AGN -Chapter 363 Xu Nuo (Part 1)

Shi Dadan chose a relatively secluded spot—a dessert shop inside the amusement park.

The shop’s decor was decent, mainly selling snow ice, shaved ice, and other iced desserts, and the prices were quite expensive.

One should know that inside this amusement park, a pure meat grilled sausage only cost 8 yuan, but the cheapest bowl of shaved ice in this dessert shop was priced at 68 yuan.

It was only April now, and the weather wasn’t even that hot—far from the kind of season where one needed ice drinks just to survive inside an amusement park. As a result, the shop was rather deserted. When Qin Huai and Shi Dadan entered, there was only a young couple inside, sharing a single bowl of shaved ice.

Qin Huai and Shi Dadan each ordered a bowl of shaved ice. Seeing that the shop even sold sweet tangyuan and scallion pancakes, Shi Dadan, out of curiosity, immediately spent generously and bought a 39-yuan bowl of tangyuan and a 25-yuan scallion pancake. Even Qin Huai couldn’t help but sigh at the prices—his Cloud Restaurant really did sell its pastries too cheaply.

The two of them found a corner seat.

Shi Dadan was still holding a grilled sausage in his hand, which he had just gone out to buy from a street stall.

As soon as he sat down, he took out some fresh meat mooncakes made by Zheng Siyuan from his bag, along with a bag of Wangzai mini buns he had “borrowed” from Qin Luo, and started eating.

Qin Huai realized something—Shi Dadan might not really be interested in amusement parks, but he was very interested in eating in amusement parks.

“Little Qin, want some?” Shi Dadan invited enthusiastically. “Are you going to look at my memory right in front of me now? I asked Old Luo yesterday. He said when you view memories, you go completely blank, no reaction at all, and it’s very fast. No matter how long the memory is—even ten days or half a month—you can finish it in a few minutes.”

“Is that true?” Shi Dadan stared at Qin Huai.

Under his curious gaze, Qin Huai nodded.

He had already sensed earlier that Shi Dadan hadn’t told the full truth—he was definitely hiding something.

But now, he truly couldn’t figure out what Shi Dadan was trying to conceal. If there really was a memory that couldn’t be seen, Shi Dadan wouldn’t be this excited.

He looked like he actually wanted Qin Huai to see it.

Qin Huai felt like scratching his head and saying, “As expected of a divine beast—you’re impossible to read.”

He briefly explained how he usually viewed memories. While talking, their shaved ice and other snacks were served.

Shi Dadan even casually told the shop owner that they were discussing something important and asked not to be disturbed.

The owner, though confused why anyone would “discuss business” in an amusement park dessert shop, saw that there were no other customers anyway and nodded, sitting far away to play on his phone.

Qin Huai finished explaining and didn’t waste time. He directly opened the game interface and selected:

[Shi Dadan’s Memory Fragment]

Click confirm.

[Memory loading—]

“Xiao Xu, you’re back from the delivery? How was your first solo trip? Nervous? Any problems on the way? Your fleet’s trucks are basically built from scrapyard parts. Aside from the engine and chassis not being replaced, everything else is pieced together. They break down and get repaired the whole way. Old Xu complains every time he comes back.”

“You’ve got to be careful driving. I heard a guy from the meat plant flipped his truck—not only did the cargo get destroyed, he also ended up in the hospital.”

At the gate of a textile factory, the security guard chatted and joked with Xiao Xu on the truck.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Xiao Xu gave an honest smile but didn’t respond, slowly driving the truck inside.

Seeing his quiet reaction, the guard shook his head helplessly and muttered, “What a quiet guy.”

Qin Huai stood at the factory gate, glanced at the guard, then at the slowly moving truck, and immediately jogged after it.

At this time, the workers had not yet finished their shift. The factory gate was quiet, with only the guard and Xiao Xu’s truck.

Xiao Xu was clearly Shi Dadan in his first life.

This was only the second time Qin Huai had seen a familiar spirit in a form that didn’t match its current appearance. The first was An Youyou, but she had appeared as a beggar, so her appearance wasn’t as striking.

Shi Dadan was different. His first-life appearance fit the stereotype Qin Huai had of Dangkang even more closely.

Round face, crew cut, dark skin, dull and grayish overall. Even his work clothes were gray. His features were ordinary, unremarkable, but he looked extremely honest and simple-minded—slightly chubby, though in that era he would already be considered quite overweight. He looked like the kind of person who wasn’t very clever but was very reliable.

The truck moved slowly inside the factory. Qin Huai could keep up just by jogging.

The truck stopped, and Shi Dadan carefully turned off the engine and got out.

The first thing he did was check the rear tires.

“Xiao Xu, what’s wrong? Flat tire?” a coworker from the fleet asked as he came out. “Why are you back so early? Didn’t the garment factory keep you for dinner?”

Shi Dadan was still inspecting the tire, pressing it uneasily before slowly replying, “They did, but it’s against the rules. I just took two steamed buns on the road.”

