From Robinson Crusoe

Compared to bustling cities or large towns, Prescott is undoubtedly a rather unique place.

Or rather, this has always been the case in sparsely populated Nevada County.

Most of the county’s population is scattered across various farms, while hospitals, schools, police stations and other public facilities are concentrated in Prescott.

Aside from purchasing essential supplies, seeking medical care, and handling personal matters, the farmers rarely come to town. Even if some of the wealthier ones have bought houses in town, they do not settle in Prescott.

Life in the countryside is busy yet free; they have become accustomed to it.

……

After arriving in town by "hitchhiking," Chen Zhou seized the opportunity to jump out of the pickup truck, then wrapped himself tightly in his coat and quietly left the house.

He urgently needs a place to stay so he can safely get through the genetic modification period.

Only after his physical condition returned to its peak did he feel safe enough to search for Ambrose and investigate information about the serial killer.

Trying to bend over and keep his head down to make himself appear shorter, Chen Zhou carefully walked close to the shop entrances on the street, avoiding the gaze of passersby.

Fortunately, it was still early morning, and most of the town's residents did not have the habit of getting up early. Even the shops on both sides of the street were not open yet. Chen Zhou, a stranger in a coat with a long knife hanging at his waist, did not attract any unnecessary attention.

Having arrived in town, Chen Zhou plans to stay here for a few days.

However, he couldn't check into a hotel, so he could only look for abandoned houses and wait until he understood the situation in the town or found someone who could help him get a fake identity before he could purchase weapons and vehicles.

……

It didn't take long for Chen Zhou to reach the edge of the town.

The houses here are much sparser than those in the town, and there are almost no shops.

Chen Zhou furtively peered into each house, observing whether there were any signs of human activity at the doorway or whether the curtains inside were drawn.

The side effects of genetic modification severely affected his vision and hearing. Information that he could usually grasp from a distance of 100 meters away simply by listening to sounds now requires him to use the same methods as ordinary people.

After checking house by house, and walking all the way to the outermost edge of the town, Chen Zhou suddenly discovered an abandoned house—

It was a two-story building with a brick and wood structure. There were two large doors from left to right. It was similar in style to a hotel or tavern. The two floors together had about twenty rooms.

The second-to-right window clearly showed signs of fire damage; the wall was completely blackened, and the entire right side of the house was affected, including the door, which was burned down, and the window glass shattered.

After being abandoned, the house was clearly never maintained or repaired. The entrance was overgrown with weeds, and several broken pieces of wood and a window frame that had fallen from the second floor could be seen on the ground.

The house is isolated outside the town, surrounded by empty space. The nearest residents are more than 200 meters away, which completely blocks most unnecessary prying eyes.

"It's just a bit too worn out."

Thinking to himself, Chen Zhou wrapped his coat tighter, gripped the knife handle, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then slowly walked toward the abandoned house.

Compared to the right half of the house, which was destroyed by fire, the left side was relatively well preserved, at least the door was still there.

Chen Zhou decided to use the left half of the house as a shelter, so he moved the clutter blocking the doorway, pushed open the door, and went inside.

It was unclear when the fire had occurred. When Chen Zhou entered the house, there was no longer any ash or smoke, only a faint smell of decay.

The interior wasn't very spacious; there was a wooden bar counter by the entrance, with a wine rack behind it.

The two fat rats were not afraid of people at all. When they saw someone coming into the house, they did not hide but stood side by side on the bar, curiously looking at the uninvited guest.

The floor of the house was paved with stone bricks, but due to the accumulation of dust over time, the original color of the bricks could no longer be seen.

As for other dirt, dust, and even insects, they are countless.

After all, it's an abandoned house, so it can't be that clean, no matter how clean it is.

Most people would find such living conditions unacceptable, but for Chen Zhou, who has been through countless battles, lived in shacks on deserted islands, and endured harsh conditions in the prehistoric world, this is nothing.

……

After chasing away the two ungrateful rats, he first searched the bar counter, hoping to find something useful, such as newspapers left over from years ago.

However, the bar was completely empty; looking from top to bottom, all that could be found were two broken glasses.

"It seems that the only way to find out where Ambrose is is to ask the locals."

Shaking his head, feeling that living on the first floor would make him too easy to be discovered, Chen Zhou went around the bar and took the stairs at the back to the second floor.

