I shook my head: "Don't overthink it. I'll come find you soon. You and Fang Nan go back first, and after we pick up Amei, you two go home with Fang Nan..." I went over and hugged her: "Take a few days off... or just find another job."
I took out another SIM card from my bag and opened it.
This is an anonymous phone card that I kept on my own. I bought it from the black market.
These anonymous phone cards are the safest because when you buy them on the black market, nobody knows what name or anything else is on them... Anyway, they only have the initial 100 yuan credit.
These anonymous phone cards are generally considered essential items for people involved in organized crime... Although I've been out of the underworld for a long time, I still habitually keep some of these things on hand.
After removing the SIM card, I took Yan Di's phone from her pocket, replaced the SIM card, and then took out a new anonymous SIM card, replacing my own. I waved it in front of Yan Di: "From now on, we'll use these new numbers to contact each other. These are my backup numbers, bought on the black market! No one will know the registered names; they can't be traced. You don't need to call my old number anymore. Understand?"
Yan Di's body was trembling. She bit her lip tightly as she looked at me, tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't utter a single word...
Actually, I know Yan Di's personality very well... Her silence right now is what hurts her even more.
A girl like her wouldn't say anything like "I'll follow you wherever you go" or "I'll never leave you"—that's just nonsense and drivel.
Some people talk a good game but do a better game, while others do a better game than they talk!
Yan Di is the latter.
Actually, Yan Di may seem like a naive girl, but she understands everything. In this situation, although I didn't say much, she already knew very well that this was a prelude to running away.
She even knew very well that I couldn't take her with me. Because taking her along would not only put her in danger, but would be even more dangerous for me.
She bit her lip so hard that a trickle of blood even seeped from the corner of her mouth.
"Please." I said this to Fang Nan, whose face turned ashen. She seemed afraid to look me in the eye, but she still nodded slightly.
I pushed Fang Nan into the car with all my might. Yan Di got into the car obediently by herself without me having to push her, but her eyes were fixed on me the whole time, as if she wanted to imprint me in her eyes.
"Promise me you'll come back to me!" She uttered these words as her lips moved slightly.
I gritted my teeth and said, "I promise you!"
Then I yelled at Fang Nan, "Drive! Drive now!"
Watching the car's taillights flash and disappear into the distance, I turned to look at Ni Duoduo beside me. The little girl was still wiping away tears, and I felt a pang of annoyance. But I still forcefully wiped her face, then pulled her shoulders tightly, forcing a smile: "Alright. Now it's our turn to run for our lives!"
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Chen Yang…” Ni Duoduo burst into tears.
I stared at her coldly and gritted my teeth, saying, "Alright, now's not the time to cry!"
To be honest, I was really angry... I even felt a sense of disgust towards the girl in front of me.
Yes! I know, she's just young and naive. Besides, I promised Huan-ge, I have an obligation to look after her!
However, because of her youthful ignorance, I've gotten myself into a huge mess! Now I've abandoned my warm home, left my lovely girlfriend, given up my peaceful life, and am running away like a dog in the dead of night!
"Duoduo, don't cry, and don't say anything now." I pulled her to the side of the road, hailing a taxi as we went, and said indifferently, "I'm in a bad mood right now, so don't say anything... I really don't want to get angry at you! Let me have some peace and quiet!"
The first book, "A Man in the Jianghu, Helpless to His Own Destiny," Chapter 102: Damn it, he's incredibly lucky!
The two of us, one adult and one child, took a taxi to the vicinity of the train station. I found a "Maokong Cafe" about 500 meters away from the station. It's a well-known chain store in the city that's open all night. I took Ni Duoduo inside, found a corner seat, and carefully told her, "Stay here and wait for me! Don't leave easily if I don't come back! Don't make phone calls, don't talk to anyone, and don't wander around! If I don't come back, you'd better not even go to the toilet!"
I left her behind and went out to walk towards the train station.
Winter nights in the south aren't actually that cold. But at this moment, I felt a chill seep into my bones. There were no stars in the sky, and under the city's smog, the sky seemed gray, especially amidst the city lights, the grayness of which had a despairing quality.
