Abyss Express

Jiang Xueming got out of the car and immediately shivered in the cold and damp air.

The scenery in the deep alley is very strange, in addition to the dirty and old walls, there is also thick fog and white smoke like silk brocade.

He knocked on the car window and went back to the car to take a look. The mysterious female driver had disappeared.

Look at the street sign at the entrance of Moon Lane, there is a line of small characters written.

——It is the guide for the VIP reception hall of Nine Realms Station.

That said, just move forward.

He settled down, took out his mobile phone, took pictures of the surrounding scenery, edited text messages and WeChat messages, sent these pictures to his sister's mobile phone, and reported that he was safe.

Then he opened the navigation map, and he wanted to know the exact location of this place.

What surprised him was that the position of Moon Lane on the map navigation was abnormal.

——The positioning shows that Xue Ming's current location is next to a certain Japanese grocery store on the main road in West Kowloon.

But in fact, he checked the shop signs on the map one by one, but none of them matched.

The grocery, fashion, and food shops on both sides of the alley look like they were decorated more than ten years ago. The storefronts are old and most of them have no signboards.

Occasionally there are stores with light signs, and the names are very common. Such facades as "Tiantian Convenience Store" or "Qunying Fashion" abound.

This scene made him feel as if he had returned to his childhood, to the mountain city market in his hometown.

Still unwilling to give up, he repeatedly clicked the GPS navigation reset button.

After repeated attempts more than a dozen times, he was shocked and saw the column about the altitude number in the parameters on the map.

Current Location: No. 15, Tung Fai Building, West Corridor, Kowloon

Altitude: -17521.11 meters

"I am. Am I underground?" He raised his head and looked at the stars all over the sky: "I am 17,000 meters underground?"

The deep stars in the sky are like ten thousand eyes.

The phone clock shows that it is now July 5th, at 9:40 in the morning.

He clearly remembered that the departure time was 8:55, and the time spent on this trip was basically the same as the travel time said by the female driver.

He took a deep breath and coughed, choking on the clammy air.

Immediately afterwards, he embraced each other with both arms, leaned down, and burrowed into the deep alley, heading towards the VIP reception hall.

This alley has no forks, and occasionally turns a few small turns.

I don't know how long he walked, his eyes gradually adapted to the dark environment, and the buildings on both sides became taller and taller. It was as if he was heading into the cracks of a deep underground mountain.

He turned on the pedometer on his mobile phone, and he had already walked about three kilometers, and then turned right at a right angle, and his eyes suddenly opened up.

What catches the eye is the huge fountain square.

In his field of vision, there should be more than ten kilometers of smooth roads from the extreme left to the extreme right of the square, and behind him is a bottomless thick fog.

Every two or three kilometers, there will be a towering bronze sculpture, hidden in the mist, looming, those statues are magnificent and strange, and the images portrayed are like giants kneeling on the ground.

He saw the big bronze sculpture closest to him.

The muscle texture, the acne spots and pits of the skin, and even the capillaries on this huge copper and iron statue are so real, as if they will come alive at any time.

They half-kneel in front of the vast and far-reaching reception hall row of corridors and towers. The muscles of the two arms were twisted and knotted, and they swelled up, and the arms were raised towards the starry sky.

They are as high as a forty-story building, like a dome supporting the entire starry sky.

On them, there are short knee-length open-chested cloth robes, on which there are layers of strong ropes, and the outer layer of the ropes is also added with a cast iron-colored metal double-ring lock.

The faces of these bronze sculptures seem to have been eaten away by some kind of parasite.

Starting from the chin, there are mottled and messy wounds with bite marks, and the teeth marks of large rings and small rings have gnawed these huge copper heads beyond recognition.

Looking at these magnificent and strange huge statues, he forgot to step forward for a moment and froze in place.

Suddenly—the flash of the camera and the sound of the shutter brought him back to the world.

He glanced warily to the left and right. Only then did I realize that there was more than one alley behind me. Many travelers who were in a similar situation to him had already come out from other alleys.

The flash and shutter sound just now came from another passenger a hundred meters behind.

Xue Ming could see clearly that that person seemed to have two tickets in his hand.

He carefully distinguished the buildings behind him—it was almost impossible to describe these strange stone corridors and dangerous roads in words.

In the huge and complicated compound building, there are countless steps and exits.

