Ning An's Wild Wish System

A clear sunny day, the blue sky vast and bright.

A long-distance bus leisurely traveled on the asphalt road from Z City to Y City.

The bus’s final stop was in Pixian County, Y City, quite near the city center, known as a historical burial site.

A senior and junior brother and sister, somewhat bored, looked out the window.

”We should arrive in Pixian County by sunset.” Ning An sighed.

From Z City to Y City is just over two hundred miles. Even if there’s a traffic jam on the highway, at the current speed of the bus, we should reach Pixian County by sunset.

”That’s not necessarily the case.”

Lin Yanke helplessly shrugged her shoulders and said, ”Recently, this road isn’t really congested, but police checks make it slower than a traffic jam.”

Just as she finished speaking, the bus came to a screeching halt. It turned out that there was a police car ahead, signaling to pull over.

Once the bus came to a complete stop, a police officer and two armed police boarded, one traffic cop showed his credentials around and then said, ”Ladies and gentlemen, sorry to take up your time, please take out your ID cards. During these special times, we ask for your understanding.”

”Huh? When I took the bus a few days ago, no one was checking.”

”Armed police? Could something have happened again?”

”Wasn’t that case in the city a few days ago causing an uproar? Surely there can’t be another psycho killer so soon?”

”Who knows? Anyway, if the sky falls, it’s the tall ones who hold it up. We ordinary folks won’t be involved.”

The passengers inside the bus were all talking among themselves, but the police officer ignored them, checking ID cards one by one, while the two armed police kept a watchful and hawk-like gaze on everyone inside.

Everything seemed normal until it was a tourist from Lingnan’s turn, the officer clicked his tongue lightly.

Lingnan? That’s the far south of Dragon Country, so far it practically stretches off the map.

”Comrade, what brings you to Y City?” the officer asked.

”Just sightseeing, you know, Pixian County is said to be a historical burial site, thought I’d check it out.” The young man answered somewhat nervously.

”Alright then.” The officer sized him up and down, and casually handed the ID back: ”Traveling so far isn’t easy, if you encounter any issues, immediately call the police for assistance.”

”Thanks for your cooperation, I won’t take up any more of your time, wish you a pleasant journey.”

After finishing the ID checks, the officer left.

”Damn it!”

The driver spat softly, then continued to drive on.

The bus rocked and rolled through several more checks before finally arriving in Pixian County.

Ning An and Lin Yanke got off the bus and casually booked a room at a Home Inn on an app, two rooms, of course.

After a short rest, the two went out to experience the local culture and customs.

Everywhere was bustling with activity, but Ning An felt something was off with the atmosphere. People hurrying along the streets and alleys, with a mix of curiosity and apprehension on their faces.

At every alley corner, there were groups of two or three people smoking, looking like a normal scene of life, but hardly communicating and always watching their surroundings.

Ning An discreetly counted; after passing just two streets, they had already encountered eight or nine undercover cops.

The fifteenth of the first lunar month, it was the most lively time, street vendors and small stalls, big and small peddlers shouting one after another, incessantly.

”Lamb soup, lamb soup, Angora goat soup here~”

”Grilled chicken racks, cheap, ten bucks for three~”

”Hey boss, how about a fish patty, it’s really something!”

”Boss, try my roasted sweet potato, if it’s not sweet it’s on me...”

Not only were the vendors full of passion, the shops on either side weren’t to be outdone either. Many salespeople danced energetically at the door to attract customers.

The shops along the street covered almost all aspects of life: food, clothing, lodging, and travel - hardware stores, hotels, mahjong rooms, foot massage parlors, hotpots, etc., with stewed cuisine restaurants being the most numerous, about four or five.

As they stepped into a stewed cuisine restaurant, the cool air from the AC rushed in instantly. Inside, people of all ages were enjoying their stews, with satisfied smiles on their faces.

Ning An and Lin Yanke exchanged a smile, ordered a set meal, and sat down.

At the next table were a few young tourists, faces flushed, eating dish after dish and sipping their drinks, chatting in standard Mandarin, ”I must tell my classmates when I get back, the public security here is nothing like back home.”

”The security is good, but it’s just too troublesome. Went out for a few blocks and had to show my ID two or three times, sigh.”

”You just never appreciate what you have, huh? With such good security, and you’re complaining? I’ll send you to Yingjiang to feel the taste of freedom, hey.”

...

The further north you go, the warmer the people’s enthusiasm gets. Indeed, after just a few exchanges, an older local man couldn’t resist turning his head, shaking it broadly: ”You came at the wrong time, a few days ago you wouldn’t have seen this commotion.”

”Yeah, last night’s ruckus was quite something. Heard a few police officers died in the line of duty.” Another table’s old man couldn’t help but chime in.

”Bah, Old Sun, if you don’t know, don’t talk nonsense. My second daughter works at the hospital, and she said some officers were brought in but it’s not a big deal. How did it end up with you saying they died on duty...” The old man beside him laughed and banged the table while scolding.

It started as a few out-of-town tourists chatting, but ended up piquing the interest of the old men in the restaurant. They started chatting across tables.

Ning An listened intently, and the more he listened, the more outrageous it seemed.

Heart-wrenching stories, beheadings, invulnerability to weapons – are novels today really this immersive?!

Eating while listening to the old men’s spirited chats, they managed to pick up a few key pieces of information.