Lord of the Mysteries: Yao Guang

Chapter 63 New Target Hope Land
Backlund, the capital of all capitals, the land of hope.

Sitting on the bench waiting for the train, Esther quietly watched the crowd coming and going, saving the third-class ticket for the steam train half an hour later in her hand.

Aside from the bustling scenes described in books and the center of the world in news magazines, Esther doesn't have much concept of this city, just like her half-knowledge of extraordinary power, what she touches is the superficial and superficial layer .

For the Loen Kingdom, Backlund, as the capital, naturally became the center of commerce, industry, and culture. Speculators went on and on, trying to find the ideal springboard here, eager to soar into the sky.More people flocked to the factories lined up in the east in order to support their families, tied their lives to the chimneys that discharged dense fog day after day, and tried their best to keep their lives at the bottom line, until the last bit of value was also squeezed out .

On both sides of the Tussock River, the deeper it goes, the more it looks like two worlds. The east and west districts exist in this city with a population of one million at the same time.The Backlund Bridge and the ferry connect the east and the west, and countless people and goods flow through the capillaries of the city, interweaving into the most dazzling stage of the northern and southern continents.

Esther is already thinking about where to stay. The bridge area with a lot of fish and dragons is more dangerous, but it is easier to find traces of wild Beyonders. There will be no shortage of job opportunities here, but it is also easy to encounter disputes.The situation in the East Side is more chaotic than the Bridge District, but it is also easier to hide and find job opportunities. The advantages and disadvantages are equally obvious.

Hillston District is the overlord of Loen's economy and finance. The stock exchange, clearing house, futures center, etc., all kinds of famous big crocodile companies occupy a place here, and the land price is naturally so expensive that Este be considered.But if it comes to job opportunities, she believes that this place must have a place where you can fish in troubled waters, and maybe you will get lucky.

The Jorwood District is close to the Tussock River, and most of the people living here are small and rich groups with close contacts, but because the situation here is too stable, it is not suitable for people like Esther who hide secrets, mainly because she does not have much money. It can be used for expenses, and the long-term rental here will put Esther under financial pressure, not to mention that many homeowners have to consider the identity certificate of the tenant.

There is St. Samuel's Church of the Evernight Church in the North District, St. Hirland's Cathedral of the Church of Steam and Machinery in the St. George District, and the Holy Wind Church in the Jowood District, all of which are skipped.Esther always remembered the special light spots on her body, Xiao Qi and Xiao Wu also seemed to be at odds with the official Beyonders, she was unwilling to face any risk of being captured.

And there is no law that stipulates that she must believe in religion!
The noisy wharf area or factory area is still not considered. The southern area seems to be okay. Although the pollution is more serious, the environment is relatively more stable than the eastern area. Let's go there first...

"Woooo-"

The sound of the whistle is the roar of coal, water, and heat, and the continuous "puff and puff" of steam during the gallop is the breath and heartbeat of these steel giants.

The locomotive of a huge steam train appears on the track, and the levers, gears and shafts extend the pulling force to the wheels behind, so that this long dragon can continue to move forward on the established route, and travel tirelessly to every place where the rails are laid. The cost and risk of ordinary people traveling far are greatly reduced.

Esther felt the slightly vibrating ground under her feet, and had to feel the wonder of the world. Perhaps history is always similar. People here will invent steam trains and telegraphs now, and may also invent batteries and telephones in the future.

She looked at the creature crawling on the railroad tracks and continuously spewing thick smoke into the sky, and said to herself: "Human wisdom..."

Even though Extraordinary power made life dangerous, this world still tried to move forward along the pace of development, but Emperor Roselle gave it a hard push, allowing many things to appear on this continent more quickly.

Esther didn't have that kind of ambition, she hugged Xiaoqi in her arms, and followed the crowd to board the steam train.

There are no fixed seats in the third-class car, only the car number. If the passengers are unlucky, they may not even be able to find a seat. Esther's luck is not too bad, she found a vacant seat by the window.But soon someone squeezed over. This middle-aged man with a big belly was carrying four suitcases. After he sat down, his suitcases took up a lot of space. He said hello to Esther apologetically. Stuart smiled back.

