The snow was neither dense nor heavy, but it could not withstand the increasingly strong north wind. Snow was torn by the wind a few times and then lost its backbone. Helping others to do evil began to fly all over the sky, slapping Dong Qiangqiang's face like a free mouth.
His hair, eyebrows, clothes and trousers were all covered with snow, and his ankles were also covered in snow. It was exactly the same scene as the one he and Du Lan encountered when they got off the bus: there was also nearly ten centimeters of snow at the old city station. It's so thick that once you step down, you'll find a snow pit.
But he was surprisingly quiet while sitting on the bench in the forest maze. He neither brushed off the snowflakes that fell on his body nor breathed into his hands. He just sat quietly, as if he were a statue.
It was already past the time they agreed to meet, and Zhou Zhihai did not show up as scheduled. However, Dong Qiangqiang had expected that this situation would arise, so he was not in a hurry. He believed that since the other party took the initiative to ask him out, he would definitely make more moves. Lao Chen's clues have been cut off, and his only hope now lies in Zhou Zhihai. Even if he hates this person from the bottom of his heart, he can only put his likes and dislikes aside at this time and treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor.
About half an hour ago, the bus dropped Dong Qiangqiang and Du Lan at the station. It made a dull sound of air brakes behind them and then drove away staggeringly, as if an elderly man was walking tremblingly. on the winter ice.
While Du Lan was looking for the meeting place with Zhou Zhihai on the map, Dong Qiangqiang couldn't help but light a cigarette for himself. Since the two began to become friends, Dong Qiangqiang began to consciously reduce smoking, but whenever he felt anxious or depressed, he still couldn't control it. He knows that smoking is harmful to health, but the nicotine in cigarettes is said to stimulate the brain to secrete dopamine, and dopamine is a substance that can bring people mental pleasure and improve their sense of well-being. At this time, he was depressed, which was the critical moment when he needed dopamine. .
But until he pulled out the filter, the so-called happiness didn't appear. Maybe it was because the weather in Stockholm was too cold and dopamine was also hibernating, he thought to himself.
He couldn't help but look up at the night sky. Scattered small snowflakes fell from the dark clouds that covered the sky and stretched for several kilometers above the old city. Those dark clouds seemed to be not much higher than those ancient buildings. Their low appearance always gave people a sense of wonder. The illusion that you can just reach out and pull them off.
Just as he was thinking wildly, Du Lan, who had already found the meeting place, handed the map to Dong Qiangqiang: "We need to go through the old city to get to the forest maze that Zhou Zhihai mentioned. It takes about 20 minutes to walk. If you are in a hurry, you can also take a taxi. .”
Dong Qiangqiang waved his hand: "Now, in the past, it was stupid to wait, just stroll over."
Du Lan put the map into his backpack, pointed to a bright patch of light at the end of the street and suggested: "That's the Christmas market in the old city. Since you plan to go there, pay more attention to the surrounding ancient buildings and routes. Maybe next time Use it when leading a group.”
The heavy snowfall for several days has turned this place into a white world. The two of them walked in the snow one step at a time, the snow squeaked under their feet, and the cold air flowed along Dong Qiangqiang's nose. It entered his lungs smoothly, making him much more awake than when he first got off the car.
The streets were lined with decorative lights, and the bright orange light gave off a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Those magnificent medieval buildings and the steeple churches that stand proudly among them, those narrow, winding and narrow streets paved with round cobblestones, and the smoke and smoke wafting from the fairy tale-like houses all seem to tell Dong Qiangqiang, This old city, which has not been ravaged by war for more than two hundred years, looks no different from other ancient European cities.
The content of the Swedish Christmas market is very similar to the German Christmas market, except that the scale is more spectacular, and whether it is handicrafts or Christmas trees, they all have a rough and heroic style. Compared with the Swedes, the Germans' style has become more delicate and graceful. Dong Qiangqiang couldn't help but think of the words of his political teacher: The blood of the Vikings flows in the veins of the Swedes.
