It is of course very difficult to accurately determine the origin of a person whom you have only met twice. The strange thing is that although the red-haired man can speak very fluent Chinese - if you close your eyes, you may not be able to guess that he is a foreigner - Luo Binhan always has a vague feeling that this man has not settled in the country for a long time. He had only been here in the past few months, maybe not even a year.
At first he didn't know where this impression came from. It wasn't until he sat back at the round table again and saw the remaining sandwiches and fried fish on the table that he began to understand how he had this idea. .
"Your plate of fried cod looks good." Luo Binhan commented politely.
"It's not that fresh, but it's okay. I'm not picky about what I eat."
"Where did you place your order? I didn't even see a menu on the counter. Did the shopkeeper leave after cooking you a meal?"
"Oh, no, I got it from the crisper myself. If you're hungry, you can go get some. The price list is posted on the cabinet."
Luo Binhan stared at him. The redhead didn't seem to have any problem at all. He explained that the prepared sandwiches and fried fish were in the freezer in the corner and he just had to take them out and heat them up. Of course, this is not what a normal store should do, but he comes here almost every day anyway. He was used to doing it himself, and the shopkeeper was used to letting him do it.
"I can still get a discount." The red-haired man said when facing Luo Binhan's suspicious look, "I don't care what to eat anyway. To be honest, when I first discovered this store, there was almost no food sold here. I I asked him what he could offer, and he asked me what I wanted. I told him a few things I usually eat, and he prepared them for me.”
"He served it to you right away?"
"No, of course not. I mean the next day. He prepared all the food I asked for. He said he found the recipe online, but to be honest, he made it pretty well."
Out of curiosity, Luo Binhan got up and took a look in the crisper in another corner. The cabinet itself is very old, mostly second-hand goods, but it is very clean inside and out, and it is hidden under a large bush of hanging fabric fake flowers to coordinate with the layout of the entire store. There was another narrow door next to the cabinet leading to the back kitchen. Luo Binhan took a look inside and felt that although the back kitchen was a little cramped, it was surprisingly neat and seemed a bit weird.
He did not dwell on the matter, but returned his attention to the crisper. On the top of the cabinet, he saw several sandwiches cut into small pieces, French fries, well-proportioned salads, and a plate of dark black meatballs with unknown ingredients. Other than that, there are only some unprocessed raw materials left.
Luo Binhan picked out a small piece of sandwich and a small bag of chips, and returned to the table with a curious expression. In the minute he left, the red-haired man had already reopened the computer and started typing away at the screen.
"You can go back and heat it up." He said to Luo Binhan without raising his head. "It tastes better after it's heated up."
Luo Binhan didn't do this. He wasn't actually hungry at all, but he tasted the cold sandwich he had brought out just to understand. It itself is relatively fresh, and of course it cannot be said to be extremely delicious. According to Luo Binhan's standards, it can only be regarded as acceptable. However, he added in his mind that no matter how mediocre the craftsmanship was, it was better than Zhou Yu trying to cook all the vegetables and stuff them into slices of bread.
He turned the remaining slices of bread in his hand, as if studying a dissected insect, and asked in a somewhat casual tone: "You think this is good? Is it the food here that makes you come here every day?"
"Of course not." said the redhead.
"Then what makes you like this store so much?" Luo Binhan continued to point out in a casual tone, "This place is almost like a self-service kitchen."
The red-haired hand stopped typing on the keyboard. He looked up at Luo Binhan, his eyes looking a little dim, but it might just be because he had been staring at the computer screen for a long time.
"I like the layout here." The redhead said.
"I can see that I like it very much." Luo Binhan said while turning his head and looking around the entire store. "The decoration here is quite careful. However, from a purely commercial perspective, it is a little over-designed. I like it more Simple and practical style.”
He didn't mention the poor appearance issue. Somehow he thought the redhead wouldn't care about that. Rather, on the contrary, this kind of remoteness in a busy city will particularly please a certain kind of people. And red hair is undoubtedly this kind. But being too fancy is another matter. He always felt that a person wearing a pullover with "Quiet" written on it was somewhat inconsistent with the red roses plastered all over the walls.
