The Western Continent

"Professor Lin, this is Mr. Xie, Xie Chengren," Captain Song very unceremoniously introduced one of the man in the business suit.

His tall stature combined with the suit's tight fit and marble-patterned necktie to give him a commanding presence that vastly outshone the other men. His hair and mustache, though thick, was generously dotted with streaks of gray.

"Nice to meet you," Lin Yuchen bowed mechanically, "Are you a civil servant also?"

"What a stupid question," Professor Bai jabbed him, "What kind of civil servant wears Western clothes like that?"

He was right. Officials both civil and military had their own styles of formal and court attire. The black-and-white business suit wasn't one of them (although the military uniform came very close). It was only ever worn by civilians--and the wealthy ones at that. It did not look at all out of place against the backdrop of the city's tall, gray buildings.

"Gentlemen," Mr. Xie laughed, "let us make no mistake: we are all servants of our Emperor here. Whether we wear courtly or priestly robes, or scholar or military uniforms, or even Western clothes, it is all in accordance with function and occasion." He nervously adjusted the golden watch on his left wrist.

"Mr. Xie here is a captain," Bai explained, "but not a military captain like Captain Song; he's what they call a captain of industry. His company is credited with building nearly every railroad on this continent. He is also a collector of artifacts and a layman archeologist, and not to mention a close friend of mine."

"Yes, that's right, Brother Bai and I have known each other for at least 40 years," Xie Chengren said, nodding almost mechanically, "We were friends at the University, and though we have taken two very different paths in life, we have never forgotten our old bond. You must be this Professor Lin everyone keeps talking about, no?"

"In the flesh." Lin Yuchen tried and failed to disguise his vanity.

"Then, on behalf of my company and Xigong City, allow me to extend a warm welcome. You see, this is why they tell you to network in college. Ever since the University bigwigs took an interest in the ancient ruins of the inland Western Continent, Professor Bai has been sent here regularly, and whenever he comes I am always more than happy hook him and his coterie up with the finest rail transportation and lodging this continent has to offer. I am honored to do what I can in service to the Holy Empire's brave archeologists."

Seeming to forget Lin Yuchen was there, Xie Chengren wandered off to the other professors and the students, who by now had all gotten off the boat and crowded around the dock like a clump of moss. Professor Bai wasn't far behind.

"So, who is this Mr. Xie?" Lin Yuchen asked Captain Song, standing next to him.

"Didn't Professor Bai tell you earlier?"

He shook his head.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Song replied, chuckling, "Old age is finally getting to him. Anyway, this Xie Chengren has a monopoly on the railway in the Western Continent. He also owns almost every hotel in every town along the railway. He's a very successful businessman. And thanks to his generosity, we will be traveling in luxury."

Lin Yuchen grinned. This expedition was beginning to sound more like a vacation. He almost found it hard to imagine seeing such an exotic place all from the safety of a railcar.

A mere moments later, Professor Bai's raspy voice silenced the crowd. "Before we go to the train station, Mr. Xie will be treating us all to dinner."

After that, all the professors and students were taken by motorcade to a restaurant. When he stepped out of the car, Lin Yuchen saw the distinct yellow glow of electric lights seeping out of the restaurant's tall, glass windows and stabbing through the sooty air. Its utilitarian architecture gave him the impression that he had stepped into a foreign world.

As he took a seat at the table where porcelain dishes, shiny silverware and fancy glasses full of wine had already been arrayed, he was touched to see a few of his students filling in the seats nearby. Qiu Shujie took the seat next to him.

"I can't help but feel we are a little underdressed for this place," she said in a monotone voice.

"For this restaurant? Or this entire town?" was his reply.

Just then, an uncanny young man sat down across from them and started fidgeting with the silverware as though he were a toddler.

A thick wisp of brown, obviously dyed hair sat above a face that was the spitting image of that Mr. Xie he had met earlier. And his attire--a sleek, black business suit--put on a no less extravagant air. With his skin that sheened like bronze, his sudden appearance attracted stares from everyone within several feet of him, aborting their mingling like a drop of oil let loose upon a surface of water.

