MM Racing Chapter 20 Hakutake Town
Chapter 20 Hakutake Town
When Lu Siye entered the town, it was already completely dark.
Although it's called a town, it's more like a sizable settlement.
Old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs hung on both sides of the main street, with an electric wire running from east to west, illuminating the entire street brightly.
The lights weren't very bright, but there were many of them.
There were quite a few people on the street.
There were small stalls along the roadside selling food, daily necessities, clothes, and shoes. The vendors' shouts mingled together, creating a buzzing sound that made it difficult to make out what they were saying.
Lu Siye stood at the street corner, squinting slightly from the glare of the streetlights.
He had been walking in the darkness for too long, and suddenly seeing so much light and so many people made him feel a little disoriented.
Feifei peeked out from his shoulder, looked around, and let out a soft "chirp".
The sound wasn't loud, but it exploded in the crowd.
"Wow, what's that?"
"So cute!"
"Is it a cat? It doesn't look like one, its tail is so big."
"Is it Fei Fei? I've seen her in a book, the Fei Fei?"
"Really? Isn't that a protected animal?"
Several people gathered around.
They were all young people, two girls and one boy, and judging from their clothes, they seemed to be students from the neighborhood.
One of the girls squatted down, looked up at Feifei, her eyes sparkling.
"Can I touch it?"
Lu Siye glanced at her, then looked at Fei Fei.
Feifei tilted her head, seemingly trying to determine whether the human had any ill intentions.
Then it stretched out its tail and placed it on the back of the girl's hand.
The girl gasped and touched it cautiously.
"So soft!" she exclaimed, turning to her companion. "Softer than a cat's tail!"
The other two people also joined in.
Feifei felt a little comfortable being touched, so she squinted her eyes and made gurgling sounds in her throat.
Lu Siye stood in the middle of the crowd, feeling a little uncomfortable.
He hadn't spent so much time with so many people in a long time.
"Do you have a place to charge your devices here?" he asked.
"Yes, yes, yes," the girl stood up and pointed to the other end of the street, "Go straight ahead, there's a restaurant on your right after the intersection, the owner has a power outlet, you can just borrow one from him."
Thanks.
Lu Siye pushed through the crowd and took a few steps forward.
Feifei perched on his shoulder, glanced back at the group, its tail tip wagging as if saying goodbye.
The group of people behind them were chattering away, their voices fading into the distance.
The restaurant was small, with only five or six tables. A handwritten menu was pasted on the wall; the characters were crooked but legible.
The owner was a man in his forties, wearing an apron stained with grease, busy in the kitchen.
Hearing the bell at the door, he peeked out.
"What would you like to eat?"
"I'm not eating," Lu Siye said, taking his phone out of his bag and holding it up for him to see. "Could I borrow an outlet to charge my phone? I'll pay."
The boss glanced at his phone, then at Feifei on his shoulder, his gaze lingering on Feifei for two seconds.
"What a rare find," the shopkeeper said, pulling a power strip from under the counter and tossing it onto the table against the wall. "Charge it up, it's free."
Thanks.
Lu Siye sat down and plugged in his phone.
The screen lit up.
Battery level is 3%.
He stared at the number for a few seconds, then pressed the power button and turned off the screen.
Feifei jumped off his shoulder, lay on the table, rested her head on her two front paws, and squinted at him.
Lu Siye patted its head.
"I'll charge it for a bit," he said. "We'll leave after charging for a while."
After charging for about 40 to 50 minutes, the battery level jumped to 10%.
Lu Siye unplugged the wire and walked to the counter.
"Boss, how much?"
"If I said it's free, then it's free," the boss waved his hand. "Let's go, let's go."
Lu Siye did not leave.
He stood in front of the counter and remained silent for a while.
Do you have a printer here?
The boss paused for a moment. "A printer?"
"Yes, I need to print something." Lu Siye showed him his phone screen. "I have a photo of my ID card on my phone, and I want to print it out."
The boss glanced at the screen, then at him.
"Where are you from?"
"From out of town."
"I can tell," the shopkeeper said. "You've been wearing the same clothes for at least two months, haven't you?"
Lu Siye looked down at himself.
It was indeed a bit messy and smelly.
He looked up at the boss.
"Can you fight?"
The shopkeeper didn't ask any more questions. He pulled out a printer from under the counter and then a stack of A4 papers.
"There are no color prints, only black and white."
