Chapter 266: The Last Phone Call

Torrential rain poured down, a pitch-black night pressing heavy over the entire city.

A battered Wuling Hongguang sped down the broad road. The driver was young but highly skilled, keeping the van above a hundred and twenty kilometers an hour despite the downpour.

Er Gou dropped me off at the Adult Shop. I told him to stay in the car and wait.

Inside, I went straight to the second floor, deleted everything on the computer related to the Underworld Live Show, and destroyed the hard drive.

"The Dragon-Carving Brush, Chu Palace Compass, Profound Truth Detailed Explanation, Qi Transformation Pill, the Black Leather Suitcase holding my streaming gear, chargers, bank cards..." I wrapped all the essentials in a raincoat and kept them on me. The little shop was no longer safe. Before the next broadcast arrived, I had to deal with the Jiang family's retaliation.

After loading these things into the van, I went back and cleared out most of the food from the fridge.

"Jian Ge, what are you doing? Fleeing for your life? Don't tell me you actually killed Jiang Long and wiped out his base?"

Er Gou sounded completely hyped up, but I didn't have time to humor him.

"I definitely can't take the Lacquered Wooden Coffin, but I shouldn't have left anything else behind." I locked the shop door, and Bai Qi and I climbed back into the van. "Er Gou, drive toward the border between Jiangcheng and Xinhu City!"

"What are we going there for in the middle of the night?"

"I'll explain on the way. Don't dawdle!"

The van roared to life, cutting through the pouring rain. We had only crossed two intersections when flashing police lights tore through the distant darkness. The familiar wail of sirens rapidly approached. I immediately grabbed Bai Qi and turned my face away. "Don't panic. Just keep driving!"

I whispered the instruction, and Er Gou understood perfectly. He fully grasped the gravity of the situation now—the words printed on the sides of those roaring police vehicles weren't "Public Security," but "Armed Police"! Riot squads with live ammunition and full tactical gear!

Steering clear of the main roads, Er Gou floored the gas pedal, sending the van speeding down the highway.

"Even the Armed Police are out! Jian Ge, you've really kicked the hornet's nest this time!"

"What? Are you scared?" I asked, stroking Bai Qi's head as he lay lazily in my arms.

"Since when has Chen Er Gou ever been scared? Forget the Armed Police, even if it was... even if..." Er Gouzi stammered for a long time but couldn't finish his sentence.

"Even if what?" I teased.

"Forget it. You're a badass. There's no point arguing with you," Er Gou said, smacking the steering wheel and focusing back on the road. "Jian Ge, what exactly did you do? Even for murder and arson, the regular criminal investigators should be the first ones out."

"Nothing much. I just slaughtered Jiang Long right in front of the chairman of Jiangjin Real Estate. That old fox thought I didn't have the guts to kill anyone. He's probably fuming right now."

"Badass! Fucking badass!"

"Focus on driving. I'm going to lay low for a while. Don't go back to Jiangcheng anytime soon either, or you'll be in danger." I pointed to the back. "I hid a knife under the back seat. If you run into something that defies logic, use it to defend yourself. Remember, unless it's a last resort, absolutely do not take it out."

"Jian Ge, what do you mean by something that defies logic?"

"You'll know if you see it. For now, it's best if you eat and sleep in the van. Don't wander around. Wait until around eight o'clock in the evening three days from now, and I'll meet you at the Lanjiang Dam in Jiangcheng."

I took out my phone, memorized the numbers of a few key contacts, and dialed Tie Ningxiang's number.

"Please pick up."

After six or seven rings, the call finally connected.

"Uncle, what do you need my aunt for? She just fell asleep."

It was Yi Yi's voice. I took a deep breath. "Yi Yi, wake your aunt up. I have something extremely important to tell her."

"Oh, okay."

A few seconds later, Tie Ningxiang roused from her sleep. She sounded somewhat surprised—and a little glad—to receive my call. "Gao—"

"Senior, is there anyone else around besides Yi Yi?"

"No. What do you want to say?" Tie Ningxiang had already caught the urgency in my tone and lowered her voice.

I briefly organized my thoughts. "I can confirm that Lu Xing will definitely strike at midnight three days from now. Amidst the torrential rain, the rainy-night serial murders from five years ago will happen again. You have to be ready! Furthermore, the three terms 'draping hemp,' 'Mourning Guest,' and 'mourning gate' represent both a specific time and a Fate Pattern. Three days from now, you need to protect someone's life."

