NOVPUBThis morning's itinerary was organized by Ji Ya: a helicopter tour of the Capital City.
At first, Shen Yuan was hesitant to board, always feeling that those things weren't very safe. But he couldn't resist the class belle constantly persuading him from the side, "You're already here, might as well give it a try."
The takeoff spot was right on the hill next to the hotel, and Aman sent over two BMW i7s to deliver them.
According to the hotel's guide, this helicopter tour of the Capital City is an exclusive offering by Aman, making it a unique collaboration.
As the helicopter emitted a roaring sound and the massive rotor blades whipped up a fierce wind, Shen Yuan found himself sitting in the shaky cabin with inexplicably weak knees.
Especially when they ascended to an altitude of 500 meters, Shen Yuan instinctively grabbed a hand beside him.
The helicopter gradually stabilized, and Shen Yuan slowly adjusted, starting to glance downwards. It felt like a drone's perspective—the houses, scattered yet orderly, resembled densely packed grids from this vantage point.
At this moment, Shen Yuan noticed that everyone on the helicopter was staring at him, even the class belle across from him, wearing a trace of annoyance in her expression.
Huh? Why is the class belle across from me? Then whose hand is this......? Shen Yuan instinctively turned his head and saw the faintly embarrassed and indignant expression on Tan Xin's cool face.
"Haha, sorry about that, I was a bit nervous and grabbed the wrong hand," Shen Yuan awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Pervert.... Tan Xin muttered to herself, unsure whether working for such a boss was a mistake or not, since he'd seize every opportunity to take advantage of her.
Ji Ya and Lu Xinyue were more inclined to believe Shen Yuan did it on purpose—it fit his personality profile perfectly.
Shen Yuan decided not to explain further and continued to admire the Capital City's skyline.
Originally modeled after Huaxia's Tang-era Luoyang and Chang'an, Capital City boasts white walls and black tiles, densely arrayed like fish scales. Many buildings were indistinguishable from those found in Huaxia's ancient cities at a glance.
There's also a historical anecdote about the city: it was initially among the targets for the atomic bomb during the war. However, the then U.S. Secretary of War, Henry Lewis, who visited Capital City multiple times, argued for preserving the city's historical architecture and cultural significance, ultimately convincing Truman to drop bombs only on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Another version attributes the suggestion to Liang Sicheng.
The truth of such anecdotes is difficult to verify, but at least this city was spared.
The experience of surveying the landscape from the helicopter was novel to the three beauties apart from Tan Xin. The thrill of aerial views coupled with the unique perspective offered a fresh way to observe the city.
At noon, they dined at the hotel's "Takan-an" for kaiseki cuisine. According to the hotel staff, the ingredients here are rare seasonal finds auctioned daily at Kyoto's Nishiki Market, such as Tango Matsuba Crab, Kurama Mountain's wild shiitake mushrooms, and Nodoguro fish from Wakasa Bay......
Indeed fresh, and many of the ingredients were entirely new to Shen Yuan.
In the afternoon, Ji Ya had arranged a trip aboard the Lanshan Sagano scenic train.
It's a popular sightseeing train in Japan, considered one of its highlights. Riding the train allows you to immerse yourself in Lanshan's autumn leaves landscapes.
The train departs every hour, and the ticket price is 880 yen per person, which converts to 42 RMB.
However, Ji Ya had already reserved an entire carriage in advance. Normally, the attraction does not allow private bookings, but Ji Ya managed it by offering double the regular price.
As they approached the train platform, the waiting tourists grew visibly displeased.
The scenic train comes only once an hour and is already hard enough to catch due to crowds—many missed their ride on the previous departure. And now, seeing a handful of people bypass the queue and board directly, their patience ran thin.
Complaints erupted immediately, with several individuals even directly questioning the staff.
The staff could only patiently provide explanations.
They conversed entirely in Japanese, most of which Shen Yuan couldn't comprehend, except for occasional furious exclamations like "Baka."
Some daring individuals even approached Shen Yuan's group to confront them, but upon noticing the imposing figure of a nearly 190cm tall man with a stern look, their courage quickly faltered.
Unable to challenge the big guy, they vented their frustration even more furiously at the staff.
The staff explained that the private booking had been reserved a week in advance at twice the ticket price and that this arrangement was clearly noted on today's travel instructions.
The visitors didn't care about such details and seized the opportunity to rant about various grievances.
Shen Yuan didn't pay much attention to the commotion; social stratifications exist everywhere. As he prepared to board, he suddenly overheard a snippet of domestic Mandarin. Turning his head, he spotted several young students staring at him eagerly.
"Huaxia citizens?" Shen Yuan asked.
The students nodded in confusion.
"Do you want to join us?"
It's rare to meet compatriots abroad, so Shen Yuan readily invited them along; otherwise, they'd be waiting miserably for another hour anyway.
Besides, given the large crowd, they might not even get seats on the next ride.
"Thank you, bro."
"Thanks."
"Deeply grateful!"
The young students, a mixed group of males and females, carried an air of innocence that reminded Shen Yuan of his university days.
Oh wait, haven't I technically not graduated? That still makes me a university student. Why do I suddenly feel like one of those aunties or uncles watching over kids? Shen Yuan found himself bemused.
"Can you check if there are any other countrymen here? If so, let them board too," Shen Yuan directed one of the young men upfront.
The young man took a deep breath to gather his courage and loudly called out, "Any other Huaxia citizens? You're welcome to board with us!"
Upon hearing this, a commotion ensued in the crowd, and several domestic tourists quickly raised their hands excitedly.
"Here! Over here."
"I'm here!"
"That's me, I'm one!"
They stepped forward, nodded at Shen Yuan in thanks, and boarded the scenic train.
For this moment, they experienced an unmistakable sense of patriotic pride, a feeling reminiscent of attending a national military parade—one that brought a newfound sense of superiority when faced with the envious gazes of their Japanese counterparts.