The red-haired man twisted his neck slightly and explained uncomfortably: "It's just... a coincidence."
"Coincidence, oh, I see. You like that rock band too?"
Unexpectedly, the red-haired expression showed that he had no idea what Luo Binhan was talking about at first. It took him a few seconds to understand the relationship here.
"It's not that," he muttered. "Guns N' Roses, it has nothing to do with that. It's just... just a coincidence."
"Coincidence," Luo Binhan said happily, "there are too many coincidences in the world. Yesterday I saw this store because of a coincidence, but it turned out that I had been there before. I also heard that a couple dropped their wedding rings in In the sea, it was found in the belly of a fish decades later. Sometimes this really makes people feel that everything is arranged secretly - then again, what's the matter with your coincidence? Like me, do you also feel like you’ve been to this store?”
He burst into laughter just right at the end, the kind of laugh that is typical of a "reasonable good friend" and is more cheerful, loose and rude than normal. He leaned back on the chair and sat with one leg crookedly crossed, as if he had known the other person for several years.
This kind of attitude of changing at any time probably really confused the red hair. He frowned and unconsciously stretched his right hand near his collar. At first glance, it looked like he was scratching the itch on his chin and shoulders, but with sharp eyes, Luo Binhan saw a slightly thick black hanging thread inside the collar. It's not a frayed collar, but some kind of pendant. This made Luo Binhan immediately think of Jing Huang. He couldn't help but retract his hand that was resting on the back of the chair.
The red-haired man twisted the hanging thread into his collar and mumbled some vague answers to the coincidence questions. While he explained absentmindedly that he had never lost his memory and had never seen a place similar to this in reality, he continued to twist the fabric at the edge of the collar with his fingers - no doubt twisting the hanging thread underneath through his clothes - It wasn't until he noticed Luo Binhan's curious eyes that he put his hand back on the table.
"No," the red-haired man explained a little awkwardly, "it's just a coincidence in conception."
"You mean you've opened a similar store before?"
"No, it's not...I don't know how to explain it. It's just a game...a role-playing game. You tell the players what is happening, a bit like a story narration, or a plot synopsis, and they are responsible for playing The characters in the story decide how to act, and then I tell them the results of these actions—"
"Ah," Luo Binhan said, "I understand. Tabletop games. I've played them too. Then you are the host of the game."
When Luo Binhan said this word, the red-haired man was visibly relieved, as if he was glad that he didn't have to waste time explaining this. His look made Luo Binhan somewhat funny, because it reminded him of Luo Jiaotian. Of course Luo Jiaotian doesn't play any tabletop role-playing games, but his confusion when facing "outsiders" and his embarrassment about exposing his private hobbies to outsiders seem to be exactly the same. He could almost put a "nerd" stamp on the other person's face.
Of course he couldn't do this. On the contrary, he began to say that he often played such tabletop playing games. He didn't play very well. He said very humbly that he was just an amateur who was led by his friends to play. But he thought it was very interesting, and sometimes the host's stories were indeed wonderful. He also gave an example, saying that he once participated in a class reunion game with a friend who was studying medicine. At that time, he played a medieval doctor, while his friend who was studying medicine became a wealthy businessman who was traveling - but That's just the surface. The most interesting and dramatic thing about that game is that his seemingly upright novice friend is actually playing an assassin in disguise, an enemy of a different camp, and a murderer behind the scenes. This most important truth was discovered almost at the last moment. The host, who was full of joy and anger, could hardly hide his laughter.
"I remember it clearly," he said enthusiastically, "it happened several years ago, and I can still remember what we said at that time. I think people who are good at this kind of game must be quite smart. Also With a host, you have to react no matter what the situation is, I think this is a kind of acting talent."
Even if his disguised compliments didn't make the other party feel proud, at least the detailed description of the tabletop game made the redhead relax. Relatively remote common hobbies always give people the illusion that each other is more trustworthy. The red-haired man had put down the computer unknowingly, staring at the wall behind Luo Binhan, and his hands were shaking slightly above the table, as if he was drawing some non-existent maps and sandboxes.