The layout of the second floor is the same as that of a budget hotel, with a long, narrow corridor in the middle and separate rooms on both sides.

Since the doors to the rooms on both sides had been removed and the glass in the window frames had been broken, the rooms were still fairly well lit. At least with the sun already up, each room was bright, but the rooms were very dirty.

After selecting a room that offered a good view of the town and the highway, Chen Zhou found a wooden board and used it to clean up the shards of glass that had fallen into the room. He also moved the broken wooden bed that was left in the room, altering the layout to make the space by the window more open.

He crouched down and peered out the window to simulate spying on the outside world. Feeling that he was likely to be discovered, Chen Zhou then removed the window frame from the next room and "installed" it in his own room.

The interlocking wooden frame made it more difficult for outsiders to observe the interior, but he could monitor the movements outside through the narrow gaps.

……

After tidying up my "home" for the past few days, it was already broad daylight.

Knowing that his attire was too conspicuous, Chen Zhou dared not go out during the day and could only hide in his room to observe the outside world, waiting for nightfall.

From the second floor, he had a wide view. He saw the pickup truck carrying the iron drums leave, other vehicles drive into the town, and even a police car.

No one traveling on Route 66 noticed the slight changes to the abandoned houses, nor did they know that someone was secretly watching them.

……

At noon, perhaps because the energy replenished the previous night was almost exhausted, that chill surged up from all parts of my body again.

But with several hours to go before dark, Chen Zhou didn't want to take any risks, so he could only lie on the wooden bed for a while, hoping to alleviate his discomfort by reducing his physical activity.

About three hours later, as Prescott was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, Chen Zhou heard the roar of a car engine.

The sound came from outside the town and rapidly approached, catching his attention.

When Chen Zhou got up and leaned out the window to observe the outside, he unexpectedly saw an "old acquaintance".

Last night, that Chevrolet sped along the highway and quickly disappeared into the town.

"It's been almost a day and a night, why is he only coming back now? Didn't the driver call the police?"

As a spy in the pickup truck, Chen Zhou knew that the driver had taken the little girl to town. After the truck stopped, to avoid being discovered, he slipped out of the truck before the driver could unload the cargo.

He didn't know what would happen to the little girl afterward, or whether her father, who was in a car accident, was rescued.

Slightly puzzled, I guessed that the driver was driving so fast because he had discovered his daughter was missing and wanted to rush to town to look for her.

Chen Zhou had a vague premonition that something had happened to the driver's daughter; she might have been taken away by the pickup truck driver, or perhaps she had encountered some other misfortune. But Chen Zhou didn't want to cause any trouble.

He's in dire straits, barely able to save himself, and he doesn't even have a meal or drink tonight. How could he possibly be in the mood to help someone else find their daughter?

However, thinking about the money he had in his pocket and the snacks he had eaten from that little girl the night before, Chen Zhou ultimately couldn't bear to watch the tragedy unfold.

"Go to town after dark. If you see that car or encounter that person, remind him."

Thinking this, Chen Zhou broke off a thin piece of wood and then used his military knife to carve a line of letters on it, which indicated the approximate time when the pickup truck driver arrived in town.

Below the letters, he also carved out several streets and the exact location of the house where the pickup truck stopped, based on his memory.

These clues are important enough, and his hints are clear enough.

If the little girl's father is familiar enough with the town, he should be able to quickly find out who the pickup truck driver was after finding the family where the pickup truck was unloading, and then he will be able to find his daughter by following the clues.

Regardless of how you look at it, it can be considered "receiving a favor," and Chen Zhou felt that this was the limit he could do without revealing himself.

Putting the plank in his coat pocket, and seeing the sunset glow growing dimmer, fearing the shops in town would close too early, Chen Zhou began preparing to go out.

……

On this trip, he planned to buy some food and newspapers, and hopefully find out something about Ambrose.

As for the gray forces, he has no intention of getting involved for the time being.

His physical condition has not yet recovered, and he feels completely insecure right now.

With his unfamiliar face and skin color, he was already vulnerable to discrimination. He was likely to suffer losses when facing local bullies who preyed on the weak. If he were to flaunt his wealth, he might be robbed or even shot on the very day he made contact.

We must wait until we are capable of protecting ourselves before trying to obtain an identity; before that, we cannot take any risks.

Chen Zhou kept reminding himself of this.

……

The long knife was too conspicuous; even with a coat to cover it, most of the blade was still visible. Chen Zhou left it in the room and didn't even bring much money, only taking $20.

