Chapter 15

Chapter 15

“You were sleepwalking,” I replied.

Li Ding touched his swollen cheek and stared blankly for a moment. Suddenly, looking like he was on the verge of tears, he stammered, “Brother Long, I didn’t get… get-”

“Don’t overthink it.” I pulled out my phone to check the time when a flashlight suddenly flickered from a side road ahead.

I told Li Ding to look out the window. He gasped in shock. “Xue Liang? Brother Long, it’s Xue Liang!”

I didn’t stop immediately, nor did I exit the highway. Instead, I drove all the way to the emergency breakdown lane further ahead.

During a Chong Sha, the vehicle must never leave the road. This was something the old master had taught me back in the day.

Li Ding and I got out of the truck. When Xue Liang saw us, he started jumping up and down on the spot.

“Thank God! Finally, a car!”

Xue Liang recognized Li Ding. “We’ve been trapped here for days.”

“Where’s your truck?” Li Ding asked. “Where’s Tang Dong?”

“They’re all in the village up ahead.”

Xue Liang turned and pointed. Following his gesture, Li Ding and I finally noticed a cluster of lights not far from the highway exit. It looked like a small village.

“Tang Dong said the dashboard was broken and he didn’t dare drive any further, so we got off the highway.”

“You didn’t enter the Shuanglong Tunnel?” Li Ding was surprised.

“No,” Xue Liang said, looking somewhat confused himself. “We drove for a long time but never reached the Shuanglong Tunnel. Eventually, Tang Dong led me off the highway.”

“Then when your dad called you, why did you say you were inside the Shuanglong Tunnel?”

“A call? I didn’t make any calls.”

Xue Liang pulled out his phone and waved it around. “There’s no signal around here. I can’t receive calls at all.”

Li Ding’s face went pale. “Then let’s get out of here, fast.”

“Wait, don’t! Tang Dong is still in the village. Why don’t you drive over and tow our truck? We still have a lot of vegetables on board.”

“What is Tang Dong doing in the village?” I asked with a frown.

Xue Liang glanced at me and replied, “Tang Dong asked the villagers to help fix the truck. They said once it’s fixed, they’ll lead us through the Shuanglong Tunnel.”

“We aren’t leaving the highway,” I told Xue Liang directly.

“Your father sent us to find you. Come with us first. We’ll send someone back for Tang Dong later.”

Xue Liang’s eyes brightened at the mention of his father. “Okay, that works.”

Just as Xue Liang was getting onto the highway with us, Tang Dong appeared.

He came running from the side of the road. His face darkened the moment he saw me.

“Long Changdong, what are you doing here? What? Now you want to work for me? I have no use for you anymore.”

I looked him up and down and said coldly, “Tang Dong, I told you a long time ago: during a Chong Sha, the vehicle never leaves the road.”

Tang Dong spat disdainfully. “Stop putting on an act! I found someone in the village who can handle a Chong Sha. He’s been driving heavy trucks for over twenty years and knows this area like the back of his hand.”

“Is that so?”

I didn’t want to deal with him anymore. “Then stay here and wait. We’re leaving.”

“Wait a minute!”

Tang Dong turned to Xue Liang, who was following us. “Where do you think you’re taking Xue Liang? Long Changdong, are you trying to steal my client?”

Li Ding looked at Tang Dong, stammering, “Manager Tang, don’t pick a fight now. This place is incredibly eerie. Let’s just leave together.”

“Stop trying to scare me! I’m not leaving!”

Tang Dong turned and roared at Xue Liang, “All those vegetables are still on the truck! If you leave me, I’ll dump the whole load!”

Xue Liang hesitated. I turned to him and said, “Your father is waiting for you. He’s called you many times. If you don’t go back now, he’s going to be furious.”

“Then… I should probably go back first.”

Xue Liang was still afraid of his father. “Brother Tang, you wait here. As soon as I get back, I’ll have my dad send a recovery vehicle.”

I immediately opened the door and let Xue Liang and Li Ding into the truck.

Tang Dong screamed and shouted in a rage, “Don’t you dare leave! Long Changdong, you’re fucking doing this on purpose just to spite me! I won’t let you get away with this!”