Train Grandpa (High-Energy Chapter)

"Let me tell you, plenty of people are willing to pay to come to this place. I am Dark Energy User; in your Pro State slang, we'd say I have cultivation."

In Chunshen City, there are many circles of Dark Energy User. I joined several circles before I found the right way to come to Dream Tether Tower.

The man's name was Zhao Dajun. He was a very talkative person. Before Li Banfeng could ask, he took the initiative to introduce himself, "I am Number Theorist. In your Pro State, we call Calculation Cultivator. In Chunshen City, I worked as a programmer for ten years."

Calculation Cultivator —just hearing the name makes you think he's good at math.

Li Banfeng said, "You're a programmer, which is a perfect fit for your major."

"It's a perfect fit!" Zhao Dajun nodded. "Having just graduated and started working, I feel that the programming profession is particularly suitable for me. I'm bound to be a future industry leader."

I'm definitely cut out for this line of work. I'm not bragging, but at my peak, I easily made 50,000 to 60,000 a month.

I worked in Chunshen City for ten years. After deducting living expenses and money sent home, I saved over two million yuan. That's enough to buy a house in Chunshen City; even in a decent location, I could easily make a down payment.

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "Amazing!"

Zhao Dajun sighed and said, "I also think I'm pretty great, but I can't do it anymore."

I'm a Dark Energy User on the first floor, and my body is much stronger than a normal person's. But even so, leaving home at seven o'clock every day and returning at eleven o'clock, with hardly any rest throughout the year, my body just can't take it anymore.

That's secondary. The moment I sit down at my desk and see code, I feel like throwing up. When the phone rings and I hear the department manager's voice, I feel even more nauseous.

I don't want to work anymore, but if I buy a house in Chunshen City, I will definitely spend all my savings. Even if I choose a good location, I will still have to pay a lot of mortgage. How am I supposed to make a living?

I don't want to buy a house. My girlfriend broke up with me, and that's fine; I can manage on my own. But I can't stand my family nagging me every day, calling me useless, unfilial, and good-for-nothing.

I was exhausted and fed up. I wanted to live for myself for once. Later, with the help of friends in the industry, I spent all my savings and, after many twists and turns, came to Dream Tether Tower. I've arrived at the best place in the world, and I'm going to live the rest of my life here!

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand. "What's so good about that?"

Zhao Dajun looked surprised. "Do I even need to tell you? They have everything you could want here. Eating here is free. As long as it's not too outrageous, whatever you want to eat, the cafeteria staff will make it for you anytime."

The accommodation was free, and it was warm in winter and cool in summer all year round, without even a mosquito.

Li Banfeng said, "You spent over two million just to earn enough for food and lodging?"

"Not only that! We also have dreams, dreams that have everything: snow-capped mountains, pastoral landscapes, islands, beaches..."

There are young women on the hard drive, and we can understand what they're saying.

"Really?" Li Banfeng was very interested in this.

"Really!" Zhao Dajun nodded vigorously. "That's my dream. I decide everything. If I think the girl is real, then she's real."

Zhao Dajun actually makes a lot of sense; real young ladies may not be as wonderful as the one in your dreams.

"But what if you have a nightmare?"

Zhao Dajun shook his head and said, "I never have nightmares in Dream Tether Tower, nor will I ever suffer from insomnia, unless I offend the owner of the building."

Who is the poster?

"I don't know, and I've never met her. If it's not necessary, I don't want to see her. As long as the rules here remain the same, I'm willing to stay here peacefully."

Li Banfeng asked, "What if I don't want to stay here?"

"I advise you to think it over carefully," Zhao Dajun looked at Li Banfeng sincerely. "No one who comes here wants to leave. Sleep a little longer, have a few more dreams, and then make a decision."

Li Banfeng remained silent.

After finishing their meal, Zhao Dajun told Li Banfeng that the cafeteria was on the second floor and the exit was on the first floor. He told Li Banfeng that if he didn't want to leave, he could go back to his bedroom and make his own decision.

Li Banfeng had already made up his mind.

He went downstairs, pushed open the door to the stairwell, and by the light of the match, he could vaguely see the location of the exit.

There were two large glass doors. Li Banfeng strode towards the door, and a gust of cold wind blew out the match.

He struck another match, and as the flame ignited, a tall woman in White Clothes suddenly appeared before him.

Intruders in my dreams!

The woman looked at Li Banfeng with almost no expression, only a hint of laziness.

This time, Li Banfeng saw her face clearly.

She has an oval face, a high nose, captivating eyes, small, rosy lips, and a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, carrying a faint smile.

She seemed to possess an elusive, ethereal quality.

A stunningly beautiful woman appeared before him. Li Banfeng stared at her for a moment, then lit her clothes with a match.

After the clothes caught fire, the ethereal aura became even more pronounced.

The beautiful woman continued to gaze lazily at Li Banfeng, asking in a flat tone, "Why did you burn my clothes?"

Li Banfeng asked sincerely, "Why are you trying to scare me?"

Using the flames from her body, the beauty lit the candle in her hand and placed it on the candlestick by the wall.

She gently blew out the flames on her body, looked at Li Banfeng, and said in an ethereal voice, "Are you leaving already?"

Li Banfeng asked, "Do we need to check out?"

The beautiful woman smiled faintly, "If you're in such a hurry to leave, why did you come?"

Li Banfeng answered honestly, "I really didn't want to come. I was carried here by an old man who thought he was a train."

