The distances between each stop of the Steam Train varied greatly, sometimes short, sometimes long.
Sometimes it would stop after two hours of travel, sometimes it would go for a whole week without stopping.
The stop outside City 23 was only six hours away from the next station.
After hanging up the phone, the gang leader began to hurriedly prepare New Year's goods. Fortunately, it was already close to the end of the year, and there were many places in the city selling New Year's goods.
The gang leader was also a shrewd person. Facing a boss who could lead a team of over 900 people in extortion and racketeering, he didn't play any tricks and directly prepared all the New Year's goods Qing Chen needed.
Not only that, but he also prepared thirty boxes of dried fruit, thirty boxes of cigarettes, thirty boxes of alcohol...
Among them were the ten sketchbooks Qing Chen wanted for drawing. These were not easy to buy, as most people used electronic products. He had to go to the stores in Upper Three District to find them, which made them a small luxury item.
These items didn't seem valuable individually, but the sheer quantity was significant; in total, it was worth about a tenth of his Cybernetic Limbs cargo.
In other words, he lost 10% of his profit on this shipment.
But it didn't matter. The gang leader was happy.This gang leader's name was Zhang Qinghuan, forty-two years old, without any particular skills. His father died of drug addiction years ago, so he joined a gang.
He prepared the goods in two hours, then drove off with his convoy, looking like a team preparing for disaster relief—all that was missing were some banners.
When passing through City 22's customs, he went through smoothly as the officials in the Immigration and Exit-Entry Administration Bureau were all old acquaintances that he had taken care of.
As they left the city, the official from the Immigration and Exit-Entry Administration Bureau joked with Zhang Qinghuan: "You've been doing big business lately! So many trucks!"
The official thought the dozen trucks were full of Cybernetic Limbs.
The convoy slowly drove onto the snowy plains. When they reached the Steam Train stop, another group of gang members was already waiting there, also intending to use the Steam Train to transport goods.
The Steam Train was fast and safe for transporting goods; it didn't have to worry about encountering Wildlanders or being checked by the army for fuel on the road.
It was a complete smuggling route.
These people were also from City 23; they came from the city's sewers because their goods were too sensitive to pass through the Immigration and Exit-Entry Administration Bureau.
They were from the Blackwater Gang, carrying cold storage boxes containing organs preserved at low temperatures.
There were also more than twenty women with them, clearly trafficked to other cities as slaves. They were still somewhat dazed, appearing to be under the influence of hallucinogens.
Zhang Qinghuan greeted them and directed the trucks to stop.
Normally, those who smuggled goods via the Steam Train were focused on profit, and everyone kept to themselves, not bothering each other.
It was like wild animals drinking water by the river; if there were grudges, they would settle things after loading the goods.
He directed his subordinates to unload their goods.
When the Blackwater Gang members saw what they were unloading, their eyes widened: "This is the first time I've seen someone use the Steam Train to transport New Year's goods!"
The leader of the Blackwater Gang looked at his subordinates with disdain: "That's just a cover. Those New Year's goods boxes probably contain boxes of bullets. You really think someone would use the Steam Train to transport New Year's goods? Are you stupid?!"
But as everyone waited for the Steam Train, the Blackwater Gang leader watched as one of Zhang Qinghuan's subordinates grabbed a handful of melon seeds from a New Year's goods box.
Another subordinate tried to take a cigarette from a box, but Zhang Qinghuan kicked him away!
"Boss, it really seems to be New Year's goods."
The Blackwater Gang leader was stunned: "Are New Year's goods so profitable now?!"
He thought those selling New Year's goods were too ruthless to be able to use the Steam Train to transport their goods!
This completely overturned the Blackwater Gang leader's worldview!
Just then, the Steam Train's whistle blew, and it emerged from the void, its chimney billowing with black smoke.
Zhang Qinghuan immediately shouted: "Hurry, hurry! Everyone lend a hand to load the goods onto the train, or we won't have enough time."
