Kudaikan

Li Banfeng didn't sprout three heads. Less than an hour after the train departed Santoucha Station, the bizarre itch on his neck gradually faded away. He had scratched so furiously earlier that both sides of his neck were covered in bloody gouges. Although they hadn't actually grown in, that didn't mean there hadn't been a tendency to sprout them. Had he lingered in Santoucha a bit longer, Li Banfeng suspected he really would have grown three heads. Just now, he had distinctly heard two voices speaking right beside his ear. It was absolutely not him talking to himself. He wasn't crazy. The doctor had said so—he really wasn't insane. Then what was that about? Why had I heard two people talking? Did I develop schizophrenia? If my mind is already split, then I don't ever have to worry about developing schizophrenia again. That's a good thing! At that thought, Li Banfeng felt considerably reassured. Yet one thing remained inexplicable: why would a three-headed person exist in this world? Suppose they were conjoined twins—that was a reasonable explanation! Then why had I shown signs of sprouting three heads earlier? After pondering for a long time, Li Banfeng found two plausible explanations. First explanation: I'm a conjoined twin too, and I just never knew it! Second explanation: Santoucha is a place that induces strange transformations in people. The first explanation was impossible to verify for now, but the second held a logical flaw. If Santoucha could cause strange transformations, why would the train make a stop there? Did it trigger changes in everyone, or only in specific people? For now, this question could only be checked online. Li Banfeng curled into the berth of his compartment. Rocking along with the rhythmic clatter of wheels against the rails, he pulled out his phone to look up information about the Santoucha stop, only to find a heap of results about three-headed dragons. Turns out a three-headed dragon isn't just a monster, but also a certain kind of tool... Why the hell am I even in the mood to read about this? Li Banfeng switched to searching for news regarding Train 1160. He found no results. There was zero information online about Train 1160. Even the previous derailment had no corresponding news online. Impossible! How could an incident as massive as a derailment not have a single piece of news? Could it be there was never any derailment accident at all, and Old Chen was bluffing me again? Just as Li Banfeng went to search further, his phone lost signal. Li Banfeng sighed, opened a previously cached novel, and quietly waited for the signal to return. Truth be told, reading a novel to the rhythmic pulse of steam and machinery had a distinct charm of its own. Li Banfeng read for several hours straight and drifted back into dreamland around daybreak. When he woke up, it was already noon the next day. The train pulled into a station, and the onboard broadcast announced: "Dear passengers, we have arrived at Haichiling Station." This station was unlike Santoucha. It was bustling with activity; even through the glass, he could hear a medley of vendor cries. "Freshly fried dough twists!" "Soy milk, fried dough sticks, and fried cakes!" "Millet porridge, tea eggs!" Through the curtains, Li Banfeng saw hazy figures passing back and forth outside the window—vendors pushing carts and hawking their wares. Each cry traveled down his ear canals into his brain, and from his brain burrowed down into his stomach. Li Banfeng was hungry. He desperately wanted to open the window to buy some food, especially a couple of tea eggs. Yet exercising restraint again and again, he didn't open the window. Instead, he steeped two tubs of instant noodles to eat. After eating two tubs, he still felt hungry. He couldn't resist steeping another bucket. After downing it, he still felt hungry. Steep one more? No, I can't wait! Li Banfeng's stomach felt as if a hundred hands were clawing inside, itching to reach straight out of his throat to grab food. Tearing open the packaging and taking the dry noodle cakes, Li Banfeng dipped them in the seasoning packets and crunched them raw. The train remained stopped at Haichiling for over twenty minutes. Only after the train started up again and traveled for over an hour did Li Banfeng finally put down the noodle cake in his hand. His uncontrollable appetite finally subsided. This likely meant they had left Haichiling's domain. Eight buckets of noodles sat before him, all empty—five of them crunched down dry. Li Banfeng felt waves of bloating in his stomach. He wanted to vomit, but after dry-heaving for a long while, nothing came up. The digestive burden brought on by the excessive food sent Li Banfeng collapsing back onto the bed. *Click-clack!* A notification chime reached his ears. The mobile signal was back. Li Banfeng saw a message from He Jiaqing. "Yaowanggou, Ligou, Paifang Street, Xianchuanzi Alley, Number 21." He Jiaqing had sent his home address to Li Banfeng. "Brother, head straight to my place after getting off the train. I won't be able to pick you up tomorrow." "Where the hell is your home? Why are there people with three heads here?!" He Jiaqing didn't reply. Yaowanggou, Haichiling... none of these place names could be found online. Li Banfeng opened the map app on his phone, hoping to verify his location—at least to know which direction he was heading. The map was a blank void, unable to provide a location. Irritated, Li Banfeng tossed his phone aside. The battery was low. There was an outlet by the berth, but Li Banfeng couldn't be bothered to plug it in. He rolled over and fell asleep again. At dusk, waves of a cloying, sweet scent drifted through the air. Laced with a restless stirring, this cloying fragrance pulled Li Banfeng from his deep sleep. So sweet! It was a sweetness almost tangible—sweet with texture, elasticity, and warmth. Li Banfeng pulled out his ticket and checked the station names. Was this Lüshuiwan? Was the water at Lüshuiwan sweet? He checked the scheduled arrival time again. No. Lüshuiwan's arrival time was 3:00 p.m. Even though