Holding the steel ring in his hand, Jiang Xueming was a little at a loss.
Except for some ceremonial prayers muttered by the gods, there is no other information.
How to use this pair of rings?
Even though it’s a life amulet, why doesn’t it even come with an instruction manual?
He tried on two rings for size.
Thumbs are too thick.
The joint of the index finger is really tight and cramped.
The middle finger can barely fit in, but wearing it for a long time will definitely compress the skin of the knuckles.
The little finger is too thin.
Jiang Xueming thought for a long time at that time.
After eliminating all wrong answers, I finally put the ring on my ring finger.
--Just right.
Xueming took off the ring again, remembering that the manager said that it should be kept well and not shown off in front of others.
The two rings are the same size, like a pair of twins. No matter how carefully you identify them, you can't tell the difference.
He remembered what the weird old man said - these rings are very heavy, weighing 170 grams, and require two people to use them.
Give one of the rings to the waiter.
——Do you really want to do this?
He also saw the inscription on the monument.
[——Ἥφαίστος]
He remembered that the name belonged to the god of craftsmen in ancient Greek mythology.
He bent down and wiped off the dust on the monument's inscription. The words revealed were indeed the God of Craftsman, not the God of Love or the God of Love.
"Well... I don't know what you mean," Jiang Xueming said to the statue, "but I appreciate your kindness and I will give the ring to my waiter."
The statue of the old man suddenly moved——
——Quickly and strangely, he gave a thumbs up to Jiang Xueming, with a proud smile and a bright smile.
Then he quickly returned to his original state, just like the original majestic and solemn demeanor. Only the raised dust and shaken gravel proved that it had indeed moved just now, and it had also playfully assumed other postures.
"..." Jiang Xueming always felt that something was not right, but couldn't put it into words.
When the mythical creatures sung in historical books or literary and artistic works came to him, he had already learned many new rhetoric in keeping with the times.
Especially when the spirit shows its power, the exaggerated and lengthy ceremony is far from the stereotyped impression of traditional gods.
Jiang Xueming pondered——
——The scene where the little old man is thrown into the senior dance team and twerks under the disco lights of the rich women’s club is not inconsistent at all, and even has a strange sense of harmony.
He was reluctant and silently wrote it down in his notebook.
"When I first met Lingweng, I thought he had become a mythical creature adapted to the new era."
"Perhaps he has followed the flow of time and history, hiding in the human world and enjoying it, silently watching all living beings, and secretly adding fuel to the fire."
"He can speak modern Chinese, and he is a humorous old man. The hero often talks about his courage in the past and wants to talk about his romantic affairs with strangers he meets for the first time."
"He likes to mess around with things and make rings according to the size of his ring finger. He is not an honest person."
Write down this information silently in a small notebook.
Jiang Xueming left the Zhongting Yayuan.
...
...
Back in front of the porch of Shining Path, the lobby manager has been waiting for a long time.
"Looks like you've got the stone."
"Yes." Jiang Xueming didn't see Ah Xing, so he asked, "The one who came with me..."
"Still in the toilet." The manager's tone also became respectful, "I have already explained the details that need to be paid attention to in the stone ceremony with Mr. Bu Liuxing. There is no need to waste time here. Please follow me, we are going House of the Rising Sun, get your second layer of security.”
"Shall we leave first? Is it really okay?" Jiang Xueming was a little worried.
The lobby manager said casually: "Don't worry, Ling Weng is a friendly and casual old man. He will not conflict with Mr. Bu Liuxing."
Jiang Xueming murmured: "I'm just worried..."
Before Xueming could finish speaking, the manager showed some impatience on his face - to be honest, today's work made him very unhappy.
It is rare for a new passenger to vomit in the toilet for more than ten minutes without stopping.
"The Council of Five Kings is the safest place in the station. Mr. Jiang Xueming, please put your heart back in your stomach! Is it possible that the old man will still drag Mr. Bu Liuxing to the bar to find women, punch, gamble and fight with others? "
"Okay... you have the final say." Jiang Xueming shrugged and followed the manager out.
As they passed through the outer vestibule of the Shining Road - strange passengers came up again, first inspired, as if they were shrinking and fearful to avoid Jiang Xueming's gaze.