The Blackwater Gang leader froze. As he looked at the train, he saw the more than nine hundred people on board looking at him menacingly.
"Shoot, the group that brought the girls. Break their legs," Qing Chen said calmly.
After a burst of gunfire, the Blackwater Gang members were all shot in the legs and fell to the ground.
Qing Chen looked down from the train: "Who's the leader of those who delivered supplies?"
Zhang Qinghuan went over trembling: "I... I... I, Captain, please don't shoot."
Qing Chen said: "Do you know why I didn't break your legs?"
Zhang Qinghuan cautiously said: "I don't know..."
"Because the Cybernetic Limbs in your cargo are all brand new, indicating that you didn't take them from someone else, otherwise your legs would be broken too," Qing Chen said. "Hurry up and move the goods."
Zhang Qinghuan thought to himself, this is indeed a chivalrous thief full of romantic ideals! He wasn't wrong!
Amid the wails of the Blackwater Gang members, Zhang Qinghuan frantically directed his men to move the goods.
He whispered to Qing Chen: "I also took the liberty of adding some cigarettes and alcohol, and thirty boxes of dried fruit..."
Qing Chen looked at him in surprise: "What's your name?"
"Zhang Qinghuan!" Zhang Qinghuan said excitedly, "Can I join you? I think you guys are so cool!"
Qing Chen thought for a moment: "Yes."
"Then how do I join?"
"Send those girls who were given drugs back. Once you finish, someone with a red headscarf will come looking for you. At that time, you'll know they are my people."
This might be the Guardians' Union's first foray into the North.
And this was just the beginning.
Zhang Qinghuan looked longingly as the Steam Train left, recalling the boy's handsome features, which suddenly seemed familiar...
Wait, wasn't that the Qing Chen Supervisor who recently shocked the Federation by killing their way out of Shendai Consortium A02 Base?!
...
...
The Steam Train disappeared into the void again.
The soldiers ate ravenously in the darkness, almost choking.
Qing Chen said: "Don't eat too much for the first three meals. Just have some bread and water to settle your stomachs. We'll have hot pot tomorrow!"
As the Steam Train re-entered the light, cheers erupted on the train.
They had been worried about starving to death on the train, but the Boss had casually solved the problem.
The soldiers unpacked the New Year's goods and distributed cigarettes.
They hadn't smoked for nineteen years; now they were like madmen.
In just ten minutes, the entire carriage was filled with smoke, and white smoke poured out from the windows...
It almost blinded Qing Chen!
He picked up the sketchbook Zhang Qinghuan had sent and silently went to the last carriage, sitting on the pile of gold coins to start drawing.
Just like what he had done by the Osaka Shinsaibashi.
Li Cheng glanced back and suddenly thought that his boss sitting calmly on a pile of gold coins was incredibly cool.
He went over and asked: "Boss, are you drawing scenery?"
"No, drawing people," Qing Chen replied.
Li Cheng leaned in to take a look, but saw Qing Chen quickly sketching a portrait every minute, with extremely high efficiency, and each portrait was of a man, and each man looked different.
He felt strange. Why was the boss drawing men?
Qing Chen looked up at him and smiled: "Don't worry, you'll soon know what it's for."
Li Cheng suddenly said: "Boss, I feel like you're about to leave."
"Why?"
"Because you used the satellite phone to inform the Li Clan and the Qing Family to send people to pick us up home, but I feel like you still have things to do in the North," Li Cheng said despondently, "Actually, we can rest for a while and stay to help you."
"Li Cheng, you're very smart, and I know you're eager to work for me, but I can handle this alone," Qing Chen said earnestly. "Don't worry, there will be opportunities in the future. I'll go find you after I've finished my business in the North."
There are no permanent feasts in this world. Qing Chen still had some accounts to settle in the North.
...
...
The Steam Train continued south.
Outside City 19, two Class A Airships were already waiting.
One belonged to the Li Clan, and the other to the Qing Family.
They waited there until a Steam Train emerged from the void.