The coworker shook his head helplessly, though without any contempt—just familiarity.

“You… what can I even say about you? No one’s asking you to take bribes or anything, just having a meal there and you’re so strict. No wonder you’re the golden sign of our fleet—the number one honest man.”

“If you keep driving a few more times, people will stop saying our fleet is corrupt.”

Shi Dadan didn’t respond. He just kept staring at the tire, pressing it repeatedly.

The coworker continued, “The team leader went to Jinling today and won’t be back until tomorrow. Before he left, he told me to check your truck. Did anything happen on the road today? Honestly, we should replace these old trucks. They’ve been running for years. Even if ‘new three years, old three years, patched another three’ works for clothes, that’s not how trucks should be.”

“These vehicles were already antiques when they were delivered. Sometimes I’m afraid they’ll fall apart on the road. If this continues for another two years, we won’t need drivers anymore—we’ll all become mechanics.”

Shi Dadan still didn’t speak, just focused on the tire.

Finally, the coworker asked, “Xu Mo, is there something wrong with this tire?”

Qin Huai suddenly understood—Shi Dadan’s first-life name was Xu Mo.

A name that fit him perfectly.

Quiet. Reserved.

Only when the coworker asked directly did Shi Dadan finally speak, very slowly: “It might be a little off. On the way back, I felt the truck was pulling to one side.”

The coworker didn’t take it too seriously.

“Normal. I’ll check it.”

Then he got to work.

Although talkative, the coworker was skilled. He inspected the vehicle carefully and didn’t just focus on the tire because Xu Mo mentioned it.

As he worked, he kept chattering about the fleet, even while crawling under the truck. Even though Xu Mo barely responded—only occasionally giving a “mm”—it didn’t stop his enthusiasm.

He was clearly a nonstop talker.

From his gossip, Qin Huai gathered quite a bit of useful information.

For example, Xu Mo and Xu Nuo were already very close in this life—so close they were inseparable.

After graduating from technical school, Xu Nuo didn’t work or continue studying, instead staying idle at home for two years.

Because he had nothing to do, he often came to the factory at the end of workdays to look for Xu Mo—rain or shine, never missing a day.

According to the coworker, he even mistakenly thought Xu Mo was some distant relative of Xu Nuo’s, constantly sighing that Xu Mo was lucky.

Even though he wasn’t educated and not very smart, he had a powerful connection. With the factory director Xu backing him, Xu Mo would at least land a decent job as a driver even if he didn’t stay in the fleet.

Not to mention Xu Mo himself—though dull, he had talent for driving, was strong, and hardworking. He barely qualified as the kind of person the fleet needed.

From his coworker’s words, Qin Huai even learned that the fleet captain highly valued Shi Dadan and intended to cultivate him.

Tasks like checking vehicles, teaching him how to repair them, and guiding him through inspections were usually done personally by the captain. This level of treatment was not something an ordinary “connected” worker could enjoy.

Besides his connection through Xu Nuo, Qin Huai also discovered that Shi Dadan was surprisingly popular in the matchmaking market.

In this era, a strong, honest, hardworking, not-too-bright young man with a stable job like Shi Dadan was already rare. Matchmakers within a radius of several dozen li had all seemingly set their sights on him, crazily trying to introduce him to girls.

So scared was Shi Dadan that after work he didn’t even dare return to the dormitory, afraid that a matchmaker would show up at his door again.

Hearing this, the coworker burst into laughter and teased him:

“Xiao Xu, are girls really that scary to you? You’re dodging matchmakers like they’re floods and beasts. People who don’t know would think those girls would eat you alive or something. At your age, you should be getting married already. How old are you now? At least twenty-two, right?”

“When I was your age, my eldest daughter was already old enough to chew steamed buns.”

“Pass me the wrench.”

Shi Dadan silently handed him the wrench.

“Ah… I wonder what the canteen’s serving tonight,” the coworker sighed.

“Stewed cabbage with bean sprouts, minced meat stir-fried beans, vegetable tofu soup, and mixed-grain steamed buns,” Shi Dadan answered instantly.

Coworker: “……”

The coworker crawled out from under the truck, somewhat speechless, his hands covered in grease. He passed the tools back to Shi Dadan, who quickly took them.

“You remember this stuff pretty fast.”

“Your truck is still the same old issue. If it stalls halfway tomorrow, check underneath to see if any parts are loose. The captain has already taught you how to tighten them—you should know how. Tomorrow the fleet is short-handed, so you’ll still be going out alone.”

“Oh right, aren’t you going to the meat processing plant tomorrow? Their food over there is—”

Before he could finish, a young man walked over.

He was clean-cut, fair-skinned, and clearly came from a well-off family. His clothes were much newer and cleaner than those of Shi Dadan and the coworker. His skin didn’t show much sun exposure, his hands weren’t rough, and there were no visible calluses.

Qin Huai found him somewhat familiar.

