Ning Wei reached out to cover Tang Tang’s hand, smiling gently.
Although Ning Wei was no longer looking at the men, they continued to stare at her, their gazes making her uncomfortable. Ning Wei frowned, feeling annoyed.
At that moment, the attendant stepped in front of Ning Wei, completely blocking her from view. With a wallet hanging from her waist, she asked the men, “Time to pay. Where are you going?”
The leader, an older man, pulled a wad of crumpled change from his pocket and asked gruffly, “We’re going to the final stop. How much is it?”
“Ten yuan,” the attendant replied promptly.
The man produced several bills, counted them twice, and handed them to the attendant.
The attendant took the money with one hand and, after a glance, unzipped her waist pouch but forgot to put the money away.
The man’s peripheral vision caught sight of the bulging pouch. He joked to the attendant, “Looks like you’re making quite a profit on this route.”
The attendant replied impatiently, “It’s all small change. And we earn this much for working from dawn till dusk. It’s hard-earned money.”
The atmosphere inside the bus changed completely with the arrival of these five men.
The passengers who had boarded before Ning Wei and her group clutched their bags tighter and subtly shifted to the side.
This action wasn't exactly subtle, so Ning Wei and her companions noticed.
It was inconvenient to talk on the bus, so Tang Tang and the others could only communicate with their eyes, increasing their vigilance.
The day darkened quickly. Outside, the sun set, plunging the countryside into twilight. Only the lingering rays of the sun made a last effort to illuminate the land.
“Will we reach the final stop before dark? We brothers are in a bit of a hurry to catch our next connection,” the leader spoke again.
The attendant looked at him curiously. “The last bus always arrives after dark. You haven’t taken this route in a long time, have you?”
The man nodded, a glint in his eyes. “Yes, yes, it has been a long time since I last took a bus.”
As the sky grew darker, the atmosphere inside the bus became increasingly eerie.
No one spoke anymore. Even the attendant returned to her seat at the front and remained silent.
Everyone sat in the bus, the feeling of their feet not touching the ground making them profoundly uncomfortable.
No one was sleeping anymore. The only light in the bus was the dim, hazy glow of the setting sun, making everyone’s eyes shine.
Ning Wei’s sixth sense told her that something bad was going to happen on this bus!
As she was thinking this, one of the men who had boarded with luggage stood up. He was slightly hunched over.
Ning Wei thought that if he were to stand up straight, his head would probably touch the ceiling of the bus.
“Driver, could you please stop the bus for a moment? I really need to use the restroom!” the man’s voice was urgent, sounding genuinely desperate.
“Can’t you hold it a little longer? Driving at night isn’t safe, and you know there are occasional rockfalls on this road. We should get to the final stop quickly,” the driver said reluctantly, explaining his reason.
But the man was insistent, clutching his stomach. “If it were just a little thing, I could hold it. But it’s a big one!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a foul, feces-like odor wafted through the bus. Everyone instinctively wrinkled their noses and held their breath.
It was cold outside, so all the windows were closed. The sudden appearance of this smell made them reluctant to open the windows to air it out.
“Brother, I really can’t hold it anymore. Please stop the bus!” the man urged again when the driver still didn’t stop.
Someone kindly chimed in, “Anyone would have trouble holding it in this situation. Just stop the bus quickly and let him take care of it by the roadside. It’ll only take a few minutes, and we can speed up later.”
“Exactly! Nature calls. Driver, you should try to put yourself in his shoes.”
More and more people spoke up in support of the man with the stomachache. The attendant remained silent, and the driver hesitated.
“Driver, if you don’t stop soon, I might just relieve myself in the bus!” the man threatened, making a move to undo his pants.
The others saw this and panicked. If he actually did it on the bus, could they continue riding?
“Stop the bus and let him out!”
“Yes, yes!” More and more people agreed.
The driver, left with no choice, stepped on the brakes. Unprepared, everyone lurched forward.
“Damn it!”
“At least give us a warning before braking!”
The driver remained silent and pressed the door-opening button. The man with the stomachache scrambled off the bus.
The sky was getting darker. Everyone waited for a few minutes, growing impatient.
“Why hasn’t he come back yet?”
“Maybe someone should go down and check. What if he fell somewhere?”
“Aren’t you with him? Go down and see why your friend isn’t back yet!” someone from behind nudged a companion of the man who had just left.
“I’ll go and check,” one of the men replied.
“Hurry up, hurry up.” The people on the bus, unaware of what was happening, urged them on.
The man quickly got off the bus and disappeared into the roadside grass. A rustling sound was heard, and then silence.
With two people gone without a trace, the passengers on the bus grew fearful.
A timid voice said, “Could it be ghosts?”
“Bah! What nonsense are you talking about at night!” someone immediately retorted.
“Driver, this person got off your bus. Why don’t you go down and check?” someone incited the driver to go, as they themselves lacked the courage.
The sky outside had completely darkened, but it wasn’t pitch black yet. One could vaguely see the surroundings.
Hearing the suggestion to the driver, the attendant became displeased. “We didn’t force him off the bus. If you want to go, go yourselves!”
“I’ll go!” one of the five men suddenly stood up and said.
Everyone was a little surprised but also relieved. As long as someone was willing to go, it was fine.
The third man stood up to go without hesitation. He adjusted his clothes, then strode off the bus and disappeared into the grass. After a minute, there was silence again.
“This is weird!” someone exclaimed, slapping their thigh hard.
“What should we do?” someone asked, at a loss.
The driver and attendant were in an awkward predicament. Three people had gotten off their bus, and if something happened to them, they would surely be held responsible.
But looking at the darkening sky, they didn’t dare to go down and check.
The wild grass by the roadside was taller than a person, and once someone entered it, they would be completely hidden.
There were still two men from the group of five left on the bus. Someone continued to egg them on. “Since they are your friends, aren’t you going to go and check on them?”
Someone immediately countered, “I’m not an idiot. If those two disappeared after going, am I just going to walk to my death?”
“Should we leave then?” someone proposed this bold suggestion.
“No! They haven’t come back yet!” the companion disagreed again.