"Rumble!"
The roar of an engine sounded as Jiang Qiao arrived in Edward Town in Spike's pickup truck.
It was a typical, run-down town in the western part of the Ugly Country.
Lining both sides of the main street were wooden buildings in the style of the last century, or even the nineteenth century. Most of the shops had already closed. The thick layer of dust on their windows showed that they had gone out of business long ago.
The remaining shops still open were nothing more than gas stations, convenience stores, and hardware stores.
The hardware store also did auto repairs.
Its owner was Old Karl, the drunk Spike had mentioned.
He had not closed the store.
But he sat at the entrance drinking, his eyes already clouded and unfocused. Clearly, he could no longer work.
"You can make do here for one night."
Spike drove Jiang Qiao to the town's only inn and restaurant and said, "You can call your friends and let them know you're safe. As for your car, you can also contact the roadside assistance service."
"Of course."
"If you're not in a hurry, you can wait until tomorrow and have Old Karl take a look at it."
After giving him a few reminders,
Spike drove away.
That left Jiang Qiao standing alone outside a place called Tom Inn.
"Hey, boss."
He pushed open the door and entered.
An elderly man happened to be cleaning. Hearing the noise, he looked up and smiled. With some surprise, he asked, "Young man, are you a traveler? It's been a long time since anyone came to town."
"Yes, sir."
"My car broke down. Luckily, Uncle Spike was kind enough to bring me here."
"Are you the owner of the inn?"
"I'd like to stay for one night."
Jiang