They are densely packed in a facing cliff pass.

There are cliffs and strange rocks that have been trimmed everywhere, as if chiseled by knives and axes.

There are artificial artifacts everywhere, stairs and paths used to guide travelers.

The complex structure made him feel the almost crazy geometric architectural aesthetics of the designer.

Above the exit of the laneway where he is located, there are nearly a thousand other exits that are patchwork coupled with different roads and stairs.

In those roads, many passengers can still be seen carefully going down the corridors and stairs. Turning on the searchlight of the mobile phone, he walked towards the reception hall little by little.

Xue Ming seemed to be the luckiest person, walking in the forefront of all the fellows.

He shouted loudly behind him, trying to get the attention of others.

But he broke his throat by shouting, and no one responded to him. The shouting spread far and far away, and echoes could be heard.

In the empty square, only the fountain next to the huge bronze sculpture made the sound of dripping water.

Man is a social animal.

Driven almost by instinct, Xue Ming decided to go to one of his more reliable partners.

He could clearly see the appearance of the passenger, he was a middle-aged man, the distance was only more than 100 meters, about as far as a stadium runway.

But what frustrates him is that no matter how he walks, the number on the pedometer on the mobile phone jumps up, and that partner is still so far away, as if he has never moved his position.

Step by step, stepping on the dark stone road, he gradually began to breathe heavily. The body gradually became heavy in the low-temperature and low-energy environment, and the legs seemed to be filled with lead.

When he stopped to rest, his arms supported his knees, panting and coughing heavily.

When he raised his head, he suddenly realized that the target he had chosen, that partner——

——The middle-aged man who was less than a hundred meters away from him seemed to be walking towards this side as well.

Xue Ming waved his hands vigorously and stretched his limbs. He didn't know sign language or semaphore.

He just hopes that the other party can see these actions, so that there will be a connection between the two, and try to communicate.

Under the shroud of mist, the figure in the distance is also waving his hands. It seemed to respond to Xue Ming's body movements.

"It seems that I can't go to his side." He finally realized the reality, "This weird square seems to not want us to get together."

Xueming walked this road for more than two hours, and Wangshan ran to death.

There was not much time left for him, and not much time for his sister.

He turned his head and looked in the direction of the VIP reception hall.

There is a huge moon hanging in the sky, the moon is like a canvas in the sky, painted with fluorescent paint.

Under the moonlight, not far behind the huge bronze sculpture, rows of low foreign-style mansions surrounded three square halls as huge as the bronze sculpture, like stars holding the moon.

On the gate tower of the hall in the center, there is an iron signboard of the Nine Realms Station. On both sides of its avenue are the men's and women's areas of the reception hall.

A long siren sounded from a farther direction.

Immediately afterwards, there was a deep roar as the rails and iron wheels rolled and rolled.

A plume of scarlet smoke rose slowly from the mist. Like thick steam gushing from a locomotive.

He walked in that direction.

This time, all the signs and reference objects in the field of vision were moving closer to him.

The Colossus and the fountain were getting closer—and so were the buildings.

When he walked up to the huge bronze statue, looked up at the huge statue, his neck began to ache, and he realized a little bit how outrageous the engineering elements needed to create these buildings were.

Moving on, according to the pedometer on his mobile phone, he walked almost five kilometers, and finally reached the entrance of the men's area.

There was silence all around, and the companions behind him were still on their way.

Further on, there are more than 50 porch roads paved with red carpets. Between these small gates there appears to be a gate for the passage of goods, about eight lanes wide.

With about fifty meters to go, he could walk to the entrance of the porch.

He could see the check-in desks in front of these porches, and there was a waiter at each check-in desk.

Yes, the waiter—

——Using the words he understands to describe, it is different from the impression of ordinary waiters or waiters.

Those people were neatly dressed, the scissor tail dresses and vests on their bodies were spotless, the black inside was white and the red bow tie was outside, the creases and stitching of trousers, and the strapping style of leather shoes, except for a little difference in appearance, everything else was exactly the same.

They all look proud with their heads held high.

That look is like a clone carved out of a mold.

They carried silver plates and hot towels draped over their forearms.

There are meal packs, orange juice and aperitifs on the dinner plate. There is a washbasin and vanity mirror on the registration desk.