But when they saw that the new passenger was brought out alone by the lobby manager, they cheered up again——
——Yelled enthusiastically.
"New here! You got the stone, right? What color is it?"
"Is yours gold? Or green? Come to our school, come to our workers' association..."
"What type of amulet is he? Manager? Can you reveal it? Is it a necklace or a ring? What talent does he have?"
“Blue Stones are always welcome in business schools and we’ll find you a job!”
"I'll wait for you at the rare palace. If you go north! Remember to make this call! I'll also wait for you at the Mimir Hot Spring Market!"
"Manager! Manager! Give me a chance! Let me touch his stone! Let me touch it! I lost my amulet... Let me take another look at these rare treasures... Please .”
"Newcomer! What's your name? If you are red and want to make money, I can teach you how to make very exciting food!"
This time, the lobby manager did not drive away the lobbyists.
Jiang Xueming remained silent all the way and did not respond to anyone.
To him, these strange things he had never been exposed to before, instead they were like the smugglers he encountered when he was young.
He didn't want to get into any more trouble, and he heard low boos from people as he left the porch.
The manager and Xueming passed through the Five Kings Council and boarded the elevator.
In the relatively private space of the elevator.
Jiang Xueming finally asked.
"Those people just now? Are they recruiting new passengers to join them?"
The manager stared straight ahead unconcerned.
"Yes, there is a shortage of people everywhere in the underground world now. It's like the westward expansion movement of the United States. People rely on stones to identify each other's attributes and temperaments, and form gangs to create new businesses."
Jiang Xueming asked again: "Does BOSS not care about these things?"
The manager then replied: "I don't care. Just operating the station and building a new station have already drained BOSS's mental energy. Wherever the station is built, passengers will go to that station to try it. With luck, if there are large mineral deposits, new villages and towns will be built directly, and over time, they will become cities."
"I heard just now that someone was begging us to touch the stone for him. Did that person lose his life amulet?"
"Yes, I hope you won't become such a pathetic person."
"How did he become crazy after losing his amulet?"
"According to the station's regulations, there are many places that a passenger who has lost his life amulet cannot go, unless someone is willing to help him find his treasure or help him cast a new life amulet - otherwise, even if He already has a family deep in the underground world and has no way to go home. Maybe this guy has something he cares about deep in the underground world, so he behaves crazy."
"Um..."
"Mr. Jiang Xueming, what are you thinking about? Are you sympathizing with the guy who just asked you for jewelry? Please don't let your guard down - this person has already lost three stones for various reasons. This is what the station can tolerate. At the limit, we once suspected that this guy did this on purpose. If we find evidence that this guy is reselling pyroxene, this criminal will have to go to jail."
"In other words, if I accidentally lose my life amulet, I can only replace it twice at most?"
"You can say that... but it's best not to do this." The manager heard that something was getting more and more wrong. He turned to look at Mr. Xueming, and then explained: "The replacements that will be purchased later will definitely not be as good as your first one." Jewelry, every stone is very precious, it is a unique gift carefully prepared by Ling Weng for the ride. And you need to complete the corresponding survey tasks, and the replacement procedure is very complicated. It is not given to you for free. The gift of pyroxene coins.”
Jiang Xueming then wrote down this information in his notebook.
"I see."
The elevator stops on the twenty-sixth floor, where the observatory is located.
The plastic steel bridge is to the east, and to the west is a wide corridor. Going deeper into the corridor, you don’t know where it leads.
There is an outpost hut next to the corridor, and the name of the hut is the House of the Rising Sun.
There is a large amount of goods piled next to the outpost, including cotton, fur, leather, textiles, and many ready-made clothes.
"Are these clothes the second piece of insurance that passengers need to get?" Jiang Xueming squatted in front of the woolen goods next to the room and raised his head to ask, "These things are very similar to the big windbreaker I got when I first came to the station."
...
...
"Be quiet, Mr. Jiang Xueming. We want to see a very distinguished tailor." The lobby manager knocked on the door of the outpost three times.
Then he walked quickly to Mr. Jiang Xueming, and gestured "please get up" to Mr. Xueming who was squatting in front of the wool.
