"This..." Shen Xiaochuan looked at the sleeper ticket handed to him with some surprise, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Xiao Wang explained with a smile, "Don't refuse, this is what the director specifically instructed me to do. You've done a great job this time, it's only right. Besides, the sleeper tickets will allow the young lady to get some rest."
"Thank you so much! Please also convey my gratitude to the director!" Shen Xiaochuan said sincerely.
"Okay! If there's nothing else, I'll head back now!" Xiao Wang replied with a smile.
"Okay, that's all, thank you!" Shen Xiaoxiao quickly waved her hand and thanked her again.
"Please don't be so polite, I'll be going now!" Xiao Wang said politely, then turned and walked out quickly.
The brother and sister watched Xiao Wang leave, without getting up to see him off.
"Brother! When I came in just now, I saw that there's a state-run restaurant right across the street. Why don't we go there and get something to eat? We still have more than three hours before the train arrives." Shen Xiaoxiao blinked her big eyes, looking at Shen Xiaochuan with anticipation.
Shen Xiaochuan's stomach seemed to cooperate as well, letting out a "gurgle" at that moment.
He chuckled awkwardly, then rubbed his stomach and said, "Haha, that's true, it's time to eat something."
After saying that, he started to pack the two people's luggage together, carefully tied it with hemp rope, and then handed it to the old man at the storage office.
The state-run restaurant is right across from the station, and the slogan "Serve the People" on the red brick wall has faded somewhat.
Pushing open the door, a wave of warm air, mixed with the smell of cooking oil and vinegar, hits you.
Shen Xiaoxiao looked around and finally chose a square table by the window.
The table was located in a relatively quiet corner of the restaurant. She gently pulled out a chair, slowly sat down, and her gaze fell on the window.
A thin layer of water droplets condensed on the windowpane, blurring the street scene outside into patches of color.
Pedestrians, vehicles, and buildings on the street became indistinct under the layer of water droplets.
Shen Xiaochuan went to order food, carefully studying the menu on the wall.
His brow furrowed slightly, as if he was struggling to decide what to order. After a while, he finally made up his mind, turned to his sister, and asked, "Xiaoxiao, what do you want to eat?"
Shen Xiaoxiao unfolded the handkerchief in her hand and gently wiped the chopsticks.
Hearing her brother's question, she thought for a moment and replied, "Let's make radish soup." Her voice was clear and melodious.
"Okay!" Shen Xiaochuan replied, then called out to the waiter, "One serving of braised pork, one serving of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and one serving of radish soup."
After ordering, the brother and sister waited quietly.
The restaurant was not crowded and seemed rather deserted.
Shen Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered what happened at the police station. Her expression changed slightly, and she lowered her voice to say to her brother, "At the police station, the chief said..."
However, before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the waiter's voice. "The dishes for table number 3 are ready, come and serve them."
Upon hearing the shout, Shen Xiaochuan immediately got up and went to the windowsill, bringing over a steaming plate of braised pork. The glistening pork was served in an enamel basin, sprinkled with vibrant green scallions, emitting an enticing aroma that made one's mouth water.
Shen Xiaoxiao and Shen Xiaochuan's attention was instantly drawn to the delicious food, and they temporarily forgot about their previous conversation, eating it heartily.
Shen Xiaoxiao remembered what she hadn't finished saying: "The director said that this group of human traffickers may have connections with a certain leader in the city, and told us to be careful. They have already contacted the military and will wipe out this group of human traffickers and their protectors in one fell swoop."
Shen Xiaochuan paused, his chopsticks picking up food, a drop of gravy staining the tablecloth: "No wonder they've been able to roam around the villages for so long."
After the brother and sister finished their meal with satisfaction, they checked the time and found that they had nearly two hours of free time before their next task.
"How about we go for a walk around the neighborhood?" Shen Xiaoxiao suggested.
Shen Xiaochuan nodded in agreement, and the two decided to visit the nearby supply and marketing cooperative.
As soon as they entered the supply and marketing cooperative, they were drawn to the bustling crowd inside. The area in front of the local specialty products counter was especially packed with people.
The pickled wild vegetables in the glass jars glistened enticingly under the light, making one's mouth water.
Shen Xiaoxiao was completely powerless against these local specialties. She excitedly picked them out at the counter, and as long as she had a ticket, she would buy them all without hesitation.
Just as Shen Xiaoxiao was immersed in the joy of shopping, Shen Xiaochuan suddenly walked up to her and whispered something to her.
A happy smile immediately appeared on Shen Xiaoxiao's face, as if she had heard some exciting news.
However, the people who had been secretly following them were completely baffled, because they were too far away to hear what Shen Xiaochuan was saying to Shen Xiao.
"Don't look over there. If they want to follow, let them. Just pretend you didn't notice," Shen Xiaochuan whispered again as he stepped forward.
Shen Xiaoxiao instantly understood and pretended to continue selecting items, but her heart was pounding like a drum.
They went around to the backyard through the side gate, walked through the alley filled with baskets, and finally made their way back to the station after many twists and turns.
Shen Xiaoxiao couldn't even find a place to put the things she bought into her spatial dimension.
"It seems the director was right." Shen Xiaochuan stared at the crowd coming and going at the station entrance, his voice tense. "These people are more troublesome than we thought. They've only been investigating us for a short time, and they've even started following us."
"Brother, how many people are there? Should we take the initiative?" Shen Xiaoxiao asked anxiously.
Shen Xiaochuan frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "I have only found one person so far, but we cannot act rashly."
"Who knows if he's carrying a highly lethal weapon? And there are so many people here, it would be terrible if innocent civilians got hurt."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoxiao frowned: "Then what should we do now? Is there any good way to get rid of him?"
Shen Xiaochuan continued his analysis: "There are too many people around here, so it's not convenient for us to make a move. But I don't think they would choose to act when there are too many people around, right? After all, it would easily attract attention."
Shen Xiaoxiao nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "That's right, brother, we bought sleeper tickets! There aren't usually many people in the sleeper berths, especially at night when everyone is sleeping in their beds. Do you think he might choose to make his move at the train station?"
“There’s a high probability, so you must be prepared,” Shen Xiaochuan replied in agreement.
"I understand, brother, don't worry!" Shen Xiaoxiao said, but she was secretly on guard.
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