They were male and female, and most of them looked to be over twenty or under thirty years old, and the expressions on their faces were surprisingly consistent. Full of weird vitality, it seems to be ready at any time, just waiting for the distinguished guests to come to the door.

When Xueming walked to the front of the porch. Immediately a voice called out to him.

"Mr. Jiang Xueming!"

He was refreshed by the familiar voice, it was a woman's voice.

He tried hard to remember, but still couldn't remember.

"Mr. Jiang Xueming, look over here, your entrance is over here."

He followed the sound and looked, and one of the waiters had already walked in front of him without haste.

He still remembers where he heard this voice——

——The strange female waitress was standing in front of him.

"Mr. Jiang Xueming, please follow me, your passage is on the left." The waitress held the plate in her right hand, and gently brushed the dust off her shoulders with her left hand. It's like a meeting ceremony.

Xue Ming cheered up: "I remember you! We met!"

Waitress: "Yes! You saw him in the rearview mirror?"

Xue Ming nodded: "Yes, you are that driver!?"

The waitresses are also out of sight, giving people a very familiar feeling.

She is about 1.7 meters tall, and with the blessing of thick-soled leather shoes, she is about the same height as Xue Ming.

Her black hair is tied into a high ponytail with a red ribbon, and her side bangs give her a heroic look. She is a handsome sister.

Jiang Xueming still remembered her eyes.

Those were eyes that he could never forget. It's like being in the vast crowd on the street, the eyes we can't ignore are sharp and alert, very capable.

"Thank you for your hard work on this journey, Mr. Xueming." The waitress took him to the registration desk and sent him the registration booklet and pen.

Xue Ming took these things and began to write personal information.

During this time, he found that this handsome sister was quite interesting.

He heard the waitress introduce herself first.

"I'm your guide. I'm responsible for bringing you here, and I'll also take care of your daily life, eating and drinking at the station during the trip."

Xueming didn't raise his head: "What's the name?"

The waitress immediately replied: "The number is 9527."

Hearing this address, Xue Ming frowned, and raised his head, just in time to see this sister squatting, with her hands on the registration desk, staring straight at herself.

Their noses almost touched.

Jiang Xueming didn't understand, so he asked: "This is... You just happened to be in a hurry? Got such a job number?"

The handsome elder sister replied bluntly: "No, I chose it myself. But it's okay."

She shook the handle (literally, nothing else) vigorously under the registration desk, and the originally low countertop rose.

Xue Ming could also stand up straight and write his name well.

The handsome sister continued: "However! Although my name is 9527, I am not your first-class servant. We are fair and equal, the relationship between employers and labor."

"Then what should I call you?" Xue Ming completed the basic information and returned the registration booklet to the handsome sister.

"Xiao Qi, Ah Qi, 9527 are all fine, isn't it just a number, how can there be so much attention to it." The handsome sister didn't look out at all, and took Xue Ming's arm to lead it to the door.

"Then let's call you Xiao Qi." Xue Ming just breathed a sigh of relief, but when he saw other waiters at the entrance, they all looked at this end in unison.

The waiters' eyes were vicious and fierce, as if they had been robbed of their prey by other hunters.

This made Xue Ming's heart jump out of his throat once again, "What's going on? Why are they all looking at me?"

"Hey, don't worry about it." Xiao Qi turned around and explained: "This is the fault of the BOSS."

"What did the boss do?" Xue Ming didn't quite understand, he stood still in the porch, ready to listen to Xiao Qi's explanation.

"It's just our boss." Xiaoqi's body language is very rich, and his expressions are also very rich.

She winked at Xueming for a while, and shrugged her shoulders meaninglessly, "You know, after you receive the ticket, we will go to your home first and bring you here."

Xue Ming nodded: "Yes, this is the process."

Xiao Qi went on to say: "Then, driving it for 40 minutes is a very simple thing, but what a wonderful thing to get off at the entrance of the reception hall on Yingbin Avenue, isn't it?"

Xue Ming then nodded: "That's right."

Xiaoqi winked and looked disgusted: "The result is that the boss means to leave the guests in Moon Lane, and let you walk for more than an hour, walking on two legs, facing the wall, first come to the stairs for half an hour. Training, and then half an hour of walking and morning exercises, a set of fitness routines are clearly arranged, this is the bad idea of ​​BOSS."