"It was a birthday party," he said, speaking more fluently than ever, "a birthday party for...well, someone special to me. I had a set of games for everyone to play at the party, and it was A story about a haunted house. The haunted house belongs to the mistress of a rich man, but she is actually a witch... No, these are not important. What I want to say is the scene in the bar. This is the coincidence of conception I am talking about."
"What bar?"
Before the story started, I designed it so that all the players were exorcists, and they received a message to meet at a specific place, and that was the Guns N' Roses Bar. They asked me to describe everything in the bar so they could see if there was anything they could loot - which they always do - and I had to be specific because I was actually here, I mean , there were some clues hidden in the 'Gun N' Roses Bar'. I told them that the facade of this bar was hidden behind a large dead banyan tree, and the walls and shelves in the store were decorated with bullet casings and red roses. The roses were all fake flowers, but in the center of the largest bunch there was a bullet casing, and inside the bullet casing was a note with an address. If any player can find it, they will have a very helpful helper, which is... I'm going too far again. These are not important. You see, this is the coincidence I'm talking about, it's just a coincidence of conception. "
When the red hair said this, Luo Binhan had already started to look at the layout of the store again. His eyes fell on the center of the wall to the left of the counter. The paper rose bushes there are bright and dense, very eye-catching. They hardly look like they are made of red paper, but of plaster soaked in red paint. But he was also certain that there was no room for a bullet casing with a note hidden in the center of those tightly arranged paper roses.
"It's quite interesting." Luo Binhan said, "You will definitely be surprised when you see this store for the first time."
The red-haired man shrugged and said, "I thought I was hallucinating. Or it was a fantasy coming true or something... That kind of trick in ghost stories will make you see where you want to go, and then you can't get out. Yes. This place is indeed like the place I imagined at that time, but there are differences. I didn’t expect that Guns N’ Roses would sell coffee and coke. In my story, it only sells pure spirits. This is better... …I’m not a great drinker, and I also have a severe nicotine allergy.”
Luo Binhan made a sound of understanding.
"It's nothing," said the red-haired man. "This disease is not very common. As the saying goes, it is called 'drunk smoke', right? I have seen a man who is allergic to alcohol. He said that drinking will kill him. Yes. It’s caused by shock. It’s not that severe for me, but if someone smokes in the same room as me, I’ll get a rash very quickly, and I’ll also get dizzy and retching. So I can’t go to any party where people smoke, it’s quite annoying.”
"I didn't know before." Luo Binhan said apologetically.
"This disease is not common." The red-haired person said, "I have never seen another person with the same severe condition as me. Usually, mild allergies only cause a cough or a sore throat for a few days."
Luo Binhan dusted his sleeves, as if sweeping away the soot that didn't exist there. They were silent for a few more seconds, and the atmosphere seemed to become more friendly.
"Anyway," said the red-haired man, "that's what happened. I made up a place like this before, and then when I walked here on this street, I found that it was like a fantasy come true... I thought it was quite interesting. Yeah, and it's pretty quiet here. That's it. But then again, it's not a very rare thought. Guns, and roses, I admit, those aren't very special elements. If I would think of it, Maybe others will think of it too. But I'm pretty sure this is the first 'Guns N' Roses' I've seen in real life, so, you see, I can't help you with your question."
Luo Binhan did not respond directly to this question. He still asked with great interest: "But can you really be sure of a coincidence? Maybe someone at the party thought your idea was good, so he opened such a store."
"No, that game was made a long time ago. I think five years... no, six years ago. I was still in college then, not here with you."
He paused for a while, and finally said simply: "I'm from Scotland, and I was in London when I was studying. I don't know many people from your country, and I'm sure they don't live here."
"Maybe they told someone else? It's not like you know what kind of friends all of them made."
"No, I don't think so. They don't look like people who would make friends here." The redhead paused and said, "I don't mean to offend anything, but they haven't learned your language. You know, It’s quite hard to learn.”
