When the three precious packs of cigarettes were delivered to the guard captain, his service attitude immediately became warm and enthusiastic.
He patted Chen Yu on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "You can go to the Kyoto 'Migrant Population Management Center' over there. They can provide temporary entry permits for outsiders like you. Of course, you must have a legitimate reason to enter the city and you will also need to pay a certain amount of supplies."
As he spoke, he pointed to a small house not far from the city gate.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir. We'll go now." Chen Yu nodded gratefully, then pulled Lin Lele and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute," the captain suddenly remembered something and added, "Considering how sensible you are, I'll remind you, the situation in Kyoto is complicated right now, so you must be careful in your actions. Especially for outsiders like you without any background, you could easily become targets of certain forces. Remember, keep a low profile, and safety first."
"Understood, sir. We will be careful," Chen Yu replied solemnly, secretly becoming vigilant. He knew all too well that the undercurrents behind Kyoto, as the political center of Great Xia, were far more complex than they appeared on the surface.
After saying goodbye to their captain, Chen Yu and Lin Lele followed instructions and quickly arrived at a small house next to the city gate.
Although the small house was inconspicuous, several uniformed staff members stood at the entrance, guiding people who wanted to apply for temporary permits to enter in an orderly manner.
Chen Yu and Lin Lele waited in line, during which time people were frequently refused entry due to incomplete paperwork or insufficient reasons.
When it was their turn, Chen Yu handed over his ID card and the hint he had received from the team leader, explaining his purpose: "We are here to visit relatives."
"Visiting relatives?" The staff member looked up, a hint of scrutiny flashing in his eyes, before asking gently, "What is your relative's address in Kyoto? We need to verify the information."
“No. 16 Tianxin Street, Qiao Gang,” Chen Yu replied fluently.
Upon hearing this, the staff member looked up and stared at Chen Yu with a scrutinizing expression: "Is the relative you found Professor Qiao?"
Chen Yu was slightly startled. Judging from what this guy was saying, it seemed he knew Qiao Gang? But he remained calm on the surface and nodded: "Yes."
"What is your relationship with Professor Qiao?" the staff member asked suspiciously.
"Brother, do you know Professor Qiao?" Chen Yu asked tentatively.
"Professor Qiao is my mentor," the staff member said in a deep voice. "Stop trying to change the subject. What exactly is your relationship with him?"
“He is my father-in-law,” Chen Yu replied quickly and firmly.
"Impossible! Professor Qiao's two daughters are not married yet, so where would a son-in-law come from? Kid, you should at least think before you lie!" The staff member's tone suddenly became stern, and his eyes revealed obvious distrust.
"Don't panic, brother." Chen Yu quickly explained, "Indeed, Xiao Qiao and I, that is, Qiao Meng, have not officially registered our marriage yet, but we are in love and have already pledged our lives to each other. You can see for yourself."
As Chen Yu spoke, he took out a photo of himself and Qiao Meng.
In the photo, Chen Yu has his arm around Qiao Meng's waist, while Qiao Meng leans on his shoulder. The background is an interior space, which appears to be a bedroom.
They both smiled so naturally and sweetly, as if the whole world had shrunk to just the two of them.
The staff member took the photo, examined it carefully, and the expression on his face gradually softened.
He looked up at Chen Yu: "I wonder if Qiao Meng is with you?"
Chen Yu shook his head: "It's too dangerous outside and the journey is too long. I didn't let her take the risk."
The staff member nodded upon hearing this, then smiled wryly and said, "Young man, you're really brave to go to Professor Qiao's house alone."
"What... is there something wrong with this?" Chen Yu asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing." The staff member waved his hand. "How about this, I haven't seen Professor Qiao in a long time, I'll go with you, so you don't have to go through the complicated procedures."
"That would be wonderful," Chen Yu replied gratefully.
Glancing at the somewhat busy scene, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Won't this interfere with your work?"
The staff member waved his hand: "I just came here to take a look around."
Then, he turned to the person next to him and instructed, "Xiao Liu, that's enough for today, I have something else to do."
"Mayor Zheng, please take care. Let me see you off," Xiao Liu said with a fawning expression.
Chen Yu and Lin Lele were surprised to hear this, never expecting that the "staff member" they had always thought of was actually the mayor.
"My name is Zheng Dong." Mayor Zheng noticed the surprise on Chen Yu and the other man's faces and explained, "I'm just a deputy mayor. In Kyoto, I'm nothing special."
"Mayor Zheng is too modest. If someone as important as you is nothing, then how much more insignificant are we?" Chen Yu replied half-jokingly.
"Hehe." Zheng Dong smiled faintly, and said meaningfully, "Tianyu Group is very famous in our Great Xia."
Chen Yu smiled wryly upon hearing this. He had intended to keep a low profile, but he hadn't expected his identity to be exposed so quickly, especially by the deputy mayor of Kyoto. This made it impossible for him to keep a low profile even if he wanted to.
As you exit the 'Migrant Population Management Center', a sled is parked right at the entrance.
At Zheng Dong's signal, the three of them got into the car together.
Riding in Zheng Dong's private sled, the process of entering the city was very smooth, and no one dared to stop us.
Sleds shuttled through the streets of Kyoto, with the city gradually recovering on both sides. Although the extreme cold persisted, the hope and enthusiasm for reconstruction on people's faces were like a ray of warm sunshine in winter.
Kyoto is Kyoto; even in such harsh conditions, it can quickly recover and maintain its prosperity.
It's no wonder that the requirements for entering the city are so strict. If it's not controlled, all the refugees will flood in, and this ancient and solemn city will probably be overwhelmed and lose its proper order and tranquility.
Chen Yu looked out the window of the sled with a furrowed brow, seemingly lost in thought.
Lin Lele, on the other hand, looked around with curiosity, full of admiration for the prosperity and order of Kyoto.
At the same time, I couldn't help but compare Kyoto and Tianyu Base in my mind, and finally concluded that Tianyu Base was better.
Zheng Dong squinted, seemingly observing Chen Yu and Lin Lele's reactions, or perhaps pondering some profound question.
A brief silence fell over the vehicle, broken only by the soft creaking of the sleds traveling on the icy road.
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