It was Xu Nuo.

Qin Huai had seen Xu Nuo a few times in Gong Liang’s memories before, but never paid close attention.

Now, looking carefully, he really did deserve to be the youngest son of the factory director.

Fair-skinned, refined, with a hint of scholarly air. Well-proportioned features, red lips and white teeth. If he hadn’t been unemployed for the past two years and possibly seen as a “spoiled rich kid,” Qin Huai suspected the matchmakers would have already broken down the Xu factory director’s doorstep.

“Xu Mo, get off work!” Xu Nuo called out excitedly. “I managed to grab six fermented rice buns from the state-run restaurant today, and I packed two dishes too. Come to my place—no one’s home!”

“Hurry up, or my dad will be back soon. If he sees I bought so many fermented rice buns again, he’ll definitely scold me.” Xu Nuo kept signaling at Shi Dadan.

Shi Dadan first looked at his coworker. Seeing the coworker’s clearly envious expression, he nodded and slipped away after work.

“So being the son of Factory Director Xu is great—he can stay at home for two years doing nothing and still eat fermented rice buns and take home dishes,” the coworker sighed, shaking his head. “Truly, people really can’t be compared.”

Xu Nuo pulled Shi Dadan toward the textile factory gate. Shi Dadan, however, didn’t really want to leave yet—he still wanted to go to the canteen.

He said it directly.

“Today the canteen has minced meat stir-fried beans. I brought my meal ticket and lunch box—I want to eat first.”

Xu Nuo immediately stopped, cautiously looking around as if avoiding someone.

“Then hurry. Quick in and out. I’ll wait outside. Don’t get caught by my dad.”

“Recently I’ve been coming every day to wait for you after work—he’s already heard about it. And aren’t we getting a batch of new college graduates soon? He wants me to take the college entrance exam again, saying my technical school was fine before, but now university is better.”

“You’re smarter than me. Way smarter. I think you could get into university,” Shi Dadan said softly.

“That’s different. I don’t aim for that. I’m not in my first life anymore. Going to university won’t help me pass my tribulation anyway. Hurry and get your food—I’ll wait outside.”

Shi Dadan nodded and ran toward the canteen, sprinting like a starving high school student rushing to the cafeteria after class.

Qin Huai: ?!

Although he had already suspected it before—that Xu Nuo might also be a spirit creature. Because even if a spirit disguised itself as a human in its first life, failure of tribulation meant it wasn’t truly human, and the clearest sign was that spirits don’t fully empathize with humans.

Of course, exceptions existed—like Qu Jing, that overly emotional bird.

In Shi Dadan’s first life, he had felt such guilt after accidentally killing Xu Nuo in a truck accident that he eventually failed his tribulation and committed suicide.

At first, Qin Huai hadn’t thought much of it. But after hearing Luo Jun question whether Shi Dadan had been telling the truth, Qin Huai had thought it over carefully—and the more he thought, the more suspicious it became.

At that time, he had already suspected Xu Nuo might be a spirit creature, and that Shi Dadan’s guilt came from killing a fellow spirit who had been helping him.

He just didn’t expect the confirmation to come so quickly—he had only just started viewing the memory.

Qin Huai tried to follow Xu Nuo to see what he was doing, but this wasn’t Xu Nuo’s memory—he could only follow Shi Dadan.

And Shi Dadan ran too fast.

Before Qin Huai could even pause for a few seconds, an invisible barrier blocked him. He could only see Xu Nuo sneaking around cautiously, moving like a guerrilla toward the factory gate.

Unable to follow Xu Nuo, Qin Huai quickly increased his pace and ran after Shi Dadan with the fastest speed he had ever used in viewing memories.

Shi Dadan rushed into the canteen with his satchel and queued up.

Then he took out three lunch boxes, handed over three meal tickets, and gave the staff a simple, honest smile.

The canteen worker was already used to him and filled all three boxes generously.

“Still some corn-and-black-flour steamed buns left. No meal ticket, just cash. Want some?”

“Want, want, want!” Shi Dadan nodded repeatedly and happily got six large buns.

He walked out holding the food, his face full of joy at having successfully gotten another meal.

Unfamiliar workers eating nearby were stunned when they saw the amount of food in his hands.

“Which workshop is working overtime tonight? So many lunch boxes and buns.”

“What workshop? That’s Xu Mo from the fleet—the big eater. The one who ate 26 white steamed buns on his first day here. Xu Nuo, that spoiled rich kid, treated him. You don’t even recognize him?”

“Twenty-six white steamed buns?!”

“Yeah. Twenty-six. Rumor says he’s a relative of Factory Director Xu. Came from the countryside because he ate too much to be supported there. Don’t let his job in the fleet fool you—he’s also good at farming. There’s a patch of land behind the canteen, right? Those radishes there were grown by him. That’s why the canteen always gives him such generous portions.”

“No wonder he had to come rely on Factory Director Xu—who could afford to feed him in the countryside with that appetite?”