No one paid any attention to the thug left behind with the injured leg. Li Xingkong was at a loss for words. What a bunch of fair-weather friends, abandoning him without a care at a time like this.
Watching the thug roll around on the ground, clutching his leg, Li Xingkong pinned him down, searched him for his phone, looked up the number for Prisoner Continent Hospital, and called him an ambulance.
But abroad, calling someone an ambulance was worse than killing him outright. The cost of that one round trip alone would be enough to leave him without even his underpants.
"No need to thank me. It was the education I received in the Divine Land that saved you." He let go of the thug, who lay flat on the ground, already somewhat delirious.
"Since I saved you, you don't mind if I ride your bike for a few days, right?" Li Xingkong looked at the two bikes. One still had vomit stains on it, and he had no desire to touch that thing.
So Li Xingkong chose the other one. At least it looked a little cleaner.
The bike had been left running, its engine still roaring. Li Xingkong didn't dwell on whether this counted as robbery or borrowing. He swung onto the bike, revved the engine a few times, and rode away.
After riding for almost half a day, Li Xingkong finally reached the vicinity of the first farm he had picked out.
Li Xingkong had grown more and more bewildered along the way. The land was so desolate that it seemed to have been forgotten by the world. Apart from the lonely highway running through the entire Prisoner Continent, there was no sign of human activity. As far as the eye could see stretched boundless grassland, the grass swaying in the wind like a surging green ocean.
He could even see plenty of wild animals crossing the highway. They weren't the least bit afraid of approaching vehicles, so Li Xingkong could only obediently give way.
The wild animals here might have grown used to the vehicles on the highway. They showed no alarm when they saw Li Xingkong stopped and waiting for them to pass. He even encountered some carnivores, but when they saw his bike, they didn't pounce on him. They simply glanced at him a few times and moved on.
Although the people of the Prisoner Continent were fierce, for animals, this place was more like a paradise.
The sights along the way were a novelty to Li Xingkong. At least in the Divine Land, he had never seen so many strange and oddly shaped animals, many of which he couldn't even name.
After riding a little farther, Li Xingkong saw the scenery ahead change in the distance.
Cultivated land began to appear on both sides of the road. Vast stretches of it joined together, extending beyond sight. Far ahead, there seemed to be a house in the style of the Prisoner Continent's countryside.
Li Xingkong knew he had probably arrived.
He rode up to the house and pressed the horn. A fat middle-aged man came out of the farm, holding a pitchfork.
"Listen up, biker boy, there's nothing here."
The farmer waved his pitchfork as soon as he saw the bike.
"I heard your farm was for sale. I came to take a look," Li Xingkong explained.
"Oh, you're here to buy the farm? I was just saying, you don't often see people from the Divine Land among those biker punks."
The farmer lowered his pitchfork.
"Why did you pick my place? Go any farther and you'll be in the desert. Hardly anyone comes out here."
"I just got here from the Divine Land, and my funds are limited."
Li Xingkong stopped the motorcycle and walked over to the farmer. He looked at the surrounding land. Although it had been cultivated, the soil here really didn't look very good.
"Fair enough. I was ready to just abandon the place if nobody bought it."
The farmer stuck the pitchfork into the ground, leaned against its handle, and lit a cigarette. Then he took out another and offered it to Li Xingkong.
"Want one?"
"No, no, I don't smoke. The conditions here are acceptable to me. Name your price."
Li Xingkong took a few more careful looks. This was the only farm for dozens of kilometers around, making it an excellent location for him. If they could reach an agreement, he wouldn't have to make trips to several more places.
"Two million. I'll leave straightaway and let you keep all the stuff here."
The farmer named his price. That was fairly low for the Prisoner Continent, where farms normally cost at least three million.
"No problem. We can make the deal today."
Li Xingkong agreed without hesitation. He could still afford that price.
"All right, then let's go take care of the paperwork!"
Having met someone so straightforward, the farmer stubbed out his cigarette, wiped his hand on his waistband, and reached over to shake Li Xingkong's hand.
"Don't ride that thing. You might get killed on the road. Wait for me."
As he spoke, the farmer headed for the garage.
Before long, a heavily modified heavy-duty pickup drove out. Though it was a pickup, it had wire wrapped all the way around the outside, and an enormous front frame had been welded together from steel bars.
"Get in, boss!" the farmer said from the driver's seat.
Li Xingkong then opened the passenger door. The pickup's seats were quite high, about a meter and a half off the ground. It seemed the vehicle had also been modified for off-road use. Li Xingkong tossed the motorcycle onto the back of the pickup and climbed in.
"Mike. What about you?" the farmer introduced himself.
"Li Xingkong," Li Xingkong replied. At least so far, the farmer seemed like a straightforward man.
"So, what do you think? The Prisoner Continent's a nice place, isn't it? Lots of land, not much environment, and not many people either."
Mike spoke with a smile.
"Uh, the local character here really is one of a kind. I've certainly experienced it firsthand." Li Xingkong found it a little hard to describe.
"Hahaha, looks like you got badly ripped off too." One look at Li Xingkong's expression, and Mike burst out laughing.
"Why else do you think it's called the Prisoner Continent?" Mike began telling Li Xingkong about the continent's history. "It was only discovered in the seventeenth century. Because it was a big island and the conditions were harsh, it was originally used as a prison where criminals were exiled. More than a hundred years later, those criminals founded a country, and that's why this place is especially free!"
No wonder it was called the Prisoner Continent. The name really did fit.
After driving for another half a day, the two finally arrived at the land exchange. They finished the paperwork after paying a hefty processing fee, and from then on, Li Xingkong was a landowner here too.
"If you have any problems in the future, come ask me anytime. I've got plenty of free time."
As they were about to part, Mike added, "The Prisoner Continent is a place where fish and dragons mingle, but I know a few reliable fellows."
"Sure."
Holding the documents he had just received, Li Xingkong felt somewhat moved. It seemed there were still some good people on the Prisoner Continent, even if there weren't many.
Li Xingkong pushed the beat-up motorcycle he had taken off the truck, then turned and rode toward his own farm.
By the time he arrived, evening was drawing near again. Li Xingkong pushed open the farmhouse door. The house wasn't big, with only three stories, plus an attic half a person's height. The rooms were full of miscellaneous things, and there was even a pile of potatoes stored in the kitchen.
Mike was a man of his word. He had said he wouldn't take anything, and he hadn't touched a thing in the house, leaving it all for Li Xingkong.
Li Xingkong wasn't excessively fussy about cleanliness, and he didn't mind using the things Mike had left behind. The first floor had a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. On the second floor were three bedrooms, only one of which was in use; the other two were filled with miscellaneous things. The attic was also piled with odds and ends, and a thick layer of dust covered the floor. It looked as though no one had been up there in a while.
Li Xingkong looked around inside and out and was quite satisfied. Then he tidied up the bedroom. He hadn't had much proper rest since arriving, and he planned to have his first good sleep since coming to the Prisoner Continent here.