Qing Ling jumped off the Steam Train. He clearly saw a sacred and yearning expression on the faces of those Qing Family soldiers.
The soldiers stood straight outside the Airship, but their eyes kept glancing at the train.
They were looking for someone.
But strangely, the Steam Train smelled strongly of hot pot...
Qing Ling looked at the insignia on the soldiers' epaulets; it was clearly the Shadow Troop.
In the Qing Family, the Shadow Troop was somewhat different from the other Qing Family troops.
Qing Ye stood carelessly outside the Airship, smiling as he shook hands with each Qing Family member: "You've worked hard. Welcome home."
Then, someone would put a second-class medal on them.
Qing Ye explained:
"Shadow Boss was supposed to come personally today, but the head of the family called him back to Ginkgo Garden, so he couldn't come. I'll be awarding the medals on his behalf. Please understand. Also, everyone's salary for all these years will be made up after identity verification, all increased by three levels. Some procedures need to be followed, but you were once members of the Secret Spy Agency."
Qing Ling nodded: "Understood, we understand."
Qing Ling and others looked at this scene as if they were in another world. They had waited so long for this day.
Slowly, everyone from the Steam Train came down. The soldiers were surprised, and Qing Ye was also surprised. He held a ginkgo medal and asked in a daze: "Wait, where's that Qing Chen kid?"
This silver star medal was above the first, second, and third-class medals within the Qing Family.
In the past twenty years, two people had received this medal: Qing Mu, who had just returned home and whose consciousness was now gone, unable to wake up.
The other person who received the Ginkgo Medal was Qing Chen.
The Qing Family soldiers were searching the carriage with expressions of adoration, looking for Qing Chen—this was the common sentiment of all the Shadow direct-line troops.
They knew Qing Chen had completed an incredible mission, enduring countless hardships.
However, the protagonist who should have been standing here was gone!
At this time, Qing Ling had someone bring out a thick stack of sketch papers: "This is what the Boss asked me to give you. He drew 723 people, and you need to use facial recognition technology to analyze their household registrations. He needs this information, he said Shadow will know how to pass the message on to him."
Qing Ye looked through the sketchbook, not recognizing anyone in the portraits. He grumbled: "I finally snatched the opportunity to present the awards from the Boss, but he's gone! Facial recognition technology isn't that easy, does he really think he can just draw something and have it recognized? What a joke..."
Shadow wasn't idle.
If Shadow really wanted to present Qing Chen with an award, they could have opened the Shadow Gate after the award ceremony.
It was simply because Qing Ye had pestered Shadow for three days, saying that he must seize an opportunity to get to know the future boss, which made Shadow leave the award ceremony to him.
For this, Qing Qu scolded him for two days as a "vile person."
At this time, Qing Ling said: "The Boss said he drew according to the "Six-point Facial Recognition Technology," so it will definitely be able to recognize them."
Qing Ye was stunned. Was there such a thing as someone who could draw according to facial recognition technology?
In fact, when Qing Chen was drawing in Shinsaibashi, even Shendai Yunluo felt that his painting techniques were completely different from other painters, like a beginner.
However, only Qing Chen knew that his paintings did not focus on techniques and light and shadow, only whether they could be recognized by machines!
That was the purpose of his practice!
Qing Ye asked doubtfully: "Who are all these people?"
Qing Ling said: "People the Boss wants to kill."
Qing Ye understood. Qing Chen wanted the Secret Spy Agency to find them one by one and kill them.
But he couldn't understand why Qing Chen had so many people he wanted to kill...
Qing Ling said: "Also, he wants all information on Shendai Yunhe, all of it."
Qing Ye clapped his hands: "Interesting. Let's go home!"
Qing Ling and others walked to the rear entryway of the Airship. As he was about to enter, he turned his head to look at the Li Clan's direction.
There, Li Cheng also turned to look at him. The two smiled at each other and easily entered their respective Airships.
This was only a temporary separation. They knew they would soon reunite.
They didn't need to do anything now. They just needed to wait for someone to return from the North.