Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Guan Jizhong wasn't supposed to check out of the hospital today. He had just regained consciousness, his treatment wasn't finished, and the doctor had advised him to stay for further observation and bed rest.

But after waking up and seeing the news about the culprit being caught, Guan Jizhong couldn't make himself stay in the hospital any longer.

The culprit was that Mr. Chen from the reports? He just killed people at random because of immense psychological pressure? And then he died so unexpectedly and pointlessly, without us even getting a chance to interrogate him?

How did he run into his sister? Did this man have more of his sister's things in his home? Where did the missing heart go, and what exactly was it used for?

Various questions flooded his mind, and Guan Jizhong felt a sudden, splitting headache, like his head was about to explode.

Truth be told, he hadn't fully recovered from his mild concussion, but he gritted his teeth and stubbornly insisted on checking out, going through the discharge procedures against the doctor's advice.

After being discharged, Guan Jizhong planned to take a taxi to Warm Home Community to take another look at his sister's place.

Maybe it was a family member's intuition, but he always felt things weren't that simple.

He had given the key to his sister's apartment to that unusual student before, but Guan Jizhong knew his sister's habits—there was a spare key hidden under the shoe cabinet by the door.

Thinking back to that black-haired youth, Guan Jizhong had mixed feelings. Even now, he couldn't understand some of the other's thought processes.

But regardless, the youth was the first person to so sincerely and firmly say he would find the culprit. If he could go back in time and do it all over again, he would still hand the key to him.

Guan Jizhong didn't know what had happened since, but he had a natural intuition that the student named Fresh Cabbage wouldn't easily accept that Mr. Chen was the culprit.

He sat in the back seat of the car, thinking it over slowly, massaging his temples with one hand to ease the headache, trying to recall more details from before his sister's death.

When the car accident happened, Guan Jizhong hadn't reacted yet.

He only heard tires screeching and the driver wrenching the steering wheel, then was thrown to one side, slamming heavily against the car door. His vision went dark as he fell into a familiar semi-conscious state.

Why was it familiar—because he had just experienced a car accident not long ago!

What were the odds of getting into another crash on the very day he was discharged—and that car from the opposite side slammed right into them!

The impact almost knocked Guan Jizhong's consciousness out of his body, leaving him in a groggy, half-conscious state.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard a *crunch crunch* sound—like someone chewing?—then the front door opened, and the driver in the front seat was dragged out.

...Was that... rescue?

Wait, was that sound earlier someone chewing on the car door???

The last time he saw someone eat something so weird was during the previous car accident—Guan Jizhong still remembered the image of the pretty youth holding a raw fish and chewing on it.

His thoughts drifting hazily, Guan Jizhong heard an explosion. A car outside burst into flames, thick smoke billowing toward them.

Probably in just a few minutes, the car he was in would also explode. In such an urgent situation, the rescuers probably couldn't risk their lives either.

Moreover, Guan Jizhong felt they might not have even seen him, as he was slumped too far down in the seat, and his one good eye couldn't clearly see the rescuer's appearance either.

He knew the danger was coming, but he just couldn't muster the strength or will to get himself out.

He felt like a side character in the movie *Final Destination*, narrowly escaping death in one car accident only to encounter another.

Someone could save him once, but not a second time—

Wait.

Guan Jizhong heard a sharp crack, and suddenly, the car's side door was pulled open!

The bright sunlight outside poured down in an instant, like a torrential downpour, dazzlingly bright.

The glare jolted Guan Jizhong awake for a moment. He struggled to open his eyes wider and saw a backlit figure standing at the car door, the halo above his head sharp and brilliant.

...An angel? He squinted. No, this is—

"Wow, it really is you." A familiar, cheerful voice said. The person then leaned in, trying to pull Guan Jizhong out of this wrecked car.

Because the car was crumpled and Guan Jizhong was too hurt to be yanked out, this was going to take a while.