"Who?"

"Ye Bing. Remember when we went to her wedding banquet? As the ghost infant host, her eight characters simultaneously possess draping hemp, Mourning Guest, and mourning gate. Under no circumstances can you let Lu Xing get near her."

Tie Ningxiang fell silent on the other end of the line for a long moment before giving a firm answer. "Don't worry. I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe."

"Two-Faced Buddha started setting this up twenty years ago. They failed once five years ago, so they are bound to be determined to succeed this time. The enemy isn't just Lu Xing. Be careful of the people around you, and no matter who says what, only believe a third of it." I spoke quickly, constantly looking back toward the rear of the van, terrified that police cars were chasing us.

"Gao Jian, where are you right now? Are you in trouble?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll tell you one last thing. If you guys can't track down the killer three days from now, try checking these locations." Terrifying scenes flashed through my mind, the memories left by each broadcast crystal clear. "Anxin Hotel, Xinhu High School, Bridge No. 3 Crematorium, Henshan Psychiatric Hospital, Jingying Sanatorium, Jiangcheng Medical College, New Century Amusement Park, and the Lanjiang Dam! The killer will likely pass through these eight locations. I'm leaving the city-wide lockdown to you."

"Why those places? Gao Jian, where exactly are you? Tell me, I can help you!"

Tie Ningxiang sounded incredibly sincere. She genuinely wanted to save me from the bottom of her heart, but could I trust her?

After a brief silence, I rejected her tempting offer and instead asked a seemingly unrelated question. "Senior, which do you think is more important: the law, or fairness?"

"There is no absolute fairness in the world, which is why the law is fairness!" Tie Ningxiang answered with unwavering conviction. This was the iron rule she had etched into her heart the moment she became a police officer.

"So you still choose the law?" I gave a miserable smile, my lips feeling dry. "I'm currently a wanted man being hunted by the Armed Police. You should see the exact reasons in the newspapers tomorrow. I may have broken certain people's laws, but I did nothing wrong."

The reason I wasn't suited to be a cop was precisely because the only thing I upheld was the fairness in my own heart.

"Don't do anything rash! The Armed Police aren't—"

"Senior, I know what their deployment means, but there's no turning back for me now. You're the last person I'm calling. Do exactly as I said and don't waste time looking for me. This city has reached its final days."

No one spoke on the other end. Tie Ningxiang seemed to be making a crucial decision. More than ten seconds later, she finally spoke up slowly, "Gao Jian, actually I..."

The phone screen abruptly went black. A full day and night of usage had drained its battery completely. I never got to hear Tie Ningxiang's last words.

"Let it be, then." I removed the battery, pulled out the SIM card, and snapped it in half. Stuffing the dead phone back into my pocket, I stared out the window at the intensifying rain.

Five years ago, on a rainy night exactly like this one, I was accused of murder. Consumed by fear and rage, the public hadn't given me a single chance to defend myself. Their hysteria was far more terrifying than any ghost or monster.

"Five years ago, I became your scapegoat. Five years later, I'm going to catch you with my own two hands. I'm not doing this to protect the idiots who wronged me—I'm doing this because that is true fairness!"

Lightning split the sky, and the torrential rain raged on, creating huge difficulties for the Armed Police's manhunt. About two hours later, the van pulled into a desolate wasteland nestled between Xinhu City and Jiangcheng. This area was completely unknown to most people, but I had been here many times.

"Jian Ge, why don't I just drive you all the way to Xinhu City? We're in the middle of nowhere right now, and there's a massive storm out there."

"Er Gou, remember what I told you earlier. As for my safety, you don't need to worry."

I shook out the raincoat, stuffed all my crucial items into the Black Leather Suitcase, and wrapped the coat tightly around it. With Bai Qi at my side, I walked off alone into the depths of the wasteland.

When I provoked the Jiangjin Group and killed a man right in front of their chairman, I had already planned everything out. Before the next broadcast began, I needed to find a completely safe place to lay low.

Through the rainy night, the faint outline of a building gradually came into focus. This school, abandoned five years ago, was about to welcome a new legend!