"Alright, who are you?" Lin Yuchen asked bluntly. Business suit or no, he was too tired to worry about politeness with someone who had to be at least ten years younger than him. "You don't look like one of my students."

"It's a shame I had no opportunity to make your acquaintance back at the dock, Professor," he said in a soft voice that bordered on the feminine, "My name is Xie Cai, eldest son of Xie Chengren, and heir to the Western Railroad Company."

"Oh? I think your daddy's sitting over there," Lin Yuchen pointed to the other side of the room, "Go on now."

"I think I will sit where I please," he replied, somewhat irritated, "My family happens to own this restaurant."

Lin Yuchen's students were starting to lose their cool.

"Bro, no one invited you over here to flex."

"Why don't you go bother the botany students?"

Much to his chagrin, their cheeks were full of words like these. They just couldn't stand the way he put on airs. His face turned sour fast.

"Well, you all had better get used to me," he told them, "because I'll be going with you on the expedition, now that my dad says I'm old enough. Hey, now, this is my first experience with real archeologists, you should be kinder to me. After all, this expedition would be nothing without my father."

The others, Lin Yuchen included, fell at once into whispering and discreet laughter. With one exception.

"He's right, there's no need to bully him," Qiu Shujie spoke up, and a few others chimed in behind her. "It's nice to meet you, Xie Cai. We look forward to working with you over the next couple of weeks."

"Thattagirl, Shujie!" Lin Yuchen laughed loudly, "You are now class president!"

"Well, miss, that's very kind of you," he had on a very rotten grin, "And, you should know, the train ride is very long...yes, three days and three nights. If you get lonely and...tired, you should come have a chat with me."

Her face frozen in terror, Shujie was speechless.

After dinner, they were all taken to the train station. There a large, gray steam locomotive, to which a train of some thirty or forty carriages was attached, was filling the spacious room with a heavy mist. As soon as they arrived, a virtual army of servants swarmed in to take their luggage, which they did with unexpected speed.

As Lin Yuchen stepped onto the carriage, he was shocked to see how nicely done up the interior was: every seat had fine red cushions, lamps hung from the wall with attractive yellow tassels, and works of painting or calligraphy were everywhere. Also to his surprise, he found that there were carriages for sitting, carriages for sleeping, for eating, for drinking, for working out, a library, a bath, and even a carriage full of billiards tables and slot machines.

Since by now it was very late into the night, Lin Yuchen went straight to his assigned room and fell asleep. Before long, the train had crawled out of the station and was racing through the city suburbs. By the time the sun came up the next day, any traces of civilization, besides the occasional town or village, were gone: when Lin Yuchen looked out the window, all he saw was a sunrise over the pristine wilderness.

With so little to keep him occupied, Lin Yuchen enjoyed a long-overdue day off. No papers to grade, no brats to lecture, no meetings to attend. What more could he ask for? All the better that he was able to spend it in a luxury railcar!

The students quarreled among themselves, though. Not much, but enough to get on everyone's nerves and really spoil the peace and quiet. There was one incident where Professor Lin and Captain Song were sitting in the parlor, chatting over a few cigarettes. Suddenly, some commotion broke out in the adjacent carriage, and the next moment, Professor Jia burst into the room in a rage. The front of his shirt was soaked, and the skin on his neck was rosy.

"Yuchen! You need to control your students!" he roared, "I asked one of your bastards to bring me some tea, and you know what he did? He purposely spilled it all over me! Boiling hot!"

"One of my students?" Lin Yuchen asked, "Who was it?"

"What...? I don't know his name."

"Then how do you know he was MY student?"

"I...just know. You're a bad influence. Like teacher, like student."

"It was probably one of Kang's brats. You're barking up the wrong tree."

Pouting, he stomped out of the room, and as soon as he did so, Professor Lin and Captain Song errupted into laughter.

About halfway to their destination, something unexpected happened. Though in retrospect, Lin Yuchen would realize that he should have expected it. Yes, it was about midday when suddenly the train's emergency breaks were thrown on, causing a loud alarm to sound. As it ground to a violent halt, people and things were flung to the floor like toys. For about ten seconds, there was nothing but the sounds of shattering glass and screaming.