Old-time musicians

"Caron, your driving skills are so good."

"Yes, I never noticed that he could actually drive before. Speaking of which, is this a business trip or a private outing?"

Under the blue sky and white clouds, on the country road, the dark and shiny Kent box car sprayed heat waves and drove forward at a steady and efficient speed.

Fan Ning leaned on the driver's seat in a comfortable posture, holding the steering wheel with one hand and the gearbox with the other. He calmly looked straight ahead. The shadow of the "big nose" engine compartment in the sun quickly passed through the rows of sycamore trees.

[Writing this, I hope readers will remember our domain name Taiwan Novel Network→𝓉𝓌𝓀𝒶𝓃.𝒸ℴ𝓂]

Although the driving style and handling feel of this kind of car from the old industrial era are very different, as a veteran driver in his previous life, it is not too difficult to adapt. The main thing is that the manual shifting method needs to be re-experienced and proficient. I spent some scattered time on it

Just the right breeze flowed into the car window, blowing up the clothes. While driving, Fan Ning's brain was in a special state between emptying and functioning, and a large number of inspiration fragments tumbled out of the astral body.

I have to say that traveling far away always brings new breakthroughs in my creative thinking.

"Click——" There was another crisp sound from behind.

The girl sitting directly behind him was wearing an aqua skirt, holding a salt and pepper donut in her hand, and a huge woven bag on her legs. There were a dazzling array of snack packets, including nut and brownie bars, handmade marshmallows, canned fruits, and honey. Yogurt, biscuits, and several large snack boxes with woodpeckers on them

This was what Lord Nehemiah had prepared after she told her family about her plans to accompany Sheeran on her graduation excursion.

So Fan Ning said helplessly: "Qiong, you have been eating for two hours. We are going to find a place to eat later. Can you eat less and help me look at the map more?"

For Fan Ning, who is used to looking at the navigation system when traveling far away, he now suspects that he is driving in the wrong direction almost every time he drives through a turnoff.

"I haven't calmed down yet." Qiong said softly, "But don't worry, I will never miss you at dinner."

"There's nothing to be nervous about." Fan Ning said, "It's Friday afternoon after rehearsals. It's been two and a half days. It's hard to make practical gains in such a large area. The rehearsals were too tense before, so we just pretended to relax. This time we are mainly trying to find the town of Vacnay. We also have to go to the workhouse of Langevny to investigate the paints used in the painting "Green Night" by the painter Cumier."

Qiong nodded obediently: "When you said that, I suddenly felt that this trip was quite pleasant. There was sunshine, breeze, snacks and the scenery of the small town that I had never seen before. Please help me choose a room with a bigger bed when I stay in the hotel at night. I hope you can help me choose a room with a bigger bed." Lan especially likes to squeeze in people while sleeping.”

Sheeran, who was also sitting in the back row, pulled out the map with a snack bag from Joan's legs with a swipe: "...the easternmost part of the Mecklen region is the main city, and the westernmost part is the lowland town of Wavsk. The odometer difference is now more than 100 kilometers, and we just drove out of it... Caron, you should continue to drive west. You should see the entrance to the town of Penis after five o'clock. Don't go in, turn left and drive south. "

Fan Ning, who looked at the windshield, nodded slightly: "After changing to the south, let's rest in the next small town. It's hard to find a place to refuel. If the car breaks down in the wilderness at night, I'm afraid that Monroe will raise his hand after knowing it. Shotgun chasing me."

Public gas stations only began to appear at the beginning of this century, and there are already many in big cities. However, Imperial Oil Company's plan to build a large-scale network of its own gas stations is still in its infancy, at least in small cities at the level of "county-level cities" Only then can we find one or two.

According to Joan's recollection, vacations to the "Vaznai Town" often start early in the morning and arrive close to midnight. Excluding the time to stop and rest, it takes at least 12 hours. The average speed of the carriage on the road is 15-20 kilometers per hour. If so, this town should be nearly 200 kilometers away from the urban area of ​​Ufranser.

Fanning had previously believed that this memory was reasonable, because judging from the map, this distance was indeed close to the rural boundary of the Fort Saint-Talán precinct.

