Chapter 11: Three Fortunes

The train stopped at Kudaikan for half an hour. During this time, seven people—five women and two men—approached Li Banfeng's window, trying to sell him various things.

Li Banfeng, a man of strong will, didn't make any purchases.

But it wasn't just the vendors he had to contend with; there were also his fellow passengers. Some had already finalized their deals, others had invited vendors into the carriage, and some even conducted their business directly at the window. Li Banfeng could hear their conversations.

Throughout that long half-hour, Li Banfeng bit his finger, but he never opened the window.

"Hold on, I must hold on," he thought. "By tomorrow morning, I'll be at He Jiaqing's house."

"Once I get there, he has to find someone to provide me with service."

"If he can't find someone to my satisfaction, then he'll have to serve me himself."

The moment the train's whistle blew, Li Banfeng exhaled a long breath, silently commending his own willpower. However, the train had barely moved before it abruptly stopped again.

Had they arrived? His ticket stated an arrival time of 7 AM tomorrow. While steam trains might not be perfectly punctual, they certainly wouldn't arrive this early.

A jarring crackle of static filled the air, followed by the announcer's voice once more:

"Due to a train malfunction, we are making an unscheduled stop. We kindly ask all passengers to remain in their carriages and refrain from moving around. On behalf of the entire crew, I extend our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this may cause."

The steam train had broken down, stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Suddenly, the lights flickered off, plunging the carriage into complete darkness. Li Banfeng tried to use his phone for light, but the flashlight function wouldn't turn on. His phone was almost out of battery. It had been low before, and he hadn't bothered to charge it. Now, with less than five percent power remaining, it was about to shut down.

Li Banfeng quickly plugged in his charger, but the phone showed no signs of charging. Not only were the lights out, but the power outlets were also dead. The train had lost all power.

Li Banfeng checked his phone again, and shortly after, it displayed a low battery warning before automatically shutting down.

"No power?"

"What am I going to do? How will I find He Jiaqing's house now?"

In reality, his phone shouldn't have been his primary concern. His biggest worry should have been when the train would be repaired. On this particular rail line, a train breakdown could mean repairs lasting anywhere from three to five hours, or even three to five days.

However, Li Banfeng didn't really need to worry; his situation was relatively good. He had instant noodles. Most of the other passengers hadn't brought any extra food.

A wave of panic gradually spread through the train.

***

At the Dark Star Bureau, Public Order Squad Captain Chen Changrui leaned back in his office chair, eyes closed, wearing a large pair of headphones. Over an hour later, two shimmering silver centipedes, about ten centimeters long, emerged from the headphone's casing and lay stiffly on the desk. Both centipedes were exhausted, and Captain Chen was visibly tired as well.

Captain Chen removed his headphones, opened his eyes, took a cigarette from his pack, inhaled deeply, and then blew the smoke over the centipedes. After finishing his cigarette, Captain Chen felt somewhat re-energized, and the two centipedes also showed signs of renewed vitality.

His secretary, You Xuehan, awaited Captain Chen's orders. Two hours earlier, the intelligence department had lost Li Banfeng's signal. Left with no other option, the Public Order Squad had to utilize the Captain's special ability.

Chen Changrui took out another cigarette and told You Xuehan, "Tangyuan, tell the intelligence department that it's not a problem with their equipment. Li Banfeng's phone is completely out of battery."

"Tangyuan," You Xuehan, asked, "Captain Chen, is there no other way to track him?"

"What other way could there be?" Old Chen shook his head. "Train 1160 is untraceable."

You Xuehan pondered for a moment. "We could track the other passengers on the same train as him."

"No need," Old Chen said, putting away the two silver centipedes and standing up. "We don't know when he'll get off. He might not even be on the train tomorrow morning."

"Captain Chen," You Xuehan reminded him, "the higher-ups are very interested in that item Li Banfeng possesses."

Old Chen chuckled softly and lit another cigarette. "Li Banfeng took something from the Lucky Star, which means he's destined for three strokes of good luck. Now that his phone is dead, that's one stroke of good luck right there. Knowing this is the Lucky Star's arrangement, why would we insist on tracking Li Banfeng? Isn't that clearly going against the Lucky Star? What's the point?"

"His phone being dead counts as good luck?" You Xuehan was perplexed.

"If his phone is dead, then those who want to find him can't. And it's not just us who are looking for him. There are many who don't just want what he has; they want his life."

You Xuehan froze. "Who wants his life?"

Old Chen smiled meaningfully without answering. He put on his jacket, walked to the office door, and turned back to You Xuehan. "Tangyuan, go home and get some good rest for a couple of days. Tell the brothers to take a break too, especially 'Lightbulb.' Everyone makes mistakes on missions; tell him to let this go quickly."

"What about Deputy Captain Xiao?" You Xuehan asked cautiously.

"Let him be," Captain Chen said no more, leaving the office with the cigarette still in his mouth.

