Chapter 160
Chapter 160
Although Xia Guofeng and Elder Fan said as much, everyone knew the chances were slim.
Back when Elder Fan entered the Aberration World to clear its trials, his legs were already nearly crippled after he completed three rounds.
Fortunately, among his clearance rewards, he had drawn a rare Swap Card-the kind that might not appear even once in several years-and that was how he escaped the Aberration World.
But not everyone would encounter that kind of random event.
Most adventurer players who entered the Aberration World never made it out before dying inside.
Everyone looked in Jiang Li’s direction, and no one said anything more.
On the way back, just like on the way there, Xiao Wu rode in the same car as Jiang Li.
The look Elder Fan gave Xiao Wu was so full of hatred it was almost enough to burn a hole through him.
After everyone got into the cars, Elder Fan was carried, wheelchair and all, into the last escort vehicle, which was more spacious than the rest, and they returned to the villa.
That night, the darkness was heavy and deep.
On the third floor of the villa, Elder Fan looked at the stack of documents brought over by his two assistants, his expression grave.
“Elder Fan, as you instructed, we’ve recently been investigating a domestic trading website and found a rather suspicious anonymous seller.”
One of the assistants gave the report while the other pulled up the website and showed it to Elder Fan.
Elder Fan’s face was taut as he looked over the seller’s information.
Gender unknown. Age unknown. IP unknown.
The only thing of any substance was the account avatar, which showed half the wheel of a red motorcycle.
“According to our investigation, the two properties and three cars listed for sale on this site all belong to owners with the surname Wu.
“But as for whether it’s… uh, whether it’s Senior Wu, we’ll need to meet in person to make a further judgment.”
Elder Fan nodded. “Mm. Find someone he hasn’t seen before to meet with the owner. If you confirm it’s him, tell me immediately.”
“Yes, Elder Fan.”
Elder Fan’s eyes darkened.
There had been a time when he had thought Jiang Li was that “impatient young person.”
But now, it seemed the impatient one might be someone else.
So had Xiao Wu really… agreed to them?
Elder Fan held Xiao Wu’s file in his hands. Looking at such an outstanding young man, a trace of sorrow appeared in his expression.
In the apocalypse, how many people would give up personal benefits within easy reach for the sake of some vague, uncertain future for their country and people?
So many others could not do it. He had no right to demand it of Xiao Wu either.
“A person has the right to choose, but if you dare hurt Jiang Li, I absolutely won’t let you off easily!” Elder Fan roared.
Elsewhere.
It was also night, and it was just as far from peaceful.
Dai Chunli had originally planned to make a trip to the hospital to see her daughter Jiang Lianlian, who had been locked up in the psychiatric ward.
But the events of the day had been far too bizarre, with one strange phenomenon following another.
First, on her way home, Dai Chunli had run into that Aberration boy on the street who looked very much like Xu Xiaobao.
Then, when she got home-
At the entryway of her own house, Dai Chunli discovered a pair of unfamiliar children’s shoes.
The tiny shoes were covered in blood, yet placed neatly on the upper level of the shoe rack.
The feeling they gave off was as if a very well-behaved child had specially come over as a guest.
Dai Chunli had been so frightened that she collapsed onto the floor, her back breaking out in a cold sweat.
With terror in her eyes, she scanned the inside of the house several times.
Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did she get a black plastic bag, put the shoes inside, take them out, and throw them away.
But when Dai Chunli returned home and opened the door,
there, in the entryway, the pair of children’s shoes she had thrown out were once again sitting neatly in their original place.
At that moment, Dai Chunli felt as if her mind had snapped.
She suddenly clutched her head and let out a scream, her nerves completely rattled.
After great difficulty, Dai Chunli finally calmed down. Then she thought it would be best to pack up some valuables and go stay with Jiang Lianlian at the hospital for ten days or half a month.
Ideally, she would not come home at all for the time being.
Unfortunately, when she took her bag and tried to leave, the door handle snapped off the moment she twisted it.
Dai Chunli stared at the broken door handle in her hand, cold sweat rapidly beading across her forehead.
