Vol 8: New Year Greetings
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Omen
Fear is a human self-preservation instinct. Faced with the threat of death, no one can truly remain calm and composed. Often, it’s simply a higher belief that overrides the fear of death. After the initial shock, Lu Li quickly regained his composure. Undoubtedly, someone had just shot at him in the crowd. The brief gunshot, like a firecracker in the bustling crowd, might have caught a few people’s attention, but they probably quickly dismissed it. After all, countless strange things happened every day in this concrete jungle.
Would the shooter attack again? Who wanted him dead? Why would someone have a gun in Shenzhou, where firearms were strictly prohibited? He had no answers, not even a clear image of the shooter’s face.
Firearms. A word distant from the lives of ordinary people, existing mostly in movies and entertainment, often anthropomorphized, its true nature as a “murder weapon” obscured by the tide of popular culture. But when Lu Li faced the dark muzzle of a gun, he understood that taking a life required only a simple pull of the trigger. A single bang, and the girls he loved, his career, his future, all his memories would vanish, his very existence fading into oblivion within thirty years.
His heart still pounding, Lu Li forced himself to calm down. He took out his phone and dialed Chu Xiaodong’s number. No answer. He tried another number. A stranger’s voice answered, “Hello, this is the secretary’s office.”
“I need to speak to Chu Xiaodong, Uncle Chu. This is Lu Li.” His voice trembled slightly.
“Mr. Lu, please hold; I’ll connect you now.”
After a moment of silence, his future father-in-law’s familiar voice came through. “Xiao Lu, is something the matter?”
Lu Li didn’t answer immediately, his mind racing. Many people might want him dead, but Chu Xiaodong was the least likely suspect. He had more sophisticated ways of separating him from Chu Jingyi than hiring a hitman. Lu Li’s death wouldn’t make Chu Jingyi forget him; it would only intensify her feelings. So he decided to trust Chu Xiaodong, for now.
“Uncle Chu, I’ve been shot.” Lu Li spoke calmly. “I’m outside the Chuanhai Central Mall, near the Starbucks.” He decided not to mention the location of the bullet hole. “I was walking down the street when someone shot at me. I’m slightly injured. The shooter was wearing a mask; it was a premeditated attack.”
Chu Xiaodong’s voice turned cold. “Xiao Lu, this isn’t something to joke about.”
“I’m telling the truth.” Lu Li didn’t mention that the back of his neck was still bleeding, though it was only a flesh wound.
“There’s a police station near Chuanhai Central Mall. Stay in the crowd, don’t isolate yourself. I’ll contact the police to meet you.” Chu Xiaodong’s voice was grave. He wasn’t thinking about Lu Li, but about his daughter. There could be many Lu Lis, but he had only one daughter. He couldn’t bear the thought of what his precious girl would do if something happened to Lu Li. “Have you told Jingyi about this?”
“No. I contacted you immediately after the attack.”
“Don’t tell anyone. Not even your family.” Chu Xiaodong warned. “Don’t trust anyone right now, except me. Trust me, I have extensive experience dealing with assassination attempts.”
“Okay…” Lu Li’s trust in Chu Xiaodong was only provisional. He had money now, but not the necessary connections. He needed someone reliable.
After hanging up, Lu Li anxiously awaited the potential second attack. But the first to arrive were the police. Four officers confirmed his identity and quickly escorted him to a police car, taking him to the nearest station.
This was Lu Li’s first time in a police car. The seats weren’t very comfortable, too low. His phone buzzed incessantly. The officer beside him said, “You can answer the phone now, but not once we’re at the station.”
Lu Li checked his phone. It wasn’t a missed call, but a message from his sister. Sister Yameng was asking why he hadn’t returned, urging him to reply as soon as possible. He remembered a conversation he’d had with her in his past life, after they were both adults, reminiscing about their childhood. She had said that she used to be terrified whenever he was late coming home, imagining all sorts of accidents—car crashes, robberies, anything that might prevent him from returning. During those times, she would be filled with anxiety, unable to focus on anything.