I gave a wry smile and couldn't help but pull my coat tighter, but I still felt very cold inside.
It was already noon, and there were no pedestrians on the road until the ticket office at the train station, where the crowd began to grow.
Only a third of the windows in a row were still lit, and a few people were queuing. In the waiting hall, many passengers were lying on the benches, some leaning against the wall, others simply taking off their shoes and using them as pillows to sleep. In some places, people were even lying on the ground. Some people were also huddled in corners smoking.
At the ticket gate in the distance, a uniformed train station worker dozed off in a chair, while another read a newspaper or magazine. The dim lighting made one feel sleepy.
I stood in front of the electronic train schedule and carefully looked at the train number and time.
I haven't even decided where I'm going yet... My goal is simple: to find the fastest train to leave Nanjing. As for where I'm going, it doesn't matter!
While checking the train schedule, I carefully looked around for any suspicious people.
Although I thought they couldn't find me so quickly—after all, they needed to find out my identity before hunting me down—I remained extremely vigilant. In this game of escape, no amount of caution is unnecessary!
I kept getting surrounded by scalpers asking where I was going, trying their best to sell me their train tickets, and some unlicensed long-distance bus drivers were also trying to chat me up.
I ignored it all and calmly searched the train schedule...
Finally, I settled on a target: a train bound for Shanghai was scheduled to depart in twenty-five minutes. It was the closest one I could find.
When I got to the ticket window, the ticket seller told me curtly that there were no hard-seat tickets left. I thought for a moment and bought two platform tickets. I decided to go into the station first, then buy the tickets on the train later—as long as I could get off!
As I was paying, I suddenly noticed someone walking towards me from my left. My heart skipped a beat, and while I was pretending to count my change, I secretly glanced at them out of the corner of my eye.
Two men, wearing grey coats and with buzz cuts, stood about ten steps away from me, seemingly cautiously sizing me up.
My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately became alert! At the same time, I noticed another man on the other side, coldly watching me and carefully verifying my appearance...
A chill immediately ran down my spine. I grabbed the change from the counter and ran away as fast as I could!
Seeing me run, the people on both sides immediately stopped hesitating. The two men on the left reacted first and chased after me. The man on the right shouted something as he ran, but I couldn't hear him clearly because he was too far away. Just as I was about to rush towards the exit, I saw seven or eight men suddenly pour into the entrance of the waiting hall from afar. Some of them were wearing black clothes, and their target was very clear: they were running towards me!
Without hesitation, I immediately turned around, not daring to go outside, and instead rushed towards the ticket checkpoint.
In an instant, chaos erupted in the hall. With many passengers sitting or lying on the floor waiting for their trains, there was barely any space to step. As more people rushed in, several tripped and fell, causing some arguments and cries of surprise, pain, and anger. I simply rushed into the entrance. A staff member who was reading a newspaper seemed to try to stand up to stop me, but I shoved him aside, causing him to fall on his backside. Then, I braced myself against the railing and vaulted over it like a hurdle!
In the nearby duty room, a police officer on duty at the station and two security guards wearing armbands rushed over. I ignored them and just quietly ran towards the station. The two guys were chasing me fast, and we rushed into the underground passage of the train station one after the other. Along the way, I bumped into two or three passengers dragging their luggage and walking slowly, and I almost fell once. I staggered a few steps and bumped into a cart selling drinks and snacks. By this time, someone behind me had caught up. This guy was running extremely fast and had put some distance between himself and the rest of the group. Taking advantage of the momentum from the collision, I suddenly squatted down on the ground. The person behind me couldn't stop in time and tripped over me, falling face down heavily to the ground. I got up and continued forward, forcefully pushing away the salesperson who was trying to grab my arm, and then rushed forward along the platform...
By this time, some of the pursuers behind me had been stopped by the station police and security guards. I saw that there were still two security guards in front of me who were going to stop me, so I gritted my teeth, jumped off the platform onto the railway, and rushed to the opposite platform.
