Jia Yan wandered aimlessly amidst the bustling streets, emerging from the slowly moving minibus.
In the city, the danger from predatory animals was reduced by more than ninety percent. Therefore, after observing a small green tree by the roadside, he flew towards it.
After riding for so long, he needed a little rest on the tree.
"Where should I go next?"
Jia Yan clung to a branch with his six long legs. The sunlight was blocked by the leaves, and the relatively cool breeze made him feel comfortable.
His plan was to find the train station in Changtu County and then wait for the train to Shanghai.
Of course, there was a possibility that this county didn't have a direct train to Shanghai, or perhaps there were no train routes passing through here at all.
If that were the case, it would be a bit troublesome.
Then he would have to investigate which nearby city had a train station and then find a ride until he could catch the train!
That would involve a lot of detours and would be a waste of time.
After all, Jia Yan wasn't sure if his series of actions were on point.
If after all this training, he still remained at the larval stage and only consumed a seemingly nutritious type of food, and if his lifespan remained unchanged, similar to that of an ordinary male mosquito, then reaching the end of his lifespan would be imminent.
He didn't have time to waste!
Jia Yan regretted not knowing anything about geography and travel. If he had learned about it earlier, he wouldn't be so clueless about this northeastern city now.
Of course, there was no regret medicine, and hindsight was the worst idea!
After resting for a moment.
Jia Yan shook his wings and found that he had rested enough!
So he spread his wings and, with his large body of a Chinese mosquito, braved the scorching summer sun, flying slowly in an attempt to stay as close to the shade of the street as possible.
Mosquitoes preferred shade, but Jia Yan had no choice but to be a roasted mosquito under the sun.
"That's the bus stop over there!"
A group of passengers waited under the bus stop sign, some holding umbrellas against the sun.
Here, the difference between urban women and the women from the countryside he had seen earlier was evident, not to mention their temperament, even their attire was noticeably more refined!
A mosquito buzzed as it flew by, but its faint sound went unnoticed amidst the noisy street.
Then, at the same height as the bus stop sign, the mosquito hovered in flight for a while, as if it could understand the words on the sign.
"Hmm... The terminal station of Bus No. 7 is called Changtu West Station! Is this West Station the train station?"
Jia Yan didn't bother with that much detail; he decided to take the bus first and see.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Bus No. 7 finally arrived. Jia Yan blended in with the crowd and buzzed into the bus.
Compared to the old minibus he had ridden before, he was now more familiar with it and understood human psychology. Even if someone saw him, flying so high and slipping into the space under the seats or into some crevices when the bus was crowded, no one would bother to look for him.
The journey was similar to the minibus ride, except for a slight reduction in shaking.
Jia Yan hid in the crevices of the seats and waited for nearly twenty minutes before finally hearing, amidst the electronic announcements, "Changtu West Station has arrived."
He waited a little longer until the sound of people getting off the bus disappeared before crawling out from under the seat!
"It really is the train station!"
The area around the train station had not yet developed much, with few buildings around and many fields still visible, giving it a somewhat desolate feel.
But it was indeed the train station!
Jia Yan flapped his wings and flew towards the ticket hall.
Perhaps being in the human world for so long had made him forget to be cautious. At this moment, a small sparrow flew swiftly towards him from behind.
By the time Jia Yan realized something was approaching, the sparrow's beak was already close to his tail!
Opening its mouth, it was about to bite down!
"Oh no!" Jia Yan was shocked, but instinctively reacted in that instant!
With all his might, he flapped his wings and darted sideways!
Crack!
He could hear the sound of the sparrow's beak snapping shut, but fortunately, he didn't feel any pain from being bitten!
Escape!
Jia Yan was terrified, bursting with one hundred and fifty percent of his body's strength, flying towards the ticket hall of the train station!
Perhaps considering the humans on the ground, the sparrow turned around after chasing Jia Yan for a few meters, flying over the ticket hall and into the sky...
"That was close, almost got eaten!"