"He is the Train Grandpa."

"Do you know this crazy old man?"

Why do you think he's crazy?

"For a train, it doesn't even burn coal, isn't that crazy?"

The beautiful woman nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with Li Banfeng's statement. She then stepped aside to make way for him.

Li Banfeng strode away without the slightest hesitation.

As they reached the door, the beautiful woman asked, "What's your name?"

Li Banfeng recalled the scene in his dream, where some people called him Seventh Master and others called him Night Boss.

This woman knows all this information.

After a brief adjustment, Li Banfeng replied, "My name is Night Seven."

The beautiful woman seemed unsuspecting and answered earnestly, "My name is Meng Qian. Just keep walking straight ahead until you reach your destination, and don't look back."

"Thank you, Miss Meng."

Meng Qian nodded. "Until we meet again."

Li Banfeng stepped out of the gate, where a dark forest stretched out before him. Among the lush vegetation, a rather inconspicuous mountain path led to the outside.

Regardless of whether Meng Qian's words are true or false, leaving this place quickly is definitely the right choice.

As Li Banfeng raced along the mountain path, he reflected on his previous experiences.

I got lost on the edge of New World and ended up at a train station. There, I met a crazy old man who led me to this place.

If the train station and the crazy old man are real, I must have fallen into a dream after paying the fare, and then somehow ended up in this building and was put to sleep in a room.

In my dream, I felt an urgent need to urinate and even looked for a toilet. If I'm not mistaken, in reality, I was sleepwalking and actually went to the toilet.

Do I know where the toilet is?

People in this building can find the toilet without even opening their eyes.

It's not just the toilets.

In my dream, I saw myself going down a mountain and going up a mountain, and I even had a meal at a restaurant.

In reality, I went downstairs and upstairs, and had a meal in the cafeteria.

How did I find the cafeteria?

This likely stems from some hints in the dream.

The owner of this building should be that woman named Meng Qian.

She can invade the dreams of everyone in the building and manipulate the residents' behavior through those dreams.

If I were to jump off a cliff in my dream, in reality I might have climbed to the top of a building and jumped off.

In this situation, will I fall and die?

It depends on how tall the building is and how I would react. As a Travel Cultivator, I'm unlikely to fall to my death, but this is just one example I can think of.

If Meng Qian wanted to kill me, she could find many ways. Thinking of this, Li Banfeng felt a chill run down his spine and ran even faster than before.

She didn't intend to kill me, and even let me leave. What was her purpose in bringing me here?

Did she not know why I came? Was this just an accident orchestrated by that crazy old man?

That crazy old man is called Train Grandpa. What was his purpose in bringing me here?

After running for more than an hour, Li Banfeng stopped.

Roughly estimated, he must have run more than 300 miles, definitely out of the control area of that building.

We can see some light ahead; we should be on our way to the Proper Land.

My stamina is still good; I can run a few hundred more miles without any problem.

But he was thirsty. He had been thirsty since he woke up, and he hadn't had a drop of water since.

Go back to my Portable Abode for a drink of water, and while I'm at it, tell my Wife about this and see if she knows this woman named Meng Qian.

Just as Li Banfeng was about to reach for his keys, a sound that sent chills down his spine rang out from behind him.

"Huffing and puffing, woo-woo-woo!"

Without a second thought, Li Banfeng took off running.

Train Grandpa!

How come I ran into him again?

Is he going to force me to get in the car again?

He's a high-level Travel Cultivator; outrunning him won't be easy. It requires strategy, thought, and careful route planning. I'm a fifth-level Travel Cultivator; what's his cultivation level? Seventh? Eighth? Or...?

The Train Grandpa suddenly turned around and said, "We're leaving."

When did he get ahead of me?

"Get on the train!" The Train Grandpa moved incredibly fast. Before Li Banfeng could even see his figure clearly, he was already on his back.

"Whoosh~" The Train Grandpa swung its arms and charged forward.

Li Banfeng was speechless. "Grandpa, where exactly are you taking me?"

"Huff, huff," the Train Grandpa turned around and asked, "Have you ever ridden a train?"

Li Banfeng said, "Of course I've ridden in it!"

"You sat there and you're still asking?"

Why can't I ask?

"Anyone who's ever ridden a train knows that wherever the train goes, you have to go!"

"His..."

What he said makes a lot of sense.

"But the thing is, I didn't want to get in your car!"

"You must get in my car."

"Why?"

"Because you haven't woken up yet."

What does that mean?

Is this old man truly insane or just pretending?

Li Banfeng frowned. "How do you know I haven't woken up?"

The Train Grandpa whistle sounded as it replied, "Because I haven't woken up either."

Most people would have been driven to despair by the old man's logic.

But Li Banfeng didn't break down. He asked very seriously, "How do you know you haven't woken up?"

The old man looked at Li Banfeng with a puzzled expression. "Is that even a question? If I were awake, would I think of myself as a train?"

What he said... still makes a lot of sense.

But if what he said is true, does that mean I've entered this old man's dream?

How could I possibly enter his dream?

Li Banfeng remained rational and continued, "Why did you dream that you turned into a train?"

The Train Grandpa was silent for a moment before saying, "Because I miss my own train."

"Have you ever owned a train?"

"Some."

"Where did your train go?"

"Sold."

"Who did you sell it to?"

"Peddler".

Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead and inwardly chuckled at the crazy old man.

Even a madman's dreams lack logic; how could Peddler possibly buy a train?

PS: It might actually be true.