"Black and white is fine."
The boss took the phone and glanced at the ID photo on the screen.
The photo was taken by Lu Siye a while ago. His hair was neatly combed, he was wearing a white shirt, and his expression was serious, like a proper person.
"There have been quite a few changes," he said.
"Um."
The boss connected the printer, pressed a few buttons, and the machine hummed for a while before spitting out a piece of paper.
The portrait on the paper is not very clear, and the edges are a bit blurry, but the words are legible.
Lu Siye folded the paper and stuffed it into his bag.
"How much?"
"Printing is free," the shopkeeper said, pausing for a moment. "If you really want to thank me, sell me that phone."
Lu Siye stopped moving.
He looked at the boss.
The boss looked at him.
The two stared at each other for about three seconds.
"Three hundred yuan," the shopkeeper said. "I know it's not worth that price, but my daughter likes the color of your phone, so I bought it as a toy."
Lu Siye looked down at the phone in his hand.
"OK."
The boss counted out three bills from the drawer and handed them over.
Lu Siye took it, folded it in half, and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Wait a moment," the boss turned and went into the kitchen. After a while, he came out with a plastic bag containing several rice balls and a bottle of water. "Take this and eat it on the way."
Lu Siye looked at the plastic bag but didn't take it.
"Here you go," the shopkeeper shoved the bag into his hand. "With your build, you'd die if you went hungry for another two days."
Feifei peeked out from over the shoulder and sniffed the plastic bag.
"Thanks," Lu Siye said.
He glanced back as he walked out of the restaurant.
The boss had already gone back to the kitchen to get busy; fumes drifted out from behind the curtain, carrying the aroma of scallions and soy sauce.
The streetlights were still so bright, and there were still so many people.
Lu Siye stood at the door and took a deep breath.
The air was filled with the smells of cooking oil, human scents, and a faint fragrance of flowers drifting from afar.
He couldn't tell what kind of flower it was, but its scent was reassuring.
He turned and walked into the street.
I found a deserted alley, took the rice ball out of the plastic bag, opened it, and ate it in three bites.
Feifei squatted at his feet, looking up at him. He tore off half a rice ball for it, and the little thing held it with its two front paws and nibbled on it in small bites.
He tore open another rice ball, ate half of it, and stuffed the remaining half into his mouth, chewing it.
Then he took off his clothes and took out the old coat that Xiang Dingkun had given him from his bag.
The old coat was grayish-brown, very thick, and the collar and cuffs were frayed, but it was very clean.
After putting it on, he crumpled up his dirty clothes and stuffed them into a trash can in the corner of the alley.
After finishing half of her rice ball, Feifei ran back, climbed up his trouser leg, and squatted on his shoulder.
"Let's go," Lu Siye said.
He walked out of the alley and headed towards the bus station.
The bus station was small, just a tin shed with a few plastic stools underneath.
There is an electronic screen that displays the shift schedules and times.
To get to the nearest city, you need to transfer three times.
The first bus was a minibus with sixteen seats, but it was crammed with more than twenty people.
Lu Siye sat in the last row by the window, huddled inside his coat, with only the tip of his head showing.
The car was crowded and the air was stuffy. Some people were smoking, some were eating sunflower seeds, and some were talking loudly on their phones.
The car swayed and bumped along for three hours before stopping in a small town.
He got off the bus and switched to a minibus.
The minibus is a bit better than the regular minibus; at least the seats are soft.
But there were still a lot of people; several people were standing in the aisle, and the luggage racks were packed full.
Lu Siye held the bag in his arms, and Feifei lay on top of it, motionless.
The car drove for four hours, and the scenery outside the window changed from mountains to hills, from hills to plains, from plains to farmland, and from farmland to the urban-rural fringe.
It was already daylight when I got off the bus.
He stood by the roadside, bought a bowl of soy milk and two fried dough sticks, and squatted on the curb to eat them.
Feifei took a small piece of fried dough stick, which was difficult for her to chew, but she ate it happily.
The third transfer was by long-distance bus.
It has air conditioning, soft seats, and seat belts.
There weren't many people on the bus; they were sitting sparsely.
Lu Siye chose a seat by the window, put her bag on her lap, and squeezed herself in, curling up into a ball.
As he started the car, he glanced out the window.
The sun had just risen, and its light shone from the horizon, turning the distant buildings golden.
There are more and more buildings.
