"Dad, there's a parent-teacher conference next Friday afternoon. Can you come back then?"
In a daze, I suddenly snapped my eyes open. The sharp pain in my neck told me that I absolutely could not give up now. Although the seat reclined very slowly, it had already allowed me to lie completely flat.
From this angle, Zhang Huanan couldn't exert any force at all and could only keep dodging backward. After fully reclining the seat, my left hand continued to feel around and quickly found another button. Once this button was pressed, the entire seat would slowly move backward.
"You motherfucker..."
Zhang Huanan was constantly pushed back by my seat, and was about to run out of room to move. I finally escaped the bonds of the wire, feeling only a dull ache in my entire throat. But this was a life-or-death moment.
Anything not fatal could only be considered a flesh wound. I immediately raised the gun and turned around, but my vision was black. My brain hadn't recovered from the lack of oxygen yet.
Based on the sound and my experience, I aimed the gun straight ahead, ready to take care of Zhang Huanan. But just then, the entire car suddenly started to shake violently. A few seconds later, I came to my senses.
It was actually an earthquake. I've lived in Inner Mongolia for over thirty years and had never experienced an earthquake. But this earthquake was so distinct, making it even harder for me, who was already dizzy, to keep my balance.
After firing two shots that missed, Zhang Huanan suddenly rose and attacked, grabbing my hand tightly. I had fought with him before. This con man wasn't very strong, but his every move was insidious.
He pinned down my gun with one hand, and with the other, he reached for my left pinky finger, grabbing it and bending it back harshly. I didn't expect this move and instantly pulled my left hand back. The next second, my vision finally returned, only to see Zhang Huanan pull out a hammer from somewhere.
Before I could even react, the hammer came flying at my head. In that instant, the world started spinning, and it felt as if my very soul was about to leave my body. I knew this was a sign I was about to pass out.
The next few seconds would be my last chance. The car had started to slide around due to the violent earthquake. Through the window, I could vaguely see the houses on both sides of the alley collapsing, cracks forming on the walls, and even cracks appearing in the sky far away...
Wait... the sky cracked? Before I could process it, Zhang Huanan's hammer came down again, and I narrowly dodged it. I came back to my senses, knowing that if I couldn't take Zhang Huanan's life here, he would take Xuanxuan's life.
In the future, even more people would be scammed by him. Even if I had to die here, I had to drag Zhang Huanan to hell with me. I thrust a finger fiercely toward Zhang Huanan's eye.
I felt a wet warmth on my finger as it pierced straight through his eyeball. He let out a wail and released his grip on the gun. I immediately aimed at his chest and fired.
The bullet clearly entered his lung. But at the same moment, his hammer swung over again and smashed into my temple. The next few shots, whether because of the violent earthquake or because my temple was hit, were completely off target.
Although I really wanted to land a few more shots, my balance was completely destroyed. Everything went black before my eyes. I didn't even know where I had collapsed.
The hammer seemed to still be falling on my head. But I couldn't feel anything anymore. A lukewarm liquid soaked my eyes, and I could only hear the 'thump thump' sound coming from my skull.
Everything was shaking. Everything was shattering. A huge sound from the distance rushed in like a tidal wave.
Screams, shouts, the sound of cars crashing, the sound of buildings collapsing erupted in an instant. No, I still can't die. I have to finish Zhang Huanan quickly, then get out of the car and save people.
I need to call the squad and request backup. Save people, I have to save people right now. During an earthquake, every precious minute of rescue time wasted is a life needlessly thrown away.
I have my mission. I can't just stand by and do nothing... But... am I still alive? ...
Can I be considered alive right now? When I opened my eyes, nine strangers were sitting in front of me. This place looked a bit like an interrogation room, but we would never prepare a round table.
A round shape doesn't create a sense of pressure. Instead, it gives a feeling of togetherness and comfort. That's why tables in interrogation rooms are usually square, while dining tables in hotels are round.
At first, I thought this was some little trick by Zhang Huanan... but on second thought, he and I should both be dead. I reached up and touched my head. My skull was slightly indented, but there was no blood.
I then touched my neck and felt a sharp sting. It seems the injuries from before were still there, but I wasn't dead. What was going on?
The injuries to my neck and skull were both fatal, yet here I was, sitting perfectly fine. Not only could I see and hear, I could also feel my wounds. A senior at the police station once told me that when a person is dying, they'll recall everything they've done in their life, like a revolving lantern.
But I didn't remember ever seeing these nine people before me. Each of them had an unfamiliar face, and like me, they were all looking around. So this wasn't a revolving lantern, but a strange dream?
A minute later, the person wearing the goat-head mask killed a person without hesitation, and I finally understood my mission. Even if this was a strange dream, even if this was hell. My mission was not yet over.
This was a place for me to continue paying my debts. I must purge the wicked, and more importantly, I must save all the innocent people. This time, I absolutely will not hesitate, and I absolutely will not let myself have any regrets.
I am a police officer. Even here, I must carry out my duty. I never expected to draw the Identity Card of 'The Liar.'
What followed was a dilemma. Should I first protect the lives of the innocent... or should I survive to personally kill that masked pervert? After a few seconds of internal struggle, I understood.
Never follow the suspect's line of thinking. He wants us to kill each other, but I insist on saving everyone. As long as everyone survives, there is still hope for everything.
It's just a pity that even if I win this game, I can't go back. I killed someone. I can't face Xuanxuan anymore.
All that awaits me is the punishment of the law. So, my final stop can only be here. There are no second chances in life.
I have no way to change my past. It's just a shame I don't even have a single cigarette in my pocket. I also didn't bring the lighter Xuanxuan bought for me with her allowance.
I don't know how painful the days ahead will be. If it were possible, I really hope I can smoke another Cordyceps Sinensis. So just let me finish what I have to do, and then go in peace.
My name is Li Shangwu. I'm going to start lying now.