Coughing, his mind still somewhat foggy, Guan Jizhong looked at the swaying fishtail braid in front of him and quickly recognized: "...Cough, it's you?—Fresh Cabbage?" He struggled to utter the name he remembered from the student ID.

Not bad, finally said the player's full name. Bai Fuling gave a mental thumbs-up. He remembered this person always giving him grief about the player's nickname before.

"It's me," Bai Fuling said frankly. "You can also call me 'the renowned Farmer Great Detective'!"

The tall man fell silent.

But at least this time, he didn't retort with "Never heard of it."

Bai Fuling was very satisfied with this attitude, so he put even more effort into the rescue.

He was now like playing a mini-game, avoiding obstacles, finding angles to move the patient, careful with his movements, avoiding the sharp parts of the deformed car. After all, the NPC's health bar was dangerously low now; he couldn't afford secondary injuries.

Bai Fuling bent down, working to move him. The fishtail braid by his ear swayed lightly with the motion. The Angel Halo brushed against the car's ceiling, pushed to one side, yet stubbornly remained on his head.

Guan Jizhong's blurred, spotty vision was filled with the figure of the Black-haired Youth. He hadn't expected that the person pulling him back from death once again would be the same one.

Really saved a second time!

How on earth did he get here? Could he really be some kind of angel, sensing danger and appearing in every corner?

As soon as this thought emerged, Guan Jizhong couldn't help but laugh at himself. Here he was, entertaining a notion that even his sister had long since stopped believing in.

Both he and his sister had believed in angels when they were children. But growing up, they knew it was just a beautiful human fantasy. There couldn't really be angels or superheroes in the world.

"...How did you get here?" Still, when he opened his mouth, the question came out instinctively.

"Oh, I just helped someone out of a bind. To show gratitude, they generously gave me a car," Bai Fuling replied cheerfully. "So I drove here."

People just *give away* cars as thank-you gifts now?

Guan Jizhong was skeptical, but his intuition told him it was best not to inquire further.

Besides, his current condition wasn't suitable for more questions.

The injuries from before hadn't healed, and this second car accident had made everything worse.

Truth be told, Guan Jizhong felt the idea of the person before him being an angel was also related to his brain being rattled.

Bai Fuling didn't pay attention to what Guan Jizhong was thinking; his movements didn't slow for a moment. Who knew when the countdown would end—at least give a ten-second warning!

Just as he thought this, a strange *click-clack* sound came from around him. The flames had spread to the car Guan Jizhong was in; the leaking fuel was a ticking time bomb.

"...Cough... leave me." His consciousness was hazy, but he understood the situation well enough.

If you don't go now, this car's going to blow!

"Don't mind me! Just—find the real culprit." Guan Jizhong said in a low, rapid voice. "I don't think this case is that simple. There are still many unresolved matters with my sister's situation..."

A quest hint. Bai Fuling's eyes lit up. He knew this roadside incident would be useful.

Just as the player guesses, the culprit definitely wasn't the Mr. Chen case, which had no player involvement. This case was still ongoing.

"...I'm counting on you." Guan Jizhong struggled to focus and urged, "Go quickly!"

He was in terrible pain, had little strength left, and was a lot taller and more solidly built than Bai Fuling.

He knew that if the person before him insisted on taking him along, it would cause a lot of delay. But the scene didn't allow any more time.

"Hey—hurry up! It's going to catch fire over there! Be careful!" The crowd nearby began shouting.

"Go! You've already saved me once—you've already saved many people." Guan Jizhong whispered.

He looked at Bai Fuling, at the halo that had been pressed down, and finally couldn't help but half-jokingly say, "Even an angel isn't obligated to save everyone, right?"

Bai Fuling blinked.

An angel? A new mutation point, similar to the cat before? Angels are much more appealing than cats—maybe they even grow big wings!

"Hurry up, it's spreading!!" The crowd shouted again. The girl who was rescued first stared wide-eyed, looking very anxious.