Tired from walking, the two casually entered a roadside snack bar and each ordered a large glass of steaming Christmas red wine, paired with freshly caught trout and salmon, as well as reindeer meat smeared with various berry sauces. It is a holy meal.
"Do you think he just wants money?" Du Lan took a sip of red wine.
"A person like him will definitely do this." Dong Qiangqiang was very sure.
"Then you promise me not to lose your temper no matter what he says when we talk later." Du Lan raised his glass.
"I don't have any problem giving him money, as long as he can really tell me where Lao Bai is."
The wine glasses were touched lightly, and a few drops of red wine splashed onto the snow, as bright red as blood stains.
The fire in the iron barrel stove outside the snack bar was burning brightly, and the roasted thick wood crackled from time to time. Occasionally, countless sparks exploded with "bang", and then dissipated in the air instantly.
As soon as the two of them put down their wine glasses, the wind over the old city became violent, and the unruly fir trees swayed wildly in the wind. The strong wind rolled up the snow on the roof, branches and ground. In an instant, the snow particles flying in the sky were like an airtight gauze, and the small lanterns hanging on the fir trees also became a flash in the vast wind and snow. A flash of light. Under the Christmas tree, young believers in red medieval monk robes were not driven away by the snow. Instead, they sang Christmas carols loudly. The pious and powerful melody drove away the cold wave and brought comfort and new hope to the people who had been working hard for a year. .
When the two set off again, they passed by a knife stall next to a fountain in the middle of the square. Dong Qiangqiang's eyes were attracted by a row of cold weapons with a cold light. He didn't recognize the Swedish text written on the banner of the stall, so he asked Du Lan in a low voice, Du Lan. Lan glanced at it and told him: "It says 'ancestral skills, used by the royal family'."
Dong Qiangqiang inspected the knives placed on the stall, pondered for a long time, and finally picked up a dagger with a sharp blade, smooth lines, and a cold air. There was a line of eye-catching English letters printed on the blade: FALLKNIVEN. I guess it was a knife. brand.
"Beautiful." Dong Qiangqiang admired and at the same time subconsciously glanced at the price and found that it actually cost 800 marks. He wanted to bargain, but the stall owner said he would not negotiate. He had to put the knife down again with regret and continue walking forward.
Du Lan saw all this, paid the money neatly, took the knife box and chased after him.
When the two walked around and walked to a T-shaped street corner with dilapidated walls and red bricks falling out, Du Lan finally received a call from Zhou Zhihai again.
"Have you arrived?" Zhou Zhihai asked in a face-to-face manner, "Or has he arrived?"
"Soon." Du Lan answered calmly.
"If he's not there in ten minutes, the matter will be over." Zhou Zhihai threatened and threw the phone down.
Du Lan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Zhou Zhihai did not let Dong Qiangqiang move back and forth like Lao Chen.
Zhou Zhihai’s meeting place was a forest maze of thousands of square meters, surrounded by 3-meter-high green plants. There was a cobblestone path in the middle of the green plants to facilitate tourists to walk through.
"I won't go in." Du Lan sent Dong Qiangqiang to the door, "so as not to cause unnecessary disputes."
Dong Qiangqiang sighed at Du Lan's thoughtfulness: "That's fine. Then you wait for me here. I'll go back as soon as possible."
Du Lan handed him the knife that Dong Qiangqiang liked: "Be smart and be careful of his deception."
Dong Qiangqiang wanted to say, "You are making a fuss out of a molehill," but in the end he silently took the knife and put it in his arms, carrying the cash box and disappearing from the entrance of the maze.
The manic wind and snow soon completely covered up his footprints, as if he had never appeared.
Du Lan looked at the unpredictable aurora that suddenly appeared in the distant sky, and couldn't help but pray secretly in his heart, hoping that Dong Qiangqiang could successfully find out the whereabouts of Lao Bai this time.
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