***

In a villa in Yuezhou South District, Xiao Zhenggong pushed away the blonde, blue-eyed woman in his arms and answered his phone.

"Master, the kid's signal is lost. Should we have our people act directly on the train?"

"No action on Train 1160!" Xiao Zhenggong frowned deeply. "Wait until he gets off."

"The train has broken down. We don't know when it'll be repaired."

"If I tell you to wait, you wait. Anyone who dares to act on the train, don't blame the sect rules for being merciless!"

The call ended. On the other end, there was no phone, just a man with an antenna inserted into his head. The man pulled the antenna from his skull, wiped the blood from it, put it into a box, and immediately burst into curses:

"Damn it, what are you so arrogant about? You've been messing around in other provinces for half your life. What do you know? If it weren't for your old man, what kind of master would you be?!"

A man nearby, wearing a flat cap, stepped forward and asked, "Hall Master, what should we do about this?"

"What else can we do? Find a few sharp brothers, go to the station and intercept him. Remember, get the item first, then take his life."

The Hall Master had a hole in his skull, specifically for inserting the antenna. Now that the antenna was removed, the hole remained, ready for future use. The Hall Master found a stopper to plug the hole, then applied two pieces of adhesive tape in a cross pattern over it.

***

Xiao Zhenggong walked to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of red wine. He took a sip, then crushed the wine glass in his hand.

"Li Banfeng, you're truly lucky. You bought the Lucky Star's instant noodles and gained three strokes of good fortune."

"The train broke down, everyone else is starving, but you have instant noodles to eat—that's your first stroke of good luck."

"Your phone died, allowing you to evade tracking—that's your second stroke of good luck."

"Where's the third one? Is it the peddler? No, you shouldn't encounter him; the peddler is still in Greenwater Bay."

"But when will the train be repaired? Could it be that you'll actually make it in time?"

At this thought, Xiao Zhenggong took another glass and poured himself some strong liquor. The blonde woman emerged from the bedroom, placed her hand on Xiao Zhenggong's shoulder, and slowly spoke in Mandarin with a Yue-Dong accent, "Master Xiao, are you in trouble?"

"A bit of trouble, yes," Xiao Zhenggong sighed. "The item I want has been sent to Puro Province."

The blonde woman kissed Xiao Zhenggong's cheek. "Something big is about to happen in Puro Province. I heard that He Haiqin, the head of the He family, is nearing his end."

Xiao Zhenggong deliberated for a moment, then told the blonde woman, "Have your brother intervene and save He Haiqin first."

The blonde woman smiled. "You know his price isn't cheap."

Xiao Zhenggong took a sip of his drink and squeezed the woman's cheek. "The price is negotiable."

The blonde woman cautioned, "Are you sure about this? Doing so will offend the Lu family!"

"There's no other way! That scoundrel Li Banfeng has messed up a perfectly good plan!" Xiao Zhenggong gritted his teeth and drained his glass.

***

Puro Province, Greenwater Bay, the He Family Mansion.

He Haiqin, the head of the He family, lay on his sickbed, barely clinging to life. Relying on his cultivation as a 'Food Cultivator,' he forced down a bowl of rice with great difficulty. His body was covered in pea-sized, dark green blisters, each one translucent and seemingly "ready to burst at the slightest touch."

He Haiqin's wife, Yan Yulin, carefully tended to him nearby. His elder sister, He Yuxiu, pushed the door open, letting in a faint breeze. True to the description "ready to burst," that slight breeze caused one of the blisters on He Haiqin's face to rupture, and green fluid trickled out.

A flicker of pain crossed He Haiqin's face. His wife, Yan Yulin, chided He Yuxiu, "Sister, a little gentler, please."

He Yuxiu sat by the bedside and told Yan Yulin, "Sister-in-law, Doctor Chu encountered an unexpected problem on her way and likely won't be able to come today."

"What kind of problem?" Yan Yulin gasped in alarm.

He Yuxiu's expression was grim. "I heard she was intercepted by the Lu family!"

Yan Yulin's voice trembled. "What are we going to do? Jiaqing isn't back yet. Sister, please think of something!"

He Haiqin had been tormented by these strange blisters for two full years, sustained solely by the 'Medicine Cultivator' Chu Peiying. He Haiqin's condition had suddenly worsened today, and Chu Peiying was delayed on her journey. This time, He Haiqin might not be able to hold on.

He Yuxiu told Yan Yulin, "Sister-in-law, the Jiangxiang Gang has sent a physician. I hear he's quite capable, and he's waiting outside. Let him try."

"Which physician?" Yan Yulin saw a glimmer of hope.

He Yuxiu lowered her voice. "His reputation isn't widely known, but he has real skill. His name is Critik."

"What name?" He Haiqin suddenly spoke.

"Critik," He Yuxiu replied cautiously.

"A foreigner?" He Haiqin's dissatisfaction was evident. "I won't see him!"