Change Your Life in 7 Days - Chapter 17

“But I have one condition,” Qin Hui said.

“The rain outside is pouring down heavily, and it’s dangerous for me to go alone. I’d like you to accompany me.”

 

Gao Linlin was not very enthusiastic. “You’re a strong man, and you want us to accompany you?”

 

Qin Hui replied, “You all know that the road conditions will worsen outside. If something happens to me on the way back, who will be responsible?”

 

“Alright,” I agreed. “Gao Linlin is a girl, so I’ll accompany you.”

 

“No,” Qin Hui disagreed. I wasn’t sure what his angle was.

 

“In the end, you still don’t trust us,” I observed.

 

Qin Hui responded calmly, “I don’t want to be taken out by you on the way back. You have to come with me.”

 

Gao Linlin exclaimed, “What kind of logic is this?”

 

I understood; many places in the city had security cameras now.

 

He led us to the public area, and if anything happened afterward, High Linlin and I would surely be noticed. The three of us walked in the rain along streets that had already started to flood, and the water had just begun to reach our ankles. Pedestrians moved to and fro on the road, and several vehicles passed by, splashing water onto us despite our umbrellas. Even though we had umbrellas, our clothes were still quite wet in some places. Gao Linlin probably had never experienced this before.

 

“Shall we take a taxi?” she suggested. “The water isn’t too deep right now.”

 

“My home is just up ahead,” Qin Hui replied and continued wading forward.

 

However, the road we were on started to veer off in an unexpected direction, leading us toward a construction site. Due to the relentless rain, the construction had temporarily halted.

 

I stopped in my tracks. “This road doesn’t look right.”

 

Qin Hui said, “It’s just up ahead.”

 

“I remember your home is in a regular residential area, but this is obviously a construction site up ahead,” I pointed out.

 

Qin Hui said, “This is the shortest way through.”

 

The construction area was cordoned off by boards, and one of the boards had fallen to the ground, creating a passage just wide enough for a person to walk through.

 

“It’s too dangerous,” I expressed my concerns.

 

“I’ll guide you,” he replied.

 

I took a couple of steps forward and peered inside to assess the situation. Only one streetlight illuminated the area, and the ground was pitted and uneven, with dark and muddy patches. Rainwater glistened on the surface. Just as I was hesitating, Qin Hui suddenly abandoned his umbrella and forcefully pushed me down while gripping my shoulder.

 

It was then that I realized that the area underneath the boards was a large puddle, filled with rainwater. It was surrounded by sandy mounds of varying heights. I couldn’t gauge the depth of the water, but on a rainy night like this, falling into it would mean trouble getting out.

 

I tossed my umbrella aside and hastily grabbed onto the nearby board, stumbling as I clutched the sleeve of Qin Hui’s jacket.

 

“What are you doing?” I asked, shocked.

 

He sneered, “You can go to hell!”

 

Linlin was terrified by this sudden attack and was too scared to move forward. Ultimately, she left her umbrella behind and came to help me.

 

Qin Hui was incredibly strong and forcefully pushed her aside. There was sand all around the construction site, and High Linlin slipped and fell to the ground. It seemed like Qin Hui had an intense grudge against us.

 

Thankfully, I was in good shape due to my regular workouts, so I didn’t fall completely victim to his attack. Gao Linlin, on the other hand, was frightened and couldn’t approach the situation. She had left her umbrella behind and was left in the rain.

 

As Gao Linlin reached out and grabbed one of Qin Hui’s legs, he lost his balance and fell into the water. I quickly pulled High Linlin to her feet, and we started running away from the construction site.

 

Qin Hui was relentless in his pursuit, stumbling and falling several times as he chased us. We reached the main street, where everyone was carrying umbrellas, and no one paid attention to our chase. I pulled High Linlin, who was limping and had lost one of her shoes.

 

Qin Hui was right behind us, determined to catch up. As we forcefully ran through a red traffic light, we suddenly heard the screeching of car brakes, and the world fell eerily silent. When Gao Linlin and I turned around, we saw Qin Hui lying in the intersection he had been trying to cross, having been struck by a car.

 

Linlin burst into tears, still trembling with fear. A crowd began to gather, and vehicles came to a halt, as people commented on the accident.

 

“Something happened!” “Someone ran a red light and got hit.” “How can you not be careful on a rainy day like this…”

 

Gao Linlin and I dared not approach the scene. Her voice quivered as she asked, “This… This isn’t our fault, is it?”

 

I reassured her, “This is a traffic accident caused by running a red light.”

 

As we watched the crowd gather around the accident scene, I contemplated the strange actions of Qin Hui throughout the night. High Linlin inquired, “Is he really the one who wanted to harm us, that maniac…?”

