Change Your Life in 7 Days - Chapter 19

It’s Sunday now. In the hospital room, I wonder if it’s related to this heavy rain. The nurses are a bit more accommodating today and allowed me to enter the professor’s ward. I sit on a nearby chair, looking at Professor Wang, who has just awakened. He seems to be in good shape, with an IV in his right hand. He appears much more energetic and, with a friendly tone, asks, “Did you win the lottery?”

I reply, “No.” He chuckles and looks out the window at the pouring rain. “Fate can be quite capricious. Many things aren’t so easily changed.”

I take out the stack of documents from my bag, which is now wrinkled and creased due to the dampness. Professor Wang glances at it and asks, “What do you want to do with this?”

I reply, “I want to ask you, Professor, if you know all about the people listed in here – their pasts and their intentions.”

Professor Wang assessed me for a moment. “I’m only responsible for research, and I don’t have the inclination to worry about anything else.”

I asked, “Do you understand our current situation?”

He replied, “Seeing you like this now, I understand everything.”

I gazed at him and said, “In fact, from the very beginning, you knew everything, didn’t you?”

Upon hearing that, he suddenly chuckled. Although his demeanor remained humble, there was a hint of indifference in his expression.

He said, “To be honest with you, I’ve conducted this type of research, where people come back from the past to alter their life trajectories, more than a dozen times.”

He looked at me as if I were a lab rat. “Identities, authenticity, motives – these are all secondary to me.”

His tone carried a touch of obsession.

“Viewing various possibilities from the perspective of an observer is a common trait among us researchers,” Professor Wang explained.

I asked, “So, does that mean you will organize more people to go back in time and continue this experiment?”

The professor lowered his head to look at the IV in his hand. “Most likely.”

I inquired further, “But what if someone with malicious intent goes back and commits irreversible actions?”

He confidently replied, “Not a problem. Whatever happens, we can always start over.”

His sharp, sparse teeth and the once amiable elderly face now radiated a chilling aura.

He continued, “For example, if one of the individuals who came back this time is a murderer and brutally erases the existence of others, I can send a trustworthy person back in the next iteration to rectify everything.”

I observed him as the rain outside grew heavier. “So, in your eyes, we all eventually become mere numbers for studying human nature and success rates?”

The professor coughed a couple of times and said, “Young man, don’t be so extreme. That’s just how scientific research works. There’s no other way.”

With that, he coughed again.

“My body is already severely compromised, riddled with ailments, and this time when I returned… my condition on this side has changed,” Professor Wang remarked.

In the original timeline, it seemed the professor’s health wasn’t as poor as it is today. For some unknown reason, his condition had worsened significantly this time.

“May I ask you a question?” I inquired.

He closed his eyes, looking contemplative. “Go ahead.”

I checked the time on my phone. “In the original timeline, were you also in the hospital today?”

He replied with a simple, “Yes.”

“Last time, were you able to move freely, unlike now with tubes and all?” I asked.

He responded with a matter-of-fact tone, “You keep asking about these things. Why?”

“It’s currently noon, and starting from 2:00 PM today, the rainfall in this city will reach its peak. The city’s tunnels will be submerged, and the amount of water equivalent to 200 West Lakes will flood the subways. Many people will lose their lives,” I informed the professor.

He looked at me, puzzled, “I’ve read about all of this in the news. Why are you repeating it to me?”

At this time in the original timeline, I was stranded by the roadside. The street beneath my feet was tumultuous with flowing water. As the water levels continued to rise, I sought refuge in a high place. Even in such moments, the company leaders were still sending messages encouraging employees to stay and work overtime. I found myself surrounded by strangers, crowded together, some terrified by the ferocious floodwaters, and others attempting to contact their families to ensure their safety. At that time, I realized that I didn’t even have a single relative to call and check on.

The professor’s impatience was starting to show. “Why are you telling me all this?”

I checked the time and continued patiently, “This heavy rainfall has caused a power outage in the largest hospital in our city, the very one you are currently lying in.”

