Chapter 10: Pants Belt Embankment

Li Banfeng did not grow three heads. Less than an hour after the train left San tou cha Station, the strange itch on his neck gradually disappeared. He had scratched too hard earlier, leaving blood marks all over both sides of his neck.

Although they hadn't truly grown out, this didn't mean there wasn't a tendency for them to do so. If he had stayed at San tou cha a bit longer, Li Banfeng suspected he really would have grown three heads. He had clearly heard two voices speaking in his ears just now, and it was definitely not him talking to himself. He wasn't crazy; his doctor had already confirmed he wasn't.

What was that about just now? Why did I hear two people talking? Am I schizophrenic? If my mind had already split, then I wouldn't have to worry about becoming schizophrenic anymore. That's a good thing! Thinking this, Li Banfeng felt much more at ease.

But one thing remained unclear: why were there people with three heads in this world? If they were conjoined twins, that explanation would be reasonable! So why did I have the tendency to grow three heads just now? After much thought, Li Banfeng found two plausible explanations.

The first explanation: I am also a conjoined twin, I just never knew it! The second explanation: San tou cha is a place that causes people to undergo special changes.

The first explanation was impossible to verify for now, but the second explanation had a logical flaw. If San tou cha can cause special changes in people, why does the train still stop here? Does it cause changes in everyone, or only in specific individuals? This question could only be researched online for now.

Li Banfeng settled into his berth, and amidst the rhythmic clatter and sway of the train, he pulled out his phone. He searched for information about San tou cha station, but instead found a bunch of information about three-headed dragons. So three-headed dragons weren't just monsters, but also some kind of tool... Why am I even bothering to read this?

Li Banfeng then switched to searching for information about train 1160. He found no results; there was no information about train 1160 online. Even the previous derailment accident had no related news online. Impossible! A derailment is a huge event; how could there be no news about it? Could it be that there was no derailment at all, and Old Chen was just trying to trick me again? When Li Banfeng tried to search again, his phone had lost its signal.

Li Banfeng sighed, opened a novel he had cached earlier, and quietly waited for his phone signal to return. Interestingly enough, reading a novel amidst the rhythmic thrum of steam and machinery had a unique charm. Li Banfeng read for several hours straight, drifting back to sleep at dawn.

When he woke up, it was already noon the next day. The train had arrived at a station, and the announcement said: "Dear passengers, we have arrived at Haichiling Station." Unlike San tou cha, this station was very lively. Even through the glass, he could hear various hawkers shouting.

"Freshly fried dough twists!""Soy milk, fried dough sticks, fried cakes!""Millet porridge, tea eggs!"

Peeking through the curtain, Li Banfeng saw shadowy figures passing by the window. They were likely vendors pushing their stalls, calling out their wares. Each call drifted through his ear canals and into his mind, then from his mind into his stomach. Li Banfeng was hungry. He really wanted to open the window and buy something to eat, especially two tea eggs. But after much self-restraint, he didn't open the window. Instead, he prepared two instant noodle cups to eat. After finishing two cups, he still felt hungry. He couldn't help but prepare another cup. After eating that, he still felt hungry. Should I prepare another one? No, I can't wait!

It felt like a hundred hands were clawing at Li Banfeng's stomach, as if they wanted to reach out from his throat to find food. Tearing open the instant noodle packet, he took the noodle block, dipped it in the seasoning, and began to chew it dry.

The train stopped at Haichiling for over twenty minutes. After the train resumed its journey and traveled for over an hour, Li Banfeng finally put down the noodle block in his hand. His uncontrollable appetite had finally subsided. He must have left the Haichiling area. Eight empty noodle cups lay before him; he had dry-chewed five of them. Li Banfeng felt his stomach distend in spasms. He wanted to vomit and dry-heaved for a long time, but nothing came out. The digestive burden from the excessive food made Li Banfeng lie back down on his berth.

*Click!*

A notification sound reached his ears. His phone signal had returned, and Li Banfeng saw a message from He Jiaqing. "Yaowanggou, Ligou, Paifang Street, Xianchuanzi Alley, No. 21." He Jiaqing had sent his home address to Li Banfeng. "Brother, come straight to my place after you get off the train. I can't pick you up tomorrow." "Where exactly is your home? And why are there people with three heads there?" He Jiaqing didn't reply.

Yaowanggou, Haichiling... None of these place names could be found online. Li Banfeng opened his phone's map application, wanting to confirm his location, at least to know which direction he was headed. The map was blank, unable to provide a location. Li Banfeng felt irritated and tossed his phone aside. His phone battery was low, and there was an outlet next to his berth, but Li Banfeng was too lazy to charge it. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

At dusk, a sweet, cloying scent wafted through the air. This sweet, cloying scent carried a certain restlessness, waking Li Banfeng from his deep sleep. So sweet! It was a sweetness he could almost touch, with a tangible, elastic quality, and it was warm. Li Banfeng took out his train ticket and checked the station name. Is this Greenwater Bay? Is the water in Greenwater Bay sweet? He then looked at the arrival time. No, that's not right. The arrival time for Greenwater Bay was 3 PM, and while steam trains often ran off schedule, it was already past 6 PM. This must be the next station after Greenwater Bay, Kudai Kan.

