At the station that night.
Mo Chuan waited by the station entrance with his suitcase, frowning at the list in his hand, a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
Zhang Hanshan, on the other hand, was idly counting his belongings, wondering if he had forgotten anything.
Nearby, He Lanxin rested with her eyes closed, Cao Beijie listened to music, and a girl who was a physics major was scrolling through her phone.
Among the three teachers leading the group, only Qing Lianzi was meditating while waiting for the vehicle inspection. The other two were answering a man's questions, seemingly out of politeness but actually impatient.
Mo Chuan's frown was simple – the list he and He Lanxin had agreed upon and submitted to the school had been changed at the last minute to include someone else. And if Mo Chuan hadn't insisted, he wouldn't have even gotten this person's information.
However, Mo Chuan's arrangements were disrupted because, according to his original plan, He Lanxin and Zhang Hanshan, the two main tanks, were supposed to lead the way. Cao Beijie and the female classmate were to provide support in the middle, while Mo Chuan and the student who was replaced were to cover the rear – both were auxiliary members with strong self-preservation abilities, capable of effectively protecting the front row or dealing with any monsters that slipped through.
But this man who was forcefully inserted was a magic main attacker, severely lacking in self-preservation skills. Coupled with his currently observed arrogant and conceited personality, such a person could not cover the rear.
Mo Chuan couldn't possibly act like a nanny, managing the safety of five people by himself, could he?
At this thought, Mo Chuan couldn't help but rub his temples – he had actually heard of this person, Qian Xiao, the young master of the Qian family, who was renowned in the black markets of the northern and eastern regions of Long Guo.
Simply put, he wasn't just a rich second-generation, but a rich second-generation among rich second-generations.
"Dear passengers, the A102 train from Longjing to Yumeng is now boarding. Please carry your personal belongings and proceed to window B4 for inspection…"
"Let's go, let's go," Zhang Hanshan sprang up from his seat like a carp jumping over a gate. After bending down to organize his suitcase, he followed Mo Chuan directly towards the platform – it was clear he didn't want to be near Qian Xiao for another second.
...
This train was specifically carrying people to the Dunhuang ruins. In the university exploration team's carriage section, there were generally two teams per carriage, with separate compartments for men and women, and curtains.
This time, Longjing University only sent out the special class teams from the first and third years, as the other two special classes were undergoing collective special training and were unavailable.
Mo Chuan had initially thought he would have some peace by living in a separate villa from Qian Xiao (at Qian Xiao's request and with his considerable wealth, he lived alone in a small compartment, while the other three male students – Mo Chuan, Zhang Hanshan, and Cao Beijie – lived with the only male teacher. The two female teachers lived in a compartment with the two female students). But the reality proved that Mo Chuan had underestimated this pampered heir's bottom line.
Since this carriage only contained the two teams from Longjing University, after the arrangements were made, Qian Xiao was placed near the front of the carriage, while the girls were in the rear section of this carriage.
As a result, Qian Xiao would find various excuses every day to try and fawn over He Lanxin, and "unintentionally" display his wealth and "talent." However, after half a day, He Lanxin not only didn't favor Qian Xiao, but she always gave him the cold shoulder, and the gifts he sent were returned one by one.
Following the normal route, after leaving Jizhou, the train would pass through Yanzhou and Yuzhou before entering Yangzhou, and then spend several days in the desert to reach the assembly point.
However, the train had barely left Jizhou when this Qian Xiao had already successfully managed to annoy everyone in the carriage, even making some teachers irritable.
If nothing else, his daily act of crossing the entire carriage to find He Lanxin in the girls' compartment to "show off his talent" was enough of a nuisance for Mo Chuan and the others – imagine you're on a train, enjoying yourself, eating hot pot and singing songs, and suddenly you hear a bunch of cheesy sweet talk and foolish exchanges from the next compartment. Any normal person would feel a headache.
Fortunately, there were no accidents along the way, and they soon arrived at Yumeng.
...
The following evening, the train arrived at Yumeng.
After the team assembled, the teacher in the pink suit who was leading them clapped his hands and said, "This is your first time entering the ruins, so I will emphasize the following points:
First, Yumeng is the last city we can pass through. Beyond the Yumeng Pass lies endless desert and Gobi. Therefore, you have tonight to prepare sufficient food and fresh water, as well as other necessary items like communication equipment and anti-sand goggles.
Second, any excess luggage must be stored here. We will only be able to take military-issued transport vehicles into the Dunhuang ruins. Space on the vehicle is limited, and you must prepare sufficient resources. Therefore, all non-essential items must be left behind.
Third, familiarize yourselves with the relevant precautions for entering the ruins in advance. Although the three of us teachers will remind you, there may be omissions.
Fourth..."
...
After storing his belongings, Mo Chuan, along with He Lanxin and Zhang Hanshan, went to the market in the outer city to purchase communication equipment specifically for the desert (magnetic fields in the desert are often chaotic, making mobile phones not the most reliable means of contact) and food commonly eaten by local spirit hunters.
Previously, whether in Jibei, Shengjing, Guangzhou, or Longjing, there had always been an inner city and an outer city. However, the outer cities in these places were merely a bit old and backward compared to the inner cities, not a significant difference. To Mo Chuan, they felt like old residential areas and industrial zones.
But here, the outer city and the inner city were like worlds apart, even like two different worlds.
The inner city was built with government investment, and due to its military function and strategic location, the military also developed its presence here. Therefore, the inner city was almost no different from the large cities in the east – metal walls, spiritual energy devices, concrete houses… just as prosperous and safe.
However, the outer city was built by civilian organizations. It was almost indistinguishable from a slum – ochre walls, ochre roads, ochre clothes… the yellow sand almost dictated the murky tone of the place.