The current journey is more than half of this distance.

The setting sun and red clouds set off the mountains into black outlines, and the lazy figures of farmers a hundred meters away were driving their cattle and sheep. At around six o'clock in the afternoon, the car drove into the small town of Gogol in the county of Uflanser. The odometer shows that 170 kilometers have been driven, and theoretically this place is roughly within the searchable range.

The speed of the car slowed down, Fan Ning freed up his hands and glanced at the Ufranser geographical magazine that was carried in the car.

The small town of Gogol is located in a relatively flat hilly area. It has a strong cultural atmosphere. Several famous poets and playwrights were produced in the last century. The fruit and vegetable agricultural and sideline products industry is developed. Several types of flowers grown are famous in the empire. As Uzbekistan, There is a large flow of foreign population in the middle section of the Francis Gate.

The setting sun left a color like red wine and chocolate on the rows of huts on the street. Flower beds were clustered on both sides of the cobblestone road. There were pink sparkling lights on the river. The silhouettes of several ancient city walls, fortresses and forts were dimly visible in the twilight at the end of the field of vision. Visible in . The street performers played the accordion and violin, and beat the snare drum that Fan Ning could not name. The music was melodious and had a slightly pleasant rhythm.

"The street scene here is different from that in the countryside. It reminds me of Ufranser when I was a child." Joan's fair arms were resting on the car window, and the evening breeze made her hair flutter.

"Did Ufranser develop so fast more than ten years ago?" Sheeran asked.

Fanning from the driver's seat said: "This kind of street scene was still often seen more than ten years ago in East Mecklon and South Dock, which were newly designated as urban areas, such as low brick buildings, flowerbed streets and streets with exquisite guardrails. The river in the city is just that many retro things have been demolished now, and they have all turned into black smoke-filled factories and high-rise buildings. The fresh air can no longer be smelled... I think this place will not be immune in the future. Look - "

On the poetic flower street, everyone looked where Fan Ning pointed and saw several inconsistent chimneys, as well as construction frames and equipment at the construction site.

The car did not stop.

"Coffee shops with unique decorations often have special desserts that are difficult to find elsewhere. Hey, please open slowly." Joan quickly entered the role of a tourist.

She put her hands on the backrest of Fan Ning's driver's seat and said in his ear: "I saw a very beautiful flower shop again. It seems that there is a combination that Ufranser has never seen before. Do you want to stop and buy some bouquets?" We can decorate the outside of the car”

Schoolgirl, can you get me some earthly stuff? The corner of Fan Ning's mouth twitched; "A wise person can control inspiration, but he cannot drive a hearse."

"Joan, do you feel familiar with this place?" Sheeran asked again.

"You asked me a dozen times along the way." Qiong curled her lips, "At first I thought no, no, still not. Now I feel, everything seems familiar."

In front of the railroad that ran through the street, Fanning stepped on the brakes and waited for release.

Compared to the ubiquity of big cities, cars are still a rare thing here. People walking in small cities looked at the man and two women in the car with novel eyes.

"Woo!——" The train bound for St. Taranburg flew past the car windshield.

"Caron, where are we going to stay? Do you want to go somewhere to eat first?" Joan asked.

"Go to the police security station first." Fan Ning turned his head and glanced at her angrily.

The car started moving again, and he turned several streets following the street signs, going around the figure-eight double roundabout formed by the fountain, and finally parked the car in front of a flat and wide gray building.

The two uniformed police officers had already noticed the large car from the duty room. They were standing at the door, looking at the man and two women in the dusk with wary and suspicious eyes.

"Good evening, gentlemen, I want to meet with your person in charge. I need to ask some questions." Fan Ning greeted politely and showed his work ID.

"Guide School?" The policeman was stunned. This was the first time in this small town that he saw an informed person's certificate with the seal of the Special Patrol Office. He was doubtful for a moment, but he quickly recalled his training knowledge.

After his eyes stagnated for more than three seconds, he saw a cyan stream of light flashing across the red print of "Pogorelic"'s scrawled signature, as if he was dazzled.

