Secret
That afternoon, Zeng Qi and Hao Han's families returned to downtown Mogadishu with people from the Chinese Embassy.
The incident involving the missing Chinese university students in Somalia, which had drawn the attention of so many people, finally came to an end.
Just after the two families left, Li Bai met the five people from China whom Luan Zhengwei had mentioned.
One of them was someone he actually knew—the Wizards' WeChat user "Little Tusi of Centipede Cave, Qiannan Road." He spread his arms toward Li Bai and said exaggeratedly, "Surprised? Unexpected?"
Don't assume that all Wizards were old fogies who solemnly simmered strange, eerie concoctions or chanted profound, inscrutable incantations. Quite a few of them were lively characters.
"Mahua, say hello to Grandmaster Li."
The northeastern man holding a big cat grabbed its paw and waved it at Li Bai.
He was also an old friend of Li Bai's: "Uncle Biao of Shuangyashan, Wujiang," Lu Sanhu.
The big cat, a Pallas's Cat named Mahua, was deeply uncomfortable. It struggled constantly, trying to escape from its owner's arms.
≡ω≡# Don't touch me!
"You two, what brings you here?"
Li Bai was somewhat dumbfounded. Two Chinese Wizards, one from the south and one from the north—their locations were worlds apart—had actually traveled thousands of miles from China to Africa. It was truly baffling.
Besides, had "Little Tusi of Centipede Cave, Qiannan Road" stopped running his specialty farm?
Whether for medicine or food, those finger-thick centipedes were highly sought-after.
And had the great landowner "Uncle Biao of Shuangyashan, Wujiang," Lu Sanhu, stopped farming? In another two months, this year's new rice should be ready, right? That was the busiest time of the year.
The two Chinese Wizards did not speak again. Instead, they looked toward one of the other three people.
"Hello,