Reading is a good thing, it cultivates the mind and character.
It’s just that now, except for students, few people hold books and immerse themselves in it.
In this fast-paced era, the words printed on paper are as lifeless as old antiques. They seem to have been lying in the garbage heap of history, with only their last breath left.
But if you can suppress the restlessness in your heart, pick up a book and read it carefully, the sentences and paragraphs that should make you sleepy may lead you to an unprecedented spiritual paradise that modern people cannot imagine.
Gina was originally not interested in "The Old Man and the Sea". She only sat here and turned the pages because of the mission.
But the bookstore owner didn't come, so she had to find a way to get through the boring wait, so she set her sights on the book.
It didn't matter at this glance, Jina's mind was completely attracted.
The story is simple, telling the story of an old fisherman fighting a huge marlin in the Gulf Stream far offshore.
But what really attracted Jina was the simple and intuitive writing style of the author Ernest.
There are not many metaphors and explanations, and there are no complicated and gorgeous modifications and exaggerations. It uses the simplest words to express the most complex content, as rough as a stone.
But it is extremely real. What comes to mind is the story, without any other superfluous things.
This is completely different from other literary works, at least different from the books that Jina has read before.
In this novel, she did not get the pleasure she had experienced when reading in the past. Instead, she entered a state of high concentration, with a storm in her mind. She was experiencing the story while reading it.
It was as if she herself was the old fisherman, fighting with the big fish in her heart.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the waves crashed on his body, which were quickly dried by the sun and condensed into fine grains of salt. The harpoon in her hand was blunt and probably couldn't penetrate the wood. Just like her body at this moment, it was on the verge of collapse.
As soon as he raised his arms, the soreness in his muscles came like a tidal wave, and every thrust felt like the last.
The harpoon soon broke. Jina pulled hard on the hemp rope tied with the catch with her left hand and tied the dagger to the oar with her right hand, continuing to fight the shark.
But it was still useless. Soon the oar was broken and the dagger sank into the sea without a trace. The shark bit off the marlin's tail and hit the boat with its body, causing a wave.
During the shaking, seawater seeped into her eyes and rushed into her nose, but Jina did not let go. She lay down on the side of the boat, leaned out, and started beating the robber in the water with her fists, one after another, like a machine.
Even though there was almost only a skeleton left of the marlin at this moment, and the shark didn't care about her fist, Gina didn't stop.
She is a fisherman, and she wants to protect her catch, no matter what it becomes...
Neither will yield to the despicable men of the sea.
She was punching for her own dignity!
The sky gradually darkened, and the struggle between Jina and the shark continued, as if it would never stop. The harpoon was broken, the oar was broken, and the dagger was lost. The only usable weapon on the ship at this moment was the tiller. She leaned her body towards the bow of the ship as much as possible, but no matter how hard she tried, her right hand could not touch the piece of wood, which was so far away.
In a daze, Jina saw the rudder of the ship tremble.
It seemed to come to life and rush into her hands.
"Hello."
And just when she felt that the rudder was about to fly, a sudden greeting instantly pulled her back to reality.
"ah!"
Jina raised her head suddenly, her eyes widened and her lips slightly opened. She felt her head was numb, as if there was an electric shock in her skull.
"What's wrong with you?"
Nancy frowned slightly and waved her hand in front of her eyes.
"It's nothing...it's okay."
Hitting back the outstretched cat's paw, Jina took a deep breath and looked up at the man beside her.
"Hello."
The man wears a suit and leather shoes, has a slender figure, a handsome face, and a very sexy brown curly hair. The whole person looks rich, handsome and sexy, a typical image of an inspirational rich second generation.
It's just that no rich second generation would have enough time to open a bookstore, right?
"This is the book you asked for."
He took the book out of his briefcase and placed it on the table.
Jina glanced at the cover and nodded slightly after confirming that the title of the book was correct.
"How much?"
It didn't matter that the book looked exactly like the one she was holding.
Buying a book is just a pretense, it doesn't matter whether it is genuine or not.
"Two hundred dollars."
The man gave a somewhat outrageous price.
"First edition, hardcover, Columbia National Press."
"There are only a few thousand copies of 'The Old Man and the Sea' on the market that meet these three conditions."
According to this logic, no one would find it strange that the price of this book is four figures.
But it is a pity that Ernest in the world of Terra is not well-known at this moment, so the number of copies issued is very small, and there are even fewer people in the circle who collect this book.
Therefore, the price cannot go up at all, and two hundred yuan is not expensive.
"Do you accept Longmen coins?"
After confirming that Jina was interested in purchasing, the man packed the book and sent it to the store clerk to scan the QR code and record it.
"certainly."
"In terms of Longmen coins, it's three hundred yuan."
Siesta is strategically located at the junction of many countries. Coupled with the booming tourism industry, basically all currencies of various countries can be used directly here without the need for exchange.
However, the main currency in this city-state is the Colombian dollar, so prices are higher.
Money and goods changed hands, and Jina's intelligence transmission mission was officially completed. And just as she was about to leave, the man stopped her.
"Please wait a moment."
"What's wrong?"
This sudden sound made Jina stiffen.
"This is a gift. I just forgot to wrap it for you. I'm sorry."
The man had an apologetic smile on his face and a metal bookmark in his hand.
"……Thanks."
Jina understood, put the bookmark into her bag, thanked her briefly, opened the door and left.
The bell jingled, the sound clearer than when they first entered. The man stared at the girls' backs, gently rubbed his thumb across the surface of the coins, and his smile gradually disappeared.
Silence returned to the bookstore, and the clerk fell asleep on the table again. The man glanced at her as he passed by and went straight up the stairs without saying anything.
This bookstore is a safe house of the Colombian government in Siesta. The clerk and the boss behind it are all members of the military and have a very strong background.
The man’s code name is Gavin, and he belongs to Rheinland Life. Although he is an airborne special commissioner and has documents signed by the military, he has a lot of room for maneuver...
But here the sky is high and the emperor is far away. Except for the work that must be coordinated, the soldiers in the safe house don't care about him at all. The identity of a special commissioner can only give him the power to match it, and cannot bring any more benefits.
Knocking on the second floor bedroom door, there was no response, but this was a good sign for Gavin.
He adjusted his breathing and turned the door handle as gently as possible.
The door opened, and the golden afternoon greeted us.
A Liboli girl sat beside the bed, staring blankly at the beach outside through the window, her face expressionless.
If you look carefully, you will find that her body does not move slightly, and her chest does not even rise and fall with her breathing.
The whole person is like a puppet that has cut off all contact with the world. Only the flowing light on her long flaxen hair and the trembling ear feathers from time to time can prove that she is still alive and is no different from thousands of other lives in the world of Terra. people.
"Night Owl."
Gavin said her codename in a very soft voice, for fear of waking up the girl who was immersed in the other world.
"it's time."
