Beating the New First-tier: Starting from Abandoned Gas Stations

Chapter 53 More lively than a town
"Ok!"

The cyclist who spoke first carefully checked the navigation watch again and found no problem.

“It’s really not easy!”

After receiving a positive answer, the cyclists who had been tense at the back relaxed instantly, and some even laid their bicycles down directly, leaving them lying on the side of the road.

It turns out that

Cycling across the Gobi Desert requires more than just skills. Physical strength, endurance, and willpower are all essential. Especially when all you see every day is the vast Gobi Desert, it can give you a feeling of despair as if you're forever going around in circles in the Gobi Desert.

By yesterday, the entire team had only ridden 50 kilometers, stopping and starting frequently.

In addition, many cycling team members were physically exhausted and mentally broken, so they took a passing car to Tubo City in Xin Province and flew back to Jiangsu Province. Xiao Mingyu's aunt was one of them.

Even though the gas station is still a hundred kilometers away from Shayang County, it is still in the Gobi Desert.
But in the eyes of the cycling team members, they have become a beacon and spiritual support in the vast Gobi Desert. As long as they can hold on to the gas station, it means they have walked out of the Gobi Desert!

"Brothers, come on! We'll set up camp and rest at Mr. Shen's gas station. There's hot water, noodles, and you can charge your phone and power bank."

Look at the status of the team members,
Yang Xing immediately encouraged.

In fact, he felt the same as his teammates at the moment, but as the cycling team leader, he had to grit his teeth and persevere! If he collapsed, the entire cycling team would completely collapse.

"understand!"

When they answered again, the team members' voices were obviously much louder than before.

The slow uphill climb in the Gobi Desert is different from the mountains with a large altitude difference. It looks not steep or far, but it takes a lot of time to walk.

Until an hour and a half later,
The cyclists appeared at the top of the slope one after another.

“Finally up!”

However, when the cycling team looked forward along National Highway 215 again, the anticipation and joy they felt when going uphill gradually turned into doubt and confusion.

"what's the situation?"

It was because the gas station I had been thinking about did not appear, but what appeared in the distance was a group of ancient buildings with blue brick walls.

After a while, one of the team members kept rubbing his eyes, and finally said in despair,

"Captain, are we experiencing a mirage?"

People who travel outdoors all year round know that whether in an uninhabited Gobi Desert or an uninhabited desert, the most feared thing to see is a mirage.

Because once you see a mirage,
Either your body has reached its limit and you experience hallucinations, or you lose your sense of direction and end up completely lost.

"What should I do? The navigation clearly shows that there is a gas station ahead."

For a time,

The team members started talking at once. The anticipation they had before going uphill had turned into panic, and their faces were filled with nothing but worry.

"Wait, that doesn't seem to be a mirage!"

But at this moment, Yang Xing suddenly interrupted everyone.

"If it's not a mirage, what is it? There was nothing there when we left the gas station, and it's only been a few days. How could such a large-scale ancient building complex appear? And let's be realistic, even the top construction companies in our country can't build something like this."

Upon hearing,
Several cyclists immediately showed an expression on their faces that said, "Captain, stop comforting us."

"It's hard to explain the ancient building complex, but look, National Highway 215 is still National Highway 215, and there seem to be quite a few people there! How could a mirage have all that?"

Yang Xing replied with a frown.

"This"

For a moment, the atmosphere was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Their captain was right. Even in the clearest mirage, people could still be seen.

It was not until a moment later that the vice-captain of the cycling team looked at Yang Xing.

"Captain, how much battery is left on your phone? Why don't you give Mr. Shen a call and ask?"

"My phone is out of battery!" Yang Xing shook his head.

If his phone had power, he would have called Shen Chuan long ago. How could he wait until now?

"That"

"Don't panic, everyone. Let's continue along National Highway 215. We'll know if it's a mirage after riding for a kilometer or two!"

Cheer up,
Yang Xing said.

"All right!"

The cyclists had no choice but to follow.

Time passed quickly, and the sky gradually darkened. The advertising lights on the gas station's snow shelter and the construction site in the Grand View Garden came on one after another. From the Grand View Garden, exclamations of "Wow!" continued non-stop for more than ten minutes, adding a touch of liveliness to the empty Gobi Desert night sky.

That's not counting,

Many workers in the tent area started to eat dinner, and there was a constant stream of people coming to the convenience store to buy cigarettes, beer, and snacks. Together with the drivers who stopped to refuel, the 50-square-meter business hall was packed, comparable to the rush for New Year's goods.

"Manager Sun, everyone says our gas station is a deserted area, but why does it feel like the town we passed by during the day is bustling with activity? The streets in that town are so sparsely populated, there's hardly anyone there at all."

While helping with the checkout, a girl couldn't help but sigh.

The girl's name is Wu Juan, and she is one of the interns who was just assigned to the cashier position at noon.

"It's mainly because we have a lot of workers here right now. I did a quick count the afternoon before yesterday, and there are over 600 workers in the four construction teams alone! How can even the more remote towns and streets have a population of over 600 people these days?"

Sun Kang explained casually.

"No wonder, who were those people who just arrived? Why did Mr. Shen and Dean Liang go over to accompany them personally, and they looked so familiar with each other?"

After a pause, Wu Juan spoke again curiously.

"You mean the ones on bicycles?"

"Ok!"

"I don't know their specific identities. I only know they are members of the Xia Country Cycling Association. Uncle Liang once told me that the Grand View Garden was built to accommodate them! So, figure out the rest yourself."

Speaking of which,

Sun Kang raised his hand to check the time and then said,

"Uncle Liang just sent me a message. I have to go over there in ten minutes to prepare meals for the cycling team. I'll be relying on you in the business hall. If you're too busy, you can call Lao Xiao."

"Okay, Manager Sun."

After a pause,
Sun Kang suddenly thought of something and reminded again,
"By the way, Lao Xiao doesn't like to talk. If you can't understand something after asking it once, just ask a few more times. Don't be afraid of trouble!"

"I see. I'll definitely ask a few more times."

"Ok!"

Night came,

The population of remote county towns in the northwest is not large to begin with, and the population of towns and villages under the county towns is even pitifully small. The average permanent population is only 5,000 to 6,000, and there are even quite a few with 3,000 to 4,000.

Shayang County, Liuyuan Township is one of them!

The permanent registered population is only over 4,300, and these 4,000 people are scattered across various villages and brigades. The permanent population of Liuyuan Township Street is just over 1,000.

at this time,

The solar street lights in Liuyuan Township slowly light up. There are only four or five people sparsely scattered on the more than 400-meter-long street, making it look even more desolate.

"Ah? A new village group has been established in our township?"

at this time,

An extremely surprised voice came from a room in the Liuyuan Township Government Office Building.

(End of this chapter)