No way... Is the driver related to the monocle incident that The Star mentioned? He's been corrupted, or is he the source of corruption? Wait, why did I use the word "corruption"... At that moment, I feel like my heart stopped beating for two seconds.
I forget my stupor as I quickly check my belongings.
My phone is still here!
My keys are still here!
My travel card is still here!
My seven yuan change is still here!
My shoes are still here, my pants are still here, my clothes are still here, and my body is still here!
Phew... I didn't lose anything. Nothing happened... I heave a sigh of relief. I feel as though I was just overthinking things.
People just love to scare themselves.
Since I've already taken out my phone, I take a look at the time.
3:25 p.m.
That driver drove really fast—five to six minutes earlier than the estimated time on the app. No wonder I got motion sickness... I gain a new understanding of the situation.
So that's what happened!
However, I keep having the feeling as though I wasn't in the car for more than fifteen minutes, and that we didn't exchange many words.
Maybe it was due to the motion sickness I experienced towards the end of my journey, probably... I raise my head, get my bearings, and head for the eye-catching police station.
It's a compound with several buildings inside. Two fully armed police officers stand guard at the entrance.
At this moment, I suddenly think of a problem. I connect it to a question from my prior inspection of my personal belongings.
I didn't bring a paper notebook or pen!
Of course, this isn't a result of my negligence. It's just that I'm used to using my cell phone to record matters. If it were something grander in scale, or in a more professional setting, I would bring a notebook computer. I haven't used a paper notebook in the last two years.
Uh, in a work environment like a police station, the leaders in charge of matters definitely can't stand the situation of someone holding a cell phone and tapping on it during business exchanges. That's not polite at all! When dealing with them, it's better to be more conservative and traditional. Hmm, I'll first find a stationery shop, buy a pen, buy a notebook, and then go in. Heh heh, in a business environment, putting on an act is also a skill... I immediately look around to find my target.
At times like this, I'll always praise my habit of leaving some buffer time. This gives me enough time to not be in a rush, and allows me to be calm.
The leader in charge of the project and I agreed to meet at 4:00 p.m., so I have 35 minutes of spare time.
Normally speaking, taking a taxi from the company to this place would take about 20 minutes. With the series of actions like going downstairs, waiting for the ride, and entering the compound, the total time required is about 35 minutes. I set off at 3:00 p.m., giving myself plenty of buffer time to arrive at the scheduled time of 3.45 p.m., but considering the possibility of traffic jams, registrations, inspections, and unknown accidents, I ultimately scheduled the appointment to be at 4:00 p.m.
To my surprise, the driver with the monocle drove so fast that I arrived ahead of time.
I don't find any stationery stores despite looking around. I hurriedly take out my phone and use the map app to search for a nearby store.
The nearest stationery store is two kilometers away... Get a rideshare to go over? Just as I'm hesitating, I suddenly see a small shop on the opposite side of the road.
"Star Dream Provisions Store."
Provisions store... maybe there's stationery... I'll go take a look first. There's no need to get a rideshare... Heh, Star Dream. It feels like a celebrity management agency... I quickly make up my mind and quicken my pace. Taking advantage of the flashing green light, I cross the pedestrian crossing.
Soon, I arrive at the Star Dream Provisions Store.
The restaurant is very cramped, and the lighting isn't good. It's rather dim inside, giving me the feeling of going from afternoon to evening instantly.
Lining both sides of the store are shelves that are about 1.8 meters tall. The items placed on the shelves are dazzling, but they all look rather strange.
The cashier is right at the back where a woman in a black dress sits at the back. She has her back against two wooden cabinets and is facing a tablet computer. She's playing with her phone.
There's an ancient serial drama playing on the tablet computer, adding a bit of life to the dark shop. However, it's obvious that the cashier is only listening to the sounds with zero concern about the content.
This store's design is illogical, and the boss isn't meticulous. If I were a thief, I could take a few items and turn around to leave. She wouldn't be able to discover it at all... I lampoon silently before walking to the cashier and rap the wooden counter thrice.
"Hello, do you have a notebook and pen? I'm referring to a paper notebook."
The woman in a black dress looks up and replies with a smile,
"Yes, we do. Over there."
Her voice is very gentle, calming me down instantly. Her looks are pretty good. Even the dark environment can't mask her beauty.
Without taking another look, I trace the shop owner's finger and look towards the corner of the third rack of the shelf on the right.
There is something that appears to be a notebook there, but its design is very strange, as if it's made of brass pages.
"This is a notebook?" I reach for the brass book.
It feels cold to the touch, as if it's made of metal. However, there is indeed paper inside.
"Yes." The shop owner in a black dress says with a calm smile, "My shop's theme is ‘mystery.' All the products in this area have this characteristic."
Product differentiation strategy... This phrase flashes across my mind.
At the same time, I survey my surroundings and see an antique quill, a silver mirror with black eyeballs on both sides, and a few dice of different shapes—too many to count.
Mirror... I subconsciously pick up the mirror with my other hand.
I want to confirm my current condition. I can't look terrible just because of my motion sickness and have it affect the business exchange later.
The mirror quickly reflects my face:
Black hair, brown eyes, deep facial features, hard lines...
Damn, when did I become so handsome? I can't believe that I'm the one in the mirror!
After being stunned for two seconds, I quickly put down the brass notebook, take out my phone, and use the screen to examine myself.
This is very normal. It's still my original appearance... I turn my head to look at the mirror again. I'm still very handsome in the mirror.
"...What's going on with this mirror?" I can't help but ask.
The woman in the black dress smiles.
"This is a smart mirror."
"Ah, I understand." I suddenly understand.
It's a smart mirror with its own beautifying features, filters, and Photoshop effects!
To put it simply, it's actually a special tablet that's directly connected to TikTok and BeautyCam apps.
With this in mind, I lose interest and immediately place the mirror back in its original position.
For some reason, I feel like the mirror is a little sticky. I use a lot of strength to retract my hand.
"How much is this notebook? And this quill." I don't waste any time. I pick up the brass notebook again and ask for the price.
The boss in a black dress purses her lips and chuckles.
"Ten million."
Pfft... I almost spit on her face.
"The two of these are antiques," the boss added.
"... Is there anything that isn't an antique? Something more normal?" I take a deep breath and ask directly.
"Yes." The woman in the black dress points behind me.
I turn around and see a black, ordinary notebook.
I pick it up and flip through it. I'm certain that the surface of the notebook is made of hard paper. The paper inside is an imitation of goatskin. One of the pages is painted with The Fool, who's wearing gorgeous clothes and dazzling head accessories.
With The Fool as my online nickname, how can I not recognize The Fool?
"How much is it?" I ask casually.
"30 yuan," the boss replies with a good attitude.
"It's a little expensive. What about this pen?" I casually pick up another dark red, classic fountain pen.
"25 yuan. If you buy both of them, you can have them for 50 yuan," the boss in the black dress says with a smile.
I hesitate for a few seconds and feel that 50 yuan isn't an unacceptable price compared to traveling two kilometers by taxi—not only is it a waste of time, but the transport cost would be around 20 yuan. Including the cost of the notebook and pen, it would be about 30 to 40 yuan.
"Okay." I take out my phone and complete the transaction.
After leaving the Star Dream Provisions Store and returning to the police station, I register at the guard house.
During this process, a police car drives out.
"Is there an emergency mission?" the policeman on duty asks.
While waiting for the barrier to rise, the driver replies indifferently,
"Damn it, a car thief appeared. He stole two sedan cars!"