No longer scattered wooden houses, but neat rows of reinforced concrete buildings.
The road has become wider and smoother, with a green belt in the middle planted with low shrubs and unknown flowers.
There were more cars on the road, cars, buses, and trucks, driving by one after another, with horns blaring all around.
traffic light.
He hadn't seen a traffic light in a long time.
The car stopped at an intersection, waiting for the red light.
Next to him was an office building, its glass curtain wall reflecting sunlight so brightly that he squinted.
There's a convenience store downstairs, with several shared bikes parked outside. A man in a suit is scanning a QR code.
The light turned green, and the car continued driving forward.
Lu Siye leaned against the window, looking at the city outside.
More and more people.
All sorts of people were walking on the street: going to work, taking a stroll, dropping off their children at school, and carrying grocery baskets.
Their faces were expressionless; some were hurrying on their way, some were chatting, and some were looking at their phones.
Lu Siye suddenly felt a little dazed.
The bus stopped at a station in the city center.
Lu Siye got off the car and stood in the station square, swept along by the crowds coming and going.
He hadn't slept for almost two days.
My eyes are so dry, it feels like they've been sanded, and it hurts every time I blink.
He took a few steps forward, his steps unsteady.
Feifei peeked out from under his coat, looked around, and then shrank back inside.
There is a small alley next to the station square, and a sign hangs at the entrance of the alley.
"Comfortable Homestay".
Lu Siye turned inside and pushed open the door.
The receptionist was a young woman in her early twenties who was looking at her phone. She looked up when she heard the door open.
"A hotel?"
"Um."
"ID card."
Lu Siye took out the printed A4 paper from his bag and handed it over.
The girl glanced at the paper, then at him, her expression somewhat subtle.
But she didn't ask any more questions. She took a key out of the drawer and placed it on the counter.
"Third floor, room 305. Eighty yuan per day, one hundred yuan deposit."
Lu Siye took out the crumpled banknote from his pocket, counted out 180, and handed it over.
"Keep the change, please."
He took the key and went up to the third floor.
The hallway was quiet, with only the sound of his footsteps. He found room 305, inserted the key, turned it twice, and the door opened.
The room wasn't big; it had a bed, a bedside table, a TV, and a bathroom.
The sheets were white and neatly folded. The pillow was a little flat, but it looked fairly clean.
Lu Siye threw his bag on the ground, took off his coat, and lay down on the bed.
Feifei crawled out of her coat, rolled around on the pillow a couple of times, found a comfortable spot, and lay down.
Lu Siye closed his eyes.
My mind is a mess.
But I was too tired.
No matter how exhausted he was, there was nothing he could do to stop himself from sinking deeper into despair.
When Lu Siye woke up again, he was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling for about five minutes.
My mind is empty.
It's not the kind of emptiness that's been emptied out; it's the kind of emptiness where... everything has been cleared away, leaving only an empty shell.
He couldn't remember where he was, who he was, or what had happened before.
He turned his head and glanced at the phone on the bedside table.
No, the phone has already been sold.
There was nothing on the bedside table.
He sat up and glanced out the window.
The sun was high in the sky, and the light was very bright.
He picked up the old-fashioned alarm clock provided by the guesthouse from the bedside table and glanced at it.
2:17 PM.
The date is...
He froze for a moment.
He slept for a whole day.
No, not just one day.
He remembered arriving in the evening; it was now the afternoon of the third day.
In other words, he slept for nearly forty hours.
A loud rumbling sound came from my stomach.
Feifei is hungry too.
The little one lay on the pillow, its belly flat, looking at him with watery eyes.
Lu Siye took out the food rations he had bought earlier from his bag.
A few rice balls, two compressed biscuits, and a packet of beef jerky.
The rice ball had gone a little sour. He smelled it, peeled off the top layer of rice, and ate the filling inside.
Break the compressed biscuits into small pieces, soak them in the free mineral water provided by the guesthouse, and eat them once they've softened.
Half of the beef jerky was left for Feifei. The little one held the jerky in her mouth, lying on the corner of the bed, tearing off small pieces to eat.
After eating, I felt a little something in my stomach, but my stomach was still growling.
He put on his coat and left Feifei in the room.
"I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back."
Feifei lay on the bed, tilting her head to look at him, but didn't follow.
He was probably tired, or maybe he felt safe here and didn't need to be followed around all the time.
Lu Siye closed the door and went downstairs.