steam locomotives often ran off schedule, it was already past six. This should be the stop after Lüshuiwan—Kudaikan. It wasn't an elegant name. Li Banfeng couldn't imagine why a place named after a trouser belt would smell so sweet. He went to the window and tried to peer outside through the curtain when he suddenly heard someone tap on the glass: "Mister, looking for service?" "What service?" Li Banfeng jolted. "Train service. Twenty minutes, two hundred yuan. Guaranteed to wipe away your travel fatigue." Only two hundred! What a bargain! The dusk's fading glow cast a slender, curvaceous silhouette onto the curtains. A sweet voice, sweet rouge, coupled with the girl's sweet sincerity. Li Banfeng had found the source of the sweetness in the air. Suppressing the impulse within, Li Banfeng replied toward the window, "No need, thank you." The woman outside didn't leave. Beyond sweet sincerity, she possessed sweet patience: "Mister, is this your first time here? Don't worry, I don't have to enter your compartment." "If you don't come in, how do you provide service?" Li Banfeng's imagination was somewhat lacking. "Just crack the window open a slit and give me the part that needs it." The part that needs it... Li Banfeng pictured the scene. Standing before the window, offering out the part that needed it. "That's... hardly appropriate..." "If the service isn't up to par, I won't charge you a cent!" With the girl laying it all out like that, let's be honest—how was Li Banfeng supposed to refuse? As Li Banfeng fought against the torment and struggle in his heart, through the heavy curtains he could practically see a shy girl-next-door gazing back at him with watery, wide eyes. From outside came that sweet, pure voice once more: "Big brother, I'm genuinely sincere. If you think I'm no good, I won't take your money!" Li Banfeng nodded. "Brother knows. Brother knows you're sincere! Brother thinks you're wonderful!" He was on the brink of losing control. But just as he was about to open the window, he remembered the three-headed person from earlier. What if this girl had three heads too? Triple the fun? One head servicing, while the other two heads asked: "Mister, are you satisfied?" "Big brother, I can manage." Girl, my imagination truly is impoverished! After weighing it over and over, he politely declined her generous offer. He deliberately lowered his pitch, making his voice sound raspy and weathered: "We aren't quite suited for each other, miss. You're far too young. Until fate brings us together again." The girl didn't badger him. The train stopped for only so long; she had to hurry and find her next client. Just as Li Banfeng's nerves settled, another woman tapped on the glass. Judging by her voice, she sounded far more mature than the previous one: "Mister, I'm suitable for you. Right age, right price. Fifteen minutes, one hundred yuan, satisfaction guaranteed." "Ma'am, I am a man of higher education. Such vulgar transactions are not for me." Li Banfeng mounted his final stand of resistance. "Higher education... I see!" The woman outside adjusted her tone. "Class, settle down. Lesson begins now." The mature voice, dripping with intellectual authority, sent another shudder through Li Banfeng's body. He could almost see the woman outside—a young teacher in a gray business suit, wearing glasses, pointing at the board while gently instructing every student thirsting for knowledge. The teacher outside called out loudly, "Come, students, read after me: Service!" The students recited in unison, "Service!" The teacher wasn't quite satisfied: "Students, not loud enough! Read after me once more: Service!" "Service!" This time, the students' voices rang clear and unified. The resounding chorus of students chanting echoed outside the window, intimidating Li Banfeng into stepping backward step by step. Li Banfeng was on the verge of breaking. From outside came another intellectual summons: "Student, my teaching quality is guaranteed first-rate. If you don't believe me, crack open the window and take a look at my carefully prepared teaching materials and lesson plan." The teacher spoke again. You have to listen to the teacher! Li Banfeng laid his hand on the window, his fingers slowly groping for the latch. Trembling all over, Li Banfeng gritted his teeth, resisted temptation once more, and modulated his voice: "Sister, you've got the wrong customer. Actually, I'm a woman." Voice modulation was one of Li Banfeng's specialties. He had once posed as a female livestreamer and raked in quite a few tips. The woman outside gave a cold scoff and left. Li Banfeng splashed cold water on his face, trying everything to quench the raging fire in his chest. He couldn't open the window; he had to obey the train rules. Yet no matter how much cold water he used, that fire continued to burn in the sweet, fragrant air, blazing hotter and hotter. Li Banfeng lost control completely. Kudaikan was simply too lethal. If just one more person came to the window to pitch a price, Li Banfeng wouldn't hesitate for a second to fling open the window and do business. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* Sure enough, someone knocked on the window. Li Banfeng's eyes turned blood-red as he pressed both hands onto the window latch. No matter who it was, this deal had to be done! Even if it cost him his life, this business was going through! The voice outside drifted to his ears: "Ma'am, looking for service? Twenty centimeters, you set the time, guaranteed satisfaction before departure, only eighty yuan." Li Banfeng pulled his hands back. This deal couldn't be done. Listening to the man outside tapping incessantly on the window, Li Banfeng decided the air wasn't actually that sweet after all. He took out his ticket and double-checked the itinerary once more. No mistake about it—this place really was called Kudaikan. Such a straightforward name, such a bizarre place... Jiaqing, once I finish helping you sort your mess out, I might as well just live here in the future. The next stop was Yaowanggou. Jiaqing, we'll be seeing each other soon.