He thought the money was enough to cover his expenses, not too much and not too little. Even if he were robbed, he would still have enough to live on and continue to survive.

After all, the opportunity to make a fortune through a car accident doesn't come every day. If he runs out of money before completing the renovation, he'll have no choice but to rob people. If the police target him then, he'll likely be subjected to the "empty magazine" treatment.

He carried only a concealable military knife for self-defense. After packing up his weapons and money, Chen Zhou tore off a piece of tattered curtain and wrapped it around his head to cover his striking black hair.

As he left the abandoned house, he deliberately went around to the right and found a piece of charcoal to blacken his face, neck, and hands.

With this series of actions, he resembled a tall vagrant, and it was difficult to discern his skin color or race.

Feeling that he was safe enough, Chen Zhou deliberately adjusted his walking posture and gait.

After getting used to the new movements, he carefully fixed a few tree branches in inconspicuous positions at the two entrances of the abandoned house, and also stuck a few pieces of wood on the path leading to the house.

These things are hard to notice, but they can remind him whether there are any uninvited guests in his "home".

Once he realizes he's being noticed, Chen Zhou will find a new place to hide.

He didn't know if the murderous family was aware of the Tribunal's investigation of them, so he had no way of knowing whether someone had planted spies in various places to search for the suddenly appearing outsiders.

Considering that he might be in danger because the enemy was in the dark and he was in the light, Chen Zhou could only do his best to make all kinds of preparations so as not to become the prey instead of the hunter.

……

By the time we finished all that, it was completely dark.

The streetlights in the town were on, and there were still many pedestrians on the street who had not yet returned home, mainly teenagers and young men and women in their early twenties.

Most young people of this age are in high school or college, and have plenty of time to kill after school.

Boys love to show off, while girls yearn for love.

Some were dressed like motorcycle gang members, some were stealing their fathers' cars to pick up girls, some were riding motorcycles around town, and some were strolling hand in hand along the roadside...

Whether they were playing around or chatting, these people were all immersed in the beautiful days of their youth, completely unaware that an exceptionally tall homeless man was quietly walking past from the darkest spot.

……

As Chen Zhou continued forward, he observed this American town in 1947.

His first concern was about prices.

This can be determined by observing the price tags on the cakes inside the bakery through the glass.

Upon observation, Chen Zhou was surprised to discover that the $455 he possessed was actually a considerable fortune.

Since cookies, cakes, and candies in bakeries are priced in cents, his four hundred dollars would be equivalent to more than forty thousand dollars.

Pastries are considered relatively expensive foods, while items like bread, donuts, hamburgers, and milk should be even cheaper.

Thinking this, Chen Zhou silently took out the money, stuffed the remaining four dollars into his pocket, and kept only one dollar.

"A homeless person should not possess money of excessive value."

In fact, even taking out a dollar wouldn't be quite fitting for his homeless status, but he had no choice; he didn't have any coins of smaller denominations on him.

Reminding himself to ask the shopkeeper for extra pennies when he went shopping later, Chen Zhou slowly walked toward a small shop located on a street corner.

As he walked across the street and gradually saw the scene on the other side, his pace slowed down more and more.

He saw the Chevrolet that had been in an accident parked on the side of the road, and the driver, whose face was still covered in blood, was standing next to the car, surrounded by four men wearing work jackets and jeans.

The four men all had skull patterns embroidered on their jackets, suggesting they were from the same gang.

The driver, who was surrounded, was not very tall. He looked angry and anxious, but helpless.

He unbuttoned his coat, took out his pocket, and showed the four men that he was penniless, but they still didn't let him go.

These young men, who had infiltrated the gang early on and learned to rob people on the road, were cowards who bullied the weak and feared the strong. After looking around, they set their sights on the driver's Chevrolet. The tallest of them shoved the driver aside, forcibly pulled open the car door, and sat in the driver's seat.

Seeing the eldest brother get into the car, the other three immediately started laughing and joking as they squeezed into the car as well, completely ignoring the driver's advice.

At this moment, the driver, who had lost his daughter due to his negligence and was penniless, felt utterly hopeless as he heard the car start.

He didn't know how to salvage the situation, and the man in his forties collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

The streetlights were dim, and all he could hear were the gang members' shrill laughter and the roar of engines flooring the gas pedals. (End of Chapter)