The receptionist had changed; she was a woman in her forties, and she was eating sunflower seeds.
He nodded when he saw him come down.
"Awake? You've been sleeping for quite a while."
"Um."
"Turn right after you leave the house, walk two blocks, there's a bus stop, take three stops and you'll be in the city center."
"Thanks."
He stepped out of the guesthouse, the sunlight warming his face.
The streets were bustling, much more so than the previous town.
The roadside is lined with various shops.
Clothing stores, shoe stores, mobile phone stores, milk tea shops, barbershops, and pharmacies.
There were pedestrians, bicycles, and electric bikes on the sidewalk, and occasionally a dog was walked by its owner.
Lu Siye walked along, his gaze sweeping over the signs along the roadside.
He's looking for a shop.
The address Xiaoman gave him was a pork chop restaurant.
Following the address in his memory, he circled the city center twice before finally finding it at the entrance of a small alley.
The shop is small and the storefront is a bit old, but it is very clean.
A wooden sign hangs at the entrance, with a few words engraved on it.
Sachiko Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl
A blue curtain with white wavy patterns hangs below the sign.
He lifted the noren curtain and went inside.
There are only four tables in the shop, two against the wall and two in the middle.
The menu was posted on the wall, along with several handwritten recommendations.
The kitchen is open-plan, and you can see an older man standing in front of the fryer, turning over the pork chops in the oil.
Hearing the door open, the man turned around.
He's in his fifties and his hair is a bit bald.
His gaze lingered on Lu Siye for a moment, then fell on the A4 paper in his hand.
"What would you like to eat?"
"I'm not here to eat," Lu Siye handed over the paper. "I'm looking for this address."
The man took the paper and glanced at it.
Then he glanced at Lu Siye again.
"Wait a moment."
He turned and went into the kitchen, and after a while, he came out with a plastic bag.
Inside the bag was a black cell phone with a tempered glass screen protector. The corners were a bit worn, but it looked usable.
"Miss Lin Zhiman asked me to pass this on."
Lu Siye took the phone and pressed the power button.
The screen lit up.
The desktop wallpaper is a default gray-blue color with no icons on it.
He opened his contacts, and there were only two names in them.
Xiaoman (Grain Buds)
Yi Songjin.
He stared at the two names for a while.
Then he clicked on "Yi Songjin".
The phone rang three times before being answered.
"Feed?"
A voice came from the other end, a slightly hoarse voice, as if the person had smoked a lot.
"Uncle Yi, it's me."
There was a moment of silence on the other end.
"Lu Siye?"
"Um."
"Where are you?"
"Hakugatake Town."
"It's good that we've arrived," Yi Songjin said. "Was the journey smooth?"
"Not so smooth," Lu Siye said, lowering his voice. "I encountered five zeros."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
Lu Siye thought the signal had been cut off.
"explain."
Lu Siye recounted the events.
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
"I understand," Yi Songjin said, her voice even hoarser than before.
"Xiaoman and Baozi will be there in a few days. Find a place to stay first and don't wander off."
"it is good."
Lu Siye tightened his grip on his phone.
The phone hangs up.
He stood in front of the counter, staring at his phone screen for a while.
The screen went dark, so he pressed the power button, and it lit up again.
The two names in my contacts lay there quietly: Xiaoman and Yi Songjin.
He put his phone in his pocket.
"Um..." The shopkeeper stood behind the counter, looking at him hesitantly, "would you... like to eat something?"
Lu Siye raised his head and looked at the boss.
"How's your pork chop rice?"
"It's the signature dish," the owner said, a hint of pride in his voice. "The best food on this street."
"One, please."
"Okay!"
"Wait," Lu Siye said, "three portions."
The boss was taken aback.
"Three portions?"
"Yes, a large portion."
The boss glanced at him, then at his thin frame, and hesitated before speaking.
In the end, he said nothing and turned to go into the kitchen.
Lu Siye found a table against the wall and sat down.
The sizzling sound of frying oil came from the kitchen.
The air was filled with the aroma of pork chops, the smoky fragrance of fried pork coated in batter, mixed with the sweet and salty taste of sauce.
His stomach growled again.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, the boss came out carrying three large bowls.
Each bowl was piled high.
The rice is served at the bottom, topped with a fried pork chop that's bigger than the palm of your hand, cut into strips, but you can still see its original shape.
