Chapter 1: Encountering Danger

Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, a beautiful border town called Mengman

Ren Chaofan strolled leisurely, and before long, he had left the small town behind, fully immersing himself in the enchanting beauty of the night scenery

Ren Chaofan was contemplating whether to learn the method of using a fire drill to ignite a cigarette, when suddenly two dark figures appeared in front of him. It turned out that there were others who, like him, could not sleep.

Great-uncle, with trembling hands, took out a stone carving of an autumn cicada from his bosom and handed it to Ren Chaofan, saying: "I am old, and it is not worth wasting good things anymore. Just keep this cold cicada for Xiao Fan."

Two shadows swiftly departed, completely unaware that Ren Chaofan's shattered heart had begun to faintly beat once more

The shadow drew out a knife, and Ren Chaofan's blood gushed forth as his body fell back limply. Another shadow supported Ren Chaofan's body with one hand while extinguishing his cigarette with the other hand

At the time when tourism was just beginning to flourish, Ren Chaofan signed up for a group tour to Xishuangbanna. Unexpectedly, he happened to encounter two drug dealers engaged in a transaction and was inexplicably stabbed in the heart by one of them. What a tragic fate!

Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Due to being frequently taken by the rebels for public denunciation, my great-uncle's health gradually deteriorated, especially at over eighty years of age. One day, while he was sitting on the stage, he suddenly fell down.

It is indeed strange; although Ren Chaofan has no one to take care of him, both he and Tushu are remarkably robust, having never suffered from any illness. The villagers often say he has the life of a dog. In the eyes of rural people, the vitality of a dog is the strongest.

Although cigarettes brought pleasure, Ren Chaofan surprisingly forgot to bring a lighter. For someone who claims to be an experienced smoker like Ren Chaofan, forgetting a lighter is an unimaginable major blunder, akin to a sniper aiming at a target only to realize he has no bullets.

Another shadow said: "Get rid of him! It might be Lei Zi in disguise. Our transaction this time is very secretive; could it be that someone among the brothers has turned traitor?"

What kind of mosquito is so terrifying? Is it a genetic weapon launched from an aircraft carrier docked in the Gulf of Thailand? Is it a bioterrorism attack meticulously planned by bin Laden

Ren Chaofan, being very young, gradually forgot about his parents after a few days of distress. His second grandfather took great care of him, telling him stories of gods and ghosts every day, which left little Chaofan both startled and amazed. The grandfather and grandson lived together in a harmonious and joyful manner. Compared to other children of his age, who could only listen to eight model operas and watch a few old movies, Chaofan's spiritual life was indeed much happier.

Ren Chaofan is also fortunate; if he lived in the present era, he might have ended up wandering the streets before even graduating from middle school, and ultimately, he could have fallen into the depths of becoming a petty thief or a vagrant.

There is a rope on the cicada, and Ren Chaofan hangs the cicada on his chest. Although this stone is chilling to the bone, he cannot bear to take it off because it is the only thing left to Xiaofan by his great-uncle, Mr. M. Hetushucomcom.

Two shadows shivered. One of the shadows muttered softly, "Damn it. Who would come to the jungle at this time? What should we do?"

The moon hangs at an angle on the horizon, casting a silvery light over this beautiful small town. Under the shimmering moonlight, this border town appears so tranquil and peaceful

Ren Chaofan arrived in this Mengman town this evening with a tour group. To be honest, the scenery here is indeed very enchanting. The coconut trees sway gracefully in the gentle breeze, and the air is filled with the fragrance of unknown flowers. The temple buildings feature pointed roofs, resembling the temple architecture of Thailand as seen in movies. The architectural style of the temples here is quite different and intriguing compared to other places in China. On both sides of the street are traditional Dai stilt houses constructed from bamboo and wooden planks. The streets are bustling with men and women dressed in Dai clothing, speaking the Dai language. Ren Chaofan could not understand a word, feeling as if he had arrived in a foreign land, filled with an inexplicable excitement.

Fortunately, the rebels had not yet done anything to Ren Chaofan, who was still a child. In the village, people took pity on Ren Chaofan, an orphan, and someone delivered grain to him regularly each month. At a young age, Ren Chaofan learned to cook for himself. The neighbors often came over to help him fetch water and brought old clothes that their own children could no longer wear. Despite the ups and downs of hunger and fullness, Ren Chaofan managed to get by.

Indeed, there is not a single mosquito outside. Under the gentle illumination of the moonlight, Ren Chaofan suddenly felt refreshed. Well, it would be better to head outside the town to enjoy the enchanting scenery of the tropical jungle.

