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Chapter 553: Chapter 359 Unusual Path
Jiang Ning’s room was very refreshing; stepping into it, one could feel a sense of vibrant life.
The windowsill was filled with flowers and plants, competing to bloom. Some leaves grew unrestrained, even dangling onto the wooden desk, yet everything still looked tidy and well-cared-for.
"Brother Ning, your desk is really nice." Jiang Junlong noticed that the desk was spacious and of excellent quality, much better than his own. He shook it a couple of times, and it didn’t budge at all—very sturdy.
Jiang Junlong looked around and noticed a strange black box on the left side of the desk, resembling the control panel of a device.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Ning pressed a button, and the desk slowly rose.
"A height-adjustable desk?" Jiang Junlong had heard of them but had never seen one before.
"Yes, it allows you to use the computer while standing."
Unlike Jiang Junlong, Shen Qing’e was observing the chair. She noticed an extra wooden board underneath it, which was too conspicuous and clearly added later. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
’Why did he install that board?’ Shen Qing’e felt a trace of confusion.
Jiang Junlong also saw a brand-new PS4 gaming console. He was incredibly envious—PS4s cost over three thousand yuan. His family could afford it, but his mother would never let him buy one.
Jiang Junlong tapped the PS4 gaming console and exclaimed, "He even has this!"
Shen Qing’e, looking at the box-shaped PS4 machine and noticing Jiang Junlong’s interest, curiously asked, "What’s this?"
"It’s a router," Jiang Ning casually mentioned.
"Oh, it looks pretty cool, and it doesn’t have an antenna," Shen Qing’e believed him and even analyzed it a bit.
"Of course, it’s the latest model," Jiang Ning stated earnestly.
Jiang Junlong almost burst out laughing.
Jiang Ning’s room had many things: the gaming console, a high-performance computer, wooden models, an incense burner, and more. If not for being in a hurry to slack off, Jiang Junlong might’ve just started playing games.
Jiang Ning’s Divine Sense left the room and he scanned the area. Xue Yuantong, already prepared next door, unknowingly waited at home.
Fortunately, Jiang Ning was quick and decisive, leading the two out swiftly.
Jiang Junlong looked at Jiang Ning’s mountain bike, pointing to a bucket, "I’ll take this. I have space in front of my bike."
"Alright," they divided the items among themselves.
Jiang Ning rode the bike with Xue Yuantong on the back, her hands gripping a fishing net pole. If it weren’t for consideration of the bystanders, she might even have wanted to wave it around.
The mountain bike moved along the river dam, heading east, the wind blowing against Xue Yuantong’s hair, making her appear etherial.
As they moved onto the asphalt road, pedestrians became scarce. There were no traffic lights on the river dam, allowing for smooth travel. Jiang Junlong turned his electric scooter’s throttle to the max, reaching speeds of over 50 km/h, becoming a darting arrow.
Initially, he was worried that Jiang Ning couldn’t keep up with his speed, but despite his full throttle, Jiang Ning easily surpassed him, leaving Xue Yuantong both scared and thrilled at the back.
Shen Qing’e, being cautious by nature, gradually fell behind. Fortunately, Jiang Junlong wasn’t always speeding and soon slowed down to wait for her.
Jiang Ning shouted, "Just ahead, turn off from the dam and head south for about four kilometers."
As they descended from the dam, the road was no longer asphalt but turned to dirt—thankfully dry, or it would have been impossible to bike.
This dirt road was relatively smooth, seemingly frequented by road rollers.
Fields of golden wheat lined the road on both sides. From a distance, they appeared to be weaving through the wheat fields, becoming more remote the further south they went, with no one in sight.
Only far in the south could one see a row of trees with a faintly visible village.
Along the way, they passed by mounds of earth, abandoned wells, and old houses that were many years old, intensifying the sense of desolation.
Shen Qing’e was fine; having grown up in the countryside, she was too familiar with such scenes. But Jiang Junlong, a boy, surprisingly felt a slight, inexplicable fear.
The mountain bike continued forward, stopping just in front of a dense forest.
"We’re almost there," Jiang Ning said as he stopped pedaling.
Hearing this, Shen Qing’e didn’t speak; she surveyed her surroundings, alertness rising within her.
As a girl raised in the countryside, she always approached the wilderness with reverence.
Ordinary boys, even when wandering the mountains alone, rarely encountered real danger—being robbed at most.
But it wasn’t necessarily the same for girls.
Human nature has its good and it has its dark side.
However, thinking of Jiang Ning’s strong physical fitness, a sense of security naturally emerged in Shen Qing’e. Even if a few bad guys appeared, they probably wouldn’t be a match for him.
What Shen Qing’e couldn’t fathom the most was Jiang Ning’s physique. Just during the summer of ninth grade, he wasn’t much taller than her, yet in two months, he shot up to 180 cm!
What exactly had he gone through?