A large crowd was watching from a distance in the station, and the whistles of the station police were piercing and shrill! I crossed the platform and plunged into the underground passage. Then I ran towards the passenger exit. Just as I rounded a corner, I suddenly saw a leg sticking out in front of me. Caught off guard, I tripped over it, stumbled, and fell. My body jolted, and at that moment I didn't know where it hurt or where it was numb. I didn't care at all. My first thought was to immediately roll over after falling, only to see someone holding an iron rod and bringing it down on my head.
I raised my hand and held up my bag to block the blow, but the iron rod hit my fingers. It hurt terribly, and I immediately lost all feeling in my hand. I closed my eyes, raised my leg, and kicked the other person in the stomach. Then I rolled over and jumped up, fleeing in a sorry state.
The lights at the train exit ahead flashed in my eyes, and two uniformed staff members hesitated before stopping me. I ran, pulling out a knife from my waist, my face smeared with blood, and roared menacingly: Get out of the way! Get out of the way!
The two staff members hesitated for a moment, then cautiously took half a step back—they only made a little over a thousand yuan a month, it wasn't worth risking their lives for me.
I was right. There was no time to navigate the winding railing passage; I flipped over it. My body went limp on the last flip, and I fell heavily to the ground. My knees were throbbing with pain. I gritted my teeth and struggled to my feet. I could hear hurried footsteps behind me. I felt my pants were wet, and I guessed my knees were bleeding, and bleeding a lot. I couldn't care less at that moment; I rushed into the crowd of people holding signs and waiting to pick me up.
A few screams rang out, and the crowd instinctively made way for me, allowing me to rush out of the train station through the exit.
I continued running at this sprinting pace for several hundred meters, but I was already exhausted. My legs were weak, my knees were hurting more and more from the fall, and I couldn't breathe properly. Each breath was burning and stinging, making it impossible for me to continue.
At night, the city streets were deserted, and I fled like a stray dog, childishly turning into a dark alley. I leaned against the wall, finally unable to support myself, my legs gave way, and I collapsed to the ground.
This was a dark alley, and a dead end at that. It probably never got any sunlight. The ground was a little damp, and the corners of the walls were suspiciously slippery, I didn’t know if it was moss or something else. The alley was filled with a rotten smell and a bit of urine. I smiled bitterly to myself, thinking that some people who couldn’t find a toilet in time must often relieve themselves here.
Even though I knew the ground must be dirty, I could barely stand up; my lungs felt like they were burning. When you're nervous, the strangest thoughts involuntarily pop into your head. I thought sadly: Damn it, my body really isn't what it used to be. I'm already this out of breath after just a short run. I guess I need to quit smoking, or my lungs won't be able to handle it…
I rubbed my knee; it was numb. In the dim light, I looked at the hand that had been hit by the iron pipe. My thumb and forefinger were swollen, looking like two carrots.
I muttered a curse under my breath, and couldn't help but think: How could they have found me so quickly?! How is that possible??
After catching my breath in this dead end for a few minutes, I was certain that no one was chasing me or had noticed me, and I felt a little more at ease.
I waited patiently in the alley for almost an hour before carefully taking off my coat, turning it inside out, and putting it on.
I changed my jacket before going out. It was one of those reversible styles that were popular a couple of years ago. When I turned it inside out, the color was completely different, which made me feel a little safer.
I looked out from the alley for a while before coming out. I didn't dare walk back to the coffee shop to find Ni Duoduo. Instead, I ran to a bus stop about 20 meters away, jumped on a bus, and got off at the next stop.
After bypassing the train station, I spent another ten minutes walking through two alleys towards the coffee shop where Ni Duoduo was waiting for me.
The train station was about 700 or 800 meters away. I deliberately chose to walk through the dark alleys, but just as I turned a corner, a dark shadow suddenly darted out from the corner of the wall and bumped into me, making me lean against the wall. Then I felt something hard pressing against my waist, and a hoarse voice, with a hint of fear and nervousness, speaking with a non-local accent, stammered, "Money! Hand over the money!"
There was another dark figure standing at the alley entrance, turned to the side, nervously looking outside. He turned back and whispered, "Hurry up!"
It was a robbery... I actually breathed a sigh of relief, and then whispered, "I don't have any money on me."
