The 888th Trip: Kingdom of Misplaced Time (13)

The cat stood up, took off its hat, cupped it in its front paws, and handed it to him. Xiao Kui closed her notebook. She hadn't written anything. Doudou walked over, took her dad's hand, and gave him the last packet of instant noodles. "Here you go," Doudou said. "You did well today." Chapter 7: Zuoying Station: The Twelve-Minute Magic "We have arrived at Zuoying Station." It was the most ordinary announcement. So ordinary that Chen Jiande almost cried. The shell-like doors opened, the smell of coconut oil disappeared, replaced by the clean, cool air of the high-speed train carriage. The 888th train sat quietly on the tracks, the fluorescent lights were stark white, the tray tables on the seat backs were neatly folded, and the old man next to him was snoring. The electronic signboard read: Train 888 Zuoying 10:12 On Time Chen Jiande glanced at his watch. They had boarded at 9:21. "...It's only been twelve minutes." (To be continued)