Lu Li traced the screen with his finger. What should I tell her? I can’t exactly say I’ve just been shot and the bleeding has just stopped.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought struck him. What if the shooter went to his apartment? Sister Yameng, Baili, and Hupo… The thought sent his heart racing. He turned to the officer beside him. “I need to go home! I need to go back! The shooter might go after my family!”
The older officer driving the car swerved slightly. “Where do you live? Give me the address!”
Just as Lu Li was about to give the address, his phone rang. It was Chu Xiaodong calling back.
“Xiao Lu, the Chuanhai police have apprehended a suspect in your shooting.” Chu Xiaodong’s words stunned him. “You need to come down to the station.”
“So soon?” Lu Li was incredulous.
“There’s something strange about this. He didn’t resist arrest. The Chuanhai police told me he readily confessed to coming to Chuanhai to kill a young man named Lu Li.”
Absurd. Lu Li couldn’t believe it. The killer had practically waited to be arrested, offering no resistance. He recalled the shooter’s indifferent gaze in the crowd, and a chill ran down his spine.
In the end, Lu Li didn’t go back to his apartment. He went directly to the city police headquarters. Outside the interrogation room, he met Superintendent Cai, the officer in charge of the case. Superintendent Cai greeted him warmly, then led him down a corridor. “Mr. Lu, we’re taking this attack very seriously. Let me brief you on the situation.”
Lu Li wanted to ask him to drop the formalities, but more pressing matters were at hand.
“The suspect claims his name is Yan Jun, but he has no identification on him.” Superintendent Cai handed him a transcript. “According to him, he made a drunken bet with a friend that if he lost, he would go to Chuanhai and randomly kill someone based on the phone book. He happened to pick your name.”
Lu Li flipped through the transcript. “He traveled twenty hours by train to Chuanhai, just to randomly kill someone, and it just happened to be me?”
“That’s what he said, but our interrogators believe he’s lying.” Superintendent Cai shrugged. “This way, please. He was apprehended because a security guard at Chuanhai Central Mall saw him holding a gun-shaped object and called the police. He didn’t resist arrest and calmly confessed to his actions. He claims to be an ordinary farmer. But I don’t believe that. The weapon he used wasn’t some homemade contraption; it was a Russian-made pistol, not something a farmer can easily acquire. Here we are. This is him, Yan Jun, behind the glass.”
Lu Li stopped in front of a one-way mirror. Through the glass, he saw an ordinary-looking middle-aged man sitting calmly in the interrogation room, looking bored as two officers questioned him.
That’s him.
Lu Li narrowed his eyes. The moment he saw Yan Jun, he knew he was the shooter.
Chapter Two: Her Weakness
A bet with a drinking buddy: whoever passed out first had to go south and kill someone.
Such an absurd motive, and yet Yan Jun recounted it with a laugh.
No one else laughed, not the stern-faced interrogators, nor Lu Li and Superintendent Cai standing outside the interrogation room. Lu Li sensed a powerful force backing Yan Jun, allowing him to sit there so calmly, recounting his murderous motive as if it were a joke.
So, who was behind this?
The first person to come to Lu Li’s mind was Zhu Xi.
Ruthless, lawless, tyrannical—that was the Zhu Xi of his past life. Every news report involving her was always tied to political struggles, punishments, and violence. Hiring an assassin seemed to fit her style… didn’t it? Lu Li hesitated. He remembered their meeting, their online conversations. Was he being prejudiced? This Zhu Xi was arrogant, but she seemed different from the ruthless tyrant of his past life. Had he made a mistake? Or had he missed something crucial?
Lu Li rubbed his temples. If not Zhu Xi, then who?
The Amber family? Were they seeking revenge for him “stealing” Wen Hupo? No, unlikely. The Amber family wasn’t so petty. And they wouldn’t have such reach within Shenzhou.
The Chu family’s political rivals? Why target him, an outsider, instead of the Chu family themselves?
Lu Li had a feeling that this shooting was part of the “price,” and only a small part at that.
If he hadn’t been wearing those poorly made canvas shoes from the Qingshan Hotel, if he hadn’t listened to Wen Hupo and chosen laced shoes instead of slip-ons, if he hadn’t looked down at his shoelaces, if…
Lu Li’s pupils constricted as he finally grasped the elusive thought.