"You...you're not going to hand it over! You're not going to hand it over!" he said, frantically reaching out to slap me. I grabbed his wrist, and with a sudden pull, he cried out in pain, dropping something from his hand. I immediately raised my knee and slammed it into his stomach. The guy at the alley entrance, seeing things were going badly, seemed to want to run, but couldn't bear to abandon his companion. He stood there for a second, then lunged at me.
I easily knocked him down, then picked up the hard object on the ground and examined it; it was a screwdriver.
As I walked towards them, the lookout suddenly spoke up, pleading, "Don't shoot! Please, don't shoot us..."
I didn't have time to deal with this mess, so I tossed the sharp screwdriver on the ground and tried to walk away. But the man seemed to misunderstand, thinking I was going to kick him. He immediately dropped to the ground, covering his head and saying, "We were forced into this. We can't go back without money...we can't go back...Damn it, the car won't run, we don't have money for gas, and we've been starving all day..."
I stopped immediately, looked at the two people on the ground, and hesitated for a moment: "Car? What car?"
Instinctively, I seemed to see a glimmer of hope!
It only took me two minutes to get a clear picture of these two people.
They were two long-haul truck drivers who had brought a shipment to Nanjing. After delivering the goods, the two guys got a little greedy and drove to the train station and long-distance bus station, hoping to pick up a couple of passengers on their way back and earn some extra money for gas...
However, train stations are notorious for pickpockets! The two guys were unfamiliar with the area, and in less than half a day, their bags were slashed, and all the money they had just received for their goods was stolen, along with their cell phones.
The two men didn't have a single coin between them. They hadn't eaten all day and couldn't even get home... because the car was running low on gas, enough to go another 20 or 30 kilometers before they needed to refuel! But they didn't have a single penny on them... and damn it, the highway would cost several hundred more!
The two men had been stranded nearby for a day, had their money stolen, and were unable to get home. Frustrated and angry, a sudden rage led them to commit a heinous act. They found a sharp screwdriver in their car's toolbox, and, taking advantage of the secluded alleyway, decided to start a roadside robbery.
Unfortunately, I was their first customer...
A thought struck me, and I pulled the two guys up from the ground, asking, "Where are you going?"
“Zhejiang, Haiyan,” the lookout replied.
I nodded and patted him on the shoulder: "Here's what we'll do, I'll give you five hundred yuan, you can take me to Shanghai, it's on your way anyway. Five hundred yuan should be enough for your journey home."
Part One: In the Martial World, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter 103: Rules of the Martial World
Ni Duoduo and I were sitting in the back of a Tianjin Yuejin truck. The truck had already left Nanjing and the roads on both sides were in the area where urban and rural areas meet. In the distance, we could see the typical hilly and plain area of the south, with some towering and huge billboards.
Ni Duoduo was sitting next to me. After all this commotion, the girl was completely exhausted. When I helped her into the car, she fell asleep against me almost two minutes later. Her eyelids trembled slightly in her sleep, and she had a pitiful expression on her face, as if her dreams were filled with terror.
I took off my coat and draped it over her shoulders, then stared out the window, lost in thought.
The two unlucky guys who had robbed me were able to escape because of this. I promised to pay them enough money to go home, but I only gave them half now. I said I would give them the other half when I returned to Shanghai.
By the way... the route we're on now is a national highway, not an expressway!
Because I've already thought it through... Since those guys can set up people to ambush me at the train station, then there must be people at every station, dock, and airport!
Taking the highway would undoubtedly be very dangerous... because there are toll booths on highways! If they have people stationed at the toll booths, I would be walking right into their trap!
Although taking the national highway involves a detour, it is safer!
The two guys in the front seat were driving. The one in the car was fat and a bit hot-headed, but he seemed like an honest guy. The other guy had a long face and was a bit older. He was the one who kept watch at the alley entrance when I was robbed; he seemed like someone who'd been on the run a lot and was quite shrewd. Sure enough, after I asked him a few questions, the fat guy wasn't on guard and answered everything I asked, while the long-faced guy seemed a bit wary of me and was somewhat insincere.