It was the time of day when the sun was at its hottest, and the temperature in the Gobi had exceeded 40 degrees. Zhang Heng placed his backpack on his head to shield himself from the direct sunlight, but it didn't help much. After walking along the railway for a short while, the skin that was exposed to the outside of his sleeves had turned red, and the heat waves were rising, distorting his vision.
He had no choice but to find a dark rock wall and sit down to rest for a while. He waited for the sun to rise a little before setting off again. During this time, a whiptail lizard hid in the same shadow as him to avoid the heat.
In the Apollo training camp, Zhang Heng had also trained in desert survival, but that was only if he had a supply bag. NASA had done a good job in this regard, taking into account all kinds of emergency situations. They had even prepared anti-inflammatory drugs. This time, however, it was different. Zhang Heng was suddenly thrown into the Gobi by the game system. From the clothes he wore to the equipment he carried, they weren't suitable for desert survival.
Since he had found the railway, Zhang Heng's original plan was to walk along it for a while. When the train arrived, he would board the train to the next settlement. However, he didn't know if he was unlucky, but more than two hours had passed, and he still hadn't seen a train. He could only rely on his feet to continue walking.
This time, he walked for almost four hours, and the water in his body evaporated quickly. Not only did the corners of his mouth start to crack, but his exposed calves and arms were also a little red and swollen, indicating that he was slightly sunburned.
Fortunately, he could see the small town in the distance in the sandstorm.
Zhang Heng's heart was finally at ease.
Like most small towns in the west at this time, the town in front of him, which he still didn't know the name of, was built on the railway. The railway ran through the center of the town. On one side were residential houses, and on the other side were entertainment areas such as pubs, brothels, and casinos. This was because drunk people often caused trouble, so it was necessary to isolate these revelers.
However, when Zhang Heng got a little closer, he noticed something unusual.
The most important thing was that the place was too deserted.
Although there were houses along the way with their doors wide open, Zhang Heng didn't see a single person inside, and everything was gone. Zhang Heng walked into a house at random and found that the ground was covered in sand and dust. Obviously, the owner hadn't been back for a long time.
The other houses nearby were in a similar state. The only difference was the bar in the town. Zhang Heng saw eight horses outside the door.
Considering that this was probably the only place in the entire town with people, he didn't hesitate for long before he opened the door of the bar.
Unlike the empty town outside, the bar was bustling with noise. Four men were playing poker and cursing each other loudly. A drunk man was lying on a table by the window, snoring like thunder. The lame bar owner was counting the liquor on the wine rack. At another table, two slightly quieter young men were sitting. One was cleaning his rifle, and the other was playing with a dagger.
At another table, two slightly quieter young men sat. One was cleaning his rifle, and the other was playing with a dagger.
Zhang Heng could understand their thoughts. After all, his 21st-century attire looked a little too trendy for this era. Coupled with his skin color, it was hard not to attract attention.
However, he wasn't here for a blind date, and he didn't care too much about what other people thought of him. He roughly scanned the surroundings, walked straight to the bar, and put down his backpack.
"Excuse me, can I have a glass of water … alcohol is fine too."
However, the lame owner didn't turn around. In fact, he acted as if he hadn't heard anything and was still arranging the wine rack.
Zhang Heng frowned. The immigrant composition in the United States was very complicated. Not only were there English and Scots, but there were also many people from other countries. Although this situation was relatively rare, he couldn't rule out the possibility that the boss didn't speak English. So, Zhang Heng asked again in French and Spanish.
However, there was still no effect.
Instead, a bearded man put down the poker cards in his hand and walked over. Unlike his rugged, bear-like appearance, he was surprisingly polite. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" he asked.
"No, please go ahead." "Since you are the guests here, you should be able to answer my next question. Is the owner of this bar deaf?" Zhang Heng paused for a moment before asking, "Since you are guests here, you should be able to answer my next question.
"Hahahaha." The bear-like man laughed, but he did not answer Zhang Heng's question immediately. Instead, he asked with interest, "Where did you come from, my friend? I didn't see your horse outside."
"In another … town," Zhang Heng said.
"But as far as I know, there are no other towns within a hundred miles."
"So as you can see, I've walked a long way," Zhang Heng said. He looked sideways at the table where the man sat before and pointed to a bottle of whiskey on it. "Can I have a glass? I haven't had water for a long time."
"Of course, of course. As the saying goes, good wine should always be shared with friends." The bear-like man laughed, but he did not get up. Instead, he sat in the same place, looked at Zhang Heng, and blinked. "You are a China guy, right? Although you look stronger than most China guys, you wear weird clothes, and you don't have that thing on the back of your head …"
"Don't be nervous. I used to have two China guy friends. They opened a grocery store in town, and I liked them from the bottom of my heart. I always visited their store. Those hardworking little things are like bees flying in your ears every day, buzzing. Forgive me, I haven't read many books, and this metaphor may not be appropriate … until one day, something went wrong with our friendship."
The bear-like man had a troubled look on his face. "You be the judge. That morning, I went to their store as usual. I took some honey, candles, food, and two bottles of wine. When I was about to leave, they suddenly stopped me and asked me to pay and settle my previous debt. This behavior deeply hurt me. Given the deep friendship between us, I don't think such pure feelings can be measured with money. So, I put down the honey, the candles, and the bacon in my hand. After that, I opened one of the bottles of wine and took two big gulps.
"During the process, my two friends kept chattering in my ears. So, I had to pull out the revolver at my waist and shoot each of their cute little heads. And then … all the problems between us were suddenly solved."
The bear-like man smiled. "Now, let me answer your previous question. No, one-legged Randall is not deaf. Considering his age, this old bastard's ears are more sensitive than a dog's. He clearly heard every word you said, but … he just doesn't f * cking care."
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