
The waitress is also invisible, giving people a very familiar feeling.
She was about 1.7 meters tall, and with the help of thick-soled leather shoes, she was almost as tall as Xueming.
Her black hair is tied into a high ponytail with a red ribbon, and her side bangs give her a heroic look. She is a handsome sister.
Jiang Xueming still remembers her eyes.
Those were eyes that he could never forget after seeing them. Just like in the huge crowd on the street, the eyes that we can't ignore are sharp and alert, very capable.
"Thank you for your hard work on this journey, Mr. Xueming." The waitress took him to the registration desk and gave him a registration booklet and pen.
Xueming took these things and started writing personal information.
During this time, he found that this handsome sister was quite interesting.
He heard the waitress introduce herself first.
"I am your guide. I am responsible for bringing you here. I will also take care of your daily life and food and drink at the station during the trip."
Xueming didn't even raise his head: "What do you call it?"
The waitress immediately replied: "Number 9527."
Hearing this title, Xueming's brows jumped, and she raised her head, just in time to see this sister hunched over, with her hands on the registration table, staring straight at herself.
The tips of their noses were almost touching.
Jiang Xueming didn't understand and asked: "Is this... you just happened to be lucky enough to get such a job number?"
The handsome sister replied straightforwardly: "No, I chose it myself. But..."
She shook the handle hard under the registration desk (literally, nothing else), and the low countertop rose up.
Xueming can also stand up straight and write her name well.
The handsome sister continued: "However! Although my name is 9527, I am not your first-class servant. We are a fair and equal relationship between employer and labor."
"Then...how should I call you?" Xueming filled in the basic information and returned the registration booklet to the handsome sister.
"Xiao Qi, Ah Qi, or 9527 are all fine. Isn't it just a number? There are so many details." The handsome sister didn't show any concern at all. She took Xueming's arm and led her through the door.
"Then let's call you Xiaoqi." Xueming just breathed a sigh of relief, but when he saw the waiters at the other entrances, they all looked at this side invariably.
There was viciousness and ferocity in the eyes of those waiters, as if their prey had been snatched away by other hunters.
This made Xueming's heart suddenly jump to her throat again, "What's going on? Why are they all looking at me?"
"Hey, don't worry about it." Xiao Qi Zheng'er Bajing turned around and explained: "This is the fault of BOSS."
"The evil done by BOSS?" Xueming didn't quite understand. He stood still in the porch, ready to listen to Xiao Qi's explanation.
"It's just our boss." Xiao Qi's body language is very rich and her expressions are also very rich.
She winked at Mr. Xueming for a while, and shrugged meaninglessly with gestures, "You know, you receive the ticket, and then we go to your home first and pick you up."
Xueming nodded: "Yes, this is the process."
Xiao Qi continued: "Then, it takes forty minutes to drive. It is a simple thing. How beautiful it is to get off at the entrance of the reception hall on Yingbin Avenue, right?"
Xueming then nodded: "That's right."
Xiao Qi winked and looked disgusted: "It turns out what BOSS means is to leave the guests in Moon Alley and let you walk for more than an hour and walk over on two legs. Facing that wall, first come to the special staircase for half an hour." Training, and then a half-hour walk for morning exercise, a set of fitness routines are clearly arranged, this is all BOSS’s bad idea.”
"Ah?" Xueming didn't quite understand: "Why do you do this?"
"The sense of ritual." Xiao Qi put her arm around Brother Xueming's shoulders, leaned forward and teased: "Do you understand the sense of ritual? I don't understand it anyway, and those brothers and sisters outside don't understand it either."
The distance is a bit close.
It was so close that Mr. Xueming’s heartbeat accelerated.
Xiao Qi then complained: "As for us, we went back early to change clothes, prepare to welcome the guests in, and then waited outside the door for more than an hour. Over an hour -
——I first had road rage on the most congested and worst street in Hong Kong, but I still had to smile! We serve you with a smile! You were sleeping so soundly that you didn't hear the sound of my teeth gnashing.
Just for the sense of ritual in BOSS's mouth. It’s such a high-spirited feeling! "
Even the Cantonese tune came out.
"What kind of genius pork chop bun idea did Boss Diaomao come up with? If you put these details in a niche review, you will get bad reviews. If I were a guest, I would give the station a top-notch slogan about the wealth of the family in a minute!"
Xiao Qi flipped her hair, managed her demeanor and expression well, and babbled in disgust: "What more sense of luxury do you need? Standing at the door with a supermodel face and waiting for the guests to come. When the guests arrive, half of their lives will be gone." No, pass orange juice and pre-dinner drinks at the door, be elegant~~"
Xueming blinked twice.
Only then did Xiao Qi realize that he had lost his temper: "Oh, I'm sorry for being so rude. Hehe..."
Xueming then asked: "What about those brothers and sisters outside the door just now?"
"Aren't they jealous? The look in our eyes makes us go crazy with jealousy." Xiao Qi finally explained clearly, hugging the distinguished guest next to him tighter, as if he had found a treasure: "You are lucky, today is The first customer to arrive at the door, thanks to your quick legs and feet, I don’t have to stand here stupidly, they still have time to wait!”
Xueming suddenly realized, those vicious eyes just now? Is that what happened?
The atmosphere became normal——
——Not so normal.
Anyway, after experiencing such an experience that he didn't know whether it was a surprise or a fright, Xueming's heart didn't jump out of his throat so easily.
But in this unfamiliar environment, I always felt a little uncomfortable being hugged by Xiao Qi, who had been hooking up with me not long after they met.
Xiao Qi was puzzled: "Why don't you look at me?"
He was about to say a polite greeting.
"Um...can you...let me go..."
Xiaoqi: "Hey, are you shy?"
"I respect women very much." Xue Ming said righteously, while being hugged by Xiao Qi, he walked deeper into the porch, "Brother Qi, I respect your straightforward and quick personality. We do seem to have a compatibility, but There's no need to come up and be so intimate, right? I still have other things to do, I'm very busy, I really don't have time, my sister is still..."
Before he finished speaking, he felt a chill on his cheeks.
Something seemed to peck him in the face.
"Okay. Are you not shy now? Go and wash your face. I will take you to see the BOSS later to talk about your sister and your ticket." Xiao Qi whistled, pushed up the registration desk, and put on makeup The mirror and basin were brought to Xueming.
Xueming looked at herself in the makeup mirror, and there were lipstick marks on the side of her face.
The brain is thinking, and it seems that it has not yet realized what happened just now.
He seemed to be eaten by the female gangster. He was a little angry but still kept smiling.
He wants to wash away the dust along the way, clean the dirt in his ears and nose, and the oil in the corners of his eyes.
Wipe the dust off your face and erase the cream lipstick marks on your cheeks.
He asked casually: "Brother Qi, have you always been so affectionate before? Do you always treat your customers like this? You are not afraid of bad reviews at all, are you?"
"Of course not! Do I look like a very casual person?" Xiao Qi's smile was very villainous——
——If Xueming had to describe it, it would be like the eerie laughter coming from the coffin in the ancient tomb in the movie and TV series.
He wiped off the moisture on his face, wiped off the twitching corners of his mouth, and managed his expression well.
"Then you think I'm easy to bully?"
Xiao Qi squinted his eyes and curled his lips, but didn't answer. He kept leading the way to the porch, jumping up and down.
Mr. Xueming felt like he had been slapped in the face. He wanted to say something but couldn't. He was worried about the ticket and his sister - so he had to follow Xiao Qi obediently.
But he also heard a whisper from Xiao Qi.
The voice was extremely low, and it seemed like it was said on purpose.
"You seem to know that you are pretty."
