Checking in at Fushi Mountain

Meng Wenzhou gave a helpless smile and didn't feel like arguing. He turned to the tour guide and said, "Since this won't affect today's plans, let's get going."

"Alright, everyone, please get in the car," the tour guide said as she gestured for everyone to board.

Both drivers today turned out to be women. Liu Bo grinned and jogged to the front vehicle, taking the passenger seat.

Although a typhoon—something these inland city dwellers had never encountered—would hit in three days, no one was too worried. Such weather was common on this island nation.

As long as there was no typhoon today, they could focus on having fun. If the typhoon did come, they'd just hole up in the hotel drinking and playing games—quite nice, really. Earthquakes were what they truly dreaded.

Following the same arrangement as when they left the airport yesterday, Su Yang led the girls—Pan Ning, Zhuang Mengli, and the others—into the second car and took their seats.

The rest of the group boarded the first car.

Once everyone was aboard, the two commercial vehicles set off one after the other, quickly leaving the city and heading toward a county southwest of Dongjin.

As they left the urban area, the tall buildings on both sides of the road gradually diminished.

They soon found themselves on a very straight road, flanked by picturesque scenery. Every few dozen meters, a standalone house appeared.

Looking ahead through the windshield, it felt like a scene from childhood Japanese anime.

Seated in the front passenger seat on the left, Su Yang smiled as he looked forward and turned his head to say, "Doesn't this scenery remind you of that episode of Doraemon where they go out to play?"

Behind him, Zhuang Mengli nodded. "This is Japan after all, so of course it looks familiar."

"I really like this vibe. Big cities are convenient, but these suburbs show off a place's true character."

"Exactly. The scenery is beautiful."

"But I don't think it's as stunning as when we drove through western Sichuan or Tibet before," Meng Qianyu said, resting her chin on her hand.

Su Yang chuckled and replied, "That's different. Those places have entirely different geography and altitudes, so the scenery is bound to be different. But speaking of beauty, our great western Sichuan is definitely more spectacular. Still, this place has its own unique charm."

"Fair enough!" Su Qingci grinned.

Chatting all the while, they finally arrived at a county called Shanli after about two hours.

Mount Fushi is located in the south-central part of the main island of this nation, straddling the two counties of Shanli and Jinggang. Both counties offer close-up views of the mountain's scenery—Shanli to the north and Jinggang to the south.

Tourists taking a chartered car from Dongjin usually come to Shanli County, as it provides better access to and from Dongjin and also features attractions like the Fushi Five Lakes.

Mount Fushi is an active volcano, standing 3,775.63 meters tall—the highest peak in the nation. Due to its altitude, its summit is covered in snow year-round.

In essence, visiting here meant sightseeing, taking photos, checking in, and sampling local cuisine.

Of course, during summer when there's no snow, the scenic area is open to climbers. But because of the approaching typhoon, the scenic area was closed effective today—visitors could only admire the view from a few observation decks.

Even if it had been open, the group had no intention of hiking. Having trekked through altitudes of five or six thousand meters and seen so many magnificent snow-capped mountains, Fushi's modest height didn't spark their interest.

They came simply because the place was famous and not too far from Dongjin. Since they were traveling, they figured they might as well stop by.

After driving through the county for a while, the cars pulled into the parking lot of a Lawson convenience store—one of the best spots to view Mount Fushi. From here, they could clearly see the mountain's unique silhouette.

Once parked, everyone got out and walked to the observation deck to take photos.

But the sky was overcast, with thick clouds and strong winds. At that moment, the summit of Mount Fushi was completely hidden behind a large cloud—nothing could be seen.

Still, quite a few tourists had come today.

"This place isn't all that impressive. Nothing to see," Liu Bo complained.

Meng Wenzhou laughed and said, "Aren't most scenic spots pretty much the same? You come for a taste of novelty. The real issue is the weather. If it were winter or during the cherry blossom season in March or April, it would be beautiful."

"Well, okay, the peak is blocked by clouds now. How about we find somewhere to grab a bite? I haven't eaten since this morning—I'm starving," Liu Bo said, rubbing his stomach.

"Sounds good. There are plenty of small restaurants nearby. Let's grab lunch first, and once the clouds clear, we'll come back for photos."

"Fine."

The group followed a small path to the right of the parking lot and soon reached a street lined with eateries.

After a few minutes of browsing, they picked a random restaurant for a simple lunch.

By the time they finished, it was 3:40 PM. Liu Bo walked out of the restaurant, frowning and grumbling, "Man, the food here was terrible."

"It's universal, you know," Su Yang said with a smile. "Restaurants at scenic spots are usually mediocre. Just enough to fill your stomach."

"I didn't enjoy it at all—all bland, watery stuff. I don't even know what I ate."

"Just make do. We'll find a proper spot for dinner later. For now, let's go—there are fewer clouds in the sky. Let's check out the nation's highest peak." Su Yang waved and led the way back along the path.

Soon they returned to the observation deck. By then, Mount Fushi was almost entirely visible. However, due to the season, there was little snow on the summit, leaving it looking bare.

Still, since they were there, they found a spacious spot where they stood with their backs to the mountain and asked the tour guide to take a few photos.

"So this is it for our Mount Fushi trip?" Liu Bo said with a hint of exasperation.

"What a boring day trip," Meng Qianyu muttered as she walked over to Lu Yun.

Pan Ning chimed in on the side, "The weather hasn't been great today, so don't complain. Just snap a few pictures. You wouldn't have wanted to hike up anyway."

Lu Yun stuck out her tongue and added, "Yeah, at least we're checking off a famous landmark, aren't we?"

"But it's still early. Where do we go next?" Ren Lingxi and Tang Ziyun asked in unison.

"Do you all want to take more photos?" Su Yang asked.

The girls shook their heads in unison.

"Nobody's taking photos anymore? Then let's explore the county. Since we're here, we might as well wander around. It's still early, so let's browse the county town and have dinner before heading back to Dongjin."

"Sounds good. Let's go."

They returned to the cars. After the tour guide spoke with the female driver, the two vehicles headed toward the liveliest street in Shanli County.

Before long, they arrived at the downtown area. Though it couldn't compare to Dongjin, it was still pleasant—everything they needed was available. The county was built with a distinctive Japanese charm, giving off a small-but-refined vibe.

Right now, the area around them was packed with izakayas, sushi shops, and other Japanese-style restaurants.

The car pulled into a parking lot and came to a stop. The two female drivers had initially planned to stay in the car, but they couldn't resist Su Yang and the others' warm invitations. Since they were out together, whether drivers or guides, everyone should share a meal.

Pulling the two female drivers along, the group strolled into the bustling downtown area of Shanli County.

It was now 5:40 in the afternoon.

Without them noticing, the air had grown somewhat stuffy, and the clouds in the sky were gradually thickening.

......