Chapter 172: Chapter 110: The Strange World_2
Yan Fei was traveling domestically in China with Wen Rou, considering the good public security situation in the country, and given the significant boost in his strength, he didn’t deploy the Drone to follow himself. The Drone was still hidden under the sea near Shanghai. His control distance with the Drone had reached up to 8,000 kilometers, so he could contact the Drone at any time from anywhere within China, ensuring timely support in case of any emergencies. But who could have known that after just one night’s sleep, Yan Fei was unable to contact the Drone. Could it be that the Drone’s fate with him had expired, and it was time for it to leave him? The Drone Avatar had arrived mysteriously; could its disappearance also be so casual?
Though Yan Fei had lost connection with the Drone Avatar, his strength remained. Now facing this eerie situation, he was forced to temporarily put aside his concern for the Drone Avatar. No matter how he imagined it, he couldn’t account for the strange situation he was facing, nor could he think of any effective solutions. Therefore, he decided to temporarily leave the quiet Dai Ethnic Village, find rescue in the outside world, and then return to save Wen Rou.
Thus, Yan Fei began to search for the tourist minibus they had arrived in within the village. Soon, he found the minibus in the temporary parking area at the very edge of the Dai Ethnic Village. He broke the window of the minibus and entered the vehicle.
Yan Fei had previously seen the tour bus driver discreetly hide a spare key under the seat for emergencies. He quickly found the key under the driver’s seat and inserted it into the ignition, attempting to start the vehicle. To his disappointment, there was no response from the bus upon turning the key; it didn’t start at all. He checked the fuel gauge and saw there was still more than half a tank of gasoline left.
Undeterred, Yan Fei tried to start the vehicle several times in succession, but to no avail. Abandoning the use of the key, he punched the area below the steering wheel, smashing the dashboard, and pulled out wires from inside, attempting to hot-wire and start the vehicle. Yet, the bus remained unresponsive, impossible to be started.
At this point, Yan Fei had no choice but to abandon his attempt to leave the mysterious mountain stronghold using the tourist minibus. He began to search for other means of transportation within the village but strangely enough, though he found several vehicles, none of them, from motorcycles to any other type of vehicle, would start. Even the simplest of bicycles could not be ridden as their wheels were jammed with faults.
With no other option, Yan Fei decided to leave on foot. His running speed was remarkably fast, not much slower than a car’s over short distances, especially in the mountains where he could leap in a straight line, making his speed even swifter than that of a vehicle.
Yan Fei began to walk out of the village, following the highway leading to the outside world. The area was engulfed in a dense fog with an extensive reach. Even after leaving the Dai Ethnic Village, the roadside was still shrouded in thick White Mist; he could not see the end of it. His visibility was limited to two meters; beyond that, everything appeared hazy, the specifics obscured.
Yan Fei walked on the highway amid complete silence, devoid of any noise, which intensified his unease. To embolden himself, he sang loudly as he marched on. However, the White Mist was eerily absorbing the sound of his song; not a single echo emerged, and the silence persisted, spurring Yan Fei to run faster, trying to break free from the dense fog.
After more than half an hour, Yan Fei had run a considerable distance but was still ensnared by the fog. Suddenly, he saw vague structures appearing in the mist ahead. Overjoyed, he hurried toward the buildings in the fog while shouting, “Hey, is anyone there?”
Yan Fei was quick, and he soon entered the structures ahead. But once he had a clear view, he was utterly stunned. In front of him lay a temporary parking area with a tourist bus parked, its window shattered.
The scene was all too familiar to Yan Fei, as it was the same temporary parking area he had been to before and the same bus window he had smashed. Chills ran through him, and even a touch of fear, but he climbed aboard the bus to inspect it, finding the ignition still holding the key, the dashboard smashed as before, and the pulled-out wires were connected together. Everything was exactly as it had been when he left.
Yan Fei suddenly shouted, leaving the bus, retracing the path he had previously taken. Soon, he stood in front of a residential building. Pushing open the door of the room, he walked in and saw the familiar interior: the bedcovers in disarray, and a familiar backpack on the sofa beside it.
All strength drained from Yan Fei as he collapsed to the ground. He was in the same room he had stayed in the night before, the same room he had woken up in that morning, and then left; everything was just as he had left it. A sudden recollection struck him, and he moved to the adjacent room, but before he could knock, the door collapsed inward—it was the very door he had previously broken.