Mr. Qiao Bafu sat in the car, and it took several inquiries from the driver before he realized that he was being asked, "Where do you want to go?"
"Just drive around," he said.
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, watching the children play and run on the streets outside the window, the smiling young men and women, and the old people sitting by the round tables on the sidewalk, sipping coffee and chatting.
Time seemed to slow down suddenly, in a way he couldn't understand.
He drew on his cigarette, and the smoke followed his throat into his lungs, filling them as if bathing in warm water.
Nicotine was absorbed through the mucous membrane and entered his bloodstream and, in seven or eight seconds, penetrated the blood-brain barrier, directly affecting the brain, which started to release hormones, making Mr. Qiao Bafu relax a bit.
He couldn't remember when he last took a good look at the streets of the Imperial District.
