ABT Chapter 150: Gazing at the Distant Land
Cheng Ke was the type of girl with no grand ambitions.
For three generations, the Cheng family had an abundance of boys, with Cheng Ke being the first girl in her generation. She had six older male cousins and was the youngest, doted upon by her grandfather and uncles.
Growing up in such a protected environment, she developed a cheerful and carefree personality. So, the idea of accompanying Li Fanyu to trick foreigners sounded like too much fun to pass up, and she joined him without hesitation.
Li Fanyu prepared three performance versions of the X-power, arranged for shipping through an ocean freight company, and once everything was set, he and Cheng Ke boarded a plane to Detroit.
Flying with Cheng Ke was quite amusing. She couldn't sit still, watching American TV shows on her iPad while constantly pulling snacks from a seemingly bottomless bag, like a magical cat.
Watching her eat was entertaining for Li Fanyu. She nibbled continuously, like a cute little hamster. Seeing he had nothing, she generously shared her snacks and anime shows.
After rewatching and catching up on "Daily Lives of High School Boys" and "Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto," their plane landed in Detroit.
Looking at the slightly desolate city from the airplane window, Li Fanyu took a deep breath—The Motor City, here I come.
The decline of the automotive industry hadn't affected the civil aviation industry in Michigan, as this airport, ranked seventeenth in the U.S., was still bustling. With the invitation from the North American Auto Show prepared specifically for participating car companies, they quickly completed what should have been a complicated procedure.
Though not in the top ten, the service facilities at Detroit's New City Airport were among the best in North America. Upon exiting the airport, buses and light rail stations were immediately available, making it easy to reach the auto show venue.
Given the need to receive the exhibition cars, Li Fanyu had arrived two days early. Cheng Ke, naturally, wouldn't miss this opportunity and dragged him onto the slowest means of transport to the exhibition hall—a sightseeing cable car.
There were only three passengers on the car: Li Fanyu, Cheng Ke, and a plump black woman.
The cable car slowly moved through the empty streets, and Li Fanyu barely saw any pedestrians or vehicles.
If not for the decent weather today, with the sun providing some warmth to the city, the vast Detroit would almost seem like a ghost town.
The black woman, thinking they were a couple on a trip, enthusiastically began to narrate the city's history with her inherent passion and a knack for rap.
“They said the auto industry needed workers, the steel industry needed workers, the construction industry needed workers, so many workers moved to this city of dreams. Our family, like the statue in the city center, came here with thousands of others. Back then, we didn’t need degrees, didn’t need skills, didn’t even need to speak English to live a middle-class life.”
Cheng Ke translated, and Li Fanyu listened.
The once prosperous era, vividly described by the black woman, seemed to reappear before their eyes.
But occasionally, a pigeon flying by or the empty streets would break this illusion, leaving only a sense of solitude.
As they passed the city center, Li Fanyu saw the famous statue the woman had mentioned—“Gazing at the Distant Land.”
He couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
All worldly prosperity is fleeting. Every beautiful thing has a day when it fades. Maybe having experienced it means owning it.
For some reason, he thought of An Ning.
Cheng Ke, seeing his forlorn expression and thinking he was saddened by Detroit’s plight, patted him gently.
“Fanyu, I didn’t realize you were so sensitive! Didn’t you hear the woman say Detroit once had the highest homeownership rate? So many houses with so few people, of course, it feels empty.”
Li Fanyu sighed. What was she talking about? We’re clearly not on the same page.
He pushed her little face away, saying dreamily, “I think I’m in love with someone.”
Cheng Ke, her IQ lowered after hours of watching silly shows, immediately blurted out, “Man or woman?”
Li Fanyu rolled his eyes and didn’t respond.
Then she suddenly understood, feeling a surge of joy and her mouth forming an ‘O’ shape. Could it be… Oh no, my heart is beating so fast.
“Fanyu… no need to say it. I already know…”
“What? You know? Who told you, Old Zhang or the nerds?”
“Oh, I guessed it myself…”
“You guessed it? Wow, why don’t you become a fortune teller?”
“Alright, stop talking… so embarrassing.”
Li Fanyu was bewildered… I just like someone older than me, why are you embarrassed?
So strange.
The conversation ended there.
With something on his mind, Li Fanyu stopped talking and stared out the window. Cheng Ke hugged her backpack and shyly faced away from him for the rest of the ride.
As the cable car neared the exhibition hall, Li Fanyu finally felt some liveliness. Despite the exhibition not having started yet and the peak of visitors still to come, the area around the venue was already bustling with participants and car enthusiasts from around the world.
Even though the exhibition hadn't started, nearby hotels were fully booked.
After walking to several hotels and being told they were full, they finally found one with available rooms at the seventh try. Although the hotel's condition wasn't great, it was better than nothing.
Handing over his passport, Li Fanyu asked for two rooms.
The black receptionist looked at them and said, “Are you sure? I wouldn’t recommend leaving such a pretty lady alone.”
“Why?” Cheng Ke asked.
“You’re in Detroit! Dear yellow-skinned Barbie, there are over 700 rape cases a year here, averaging two a day. I know you Asians are reserved, but I still suggest you share a room. It’s safer for you.”
The speech was long, and the receptionist spoke quickly. Li Fanyu didn’t catch it, but Cheng Ke did. She thought it over, weighed the risks, and handed over her passport, saying softly, “Thanks for the advice, we’ll take one room.”
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