The name was rather unrefined, and Li Banfeng couldn't figure out why a place called 'Pants Belt' would smell so sweet. He went to the window, and through the curtain, wanting to see what was outside. Suddenly, he heard someone tapping on the train window: "Sir, would you like a service?"

"What kind of service?" Li Banfeng's body stiffened.

"Train service, twenty minutes, two hundred yuan, specifically to relieve your travel fatigue." Only two hundred! What a bargain! The twilight glow cast the slender figure of the person outside onto the curtain. A sweet voice, sweet perfume, plus the young lady's sweet sincerity. Li Banfeng found the source of the sweet scent in the air.

Li Banfeng suppressed his inner impulse, and replied to the outside of the window: "No, thank you."

The woman outside the window didn't leave. In addition to her sweet sincerity, she also had sweet patience: "Sir, is this your first time here? Don't worry, I don't have to enter your compartment."

"If you don't come into the compartment, how will you provide the service?" Li Banfeng's imagination was rather limited.

"Just open the window a crack and give me the part you need."

The part you need...

Li Banfeng imagined the scenario. He stands by the window, extending the necessary part. "That doesn't seem right..."

"If the service isn't satisfactory, I won't charge you!" The young lady had said so much; frankly, how could Li Banfeng refuse?

Li Banfeng was fighting an inner struggle and torment. Through the thick curtain, he could already picture a shy girl-next-door, staring at him with glistening, innocent eyes. From outside the window came another sweet, clear voice: "Big brother, I'm truly sincere. If you're not satisfied, I won't charge you!"

Li Banfeng nodded and said: "Big brother knows, big brother knows you're sincere! Big brother thinks you're great!" He was about to lose control. Just as he was about to open the window, he remembered the three-headed people from before. What if this young lady also had three heads? Triple the pleasure? One head provides service, while the other two ask: "Sir, are you satisfied?" "Big brother, I'm quite capable." Young lady, my imagination truly is lacking!

After careful consideration, he politely declined the young lady's kind offer. He deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound hoarse and weathered: "We're not quite compatible, young lady. You're too young. Perhaps we'll meet again if fate allows."

The young lady didn't pester him. Parking time was limited, so she had to quickly find her next customer. Just as Li Banfeng's mind settled, another woman tapped on his window. From her voice, she sounded much more mature than the previous one: "Sir, I'm suitable for you—the right age, the right price: fifteen minutes for one hundred yuan. My service will surely satisfy you."

"Madam, I am a highly educated individual. Such vulgar transactions are not for me." Li Banfeng was making his final stand.

"Higher education... I understand!" The woman outside the window adjusted her tone: "Class, let's begin." The mature voice, carrying intellect and authority, made Li Banfeng's body tremble once more. He felt as if he saw the woman outside the window: a young teacher in a gray formal suit, wearing glasses, pointing to notes on a blackboard, gently guiding every student eager for knowledge.

The teacher outside the window loudly declared: "Come, students, repeat after me: Service!"

The students recited: "Service!"

The teacher outside wasn't entirely satisfied: "Students, your voices aren't loud enough! Repeat after me once more: Service!"

"Service!" This time, the students' voices were loud and uniform. The students' clear recitation echoed repeatedly outside the window, intimidating Li Banfeng and making him retreat step by step.

Li Banfeng was about to give in. From outside the window came another intellectual call: "This student, I guarantee my teaching quality is top-notch. If you don't believe me, open the window and take a look at the textbooks and lesson plans I've carefully prepared." The teacher had spoken again. You have to listen to the teacher!

Li Banfeng placed his hand on the train window, slowly reaching for the button. Trembling all over, Li Banfeng gritted his teeth and once again resisted the temptation. He adjusted his vocal cords and said: "Sister, you've got the wrong customer. I'm actually a woman." Changing voices was one of Li Banfeng's specialties. He had once impersonated a female streamer, and even earned a good amount of tips.

The woman outside the window snorted coldly and left. Li Banfeng washed his face with cold water, trying everything to extinguish the raging fire in his heart. He couldn't open the window; he had to follow the train's rules. But no matter how much cold water he used, the fire continued to burn in the sweet air, growing hotter and hotter. Li Banfeng completely lost control. Kudai Kan's destructive power was too strong. If just one more person came to the window to offer a price, Li Banfeng would not hesitate to open the window and do the business.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Indeed, someone was knocking on the window. Li Banfeng's eyes were bloodshot, and he pressed both hands onto the window's latch. No matter who it was, this business had to be done! Even if it cost him his life, this business had to be done!

A voice from outside reached his ears: "Madam, would you like a service? 20 centimeters in size, you set the time. I guarantee your satisfaction before the train departs, and it's only eighty yuan."

Li Banfeng withdrew his hand. This business couldn't be done. Listening to the man outside the window incessantly tapping, Li Banfeng realized the air wasn't actually that sweet. He took out his ticket and checked his itinerary again. That's right. This place was indeed called Kudai Kan. Such a straightforward name, such a strange place...

Jiaqing, after I've helped you with your business, I might as well just live here from now on. The next stop is Yaowanggou. Jiaqing, we'll be meeting soon.

PS: Esteemed readers, there's another update at five o'clock. Please give Salad some encouragement; even a few words would be nice. Salad will take everyone to Kudai Kan.