 

I responded, “Most likely.”

 

It appeared that Qin Hui’s actions and words were likely part of a diversionary strategy.

 

The phone rang, and on the other end, there was a gentle female voice:

 

“Hello, are you Mr. Zhonghe? I’m a student of Professor Wang, and he wanted you to come to the hospital when you have time to collect some materials…”

 

“Alright.”

 

Given the current situation, which was getting increasingly dangerous, the importance of those materials was uncertain.

 

Upon returning to our residence, Gao Linlin’s fear lingered in her heart. She asked, “What if they knock on our door any moment and take us away?”

 

I replied, “This was an accident…”

 

Though I said that aloud, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. The news about the recent traffic accident was already online, with the headline:

 

“Man Runs Red Light in Rain, Struck by Drunk Driver, and Dies”

 

“Another case of drunk driving…”

 

It had to be said, the speed of the internet era was truly daunting.

 

Gao Linlin sat on the floor, lost in thought. “I just can’t understand whether he was one of the witnesses from back then…”

 

“Don’t worry, even if we’re summoned, at worst, we’ll just have a confrontation with him… we won’t end up in jail.”

 

She shook her head. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. Is he one of the witnesses from back then?”

 

“You don’t remember?”

 

“I’ve never seen any of those witnesses, and my parents never mentioned them to me.”

 

“Whether he is or not, it doesn’t matter.”

 

“But if he is one of the witnesses, he wouldn’t have any reason to harm others after all these years! And if he’s not… how would he know so much about the past?”

 

“There’s only one explanation that makes sense.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“He’s that surviving kid, Liao Wenjie! Years later, he came to seek revenge against all of you.”

 

Linlin looked taken aback. “Yes!”

 

Aside from this, it seemed there were no other reasonable explanations. She finally regained some color in her eyes.

 

“So… that means he’s the one, he’s finished, and we’re safe now! It’s all over!” she exclaimed with renewed vigor.

 

I nodded.

But deep down, there was an unspoken thought.

His age and Liao Wenjie’s didn’t quite match…

 

The phone rang again, and it was the same gentle voice.

 

“Sorry for any confusion earlier, Mr. Zhonghe. It might have been my mistake. The professor would like you to come and collect the materials as soon as possible. He mentioned the bad weather…”

 

“Alright, I understand.”

 

I, too, realized that the city would change from moderate rain to heavy rain the next day.

 

I had no choice but to pick up the documents today.

 

Inside the hospital, I didn’t enter Professor Wang’s room. The nurses were adamant about not allowing me in without a caregiver pass.

 

Fortunately, the student who had been communicating with me on the phone met me in the corridor. She had large glasses and looked like a kind-hearted academic achiever.

 

“Mr. Zhonghe, right? The professor asked me to pass this on to you.” She handed over a thick stack of papers.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Professor asked me to inquire if everything is going smoothly for you now.”

 

“… So far, so good,” I replied, forcing myself to put on a brave face.

 

On my way back, I decided to spend a bit more to take a taxi.

 

Looking at the thick pile of documents in my hand, I sighed bitterly. Two-thirds of the nine people who had the potential to change their fate had already met tragic ends.

 

Inside the room, I sat down and casually flipped through the profiles of these individuals. Their hometowns, places of birth, family backgrounds, and hobbies were all meticulously listed.

 

In the photographs, each person appeared so innocent and ordinary, just regular members of the masses. Yet, these stacks of documents represented their life stories.

 

…Unfortunately, they were gone.

 

As I pondered over their lives, my phone rang, and it was Song Mingde.

 

“Hello, Zhonghe! Are you doing okay?”

 

He maintained a peculiar tone, making it hard to discern his true intentions. However, due to Qin Hui’s recent actions, he seemed temporarily cleared of suspicion.

 

“I’m innocent,” he said.

 

“Yeah, I got it.”

 

He seemed taken aback by my response, probably not expecting it. We both fell silent for a few seconds.

 

I asked, “Is that all you wanted to say?”

 

He chuckled, “Well, I also thought you could treat me to a meal while we wait for the heavy rain to pass. You know, just to clear up any misunderstandings.”

 

I was about to reply when I turned the page and came across his profile.

 

“Song Mingde, male, born in…”

 

An unfamiliar photograph stared back at me.

 

The information in this file showed Song Mingde with fair skin, a small chin, and a relatively refined appearance. However, the person I was currently talking to, who claimed to be “Song Mingde,” had a dark complexion and a rustic demeanor.

 

This could only mean one thing: the Song Mingde who had returned with us might be an imposter.