The pork chop was topped with a dark brown sauce that seeped into the seams of the batter, softening the crispy exterior slightly.
It was served with a small bunch of finely shredded cabbage.
Lu Siye picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of pork chop, and put it in his mouth.
The batter was fried until very crispy; you could hear a "crunch" when you bit into it.
The pork inside is very tender, and the juices are locked under the batter. When you bite into it, the juices burst out, mixed with the salty and sweet sauce, exploding on your tongue.
The rice is also excellent; each grain is distinct, neither too soft nor too hard, coated in sauce. One bite warms you from the tip of your tongue all the way to your stomach.
He took the first bite, then the second, and the third.
The speed is getting faster and faster.
He picked up a pork chop with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and swallowed it.
Then came the rice, a huge mouthful that bulged out my cheeks.
Then came the shredded cabbage, crisp and slightly sweet, which cleansed the greasiness in my mouth.
After finishing one bowl, he pushed an empty bowl aside and started eating his second bowl.
She ate the second bowl even faster than the first.
The shop owner stood behind the counter, holding a rag in his hand, but forgot to wipe it.
He watched as the thin young man stuffed three large bowls of pork chop rice into his mouth, his expression shifting from surprise to admiration, and then from admiration to a subtle worry.
After finishing the three bowls, Lu Siye put down his chopsticks.
The bowl was completely clean, not a single grain of rice was left.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
My stomach finally stopped growling.
The burning sensation from the stomach acid disappeared, replaced by a warm, heavy feeling of fullness.
He stood up and walked to the counter.
"How much?"
The boss opened his mouth, looked at the three large bowls stacked together, and then looked at him.
"It's free," the owner said.
"No need, I'll pay."
"No," the boss waved his hand, "I'm not just being polite. I wanted to ask you..."
He hesitated for a moment.
"Are you interested in participating in a competitive eating contest?"
Lu Siye tilted his head.
"A competitive eating contest?"
"right"
The boss spoke faster, as if afraid he would refuse before he finished listening.
"Hakudake Town is currently holding a food festival, the kind that's held annually, and this year is the seventh one."
"The competition is divided into three categories: light weight, middle weight, and heavy weight, based on body weight."
"Judging from your physique, you must be a light-weight, but your appetite..."
He glanced at the three empty bowls.
"There shouldn't be many opponents in the lower weight class."
Lu Siye looked at him without saying a word.
The owner continued, "The winner will have their name and signboard displayed on the big screen in the city center square for a whole month."
"Moreover, the government will provide a subsidy, and the amount is not small."
"So you want me to compete in your place?"
"Yes," the boss said, "of course, I won't let you come for nothing."
"Because of your relationship with Ms. Lin Zhiman, we will provide you with the highest level of benefits..."
"What benefits?"
The boss smiled.
"Free pork chop rice for a whole year, unlimited."
Lu Siye's eyebrows twitched.
"Unlimited?"
"Unlimited." The boss repeated, "You can eat as much as you want, three meals a day, ten bowls per meal, it's all fine."
Lu Siye remained silent for three seconds.
When is the match?
"10:00 AM the day after tomorrow, at the central square."
"OK."
He turned and walked out, pausing at the door.
"Boss."
"Um?"
"The pork chop rice is indeed quite good."
The boss laughed, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"Take care, see you the day after tomorrow."
When Lu Siye returned to the guesthouse, Fei Fei was lying on the bed watching TV.
The TV was on, showing a food program, and the host was introducing a ramen shop.
Feifei stared at the screen, its tail tip twitching slightly, its mouth slightly open, revealing a small section of its pink tongue.
Lu Siye stood at the door and glanced at it.
"Can you understand it?"
Feifei turned her head, chirped, and then turned back to continue watching.
Lu Siye shook his head, walked in, and sat on the edge of the bed.
He took his phone out of his pocket, opened his contacts, and looked at the two names.
A finger hovers above the screen.
He wanted to make a phone call.
For Tang Yuan.
For Grandma.
Tell them he's okay, he's alive, he's fine.
Tell them not to worry or be afraid, he will be back soon.
Tell them...
What should we tell them?
he can not.
He knew he couldn't.
The people around him, his interpersonal relationships, his social networks, his relatives, friends, and classmates.
They've probably already found out everything about these things.
If he calls back, they might be able to follow that lead.
He can't take that risk.
We can't involve them.
He can't let anyone else get hurt because of him.