Transcending Boundaries: Journey to the Infinite

Untitled Part 22

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At a low table in a street food stall, Yutou Xu held a cigarette in his mouth with one hand and a garlic oyster the size of his palm in the other. With a mouth full of oil, he shouted at Yang Chu, who was sitting across from him, "Hey Chu, what do you think of this place? Cheap and tasty—perfect for a big eater like you!"

After the short-haired man got out of the car, the two did not leave.

Yutou Xu found a temporary parking spot nearby and took Yang Chu into the night market on this street, saying he wanted him to try some authentic local food.

"Not bad," Yang Chu replied, momentarily pausing from his relentless attack on the variety of dishes in front of him to nod at Yutou Xu.

To be honest, he didn't care much about whether the food tasted good or not. As long as it met his caloric and nutritional needs, that was enough.

His sense of smell and taste could discern the quality of flavors, but the feedback from his nervous system didn't trigger a dopamine response that would bring him pleasure.

It was like pain or any other sensation—he could distinguish and feel it, but that was all.

"I really like it here. Earlier, you asked me about the meaning of life or something like that. I don't have an answer for that. But if there's food to eat and fun to be had, and seeing so many people around, I just feel happy to be alive," Yutou Xu said suddenly, turning to Yang Chu as he took in the bustling surroundings with his cross-eyed gaze.

Since meeting Yang Chu, he had gradually realized that his newly acquainted little brother was quite different from others.

After speaking, Yutou Xu suddenly chuckled, stood up, and waved to Yang Chu, "Hurry up and finish eating; let's go! There are many more places to visit, and I'll get you some clothes too."

Yang Chu quickly finished the food on the table, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and followed Yutou Xu into the lively night market.

Temple Street, Ningbo Street, Saigon Street, Woosung Street, North Point Road.

Chaotic neon signs, loud music, and the bustling sounds of people.

Shops and stalls lined up—selling everything from the latest VCDs and portable music players to sexy lingerie, cosmetics, tattoo parlors, banks, gold shops, silver shops, watch shops, pharmacies, hair salons, video stores, clothing stores, magazine shops, herbal tea stalls, and upstairs nightclubs and karaoke bars, to downstairs sellers of Maca Viagra and "royal secret remedies."

Endless food stalls, small restaurants, snack bars, burger joints, and pizza places—a mix of East and West, Chinese and foreign.

The crowd was dense, vendors calling out their wares, and the clanging of stir-fry sounds mixed with various music created a constant cacophony.

As Yang Chu and Yutou Xu walked, they bought all sorts of snacks and dishes, eating as they went.

Looking at the diverse people and hearing their varied conversations, Yang Chu felt a deep sense of smallness and reality amidst this bustling human atmosphere.

Not as a detached observer but as someone deeply immersed.

In such an environment, it seemed he could also sense various emotions and desires.

The two continued their eating and shopping spree until around ten o'clock at night, finally emerging with bags in hand. After retrieving the car, they drove for another ten minutes back to Yutou Xu's place.

"Exhausted! I'm going to take a shower first," Yutou Xu said, turning on the TV as he entered, and then headed to the bathroom.

Yang Chu sat on the living room sofa, closed his eyes slightly, and began stimulating his body's digestion and absorption through several systems.