Soon, as the scenery outside the window began to move slowly, the steam train was about to head for its next stop. It would stop in several cities before arriving in Backlund, and it would take four hours to arrive. Esther's destination.

After taking off his bowler hat, the middle-aged man took out a handkerchief and kept wiping the sweat from his half-bald forehead. The limp brown hair at the back of his head was also stuck together, and his rosacea was red and shiny. Still panting, it was probably because he was running just now to catch up with this train.

The decent suit on the man's body was wrinkled due to strenuous activity, and was held up by his stomach. At this time, he was still fanning his face with his top hat, trying to cool down as soon as possible.

In the crowded third-class carriage, because Jacob's boxes occupied the aisle, no one could walk over, and Jacob could only apologize repeatedly with those dissatisfied eyes, until the train increased speed and there were no passengers Looking for a seat closer here, only Esther sat with this gentleman.

Esther glanced at him inadvertently from the corner of her eyes, then turned her attention to the scenery outside the window.

Tingen was at the back of the steam train, drifting away from her.

But the man seemed to be restless, and he happily greeted Esther: "The weather in Tingen is pretty good, isn't it?"

Esther held Xiaoqi's hand tightly, and put on a "social mask" smile: "Yes, it was only after heavy rain a while ago that I could see such a blue sky."

"Where are you going, Baltin?"

"I'm going to Backlund. I heard that the weather there is far worse than Tingen's."

"Oh, that's it! What a coincidence that the storm is here!" The middle-aged man laughed loudly, and patted his thigh vigorously, "I came to Tingen this time to discuss business, and now I can go back to Backlund. I don’t need to come in person for monthly delivery.”

"I don't know what kind of business you are in? These boxes look heavy."

"Hahaha, most of them are blueprints and models, and there are a few pieces of materials and accessories that are strangely heavy..." The man rummaged through his body while talking, and quickly pulled out a piece of paper that was deformed in his pocket. Business card, "But we are all in the business of ironclad ships, you may not be interested, unlike those perfume gems that attract ladies."

Esther took the business card with "Duke Steel Company" printed on it, and asked curiously, "Then why didn't you take the boat? Down the Tussock River is Backlund."

The man's face turned red all of a sudden: "It's really a joke to say this. Although I can be considered an old man in this ironclad ship company, I am very seasick."

"This is really... a bit desolate." It took Esther a lot of effort to suppress her smile, and Xiao Qi nestled in her arms, blinking obediently, eavesdropping on these meaningless and trivial conversations.

The man shook his head in distress: "So I have been working for so many years, but I can only run on the ground!"

"Is it just a trip?"

"Haha, I think so too. Anyway, I don't care about walking around. Thanks to the popularity of steam trains."

"Yeah, it's my first time to ride a steam train. Technology really changes my life."

The man's eyes lit up: "This sounds very philosophical!"

Esther hurriedly made up, "Maybe it's Emperor Roselle's famous saying? I heard it too."

In case of indecision, it is right to leave it to a century-old fellow.

He can't climb out of the grave and kick me twice, can he?
Obviously, when Esther thought this way, she even forgot about her "resurrection".

-

Esther learned that the middle-aged man's name was Jacob Barry, and also told him her own name "Esther". She didn't use a pseudonym. Considering that it was just an intersection of trains anyway, she didn't care about being called. know the name.

They will forget anyway.

However, when he heard that Esther did not have a surname, Jacob still showed a little pity in his eyes, but he did not pursue it. Instead, after praising how good Backlund was, he turned to talk about Esther. Backlund's purpose.

"Where are you going to find a job?"

"Yes, this should be a very common thing? After all, people from all over the world go to Backlund every day to try their luck."

Jacob laughed "hehe" and shook his head disapprovingly: "That's for businessmen, you can live well in Tingen at such a young age, there is no need to send yourself to the East District. "

"Is the situation in the East District so bad?"

