Three fixie bikes.
One yellow, one red, one white.
Evan Lin picked the white one, Ken went for the red with his usual swagger, and Hank Chu took the yellow.
It was midsummer, the sun blazing like fire.
After climbing onto their bikes, the three of them threw on oversized sunglasses and headed straight for the outskirts of Whitewood County.
Ken led the way, whistling at every pretty girl they passed, his little tuft of bangs fluttering in the wind.
Whitewood County is surrounded by mountains, and unlike the big cities outside, the temperature here never rises too fast in summer—it's actually pretty refreshing.
The new lake Ken talked about was still five kilometers from the county center, right beside a long dam that runs through all of Whitewood. Cool breezes swept over the dam, and riding across it was pure enjoyment.
Back in middle school, this road hadn't been developed yet. Every weekend, tons of students would ride their bikes here in groups, but Evan always kept his distance from those activities.
Partly because he wasn't exactly popular, and partly because he just couldn't afford it.
They saw vast stretches of tender green wheat fields along the road, the waves of grain rolling in the wind like a surging tide.
This land used to be barren for ages, but later the county government brought in investment and had it developed.
Continuing along the road, they saw a few newly built restaurants and hotels, most of which only had signs up, clearly waiting for the tourist resort to open so they could get a share of the business.
They followed the road further, turning onto a narrow forest path. The mountain trail was a bit rough, but their bikes were sturdy, so after all the bumps, it was just their butts that ended up sore.
After entering the hills, they soon saw a broad artificial lake, its surface stretching out over a hundred hectares.
Around the lake, a wide clearing had already been made, with a farmhouse-style restaurant standing out in the middle. The water sparkled, and now and then fish could be seen surfacing for air.
Not far away, under a big sunshade, a group of teenage boys and girls had gathered, all looking about sixteen or seventeen.
Under the big sunshade, the group had set up a self-serve grill, with lots of uncooked chicken wings and other ingredients stacked nearby.
"Hey, whoa, isn’t that Ken? And Hank?"
The boys and girls were busy with the grill, and someone was getting a fishing rod ready by the lake. Just then, a guy squinted and spotted Evan, Ken, and Hank riding over from the main road.