Jia Yan flew into the ticket hall, feeling a bit dizzy from the frightening experience.
The strong realization hit him that despite being a mosquito with human intelligence and having undergone training, he was still not a predator. In this natural world, he was still a weakling, a small creature consumed by many predators and enemies!
Fortunately, the danger had passed, and he had reached the ticket hall!
"It's quite lively here!" Jia Yan looked around the hall, much more bustling than the desolate outside.
There were people buying tickets, inquiring about routes, and waiting for trains. At least a hundred people were lingering in the ticket hall.
Railway police patrolled around, indicating that the security here was pretty good.
"To Shanghai... to Shanghai..." Jia Yan flew to the station information poster in the ticket hall and browsed the information slowly.
"Sure enough! From Yongchun to Shanghai Hongqiao, arriving at Changtu West Station around 11:20 in the morning, and reaching Shanghai around 22:10 in the evening. It's only about 2,194 kilometers, yet this express train is really fast!"
"Um... the ticket price, 1,651 for first class? Even the cheapest third-class seat is 874! It's true that faster means more expensive! The price of a first-class seat is almost enough for my university living expenses for two months."
"But for me now... what's a train ticket? Can I eat it?"
Jia Yan didn't need to buy a ticket at all, feeling quite proud of himself for saving over 1,600. The timing was just right, with the train arriving in a little over two hours.
Looking at the time on the display screen, he flapped his wings.
He quietly stuck to the wall high up in the hall, waiting for the arrival of the train.
The blood he had absorbed last night could probably last for a while, but he couldn't guarantee if it would be enough for the trip to Shanghai. After all, flying around with his size and movement consumed much more than an ordinary Chinese mosquito. That blood might not last long.
He would have to find food again then. Of course, blood was the best choice!
He waited for hours in the hall, where there was a constant flow of people coming and going.
"The Yongchun to Shanghai Hongqiao G1235 express train is about to arrive at the platform. Please prepare to board the train."
The announcement on the platform snapped Jia Yan, who had slipped into a
half-sleeping state against the wall, back to attention!
Then, the large Chinese mosquito flew quietly towards the ticket gate on the second floor, where people weren't likely to notice him.
"Don't rush, have your tickets ready, and queue up for ticket inspection in order!" A female ticket inspector in uniform kept reminding the crowded passengers to maintain order!
But at the height of two people, Jia Yan completely ignored the ticket inspector, buzzing past her head!
Then, he stuck to the door frame of the entrance gate, not flying into the platform!
You see, the wind caused by the train entering the station could be very strong.
Sometimes people couldn't even stand steady. It was possible for a little mosquito like him to be blown a hundred meters away!
Jia Yan was grateful that he had thought of this, so he lay low, waiting for the train to arrive.
Sure enough, not long after, a loud train whistle sounded.
The roaring noise grew closer, and the violent wind swept the grass and trees around the track wildly!
Clang clang clang...
With the unique noise of the train, the express train entered the station from the track and stopped steadily like a giant dragon!
Jia Yan, stuck on the side of the ticket gate, looked out through the glass.
He did see several passengers almost unable to stand steady and couldn't help but admire his own meticulous thinking.
"Okay, time to board!" When the strong wind subsided a bit, Jia Yan quickly spread his wings and flew towards the train carriage.
You see, the express train only stopped for a short two minutes at this station. He didn't want to miss this train due to slow movements, or he would have to wait until tomorrow for the next one!
Fortunately, the strong wind outside had stopped, and there were no accidents during the flight.
The large, dark Chinese mosquito quickly flew into the nearest passenger carriage!
"To Shanghai, I'm coming back!"
The moment he flew into the carriage, Jia Yan couldn't help but feel a little excited.
After a month apart, the animal-loving nerdy college student was finally returning to that international metropolis that led to his death, now in the form of an insect!
I'm coming back!
All the hatred, I'm here to settle it myself!
Jia Yan, this male Chinese mosquito, couldn't contain his surging emotions when he flew into the express train carriage!