"East District, Factory District, they're all the same," Jacob lowered his voice a little, as if he didn't want others to hear him, "After all, to factory owners, workers are parts on the assembly line, and parts are broken. It’s cheaper to just replace it than to repair it.”

Of course Esther knew what Jacob meant: "Especially when there are cheaper, newer parts."

Jacob cleared his throat and resumed his normal tone: "Well, since you know everything, why do you still go there? It's almost enough to go around after a while. And you came too early, the Kingdom Museum next month You might like the 'Roussell Memorial Exhibition'."

Esther gently stroked Xiao Qi's feathers, Xiao Qi raised his head and looked at Jacob and yelled. For some reason, he hid the white circle of his right eye again. At this time, he looked the same as the one in the cemetery. Any ordinary crow makes no difference.

Jacob couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked, "Is this your bird?"

"Well...it's called Xiao Qi."

"It's strange, I rarely see people keep crows as pets."

Esther twitched her lips: "Sometimes I think it's smarter than me, so it's more like my friend."

Jacob laughed, and didn't pay attention to Esther's words. Instead, he began to use a warning tone, reminding her to be vigilant when going out, and not to go to the East End if she could.Jacob's attitude was in great contrast to his praise of Backlund a few minutes ago. While Esther couldn't help laughing, she was also very grateful for this gentleman's enthusiasm.

With a talkative person next to him, it will make people feel that time passes quickly. Jacob's sincere and enthusiastic personality allowed Esther to gain a lot of information about the local situation in Backlund from him, and gained a deeper understanding.

This kind of opinion from the locals is much richer than that written in books and magazines, which made Esther very pleased.

"You are really a good man, Jacob, and the future of your company will be very smooth."

"Hey, how can business be so easy, our boss is worried. It would be great if we could get new investment, then we can start a big plan to introduce ironclad ship technology into the field of commercial ships."

"Don't worry, maybe some great noble will come to support you after seeing this business."

"Hahaha, that's really great!" Jacob patted the box at his feet, "As long as I don't ask me to accompany that big client on board, anything is fine!"

After getting off at Backlund's platform, Esther quickly said goodbye to Jacob. She didn't want to delay the kind gentleman's return to handover work, so she decided to walk around by herself.

Perhaps it was because the workmanship of the coat Esther was wearing was not bad, a hand suddenly appeared in the dense crowd, reaching into the pocket of the coat from the side.Esther didn't stop the opponent's actions, and let the opponent poke in to get a few coins, then her feet suddenly tilted and hit the person.

The other party obviously didn't expect Esther to be so strong, and was knocked down by her directly. Esther apologized again and again, helped him up with a smile, and the little seven on her shoulder "quacked" twice , causing many people to look back here.

The thief mumbled a few curses and then hurried away. He rejoined the crowd, apparently because he didn't want to be noticed by too many people, and he was also worried that Esther would find out that he had stolen.

And Esther touched the extra banknotes in her arms, the smile on her face became more sincere, and she also walked slowly towards the exit of the station.

"Exchanging pennies for sullets is a huge profit. No exchange for nothing."

Xiao Qi whispered to her ear: "Aren't you just stealing?"

"I, I'm taking back what he took from me. This is called equivalent exchange."

"It's not equivalent."

"Those pennies are one-tenth of my wealth, and I took as much Su Le as he had. Of course I won't take more."

Xiao Qi's eyes became more and more contemptuous, but there was no sense of disobedience with such an expression on Crow's face: "Do you really think you are fair?"

Esther shook her head: "I reciprocated his malice, that's it. Since he attacked me, it was my luck and his unlucky luck. I was not really overly kind, just because most of the people I met were worthy of my kindness." them."

Xiaoqi sighed, feeling sad about Esther's unreasonable persistence, but also found it very interesting, and couldn't help but look forward to the day when she broke her bottom line: "What if one day you have to violate such kindness? No If you violate it, you can't live, but if you violate it, you can use others as stepping stones to live?"

Esther opened her mouth, but said nothing.

Xiao Qi smacked his lips triumphantly: "Hypocrisy, it's really a hypocrisy with a human style."

(End of this chapter)