If Zhu Xi hadn’t reminded him… He wouldn’t have subconsciously looked down at his shoelaces. And her reminder itself was strange, as if she’d known he would be attacked… Not just this time, but with Wen Hupo too. “Zhu Xi” had reminded him to set an alarm for June 6th, not to be late, but he’d still been late.
Everything seemed both related and unrelated to Zhu Xi.
Had she orchestrated all of this? Just for amusement?
…No…
Lu Li shook his head. That wasn’t right.
He needed to talk to “Zhu Xi” online when he got back, to understand what was going on.
As he pondered, the interrogator inside asked a new question: “Don’t you feel any remorse for killing an innocent person? You’re still laughing? Do you have no morals?”
Yan Jun chuckled, turning his head slightly towards the one-way mirror. “Why should I feel remorse? It was just an ordinary person. Like weeds after a wildfire, there will always be more. Ordinary people are like weeds; killing one just ends their pathetic life a little earlier.”
Yan Jun’s gaze, fixed on the mirror, gave Lu Li the unsettling feeling that he could see right through him. Lu Li frowned, meeting his gaze, studying his features, searching for any “aristocratic family traits.” There was a high-ranking official with the surname Yan in the government. Was this related to the Yan Family?
Yan Jun’s words unsettled him. He turned to Superintendent Cai. “What are you going to do with him?”
“We’ll keep him in custody. He’s dangerous; we can’t release him until we’ve confirmed his identity. Of course, we’ll also arrange police protection for you, Mr. Lu. We’ll do our best to prevent this from happening again.” Superintendent Cai’s words were polite, but the underlying message was clear: if Yan Jun had powerful backing, they could only offer protection, not pursue justice. Lu Li didn’t want to use Chu Xiaodong’s influence, so he simply nodded and asked, “Do I need to give a statement?”
“Just a brief account of what happened. Then you can go home. I’ll notify you immediately if there are any developments.”
By the time Lu Li returned to his apartment, the sun had lost its intensity. He turned on his phone and saw a string of missed calls from Sister Yameng. Her WeChat messages started with angry emojis, then escalated to bomb emojis, finally ending with crying emojis. Sister Yameng was a softie at heart, but she hid her vulnerability well…
He called her back as he walked.
The phone rang in front of him. Lu Li looked up and saw a figure standing before him, her eyes red and swollen, tears threatening to spill. Who could bear to make such a woman cry?
“Sister…”
They were at the entrance to the low-rent district. Sister Yameng had been waiting for him here.
His throat was dry; he didn’t know what to say. He had promised to reply quickly, but hours had passed without a word. She must be furious. He lowered his head, expecting a scolding, like when they were younger.
But Zou Yameng suddenly hugged him, her voice choked with tears. “You’re finally back… Don’t go buying toilet paper anymore… It’s all my fault…”
Lu Li’s heart ached. He hugged her back. “I… something came up. I’m sorry I’m late.”
Zou Yameng’s hand touched the purple antiseptic stain on the back of his neck. “Li, are you hurt?” Her voice was filled with panic, reminding him of a lost, frightened animal. He was her weakness, her vulnerability.
“Yeah. Some construction workers accidentally bumped into me while carrying glass. I had to get it treated. It’s just a scratch, nothing serious.” He lied to her, making a mental note of it. “Where are Baili and Hupo?”
“They’re watching TV… I told them you were buying something for me.” Sister Yameng gently touched his neck. “If they knew, they’d be worried sick.”
Lu Li kissed the back of her hand. “Thank you, Sister.”
Zou Yameng held him tighter, sobbing softly. “Don’t scare me like that again. I was so worried. I… I can’t handle it, Li. I…”
Lu Li kissed her cheek, gently patting her back. “I’m back, I’m back. It won’t happen again, it won’t happen again.” He’d only been out of contact for a few hours, but for her, it had felt like an eternity. He suddenly remembered his past life, Sister Yameng sitting alone in her small rented apartment, forcing a smile as she said, “Congratulations on your wedding…”
Please, don’t let anything bad happen again.
Don’t let this woman lose anything else—her career, her family, her love, or even her life.
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