"We had it hard back then. Not like you kids nowadays, with such a good life and getting to travel everywhere..."
The old man's tone shifted, and he put on a serious expression. "Have fun if you want, but pay attention to safety! Big trucks often pass through this intersection. You've never driven one, so you don't know how huge the blind spots are on those ore trucks. Ten people could be standing right in front of the truck, and the driver still wouldn't see them."
"And with the sun so bright, one flash of glare and they'll see even less."
"If you want to take pictures, take them here, by the roadside. You can see the mine from here too, and the view is even better. There's no need to go into the middle of the road..."
The old man earnestly lectured them, while Martin and Lu Youqi nodded over and over like pecking chickens.
When the old man finally decided to let them go and headed back toward the newsstand, Lu Youqi called out to him.
"Old man, is this newsstand yours?"
"Yep."
"Can I look at the newspapers?"
"Go ahead." The old man waved a hand indifferently.
The two of them then leaned against the front of the newsstand and began reading the newspapers on display.
Lu Youqi carefully examined the information about this world and discovered that its civilization was not particularly advanced.
It's probably around the level of my world before the Abyss descended...
Most of the newspapers contained current affairs: which country had launched another missile, which country had imposed new sanctions. It left Lu Youqi somewhat dazed, as though he had returned to his childhood.
Back then, humanity had not yet had a common enemy. They had still been busy competing and trying