Chapter 86: My Mission

"Dad, next Friday afternoon there's a parent-teacher meeting. Can you come back then?"

I suddenly snapped my eyes open in a daze, the sharp pain in my neck telling me that I absolutely couldn't give up now.

Although the seat was reclining very slowly, it had already laid me flat.

From this angle, Zhang Hua Nan couldn't exert any force and could only keep dodging backward.

After fully reclining the seat, I continued fumbling with my left hand and quickly found another button.

Pressing this button made the entire seat slowly slide backward.

"You bastard..." Zhang Hua Nan was being pushed back by my seat, with no room left to move.

I finally freed myself from the wire restraints, feeling a dull ache in my throat, but this was a life-or-death moment, so any non-fatal injuries were just superficial wounds.

I immediately raised the gun and turned around, but everything was pitch black, and my brain hadn't fully recovered from the lack of oxygen.

Based on the sound and my experience, I aimed the gun straight ahead, ready to deal with Zhang Hua Nan.

But then the whole car shook violently.

A few seconds later, I realized it was an earthquake.

I'd lived in Nei Meng for over thirty years and had never experienced an earthquake before.

Yet this one was so clear, making me, who was already dizzy, even more unsteady on my feet.

After firing two shots that missed, Zhang Hua Nan suddenly lunged up and grabbed my hand tightly.

I'd sparred with him before; this con artist's strength wasn't great, but his moves were all insidious.

He used one hand to hold down my gun and the other to reach for the little finger on my left hand, grabbing it and yanking hard.

I hadn't expected that move and instantly pulled my left hand back. The next second, my vision cleared, and I saw Zhang Hua Nan pull out a hammer from somewhere.

Before I could react, the hammer flew toward my head.

In an instant, I felt the world spinning, as if my soul was about to leave my body.

I knew this was the sign of impending unconsciousness, and the next few seconds were my last chance.

The car was also sliding wildly due to the intense earthquake. Through the window, I vaguely saw houses on both sides of the alley collapsing, walls cracking, and even cracks appearing in the distant sky...

Wait... the sky was cracking?

Before I could process it, Zhang Hua Nan's hammer came down again, which I barely dodged.

I snapped back to my senses, knowing that if I didn't end Zhang Hua Nan here, he would kill Xuan Xuan and go on to scam more people. Even if I died here, I had to drag him to hell with me.

I thrust a finger straight into Zhang Hua Nan's eye, feeling a warm wetness as it pierced 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 time, his hammer swung again, hitting my temple.

The next few shots went wild, whether because of the severe earthquake or the blow to my temple, completely losing direction. Although I wanted to fire more, my balance was utterly destroyed.

Everything went black before my eyes; I didn't even know where I blacked out.

The hammer seemed to keep coming down on my head.

But I felt nothing.

A cool liquid soaked my eyes, and I only heard a "bang bang" sound from my skull.

Everything was shaking, everything was breaking.

Huge sounds from afar rushed in like waves—screams, shouts, the crash of vehicles, the rumble of buildings collapsing—all erupting at once.

No, I still couldn't die.

I had to finish off Zhang Hua Nan quickly, then get out of the car to save people.

I needed to call the team for backup.

We had to save people, right away.

Every minute delayed during an earthquake was wasting precious rescue time and costing lives.

I had my mission; I couldn't just stand by...

But would I... still be alive?

...

Was I... alive right now?

When I opened my eyes, nine strangers were sitting in front of me.

This place looked somewhat like an interrogation room, but we never used round tables.

A round table doesn't create pressure; it gives a sense of unity and comfort, so interrogation rooms have square tables, while hotel dining tables are round.

At first, I thought this was some trick by Zhang Hua Nan... but thinking it through, we should both be dead.

I reached up and touched my head; the skull was slightly dented, but there was no bleeding.

I touched my neck and felt a sting.

It seemed the injuries from back then were still there, but I hadn't died. How was that possible?

The neck and skull were fatal wounds, yet here I was, perfectly fine. I could see, hear, and even feel my injuries.

A senior at the police bureau once told me that when people die, they relive their life's events like a lantern show.

But I didn't remember ever seeing these nine people before. Each of them had unfamiliar faces and was looking around just like me.

So, this wasn't a lantern show; it was some strange dream?

A minute later, the person wearing the goat head mask killed someone without hesitation, and I finally understood my mission.

Even if this was a strange dream, even if this was hell.

My mission wasn't over yet.

This was a place for me to continue paying my debts.

I had to wipe out those evildoers and save all the innocent people.

This time, I wouldn't hesitate, and I wouldn't regret it.

I'm a police officer; even here, I have to fulfill my duties.

Unexpectedly, the role I drew was "Liar," leading to a difficult choice.

Should I save the innocent lives first... or survive to personally take down that masked pervert?

After a few seconds of inner struggle, I realized.

Never follow the suspect's line of thinking; he wants us to kill each other, but I'll save everyone.

As long as we all survive, there's still hope.

It's just a shame that even if I win this game, I can't go back.

I killed someone.

I can't face Xuan Xuan anymore; all that awaits me is legal punishment.

So, my end can only be here.

Life doesn't offer a do-over; I can't change my past.

It's a pity I don't even have a cigarette in my pocket; the lighter Xuan Xuan bought me with her allowance isn't here either. The days ahead will be unbearable.

If possible, I really hope to smoke one more Dong Chong Xia Cao.

So, let me finish what I need to do, then quietly go.

My name is Li Shang Wu.

I'm about to start lying.