For daily travel, people used trains for long distances and horse-drawn carriages for short distances. Bicycles were lightweight, flexible, and not slow—very popular among ordinary city dwellers. The only drawback was their price: a bicycle cost over twenty yuan, requiring an ordinary person to save for several months without eating or drinking to afford one.

  Chen Ming examined this bicycle, which had clearly been modified. The tires were flat and wide, with dense tread patterns providing excellent grip—perfect for off-road travel. He took it for a test ride; the frame was light, pedaling required little effort, and it was indeed suitable for long-distance travel.

  Chief Constable Zong explained, "In the past, Night rover business all relied on brokers as intermediaries. The brokers were greedy and exploited them heavily. Since Night rovers feared even monsters, they were all desperados—lose their temper and they'd start fighting, often resulting in deaths. Eventually, the imperial court simply decreed that all Night rover business must be handled exclusively through government offices, to prevent exploitation of Night rovers. Of course, the government office also charges a中介 fee, but it's only ten percent of the reward."

  Chen Ming nodded. "That's reasonable."

  Chief Constable Zong pointed at the bicycle. "Sometimes the government office needs Night rovers to handle business, so they prepared a set of equipment. For instance, this bicycle was specifically purchased by Renhe County Government Office for Night rovers. Unfortunately, it's been idle for a long time—no one used it. Besides the bicycle, there are several other pieces of gear for you. Come with me."

  Chen Ming followed Chief Constable Zong into the squad room and saw many items spread out on the table: a map, a compass, a pocket watch, an enamel canteen, a flashlight, a dagger, and a shoulder bag, they are all necessities for outdoor adventures.

  Chen Ming lacks experience in wilderness exploration. and had never thought to prepare such items. But the government office had handled many Night rover transactions, accumulating extensive experience and compile a list of essential survival equipment to improve Night rovers' survival rates.

  Chief Constable Zong said, "These items are loaned to you. If you complete the mission successfully, you'll need to return them. If you don't come back. well, monsters don't eat bicycles anyway, we can still retrieve them."

  The government office was indeed meticulous, even recycling equipment.

  But Chen Ming wasn't worried about failing the mission. He said, "I understand. I wonder when the medicine will be ready. I haven't eaten properly all day. I'll go get some food first, build up my strength for a quick journey."

  Chief Constable Zong said, "No problem, but don't wander too far from the County Government Office. If anything comes up, you can return promptly."

  Chen Ming acknowledged and left the County Government Office. At a nearby snack shop, he ordered another bowl of mixed noodles, specifically asking the vendor to add extra fried pork fat. Soon, the noodles arrived, fragrant and inviting. Chen Ming couldn't wait—he picked up his chopsticks and wolfed them down, quickly finishing everything, his stomach now full.

  So much had happened today that Chen Ming was overwhelmed and flustered, to the point where besides that morning's bowl of noodles, he hadn't eaten all day. Now, well-fed and satisfied, he felt his strength returning—even his mind seemed sharper. On his way back to the County Government Office, an idea suddenly struck him, and he stopped at a nearby baked bun shop to pack two baked buns, preparing to replenish energy along the way.

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  When Chen Ming returned, Chief Constable Zong told him, "The medicine is ready. You can set out now."

  Chen Ming said excitedly, "Then let's go!"

  Chief Constable Zong said, "Alright, I'll see you out of the city."

  Chen Ming pushed the bicycle, with a box securely strapped to the rear rack—the medicine to be delivered tonight.

  Chief Constable Zong accompanied Chen Ming all the way to the city gate. The gatekeeper on duty happened to be Chen Ming's acquaintance, Zhang Xiyan. Seeing Chen Ming pushing a bicycle and realizing he was going to be a Night rover, Zhang Xiyan was quite surprised and couldn't help saying, "Mr. Chen, you're an educated man. why take such a risk? Of the Night rovers I've seen, nine out of ten never return."

  Chen Ming waved his hand and said, "Wealth is found in danger."

  Knowing he couldn't dissuade him, Zhang Xiyan sighed, opened the city gate, and let Chen Ming out.

  Before leaving, Chief Constable Zong repeatedly tell him, "Stay on the main road, don't take shortcuts. The main road has formations—fewer monsters. With luck, you might not encounter any at all. And don't go into the Ruins Zone. That place is eerie—once you enter, you never come out."

  Chen Ming nodded slightly to Chief Constable Zong as the city gate slowly closed behind him. From this point, Chen Ming was completely cut off from civilization, alone, venturing into the wilderness.

  Chen Ming looked ahead. Tonight was cloudless; the moon had a gap but was bright enough that it wasn't too dark. Chen Ming touched his waist—fortunately, for self-defense, he had always carried his pistol, which hadn't been lost with his luggage. Traveling through the darkness tonight with this iron companion for support gave Chen Ming some confidence.

  He mounted the bicycle and crossed the open ground, reaching the cinder road. The night was cool, perfect for travel. He pedaled lightly through the darkness, a gentle breeze brushing his face. Along the way, aside from the "click-clack" of the bicycle chain and gears, there was no other sound. He could sense countless unnameable things in the forests on both sides coveting him, yet none dared to emerge.

  Forty or fifty li was no short distance. Based on his cycling experience, even on the paved roads before his transmigration, it would take over two hours. The Great Ming's road conditions weren't that good—cinder roads were the best available—so it would probably take more time.

  To deliver the package promptly, Chen Ming didn't dare waste time, cycling nonstop. Occasionally encountering forks in the road, he would stop, using the flashlight to consult the map and compass to navigate the terrain. Sometimes when cycling became too exhausting, he had to stop for a drink of water, take a bite of the baked buns he'd bought before departure, rest briefly until his strength recovered, then set off again.

  After about three hours of arduous travel, Chen Ming finally reached Genshan Gate on the eastern side of Hangzhou city. Checking his pocket watch by moonlight, it was just past one in the morning.

  Chief Constable Zong had previously coordinated with Hangzhou city; Chen Ming only needed to deliver the medicine box to the city gate. As an outsider, he absolutely couldn't enter the city.

  After reaching Genshan Gate, worried about being shot at again, Chen Ming first called out to confirm the defenders knew of his arrival and wouldn't fire recklessly, then calmly revealed himself.

  But the defenders were on high alert and wouldn't allow him to approach. They had Chen Ming place the medicine box in the open area, then sent someone to retrieve it. A brave soul descended the wall on a rope, retrieved the medicine box, and was pulled back up by the combined effort of those on the wall.

  At this point, Chen Ming's mission was complete, but since the defenders wouldn't let him in, he had to remain stranded in the wilderness.

  Helpless, he thought that if he continued as a Night rover, he'd definitely need to bring a sleeping bag. Today he hadn't prepared anything, so he'd have to make do for the night. Fortunately, the season wasn't cold—he could tough it out.

  Chen Ming initially sat by the roadside, but then reconsidered: since he wasn't afraid of monsters anyway, he might as well leave the bicycle by the roadside and walk into the forest to find a quieter place to rest. He didn't think any monster could ride a bicycle.