"What the heck, rats holding a concert?" Wang Caotian's eyes widened in disbelief.
The others were equally stunned, their jaws practically on the floor.
"How would rats sing? And this advertising is everywhere."
"Hiss, I can already picture it."
"Hahahaha… do rats sing 'squeak squeak'?"
"Would anyone actually go? This looks like a prank."
As they chatted, they boarded the bus, the scenery outside a rare treat.
The City of Perpetual Night was a magnificent metropolis, seemingly with a penchant for gold and white. Along the roadside were numerous stone sculptures, almost all of them various types of rodents, either golden or white.
Not far from the City of Perpetual Night lay the golden island of Buye Island, situated in a half-deserted landscape.
"Are you all here for tourism?" the bus driver asked with a chuckle, braking at a red light before taking a sunflower seed from his pocket.
Lu Zhi, seated at the front, saw the driver's action and noticed a small, grey hamster poking its adorable head out from his pocket, clutching the seed before retreating.
Lu Zhi looked at the middle-aged driver with surprise. Truly, one couldn't judge a book by its cover.
"Driver, do people here really like rats that much?" Lu Zhi feigned curiosity. "Can I buy one here too?"
The light turned green, and the driver slowly accelerated. Hearing Lu Zhi, he laughed, "Of course, as long as you genuinely like these little guys and won't mistreat them, you can take one home for free."
"Free? Where?" Lu Zhi's eager expression surprised the students behind him.
"I didn't expect you to like these small animals," Jiang Yue said, crossing her arms. Recalling the pink horse god, she chuckled, "Almost forgot, Lu Xue-di has a soft, girlish heart."
"Hahaha, right, so girlish," Wang Caotian also remembered Lu Zhi's Barbie-pink horse.
Lu Zhi: ...
I think you guys are asking for trouble.
"I'm curious too," Yan Shao said, walking over and taking the empty seat next to Lu Zhi. "It's nice to take home a cute little mouse for free, but I wonder where."
The driver replied, "Once you enter Buye Island and gain the recognition of the Rat Emperor, you can take one home."
Xia Zhi, who had been reading intently, pushed up his glasses. "You mean the rats' concert?"
The driver's smiling face suddenly turned serious. "It's the Rat Emperor."
Xia Zhi paused, then thoughtfully said, "Apologies, the Rat Emperor."
The driver's amiable smile returned. "The Rat Emperor is our deity here. You mustn't be so disrespectful to the Rat Emperor, or you'll incur the displeasure of the Rat God."
Everyone exchanged glances, sensing the driver's obsessive devotion to the Rat Emperor.
Therefore, the Rat Emperor's concert wasn't a prank.
The bus soon arrived at their reserved grand hotel. After alighting and settling into their rooms, Yan Shao suddenly said, "Lu Xue-di, Ah Yue, and you two, want to grab a meal together later?"
Out of the twelve people on this Buye Island trip, Lu Zhi was unfamiliar with most of them.
Luo Shiyu, Lan Yushan, and Gu Weiyu, the three with "Yu" in their names, had been called away by the school for a special mission and couldn't come.
Yan Shao invited Jiang Yue, Wang Caotian, and Xia Zhi, who were all familiar friends. Moreover, Lu Zhi had a vague feeling on the bus that Yan Shao knew something.
"Okay," Lu Zhi agreed, wanting to know what Yan Shao had to say.
After taking his luggage to his room, Lu Zhi went to the hotel's buffet restaurant downstairs, where Yan Shao and the others were already waiting.
Lu Zhi then noticed that the buffet restaurant was packed, and the hotel rooms were fully occupied.
Lu Zhi casually picked some of his favorite food and walked to the table where the others had chosen to sit, a spot by the wall, away from the crowd, partially shielded by a half-wall.
"Let's chat while we eat," Yan Shao said, choosing a self-service steak. His demeanor with the knife and fork was exceptionally elegant.
Wang Caotian, using chopsticks to shovel a large mouthful of spaghetti, mumbled, "What's up? You're being so mysterious."
Jiang Yue, who loved hot milk tea, took a big sip. "Hmm, I guess it's about the Rat Emperor mentioned on the bus? Or the Rat God?"
Xia Zhi, sipping his porridge elegantly, said, "Yes, the twelve zodiac animals, the Rat God."
Lu Zhi thought to himself, so Yan Shao's agreement to come to Buye Island was indeed for the Rat God.
"Hmm hmm hmm?" Wang Caotian's eyes widened. "Right, right, Buye Island is one of the Twelve Holy Islands. Everything here is related to rats. It must be the Rat God, right?"
Lu Zhi casually took a bite of a soup dumpling. "Hmm, I don't know."
"What kind of deity do you think the Rat God is, Lu Xue-di?" Yan Shao asked casually, as if just making small talk.
Lu Zhi knew Yan Shao wanted to pry for information. He stated directly, "I apologize, Shen Qi didn't tell me anything about the Rat God. Should I call and ask now?"
Yan Shao smiled, his eyes crinkling. "No need to be so tense, Lu Xue-di. Let me tell you what I know..."
It was said that Buye Island suddenly emerged from beneath the desert sands a long, long time ago. Because the rocks and fertile soil on the island were covered in brilliant gold dust, it was mistaken for gold, causing a stir.
Later, after examination and elemental analysis, it was found to be ordinary soil. As for the gold dust, no machine could provide any data on its origin.
The only function of this gold dust was that it glowed at night, like luminous powder, making the entire island resemble a giant, luminous golden mountain.
Then, one year, a major earthquake struck, killing many people and displacing many more. Deep, bottomless ravines appeared on the ground, making it impossible for people to rebuild their homes. Only Buye Island stood firm.
Subsequently, they migrated to Buye Island to live, only to encounter an infectious disease.
At that time, the country's medical technology was not advanced enough to develop a cure. To prevent the spread of the disease, the entire Buye Island was quarantined.
Those who lived on Buye Island and contracted the illness knew they had been abandoned.
Just as they despaired, a group of rats emerged from the depths of the island, bringing them food and medicinal herbs that could heal them.
"No wonder people here like rats so much," Jiang Yue exclaimed in amazement. "So, the Rat God isn't bad after all."
Lu Zhi felt that Yan Shao wasn't finished speaking.
Indeed, Yan Shao continued slowly, "The cause of that earthquake and the source of the infection remain a mystery to this day."
Lu Zhi's expression shifted slightly. He calmly said, "Are you suggesting that these were all possibly orchestrated by the Rat God?"