"But you are quite proficient." Luo Binhan said, "I have never seen anyone who can speak as well as you. It is not easy to learn a foreign language and the locals can't tell the difference. I tried to learn German before, I gave up in less than half a month. I also have a sister in Germany - it's a coincidence, I remember her father was also born in Scotland. But I am a mess in English and German, so we have to communicate in Chinese."
The redhead showed a rare smile. He was obviously proud of his ability to learn, but at the same time he seemed a little miserable and frustrated.
"It made me suffer a lot." He said, "I spent a whole semester practicing. I had classes during the day, and I had to do some private work on weekends and holidays. I was so busy that I didn't join a single club - even though I didn't do it in the first place. How popular. There is no way, you think, not many established brothers would be willing to accept a man who can't smell cigarette smoke, basically I can only stay in the dormitory all day."
"But why are you taking this effort?" Luo Binhan asked, "Do you have any important relatives here? Or is this your future job requirement?"
"It just might be useful." The redhead said vaguely.
Luo Binhan didn't ask any more, but a very vague answer already remained in his mind. He just looked at the wall pretending not to care.
"Coincidence." He said, "Your fantasy land has been brought into reality. No wonder you like it here so much. But to be honest, your memory is really good. After all, it was a game six years ago."
The red-haired man suddenly became embarrassed again: "That's... because I spent a lot of effort designing the entire game. Yes, I remember staying up almost two all-nighters."
"To celebrate someone's birthday?" Luo Binhan asked in a meaningful tone.
"Because I'm the best suited to do this." The red-haired man said dryly, "No one can design it better than me, so it's me. I actually made some props - bullet models with notes and so on. Having said that, this place is different from what I thought. I used empty shells of pistol bullets, and most of the models here are rifles. This has something to do with the background of the game story. In fact, the shop owners are a pair of retired drivers. A demon couple. The husband is a fighter, and the wife is a sharpshooter... Those are blessed pistol bullets, that's how I designed them anyway."
"So what about the owner of this store?" Luo Binhan asked, "It's like the characters in your story come to life?"
"No. Not at all."
The red-haired man thought about it for a while, and finally said: "I think he is quite ordinary. He is a nice person, but has no characteristics. I don't know if he is single, but I didn't see anyone coming to visit him. Except for the new girl yesterday, That’s your friend.”
"She's pretty, isn't she?" Luo Binhan said, "I've always thought that she has the looks to be a star, but it's strange that few men pursue her. Do you think she and the shop owner will be a couple?"
When Luo Binhan mentioned Chen Wei's appearance, the red-haired man nodded in agreement. But other than that, he acted very indifferently and seemed not to care about Chen Wei's personal life at all.
"I don't think so." He said, "She gets along with him quite...coldly. What do you mean? They are like water in a well, and that's how I feel."
"Not intimate at all?"
"I doubt they're even friends. They're rarely in the store at the same time, and when they do meet they hardly speak."
"She is a bit scary." Luo Binhan said happily, "You always feel like a primary school student when you are in front of her."
"Maybe. I didn't pay much attention to her."
"Really? Are you the kind of person who wouldn't even look at the most beautiful girl? Or are you actually..."
Luo Binhan tactfully bent a finger. It only took the redhead a few seconds to understand what he meant and said bluntly, "No, it's not. Not that I'm biased, but of course I like girls."
"Then you have your heart." Luo Binhan shouted exaggeratedly, "Are you a principled and emotional person?"
"No, I'm single." The redhead said in a particularly dry tone, "My ex-girlfriend told me directly that she felt that things between us were meaningless and she decided to break up with me. Then she dumped me like this ”
Luo Binhan snorted. He shook his head and said as calmly as possible: "You will find the right one in the future."
"Maybe." The red-haired man said, "That was three years ago. It was quite upsetting to me at the time, but of course everything has passed now."
Despite his understatement, Luo Binhan still suspected that he had not let go. That kind of plainness seemed to him a bit too deliberate, and when he was thinking about it like this, the other party was also looking at him with evasive eyes. Finally, the red-haired man hesitated and asked: "You said before that your amnesia was related to a woman..."