The professor remained unimpressed, saying, “I know, but this building is the only one with power remaining. The other buildings lost power.”

I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you sure that this hospital room you’re in right now is the same as before?”

The professor seemed puzzled for a moment, then looked through the window into the distance. Suddenly, his expression turned to one of shock. He shouted, “Nurse… nurse…”

Coincidentally, a nurse was passing by with a cart. She asked, “What’s wrong?”

The professor urgently inquired, “Which building is this?”

The nurse looked at us with a strange expression and replied, “This is the 3rd Surgical Building.”

The professor’s response was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. He shakily sat up and said, “I want to change rooms. I need to… change rooms.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a sudden flash of lightning and thunder, and the water level in the entire city began to rise rapidly. The lights on the hospital room’s ceiling flickered and then went out completely.

The once well-lit hospital plunged into total darkness. The rooms and corridors filled with cries of distress as nurses and doctors scrambled around.

…

A few days later, the city worked tirelessly to drain the water and provide support to the affected areas. Recovery and reconstruction became the main focus during this period. I stood on a pedestrian bridge, looking down at the slow-moving people below.

The streets were still being cleared of the thick mud and debris, but progress was visible.

A news notification popped up on my phone: “A girl who fell into the water during the heavy rain was miraculously saved by volunteers and managed to survive… What a lucky girl.”

Then I heard a familiar voice, “Hello, Zhonghe!”

I turned around to see Song Mingde on the bridge. He asked, “With everything that has happened, don’t you have any thoughts?”

I didn’t feel like answering. He had an irritating expression on his face. “You’re not curious about who I am anymore?”

“It’s none of my business,” I replied.

He walked up to stand beside me, looking down at the bridge below. “If you were to ask me, I would definitely not tell you. But now that you’re not asking, I feel like I should tell you…”

At this point, I didn’t want to engage with him at all.

He continued to ramble, “In all seriousness, we were roommates in a dormitory!”

His words were filled with nonsense. I’ve never met anyone like this, whether it was during my school days when I stayed in dorms or when I rented apartments for work.

“You don’t remember me, and I can understand that,” he generously mentioned.

“So, were we roommates in my high school dorm or my university dorm?” I inquired.

“Neither, but it’s something along those lines,” he replied.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. “Our dormitory was a small, square room with a wooden door, a small window, and bunk beds. We ate and worked at fixed times every day…”

I was starting to suspect that he might be one of the patients who hadn’t fully recovered from a mental disorder.

However, Song Mingde didn’t seem bothered by my skepticism. He took a few puffs of his cigarette and then descended from the bridge.

“Because you came back from seven days later, while I came back from one year ahead!”

Extra:

A few months later, in a different city, Gao Linlin coincidentally ran into Song Mingde, who was on vacation. Meeting your enemy is always an intense experience.

Gao Linlin grabbed Song Mingde, her eyes filled with murderous intent. “I’ve been thinking all this time that Qin Hui had no motive! Among all the people in our group, you are the most likely to be that psycho!”

Song Mingde replied, “You’ve got it all wrong!”

Gao Linlin tightened her grip on his hair. “Even if it means going to jail, today I want you to face justice!”

Song Mingde winced in pain and managed to break free from her grip. He touched his aching head. “Miss, please use some reason. You were the one involved in a car accident many years ago. The old Qian couple were the ones responsible for the accident. Qin Hui, Liu Youyu, Liu Yang – they were all witnesses. Everyone is here!”

Gao Linlin stood frozen, her mind racing. She suddenly remembered the moment when she fell into the water. Just as she was about to be pulled to safety, someone viciously kicked her, causing her to plunge back into the water.

“Oh!”

…

On a windy night, I stood by the railing, smoking a cigarette. I reached into my wallet and pulled out an old photograph from the innermost pocket. It was a picture of me as a child, back when I looked vastly different – round face, thick glasses, and a little chubby.

〈End〉