His great-uncle was originally a Taoist priest at the Yangtai Palace on Wangwu Mountain. During the Cultural Revolution, he was ordered by the Red Guards to return to secular life, after which he returned to his hometown and lived alone next to Ren Chaofan.

At the age of eight, Chao Fan began attending the village primary school. At that time, the school did not charge any fees, so Chao Fan continued his education there until he graduated from primary school

Two shadows trapped Ren Chaofan in the middle. One of the shadows took out a lighter and lit the cigarette in Ren Chaofan's mouth. Just as Ren Chaofan's gaze was focused on the flame of the lighter, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. The other shadow plunged a dagger into Ren Chaofan's heart. It seemed that as he inserted it, he encountered something outside Ren Chaofan's body.

Two dark figures approached Ren Chaofan, and soon they came together.

Ren Chaofan's extraordinary journey begins from this point

Two shadows searched for half a day but found nothing on Ren Chaofan's corpse. One shadow said, "It seems he is not Leizi; we made a mistake." The other shadow covered Ren Chaofan's wide-open eyes and said, "Tough luck for you; who told you to barge in during our transaction?"

Since the mosquitoes have entered the room, Ren Chaofan has no choice but to go outside. The mosquitoes in the room are extremely pleased, buzzing joyfully as they perform various acrobatic maneuvers in the air to celebrate their victory

Ha ha, just as I was feeling drowsy, someone brought a pillow. They must have brought a lighter. Ren Chaofan called out as he walked towards the two shadows: "Sir, can't sleep either? May I borrow a light?"

That year, Ren Chaofan was seven years old. He still remembers the words of his great-uncle before he passed away: "Xiao Fan, grandpa can no longer tell you stories. Grandpa is leaving, and Xiao Fan must learn to take care of himself."

The night is very beautiful, but it would be even more enjoyable to smoke a cigarette under this lovely night sky

Ren Chaofan took out two cigarettes, one of which he offered to another person, and then skillfully picked up a cigarette from the pack with his mouth, mumbling, "Strolling through the jungle at midnight, you gentlemen truly have exquisite taste"

In the middle of the night, when countless mosquitoes were planning to carry Ren Chaofan away, he finally woke up. Although the endless intoxication made him feel as if his head was twice its usual size, the swollen welts on certain parts of his body from the mosquito bites were even larger than if he had three heads combined

Ren Chaofan desires nothing; he only wishes for his grandfather. However, his grandfather has already departed, leaving him with nothing but a cold, piercing stone.

***

He is an orphan. At the age of three, a major flood occurred in his hometown along the Mang River, and his parents, along with the able-bodied villagers, went to the dike to participate in flood relief efforts. Due to the overwhelming force of the water, the dike collapsed, and more than thirty people were swept away by the flood, including Ren Chaofan's parents

Ren Chao was adopted by his great-uncle. His name, Chao Fan, was given to him by his great-uncle. His original nickname was... Let's keep it a secret for the protagonist for now

In the evening, under the arrangement of the tour guide, Ren Chaofan and other tourists gathered around the bonfire with beautiful and enthusiastic Dai girls, performing the traditional Dai dance. Those beautiful and lively Dai girls brought bowl after bowl of their homemade sweet corn wine, causing all the male tourists to drink with great enthusiasm while their wallets quickly became empty

Ren Chaofan, after lighting six coils of mosquito repellent, spraying three cans of insecticide, and applying nine bottles of floral water, finally announced the failure of the war and gave up resistance

Ren Chaofan did not know how many bowls of wine he had consumed or how many girls he had danced with. In the end, he was dizzily supported by someone to a stilted building to rest

At two o'clock in the morning, most people in the town had entered their dreams. However, Ren Chaofan was still engaged in a strenuous battle against the mosquitoes

Ren Chaofan, male, born in 1971, currently twenty-four years old

When Ren Chaofan graduated from elementary school, the Cultural Revolution had already come to an end. His parents were posthumously recognized as martyrs due to their sacrifice during the flood relief efforts. As a dependent of martyrs, he received a monthly compensation of ten yuan. He also successfully advanced to junior high school

After graduation, Ren Chaofan came to FS, the third largest city in Guangdong, to work at a Taiwanese-funded company

Ren Chaofan successfully enrolled in university, and at that time, the total cost for tuition, books, and accommodation for one year was less than 400 yuan. The village was immensely proud to have an orphan attending university, and the village committee decided to cover all of Ren Chaofan's expenses for his university education