Change Your Life in 7 Days - Chapter 15

〈Today, Saturday〉

Early in the morning, I rushed to the hospital in the rain and found out that the professor had been moved to another ward. After inquiring carefully with the nurse, I learned that he was undergoing surgery for a minor liver issue. The surgery had just started, and it would take several hours.

I sat in the hospital corridor for a while, realizing that even after the surgery, the nurses might not allow me to communicate with him for some time. I checked my phone for the time, and in moments like this, every minute counted. If there was nothing I could do here, I might as well go and do something else.

I opened the group chat. From last night until now, no one had initiated video calls. Given the tense atmosphere, it was surprisingly quiet. After some hesitation, I decided to start a video chat. Only Gao Linlin agreed to join.

Just as I was about to end the call, Song Mingde also joined. The three of us didn’t say much, just exchanged a few glances, and then hung up.

Qin Hui declined the video call for this time. He sent a voice message saying, “I need some quiet time in these few days,” and didn’t provide any further information. The video briefing method had now become almost meaningless. Everyone’s mental defenses were on the brink of collapsing…

After leaving the hospital, I constantly felt like there was a shadow following me. I walked intermittently, and my wariness grew heavier. I quickly turned into a shopping mall, and at the corner of an escalator, I grabbed the person who was tailing me.

“Is it Song Mingde?” I pulled his collar and finally got a good look at his appearance. He was wearing a hat and looked suspicious.

I glared at him and said, “Why are you following me?”

Passersby started to look at us, and the mall security was heading our way, thinking there might be trouble.

Song Mingde released my hand, coughed a few times, and took a step back. “I’m not following you,” he replied.

Could I believe him?

He didn’t seem afraid and casually added, “What if I told you it was a coincidence that I ran into you? Would that make sense?”

“So, it’s just a coincidence that you happened to follow me down the street?” He chuckled at my question.

The mall security was keeping a close eye on us. We both instinctively walked toward the mall’s entrance.

I opened my umbrella and deliberately kept my distance from him. He also opened his own umbrella and had a calm expression on his face.

“You can still laugh!” I reminded him. “Right now, there’s a 50% chance you’re the psychopath!”

“It’s not me,” he flatly denied.

I took a look at his outfit, and he was still dressed casually. “Didn’t you say you should stay at home, look after your parents, and not go out?” I questioned.

He glanced at the rain and replied, “I can’t go out in the next few days, and I wanted to stock up on food while the traffic isn’t paralyzed yet.”

“Your excuse is too obvious. Isn’t there a supermarket or a local market near your place? Don’t tell me your home is right next to this hospital.”

He burst into laughter at my words.

Probably too lazy to keep up the act.

“All right, I came to find the professor!”

“Why are you looking for him?”

“I need information, to investigate and understand who you all really are.”

“From the way it sounds, you’re not the psychopathic killer?”

“Do I look like one to you?”

“Yes, you do.”

I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, but given the current situation of having to choose between two people, he had a significant chance. Song Mingde wasn’t offended either.

“You think I look like one, and I think you do too! … But to be honest, even if I were, what could you do to me?”

He’s admitting it? The current Song Mingde in front of me displayed a carefree expression.

“Are you planning to drag me to the police station, telling them that everything that happened before was my doing, and that I will continue to commit crimes? What evidence do you have? Or will you just tell them that you returned from seven days later? A time traveler?”

I was taken aback by his sharp rhetoric.

He continued, “I’m just an ordinary, law-abiding citizen. You’re acting without any reason, which, in legal terms, could be seen as provocation and defamation.”

He assessed me and added, “In your eyes, the culprit is one of two options, but in my perspective, it’s one out of four. You and that Gao Linlin are equally suspicious.”

In the rain, I watched Song Mingde walk away with his umbrella, feeling conflicted.

If we exclude his suspicion, then is Qin Hui the one who’s behind all this?

I was torn by this thought.

A passerby, a plastic bag covering their head, rushed by, muttering, “Why won’t this rain stop…”

I quickly took a cab back to Gao Linlin’s place and found that several construction workers were working in the rain, installing security grilles on every window in her house.

“Did you get the information?” I asked.

“No, the professor is undergoing surgery,” she replied.

I asked Gao Linlin, “What are they doing here?”

She answered, “Just for extra precaution, to increase our sense of security.”

Working in the rain on an urgent project surely meant doubled labor costs. Several workers worked together, and they managed to finish the job before noon. Gao Linlin paid them their wages and sent them off, and she seemed less tense afterward.

“Next, I’m not going out no matter what happens,” she said.

“Are you planning to stay until the flood recedes?”

She had a subtle change in her expression.

“Not exactly, it depends… for now, let’s focus on securing our immediate safety.”

I planned to head back to the hospital in the afternoon to get the information as soon as possible. However, Song Mingde’s words kept swirling in my mind. Were the things he said real, or was he just acting? I couldn’t distinguish truth from pretense.

“Zhonghe, come here quickly!!!”

Linlin suddenly shouted from upstairs. I stepped out of my room and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Come over quickly!” she called back.

I hurried up the stairs, following the sound, and found her sitting in the study with a large monitor in front of her.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

I walked over to her and noticed that the screen was actually a surveillance monitor, capturing every movement in the house. Gao Linlin pointed at the top-left corner of the screen and said, “Take a look…”

The top-left corner displayed the area near the villa’s main gate, capturing the passing cars and pedestrians with remarkable clarity. I examined it closely, focusing on the corner near the entrance.

There was a person standing there, holding a black umbrella, completely still and looking inside.

“What is this…” I muttered.

“Do you see his figure? Does he look like Qin Hui?” Gao Linlin asked.

I wasn’t entirely sure because I had limited interactions with him, but I was certain that this body type did not match Song Mingde. This was a playback from the surveillance footage, and the time on the screen showed 9:30 AM. The person in the video just stood there, motionless, for a considerable amount of time, sending shivers down my spine.

Linlin said, “It’s Qin Hui. His shoulders are relatively broad, and his head is disproportionately small… I remember.”

I realized that we were getting close to the truth, and the others wouldn’t be idle, knowing someone was watching the main gate.

“How did he find my house so quickly…?”

Linlin looked at me with fear in her voice, saying, “Is he here to kill me?”

“Stay calm for now,” I replied, unsure of how to comfort her.

I advised her not to panic and explained, “Let’s not frighten ourselves. We’ll figure this out together.”

She continued, “His temper is so bad; he might have a personality disorder…”

My eyes remained glued to the monitor, observing the various surveillance feeds, contemplating our next steps. Gao Linlin couldn’t sit still any longer, expressing her concern about leaving and finding another place to stay, hoping not to be discovered.

I held her back, saying, “How long can you hide? Do you want him to keep searching for you forever?”

She then suggested calling the police, but I pointed out, “What will you tell the police?” She was left speechless.

I suggested, “How about we use your newly installed security bars on the windows? Let’s set a trap and bring him inside the house. It’s better to take control of the situation rather than passively hiding.”

High Linlin looked at me incredulously, but I was determined. I reassured her, “If you’re scared, stay upstairs, and I’ll deal with him.”