He did not dare to neglect, and quickly invited the three people into the building, and at the same time motioned to another person on duty to call someone quickly.

"The small town of Vatznai?" After a brief greeting in the office, the gray-haired elderly police officer thought for a few seconds and said decisively, "There is no such place name, at least in the past fifty years of changes, our area has never heard of it. ”

"Except for big place names like small towns and small cities, are there other smaller categories? Such as small villages, rivers, mountain peaks, forest farms, manors, or even property names or squire's surname. Well, it sounds similar to 'Waznay' ”

"Probably not." The old police officer thought again and replied, "Of course you can also go to other departments for further verification."

It was just the first stop of the investigation. Fan Ning was not surprised by the result, but he still asked: "So, is there anything that makes you feel mysterious and confusing recently? ... Well, it's not limited to recent times. Over the years, have you I can think of any folklore or anecdotes from the market... We can chat casually with the mentality of talking after dinner. "

"Mysterious rumors? There are a lot of foreigners here, so there are some rumors." The older police officer took a sip of coffee, "Not long ago, there was some kind of 'Dream Boy' incident over there in Uvranser. We are here. Someone…”

"Is there anything else?"

"Well, a few days ago, a caving team was killed on Lezalig Mountain in this direction." The old police officer pointed to a certain wall in the room, "I heard that the leader is a big noble from the imperial capital. , a young master from a wealthy family."

"What does caving mean?" Sheeran asked curiously.

"That's the literal meaning." Fan Ning explained, "Wear helmets, headlights, safety belts, ascenders, foot cables and other things, and form a team to explore inside the cave..."

"It feels quite dangerous...what's so fun about this?" Sheeran expressed confusion.

"Who knows, maybe they are treasure hunting." The old police officer shrugged, "Rich people like to pursue excitement, and their equipment is better than our police... But those naturally formed caves in the mountains are not drilled by people. ? Some are narrow and some are wide. If you accidentally get stuck in it, you won’t be able to turn your head around. The branches are extremely complicated, and there are even many 90-degree vertical paths that are more than ten meters high, or dark areas submerged by groundwater..."

"These guys specialize in drilling into suffocating narrow holes. After breaking free to a spacious space, they drilled into another one. Our troops and firefighters worked together in the wilderness for most of the night, and then no one was rescued... It seems According to the relatives and friends who rushed to the scene, they were talking about the afterlife, or the feeling of transitioning between life and death, huh? What is the original word...'a pleasure similar to being squeezed by the birth canal', anyway, I am? This kind of elderly person finds it unreasonable..."

"Speaking of which, there are a lot of similar things to Ufranser." Sheeran said, "Caron, you may not pay much attention to some of the private commissions that Woodpecker Consulting has received recently. There is a surfer who was trapped on the reef. , some were seriously injured while skydiving from an airship, and others experienced suffocation and death..."

"This is not even a mystery." Fan Ning shook his head, "People who seek death by tricks can be found in all eras, but the methods of rich people are rarer."

Seeing that Fan Ning still didn't seem very interested, the old police officer thought for a while, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "By the way. There was a rumor about a 'ghost train' in this area a few years ago..."

"Ghost train? Tell me about it?..."

"Hmm... Actually, this matter is more likely to be fabricated, because the characteristics claimed by the witnesses cannot constitute a closed loop in investigative science. However, since the commander is interested, I can share it..."

The old police officer sat up straight: "There are several sections of abandoned railway tracks in the north of Gogol Town. They were abandoned after the optimization of the railway network coverage plan in the Imperial Capital Circle. In the past few years, some citizens... not many, maybe a dozen, They claimed that they accidentally heard the sound of a train passing by, and it was always in the middle of the night. Some of them also claimed that they got up after hearing the sound, lay down by the window and indeed saw the train..."

"However, we investigated the surrounding households and found that on the nights when there was the so-called sound of trains passing by, other people did not hear any sounds... and the witnesses described the situation differently. Some people said they saw The train looked like the old one when the Imperial Steam Train was first invented. Some people said that what they saw was a train that was as black as ink, with only two beams of light shining out in the night. Others said that it looked exactly the same as it does now, but There were only three or four sections, and I saw an inexplicable white mist where my vision disappeared... The speed was also different, some said it was galloping by, some said it was moving forward slowly..."