“No… I can’t panic. This is normal…” Dai Chunli muttered, trying to comfort herself.
Back when she’d bought the door Lock, Dai Chunli had chosen a cheaper model.
The keyhole for that kind of Lock was on the outside. If the handle inside broke, the person inside would be locked in with no way out.
Dai Chunli paced back and forth for a long while before digging out the number she’d saved for a locksmith. Without hesitation, she dialed it.
The phone rang for a few seconds before someone picked up.
Dai Chunli hurriedly said, “Hello, sir, I’m Dai from Beicheng Residential Community-”
“Is that Aunt Dai?”
A Little Boy’s voice came through the receiver.
Dai Chunli was so frightened that she flung the phone away.
The phone fell to the floor, but the call was still connected.
“Aunt Dai… don’t you welcome Xiaobao? Why are you in such a hurry to go out?”
The boy’s hurt question drifted from the phone.
Dai Chunli’s legs went weak, and she collapsed to the floor.
The child on the phone was still talking.
Dai Chunli listened until her scalp crawled. She quickly scrambled over and ended the call.
Just as Dai Chunli thought she could finally breathe-
Behind her, the Toilet door creaked and opened halfway.
Dai Chunli’s pupils dilated in an instant.
Her neck stiff, she slowly turned to look.
Through the crack in the Toilet door, Xu Xiaobao was showing half of his bloodied face, smiling at her with a look of Aberration.
Xu Xiaobao waved the phone in his hand. “Aunt Dai… long time no see.”
Dai Chunli stared at the child. Her eyes rolled back, and she dropped to the floor, unconscious.
By the time Dai Chunli woke up, the sky outside had long since gone pitch-black.
Her hands and feet were bound, her mouth was taped shut, and she was lying in the stairwell of the old residential building.
In the corridor, an uncanny red light flickered with a sizzling buzz.
Dai Chunli’s body lay at the top of the stairs.
Following her line of sight downward, at the bottom of those dozen or so steps, was the very spot where Xu Xiaobao had fallen to his death.
Behind her, Xu Xiaobao, covered in blood, obediently crouched in front of Dai Chunli.
“Aunt Dai, why don’t you play a game with me?”
“Just like that night. However you pushed me down, that’s how I’ll push you down.”
Xu Xiaobao leaned close to Dai Chunli’s ear and whispered,
“If you don’t die, I’ll keep pushing.”
“And when you’re about to die, I’ll cut off your head and use it as my ball. How does that sound, Aunt Dai?”
Tears welled in Dai Chunli’s eyes as she kept shaking her head at Xu Xiaobao.
Xu Xiaobao reached out with his small hand and tore the tape off Dai Chunli’s mouth.
The moment Dai Chunli opened her mouth, she screamed desperately into the stairwell, “Help! Is anyone there?! Help!”
Dai Chunli’s voice was loud and clear.
But in the stairwell late at night, not a single person dared open their door and answer.
Xu Xiaobao grew a little angry.
He hunched his small body and tried to turn Dai Chunli over, attempting to push her down the stairs.
Knowing that calling for help was useless, Dai Chunli began begging Xu Xiaobao for mercy over and over.
“Don’t, don’t, Xiaobao! Aunt Dai was wrong! Aunt Dai is sorry!”
Xu Xiaobao’s voice was furious. “What were you wrong about? Are you trying to lie again? You don’t even know what you did wrong!”
Dai Chunli started roaring too.
Her voice was thick with sobs.
“Aunt Dai hurt you! Aunt Dai was in a bad mood that night and shouldn’t have kicked you down the stairs!
It was all Aunt Dai’s fault. Aunt Dai killed you, boohoo…”
Xu Xiaobao froze mid-push.
His nose suddenly stung. He stared in disbelief at Aunt Dai in front of him, tears pouring from his eyes in fat drops.
Snap-
A huge white fill light lit up in the stairwell.
The dim corridor instantly became bright.
Countless faces appeared on the upper floor.
Several police officers and auxiliary officers, the curly-haired auntie and her old best friend, Xu Xiaobao’s parents, relatives of the Xu family who had come to help, and even the neighbors from the apartment building…