His movements were solemn and polite, as if he were afraid of disturbing the people in the room.
Jiang Xueming stopped talking.
...
...
The door to the House of the Rising Sun slowly opened——
——First, a thin and white hand stretched out from the door, holding a tape measure.
Then a haggard-looking woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties walked out.
She walked sloppily, her cheeks were thin and her face was pale, as if she hadn't had a good rest for a long, long time.
She didn't speak. She was wearing a long black dress with slits that looked like the one from the Republic of China era, and her hair was tied up in a gentle and virtuous Suiyun bun.
Her eyes were big, but the corners of her eyes were drooped, looking aggrieved that she might cry at any time.
This woman...or the well-educated lady.
She slowly walked to the lobby manager and nodded.
He walked to Jiang Xueming again, took Jiang Xueming's arm, and measured the size with a tape measure.
She then said: "Turn around."
Jiang Xueming obeyed his wife's instructions and turned around in a circle.
"Okay, I know your size, thank you." The lady nodded to Mr. Xueming, very politely, and slowly returned to the room.
Jiang Xueming heard a rustling noise in the house.
After a while, the lady came out holding a piece of ready-made clothing and handed it to Jiang Xueming.
"If it's broken or dirty, give it to your girl - she will come to me to change it for a new one. Remember, clothes are not as good as new, and people are not as good as old." After saying this, the lady walked back slowly, slowly Close the door slowly.
...
...
The clothes were received and the second insurance procedure was successfully completed.
The lobby manager pulled Jiang Xueming's sleeves and asked Mr. Xueming to leave.
The two of them returned to the elevator——
——Jiang Xueming just woke up from the strange silence and asked curiously.
"Who was the tailor in that room just now?"
"I don't know either. BOSS never allowed us to chat with this lady. He just asked us to come and get the clothes. You might as well guess for yourself. She is from the same hometown as you. The history of your hometown may have mentioned this person. .”
Jiang Xueming thought about it carefully, and soon took out his notebook and wrote down his guess.
"Next to the observatory on the twenty-sixth floor, there is a transparent suspension bridge leading to Moon Lane."
"Next to it is the House of the Rising Sun. In the house lives a beautiful, sad-looking tailor."
"The doors and windows of the cabin always face Moon Lane, facing the direction of the world, as if they have been waiting for passengers to return to this station."
"Perhaps that beautiful tailor is also waiting for someone to come back - the starlight from the dome can leave dreamlike shadows on the transparent plastic steel bridge, just like the Milky Way, turning it into a flyover without magpies."
"The manager told me that the tailor's wife and I are from the same hometown."
"I dare not think about it. If this is true, then she should be waiting for her husband and her children."
"The Weaver Girl is waiting for her Cowherd."
Close the diary——
——Jiang Xueming found a certificate of conformity from the clothes in his hand.
[General Certificate of Qualification for External Procurement Standards of Jiujie Station]
[Yi Wen Jing]
[Lingyi·Jiji·Fuxing]
[Characteristics: It is a knee-length long garment with black inside and yellow outer sleeves, with gold silk embroidery and cloud patterns for other purposes. ]
[Clothing category: For spirits]
[Description: This product is used for defense and comfort against spiritual creatures. ]
[Versatility: The clothing will continuously provide a constant temperature of 24 degrees for the passenger's body, and can adapt to most changes in environmental temperature differences. When cleaning is required, please contact your waiter. ]
[Clothes description: Take the Sixty-three Hexagrams of Yi, which means that water and fire are both beneficial. The inside is mysterious and the outside is yellow, which means good luck at the beginning and chaos at the end. ]
[Instructions for use: Stay away from open flames. In a spiritual disaster environment, it can resist some mental damage, but it will also disrupt your spiritual perception. Please use with caution. ]
[Production organization: CGC (State-owned Garment Enterprise Co., Ltd.)/Tiantong]
[Note: Passenger, the journey is about to begin. ]
[Note II: Thanks to the staff of the Station Purchasing Department who are very knowledgeable. I don’t know where I got this thing from. Anyway, it is quite effective in dealing with spiritual disasters. ]
[Note III: Thanks to Ms. Fenxing for her embroidery enchantment work. ]