"Ah?" Xue Ming didn't quite understand: "Why did you do that?"

"Sense of ritual." Xiaoqi put his arms around Brother Xueming's shoulders, and teased: "Do you understand the sense of ritual? I don't understand anyway, and those brothers and sisters outside don't understand either."

The distance is a little closer.

It was so close that Xueming's heart beat faster.

Xiaoqi continued to complain: "As for us, we went back early to change clothes, prepared to pick up the guests, and then waited outside the door for more than an hour. More than an hour——

——I first got angry on the most congested and worst street in HK, and I still have to smile! Serve you with a smile! You slept so soundly that you didn't hear my gnashing of teeth.

Just for the sense of ceremony that the BOSS said. What a hell of a ghost! "

Even the tune of Cantonese came out.

"What kind of genius pork chop bun idea did Boss Diaomao come up with? If you put it in the small comments, these details will get bad reviews. If I were a customer, I would give the station a top-notch slogan of wealth and wealth in minutes!"

Xiaoqi brushed her hair, managed her demeanor and expression well, and rambled in distaste again: "What more sense of luxury is needed, standing at the door with a supermodel face and waiting for guests to come. Waiting for the guests to walk half their lives No more, hand over orange juice and aperitifs at the door, be elegant~~”

Xueming blinked twice.

Only then did Xiao Qi realize that he had lost his composure: "Oh, I'm sorry for being rude. Hehe."

Xue Ming then asked: "Then those brothers and sisters outside the door just now?"

"Aren't they jealous? The look in our eyes is almost going crazy with jealousy." Xiaoqi finally explained clearly, and hugged the distinguished guest beside him tighter, as if he had found a treasure: "You are lucky, it is today The first guest to arrive at the door, thanks to your quick legs, I don't have to stand here, they still have to wait!"

Xue Ming suddenly realized, those vicious eyes just now? Is that the case?

The atmosphere becomes normal——

— and not so normal.

Anyway, after experiencing such an experience that I don't know whether it was a surprise or a shock, Xue Ming's heart didn't jump out of his throat so easily.

It's just that in this unfamiliar environment, being hugged by Xiao Qi, who hooked her shoulders and backs shortly after meeting, I always feel a little uncomfortable.

Xiao Qi was puzzled: "Are you watching me?"

He was about to say a polite greeting.

"That. Can you. Let me go."

Xiao Qi: "Hey, are you shy?"

"I respect women very much." Xue Ming said righteously, while being hugged by Xiao Qi, she walked further into the porch, "Seventh brother, I respect your straightforward and quick personality. We do seem to have met each other, but There's no need to come up and just be so intimate, right? I still have business to do, I'm very busy, I really don't have time, my sister still..."

Before the words fell, he only felt a chill on his cheeks.

Something seemed to peck him in the face.

"Okay. Don't be shy now? Go wash your face, I'll take you to meet the boss later, talk about your sister, and your ticket." Xiao Qi whistled, pushed the registration desk up, put on makeup The mirror and water basin were sent to Xueming.

Xue Ming looked at himself in the makeup mirror, with lipstick marks on his side face.

The brain is thinking, and it seems that it has not yet realized what happened just now.

He seemed to be eating tofu by the female gangster, he was a little angry but still kept smiling.

He wants to wash off the dust along the way, clean the dirt from the ears and nose and the oil from the corners of the eyes.

To cleanse your face of dust and dirt, wipe off the creamy bean paste lipstick marks on your cheeks.

He asked casually: "Seventh brother, were you always so affectionate before? Did you always treat your customers like this? You are not afraid of bad reviews at all, are you?"

"Of course not! Do I look like a very casual person?" Xiao Qi's smile is very villainous——

——If Xueming wants to describe it, it's like the laughter of the eerie and strange ancient tomb in the film and television drama.

He wiped off the moisture on his face and the twitching corners of his mouth, and managed his expression well.

"Then do you think I'm easy to bully?"

Xiao Qi squinted his eyes and curled his lips, did not answer, and continued to lead the way to the porch, bouncing up and down.

Xueming felt like he had been sap, wanted to say something, but couldn't say it, he was thinking about the ticket and his sister in his heart - so he had to obediently follow behind Xiao Qi.

It's just that he also heard Xiao Qi's whisper.

The voice was very small, and it seemed to be said on purpose.

"You seem to know that you look good."