"What's even more outrageous is that four years ago, the Smith family called the police. Since they had been troubled by 'ghost trains' for a long time, and their shared experiences were questioned by people around them, they built a small house next to the railway and took turns staying there for several months. For a long time... One day, when my son was sleeping next to the railway in the middle of the night, he was suddenly awakened by the sound of a train again. What he saw that night was an old-fashioned steam train with only a few sections, swaying and moving slowly. He ignored his family at the window of the building. He shouted to dissuade him, rushed to the railway track and jumped on the train, and then after the train traveled a short distance, it suddenly disappeared out of thin air with him..."

"Because this sighting involved a missing person issue, the Police Security Bureau had to launch an investigation. However, the investigation result was that the Smiths only had one daughter and there was no so-called younger son, so we determined that this was caused by hysteria..."

"Hmm...if camera technology were more popular, there might be a lot fewer such incidents." Fan Ning said with a smile, tapping his fingers on the table, "But the description is sensational enough, mysterious and interesting enough."

The old police officer nodded in agreement: "In general, due to the lack of group evidence and the different descriptions of witnesses, the credibility of this matter is very low, and I have never heard anyone react like this in the past three or four years. It happened, but many travelers are interested in such conversations in the tavern..."

Speaking of this, he smiled easily: "But if you, the officers, need to stay in the small town, I would recommend the 'Gogol's Great Hotel' in the north. This is the most luxurious hotel in the small town, with well-decorated, broad views and considerate service. Guests from big cities may be more accustomed to staying here, and what’s interesting is that one of the guest rooms can see the abandoned railway tracks, and maybe the officers will be the ones to witness the next ‘ghost train’.”

After the two parties chatted for more than half an hour, Fan Ning declined the suggestion of the Police Security Bureau to provide a meal. When he walked out of the door, it was already dark. He took Xilan and Qiong to find a unique local restaurant. After a good meal, Drive to "Gogol's Great Hotel".

The rare box-type car and the decent attire of the three people made the two waiters not dare to neglect anything. They ran over to help carry their belongings and guided them all the way to the front desk.

"Sir, how many rooms do you need?"

The female front desk staff asked politely in the palace-style hall.

"Two larger rooms." Fan Ning said, "Stay here for one night, and then you need a room on the north side with a higher floor."

"A pound and ten shillings, sir."

Fan Ning said in surprise: "Isn't it 12 shillings per room on the notice board?"

The receptionist reached out and turned the sign aside: "Rooms above the third floor on the north side will be charged an additional 25%, sir."

She winked in a friendly but polite manner, with "you know" written all over her face.

…good guy. Fan Ning cursed in her heart and was too lazy to talk to her, so she handed over the banknotes and silver coins.

Is this hotel turning urban legends into a business?

After checking in, the three of them walked up the stairwell covered with luxurious carpets.

Joan asked: "Caron, will you come to play with us tonight?"

Fanning looked down at his pocket watch: "It's past eight o'clock. I have to take some time to write new songs every day. I'm very inspired today, so you should go to bed early. We'll set off early tomorrow.

Joan looked at Fanning in disbelief: "You've just written two such great works, and you have new inspiration again?"

Fanning added: "Also, remember that we are here to investigate. Don't go out alone at night for the sake of caution."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her." Sheeran held Joan's hand.

"Okay... Carolan, if you're hungry at night, you can come and knock on our door." Joan said.

When the two girls were about to enter the guest room next door, she turned around and asked Fanning: "What if... I mean if... someone of us heard the sound of a train tonight, what should we do? ”

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Thanks to the leader who has left but not forgotten for the reward~~~ This chapter is a 5K chapter. Thanks to Huan Jin, book friend with the last number 7207, Fei Gongzi, frank, salia, julianvic, Shentong Wudao, book friend with the last number 6309, Latiaoguai, Yiwanhuangnian, Heiyasanqian, book friend with the last number 4553, Feiyuyan's Starry Sky, and Yaserber's monthly ticket~