"Yes," Luo Binhan said, and his thoughts quickly changed, "I'm looking for a woman. And I'm sure she has something to do with this store... Well, we met in this store, I'm sure That's it. But I can't find her now, and my family is against me looking for her, so I can't do it in a big way. However, I think since I have such a deep impression on this place, I must have been here More than once, then maybe the shop owner will remember her and me. He will have some information."
"That's possible." Red Hair said, "Not many people come here."
"But I don't want my family to know about this." Luo Binhan continued, "My family situation is a bit small, can you understand?"
"I don't understand," the redhead said nonchalantly, "but I don't like the man who just talked to you very much. Is he a member of your family?"
"That's right. Why don't you like him?"
"It's just a feeling. He seems a little...not the easy type to deal with. If you know what I mean. He seems so shrewd, always thinking about your thoughts and thinking he can read you. I I don’t like dealing with people like this.”
Luo Binhan almost smiled at this comment about Nan Mingguang. He felt like he was beginning to like this hapless foreigner who resisted social interaction and was unpopular.
"I especially don't want him to know that I'm looking for someone." He told the red-haired man. "They might interfere with my matter because it involves property issues. I have inheritance rights to a large amount of money, so... You don’t always have to worry about money, right?”
The redhead frowned and muttered, "Ah, rich man."
"Can you do me this favor?"
"Okay. I don't like that guy anyway. By the way, if you want to find the shopkeeper, just come here around two o'clock every afternoon. Usually he will be here."
"Okay, then I have to buy you a drink." Luo Binhan said, "You just said you can't drink, so let's have a glass of juice. I think we are quite destined, how about a toast? I wish you the land of your dreams. It can also make my dreams come true – look out!”
He reached for his cup, but accidentally knocked the drink over on the table. The red-haired man quickly ran away holding his laptop, while Luo Binhan took the opportunity to throw an amusement park ticket stub in his pocket under the table. Then he stood up quickly and wiped the center of the table with a paper towel.
"I always knock things over," he said apologetically as he wiped them away. "I've had a problem with spatial distance since I was little. Sometimes I think I'm sure I can catch it, but it turns out I'm not at all right."
He started in the center of the table, giving the drink time to drip from the edges onto the floor. So he had to squat down and wipe the floor again.
"There is a card under here," he said, squatting at the table. "It seems to be a hotel room card? Or a shopping voucher? Is this your thing? I can't see clearly, come and take a look?"
He didn't reach out to pick it up, so the red-haired man had to squat down next to him to look at the card in the dark corner. Luo Binhan observed him with his peripheral vision, looking at the black hanging thread exposed on his neck when he bent down and lowered his head. The redhead was reaching for the card under the table. The pendant hidden under the jumper was just a hair away from slipping out.
"Be careful," Luo Binhan said, "don't let your back touch the table, there is still water there."
He stretched out his arm and put it between the red hair's back and the wet table. In order to avoid his arms, the red-haired man had to bend down again. A round sheet with fine holes drilled slipped out from his collar and hung slightly spinning in the air.
The redhead caught the card. He and Luo Binhan stood up one after another and looked at the ticket stub with the Ferris wheel printed on it by the light.
"Oh, it should be my thing." Luo Binhan said, "Maybe it fell out of my trouser pocket just now. But it doesn't matter, it's just a used ticket. Thank you for picking it up for me."
He reached for the stub: "By the way, what is that hanging around your neck? Coins?"
The red-haired man lowered his head, picked up the coin that slipped out and looked at it. As he turned the coin, Luo Binhan noticed that the coin was indistinguishable—it had two fronts with portraits printed on them. It shines new in the light and doesn't look like it has much history.
"Is this your collection of antiques?" he asked knowingly.
"No, this is just an ordinary penny, it has no value." The red hair said, and stuffed the coin back into his clothes.
"You hang this thing around your neck? Is it an emergency phone bill?"
"I just find it interesting." The red-haired man said, "This is a wrong coin. It has two identical sides. In fact, it cannot be spent. Others will think it is fake, and it has no collection value... But I think it is quite rare. .”
"It's quite special." Luo Binhan agreed with a smile. This only solved a trivial little mystery, but he was very satisfied with his luck just now.