Xue Yuantong jumped down from the bike and neared the abandoned stone bridge nearby.
Underneath the bridge, the riverbed had disappeared, leaving only the ground’s remaining stones that hinted at its past.
Xue Yuantong, using hands and feet, intended to climb a large stone to get a better view.
As she climbed halfway, she inadvertently glanced upward and saw a vicious strip of white snakeskin hanging in the dark, cracked crags.
She was petrified, speechless, quietly climbing down the large rock.
Jiang Ning pointed to the west, "Shall we go straight to our destination, or should we first stop by the reservoir over there and have some fun?"
Jiang Junlong followed his pointing and looked into the distance. Past a two-hundred-meter wheat field, a strip of earthy slope, several dozen meters long, stood at the end of the field, topped with lush woods and blooming with multicolored flowers, starkly contrasting against the golden wheat field.
"Let’s head to that earthy slope first."
With that, several people rode their bikes onto a narrow path through the fields.
"It’s so tall!" Xue Yuantong stood in front of the slope, the unassuming rise was as tall as three or four floors!
The slope was very steep, almost vertical, with protruding tree roots on its surface that seemed climbable if you wanted to scale it.
This climbable slope was exactly the kind of terrain many youths dream of conquering.
Xue Yuantong’s blood boiled, his mind screaming, ’Conquer it!’
...
To the north, several vehicles appeared at the end of the field.
Deng Xiang drove over a bumpy spot so sharply that he nearly flew off his seat. Gripping the handlebars tightly, he yelled,
"Brother Gang, where are we heading to play?"
The one referred to as Brother Gang was riding a large motorcycle alone, dressed in a denim jacket, his skin slightly dark and his eyes single-lidded, with a defiant look in his features.
"I’ll take you guys to the reservoir."
On another electric scooter, Gong Xuan was giving Qiu Die a ride.
Qiu Die, wearing ripped jeans, dyed red hair, and wearing earrings, looked out into the wilderness and felt incessantly upset.
She had thought Brother Gang had brought them to the river dam to go boating at the newly opened park.
Recently, boating at the park by the river dam became popular, reportedly operated by the Changqing Liquid Group, and only available through prior reservation.
Qiu Die longed to go boating, but a single boating session cost hundreds, and with some additional expenses for fruits and snacks, it would total near one thousand yuan, an amount she could hardly afford.
As for Brother Gang present here, his background was significant; previously in junior high, he was a well-known ’character’, and people would often give him face.
After failing his middle school exams, Brother Gang had moved to the town’s high school, and due to his poor grades and lack of prospects, on a whim after hearing people talk about earning money through work, he quit school and went out to work over the new year.
Recently back from out of town, Brother Gang surely had one thousand yuan.
But for Qiu Die, what was exciting turned to disappointment when Brother Gang, on his motorbike, suddenly turned away from the dam and headed into this desolate spot.
’What’s there to enjoy at the reservoir?’ Qiu Die wondered, full of doubt.
Before long, Duan Shigang reached the Old Stone Bridge.
Indeed, he had gone out to work for a few months, but that didn’t mean he was rich!
Last night, after dining with some old friends and singing at a KTV, he had spent several hundred yuan, leaving Duan Shigang damn near bleeding inside.
Only those who have worked know how hard it is to earn money.
Brother Gang felt the bitterness internally, a feeling he could not express.
If it weren’t for his decision to return to school and revive friendships, he would definitely not have paid for that meal.
Today, since Deng Xiang and the others wanted to go out and have fun, and because Duan Shigang was out of money, they couldn’t hang out in the city, so he thought of the place they used to play as children, which would kill some time.
He looked toward the distant earthy slope, two hundred meters wasn’t considered far; he saw several vehicles parked below the slope.
Good heavens, his childhood treasure spot had been occupied by others!
Duan Shigang pointed to the nearby path, "You guys take that path, we’ll meet up at the earthy slope."
"Which way are you going then?" Ge Hao asked from Deng Xiang’s vehicle.
Duan Shigang replied, "I am not taking that path."
Everyone was startled by his words.
Gong Xuan said, "Are you going around from the south? Isn’t that way too far and time-consuming?"
She felt Duan Shigang was being somewhat unwise.
Just as everyone was puzzled, they saw Duan Shigang grip the handle, twist it, and "Vroom, Vroom!" sounded out.
The large motorcycle accelerated suddenly and charged into the golden wheat field.
Deng Xiang quickly yelled, "Brother Gang!"
Everyone looked on collectively, then their faces showed bewildered expressions.
They witnessed a scene they had never anticipated.
Brother Gang drove the motorcycle, charging fiercely into the wheat field, with the wheels rolling as if on flat ground, the rear grinding a path made up of countless wheat corpses piled up, racing towards the little earthy slope.
"Ah?" Gong Xuan and the others exchanged glances.
’Is Brother Gang out of his mind?’
’Why would you crush someone’s wheat?’
