Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 1741: Chapter 915: Ginkgo Garden (Part 2)

Another woman took out a stone, staring eagerly at the middle-aged man on the truck: ”Do you think my stone is useful?”

The middle-aged man sneered and threw the stone far away: ”Pick up a random stone to fool people? Get lost!”

The woman pleaded: ”Give me something to eat, a few protein bars would do!”

The middle-aged man said coldly: ”Go work in the Taboo Land, they will give you food.”

”I don’t dare go in anymore!”

”Then starve to death in the town.”

Qing Chen looked at the emaciated prospectors, their eyes sunken deep, this isn’t gold prospecting, it clearly looks like evil ghosts have sucked away their life force.

On the other side, there were two more trucks, Gou Wa was leading people unloading goods from them: protein bars, mineral water, cigarettes and alcohol, frozen meat.

There is no legend of getting rich overnight here.

The ”managers” of the town have colluded with outsiders, exchanging extremely cheap supplies for the treasures people carry from Taboo Land. Boss Wang and Gou Wa did not rob things from the prospectors; if they did, no one would want to work. They just use this clever method to lead the prospectors to self-deprecation.

The prospectors are like pigs they raise.

Just like those dark mines, the miners are indefinitely detained without hope of escape.

Taking advantage of the bustle outside, Qing Chen turned around and went into the small shacks, examining each shack’s pillars and wooden walls, hoping to find similar inscriptions as in his own shack.

Upon reaching the third shack, he saw an inscription on the pillar: ”Don’t get too close to the trees with human-like faces!”

”Don’t walk backward out of the forest!”

”If you feel numb all over, close your eyes for 10 seconds!”

”Don’t give the card to others!”

Qing Chen frowned as he looked at these warnings; the second one clearly contradicted the information he got last night.

Earlier, a woman said one must walk backward out of the forest, now this person says never to do so, whom should he listen to?

The only commonality is that they both warned not to give the card to others.

Qing Chen walked out of the shack, just as he was about to enter the next one, a middle-aged man came over, playing with a boning knife, coldly looking at him: ”What are you up to?”

Qing Chen hesitated to respond: ”I am a little hungry, but I have nothing to trade, so I wanted to see if there is any food in other people’s shacks.”

The middle-aged man sneered and said: ”You’re here to see the warning texts, aren’t you? Every newcomer does just like you. Don’t bother, those words carved aren’t useful, if they were, people wouldn’t die.”

”What is useful then?” Qing Chen retorted.

”Why should I tell such things to a pig that is destined to die sooner or later?” The middle-aged man said coldly.

At this moment, a young man shouted from a distance: ”Er Hu, Boss Wang is calling you, he wants you to lead people into the Taboo Land today with Gou Sheng brother, Gou Wa brother! By the way, these two guys are following you!”

Er Hu looked at the two men behind the young man: ”They’re unfamiliar, haven’t seen them in town.”

”Boss Wang said they just arrived this morning,” the young man lowered his voice: ”Rumor has it they are big shots from the northern city, no idea what they are doing here.”

Qing Chen knew anyone who suddenly appeared in this small town must have something to do with him, given the timing.

If they’re not people sent by Chen Yu, they could be other forces wishing to kill him.

As they were speaking, a new convoy arrived outside the town.

More than twenty bald men with ferocious tattoos on their heads jumped off the trucks, and Boss Wang greeted them with quick small steps: ”Oh, isn’t this Buddha? What wind blew our great financer here?”

The leading bald man laughed: ”I’ve always got goods from you but never visited, everyone outside says the 001 Taboo Land is mysterious, I thought I should have a look myself. Just that I’ve been relatively free lately, so I came here to have a drink with you.”

Er Hu sneered: ”What free time? You’re just avoiding Parents’ Meeting hunt.”

Qing Chen: ”...”

Though Parents’ Meeting isn’t here, the tales of Parents’ Meeting are everywhere.

He had indeed seen this Buddha in Luo Wanya’s report; the guy was into drug trafficking, human trafficking, organ selling — anything that brings fast money.

Originally based in City 17, later Xiao Wu took over the lower districts of that city, secretly catching him citywide, but he managed to slip away.

A pretty clever guy.

However, calling himself Buddha in front of the Knight isn’t wise, the last Buddha... ended up miserably.

Qing Chen suddenly realized that an influx of shady characters was arriving, probably all forward scouts sent by Chen Yu to locate him.

Chen Yu does not have the Key of Gate, secretly crossing over from City 7 would still take several days.

While pondering, Gou Wa came over with a simple backpack, tossed it to Qing Chen: ”This is your three-day ration pack for entering Taboo Land, newcomer welcome bundle, next time you’ll have to buy your own. Remember, don’t give it to others, or if you starve, it’s your own fault.”

”Thanks, Gou Wa bro,” Qing Chen said.

”Let’s move! While the Taboo Land is open, hurry and get inside! Everyone listen up, once inside, keep your mouths shut, don’t discuss the rules!”

Gou Wa waved his large hand, and over forty people followed him in the direction of the Taboo Land.

Qing Chen silently followed in the team. He suddenly looked up, seeing the inside of the Taboo Land was as dark as ink, with no chance of seeing what’s inside from the outside.

Upon entry, he felt a cold wind sweeping over him... he had crossed the boundary.

Strangely enough, this Taboo Land seemed no different from 002, at least around the edge.

After silently trekking twenty kilometers through the dim forest, they reached a clear area devoid of trees, flooded with brilliant sunlight... No, there was a massive, golden ginkgo tree, its golden fan-shaped leaves scattered on the ground, sparkling under the sun.

From the gloom, stepping out suddenly made the ginkgo tree appear resplendent and magnificent.

A ginkgo tree, the symbol of Qing’s Family.

It was only at this point, Qing Chen finally found some information related to Qing Zhen within the Taboo Land.

Red strings hung tiny wooden plaques on the ginkgo tree, similar to blessing cards, swaying and clashing together in the wind, making clanking sounds.

One by one, prospectors voluntarily stepped forward, each taking a plaque from the drooping branches.

”Who hung these plaques? How could there be such signs of human handiwork here?” A prospector, also a newcomer like Qing Chen, asked.

Gou Wa shot him a glare: ”Shut up!”

At this moment, a woman whispered to him: ”Give me a protein bar from your bag, I’ll tell you.”

The newcomer handed her a protein bar, she gobbled it down, then whispered: ”The sound of metal striking will start on the third day, when you hear the first strike, you must leave immediately. When you return later, you’ll find the plaques you took have been hung back in the same spots, each time you see this ginkgo tree, the total number of plaques is unchanged.”

Qing Chen also moved closer.

The tree even had words carved on it: ”Welcome to Ginkgo Garden, please remember every visitor’s notice on the tree, it will be our last kindness to you.”

...

The new map’s pace is a bit slow, I’ll strive to write more each day, there’s another Chapter in the morning, read when you wake.