223. Stealing Books Isn't Theft

Lu Ban quickly recalled the One Night Carnival he had on his first visit to the Ruined City.

Of the few Fellow Traveler him, only the naive young man named Stone survived.

Lu Ban learned about the author Gudu from Stone, and now he has encountered Stone again while investigating Gudu's disappearance. It can be said that they are connected by some kind of fate.

"You two know each other?"

Trist was somewhat surprised, after all, Lu Ban was clearly not from this alien land of the Ruined City, and the people he could know should be those he had met during missions.

In typical the Silent Land quests, passersby are either killed or injured, so it feels a bit odd that someone is standing here unharmed.

"I guess we know each other."

Lu Ban replied, looking Shi Stone up and down. The once frail boy had now become quite handsome, and even in his ill-fitting old suit, he still had a dashing air about him, quite different from the fierce thugs beside him.

Is this a true reflection of how reading can change one's life?

Lu Ban couldn't help but think.

"You became a gangster?"

He blurted it out, and you could see the thug next to him raise his eyelids, about to raise his hand.

"It's not a gang, it's a company."

Stone corrected him, raising his hand to stop the thug. It seemed he held a rather high position in this car rental place.

"Because I can read, I was assigned to work here as an accountant."

"Oh."

Lu Ban didn't dwell on the term "gangster" anyway; whether it was the Mafia or a big company, they were all similar things.

"That's wonderful, Mr. Lu Ban. I haven't heard from you for the past few years. I thought you were already gone."

When Stone saw Lu Ban, he was reminded of the scene from that night and couldn't help but feel lingering fear.

But soon, the joy of knowing that familiar people were still alive replaced that unease.

Upon closer inspection, it has been three years since the last time I came to this Ruined City, which is indeed a long time.

"No, I don't have any flaws, I'm just a bit tough."

Lu Ban waved.

"By the way, are you still reading books about the Gudu?"

Lu Ban glanced at the novel beside Stone.

"Yes, I think he wrote very well."

Stone picked up the book from his hand.

"Moreover, when I was little, my mother often read me stories from ' Old News of the Ruined Capital ' to scare me into sleep, so I feel that he is very close to me."

"That really is your mother."

Trist made a comment.

"Uh-huh."

Whether he didn't understand or genuinely believed it, Stone Tou nodded and pulled the old book out of his pocket.

The pages were worn and frayed, clearly from years of frequent use. Lu Ban glanced at it and realized the book was indeed very old, and the author's signature page on the title page was missing.

Are you heading out of the city?

Stone looked at the form that Trist had filled out and confirmed it again.

"Yes, we're going to Cold Ruins."

Lu Ban nodded, then suddenly thought of something.

Has anyone rented a car recently and hasn't returned it yet?

No, why is that?

Stone thought for a moment, then asked, somewhat puzzled.

No, I was just asking.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Ban spoke to Stone again.

"Books from the Gudu are not suitable for someone your age to read, otherwise they may affect your life. I've taken them away for your own good."

He picked up both the book "The Mouse in the Painting" and "Old News of the Ruined Capital".

Stone was a little confused, but thinking about Lu Ban's appearance that night, he didn't dare to say anything.

"?"

Trist watched helplessly as Lu Ban stuffed both books into his arms, glancing at the Stone who dared not resist.

"How dare you bully a child and steal someone's book?"

He couldn't help but say.

"Stealing Books Isn't Theft, and I'm doing it for his own good. If a teenager is addicted to horror novels every day, it's bad for society and for himself, don't you think?"

Lu Ban spoke with righteous indignation.

Trist twitched his lips. Although he knew that Lu Ban was worried that the books from the Gudu would have a negative influence on the boy, just like that mercenary, this method was still too simple and crude.

"Remember this: at your age, you can only read these entertainment books between 8 and 9 pm on weekend nights. The rest of the time, you should work and study hard."

Lu Ban added.

Stone nodded blankly.

The two thugs standing nearby stared blankly at the conversation between Lu Ban and Stone.

"Then we're leaving. I'll come back to see you when I have time."

Lu Ban picked up the keys, and together with Trist and Xiya, they got the car and quickly drove out of the Ruined City.

The Stone that remained, sitting in the chair, seemed not to have reacted yet.

"Boss, what happened to those guys just now?"

One of the thugs came over and asked Stone a question.

"Don't worry about it, he's my friend."

Stone looked thoughtfully in the direction the three cars had gone.

"Let's row our oars, and our little boat will push through the waves."

Lu Ban sang a song while feeling the cool breeze blowing in his face.

He sat in the passenger seat, while Xiya sat in the back. She was very interested in cars, probably because they didn't exist in the Night Country. The girl sat upright, her body swaying slightly with the car.

"You don't need to be so nervous."

Lu Ban said that the night outside was deep and the road was very smooth. If you didn't consider the cause and effect, it would be like driving on a country road.

In the distance, scattered lights could be seen, just as Trist had said, there were indeed some scattered villages and towns along this road, so there was no need to worry about being attacked by monsters.

Can you drive?

Trist suddenly asked.

"No, what's wrong?"

Lu Ban answered decisively.

"Then we need to find a place to rest for a while. I can't drive all night."

"Oh, then I'll hurry up and get some sleep."

As Lu Ban spoke, he prepared to turn to his side and close his eyes to rest.

"Stop, what are you doing sleeping?"

Trist was puzzled.

"You'll need to rest later, so you'll definitely fall asleep. I can't sleep then, so it's perfectly reasonable for me to sleep now!"

Lu Ban was very serious.

"It seems so."

As Trist muttered to himself, Lu Ban had already closed his eyes, seemingly falling into a deep sleep.

"I feel a little dizzy."

It was probably Xiya's first time riding in a car, and she quickly became carsick.

"You, you shouldn't throw up. You should close your eyes and rest for a bit. You can lie down, but no, you shouldn't lie down. Just sit still."

Trist was a bit flustered.

Xiya quickly fell into a deep sleep as well.

The Ruined City was silent at night.

Driving, Trist gradually felt drowsy.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that the lights that had been faintly visible in the distance had disappeared.

The whole world was plunged into darkness.

This feeling is very similar to that of being in the thick fog of the Night Country.

Instead of stopping immediately, Trist continued along the road as far as he could see.

He felt a chill down his spine.

Turning on his high beams, Trist suddenly saw what appeared to be a creature ahead.

In a split second, Trist couldn't react in time, and the vehicle crashed directly into the thing.