Amidst the anxious background noise, Bai Fuling remained remarkably calm.

Because he knew—the Unlucky Bear might be unlucky, but it would never die. In a sense, it was actually fortunate.

Since the NPC before him was the Unlucky Bear spin-off, he probably wouldn't die so easily. Bai Fuling thought confidently. Besides, he was the omnipotent player!

Think hard about the Unlucky Bear's stories—how to solve the current problem in a perfectly unlucky way.

Within a few breaths, many ideas flashed through Bai Fuling's mind. Finally, he settled on the perfect solution from the mental hospital.

If he tried to carry the person out, it might be a bit of a hassle. But if he selected a weapon and threw it, he could send the NPC out quickly.

The reason he didn't select Guan Jizhong as a back accessory was because clothes could catch fire ()—throwing a weapon directly would save time! Although it might still reduce the health bar, it was better than staying in a danger zone where the health bar could hit zero.

And flying out—that fit the Unlucky Bear spin-off perfectly.

Uncertain how much time remained on the countdown, Bai Fuling chose the fastest way to get the NPC out of the danger zone. He placed a hand on Guan Jizhong and selected him.

In his dazed state, Guan Jizhong only felt a mysterious force. He was pulled out of the car like a radish, lifted horizontally into the air!

He was even hefted a bit, as if testing the weight.

Guan Jizhong: ?

Wait, what kind of strength is this—a battle angel?!

"Hey, friends, catch!" Bai Fuling shouted to the crowd nearby, striking a javelin-throwing pose.

Coincidentally, the ambulance had arrived. The doctors were carrying a stretcher over. Bai Fuling aimed at the stretcher and threw the NPC Guan Jizhong like a weapon toward it—

The arriving ambulance doctors only saw something fly through the air, then their hands sank as something landed on the stretcher! Fortunately, the doctors had strong hands and caught it steadily. They all looked totally baffled.

What the hell just flew over here?

Oh, it's a patient.

Wait, who threw a patient like a javelin?!

"BOOM—!"

A deafening boom sounded immediately after. Gasoline burst into fierce flames, and the two cars exploded together, sending waves of fire and smoke billowing upward.

The crowd screamed, scattering in all directions.

Lying on the stretcher, Guan Jizhong heard the explosion. He strained to try and sit up, his heart pounding: "...The kid? Where's the kid?!"

The fire raged, thick smoke billowing.

Everyone around was forced back by the heatwave. They stared at the center of the car crash, their faces filled with shock and pity.

"...That brave person from earlier, did they not make it out in time..."

"That was a student, right! This—this—"

"They're definitely beyond saving... We warned them it was about to explode, sigh."

No. It shouldn't be like this. Guan Jizhong lay on the stretcher, gasping for breath.

He wasn't a good person—after his sister's death, on the path to finding the culprit, he didn't mind using some illegal methods. But he still had a bit of conscience; he never intended to actually harm an innocent person—if not for him, the Black-haired Youth would have escaped long ago!

This car crash, whether accidental or planned, had nothing to do with that kid!

He remembered the other's eyes—they were like the fawn he had looked after in the woods.

Those eyes had once looked at him sincerely, without bearing a grudge, saying they would find the real culprit.

At this moment, Guan Jizhong sincerely hoped the other was the invulnerable angel from his and his sister's childhood fantasies.

The smoke drifted. Everyone looked toward the burning crash site.

With such a huge fire and explosion, could anyone really come out in one piece? That brave, handsome youth, just like that...

Amidst the sorrowful and pitying silence, a cheerful voice emerged from the flames.

"Wow! What's this black hamburger?"

Bai Fuling stood there completely unscathed.

After food replenished his health bar and his starter clothes reset, he was as good as new.

Good thing I changed into the raincoat quickly. Bai Fuling thought. Otherwise, my favorite bright yellow raincoat would have been torn!

Initial clothes are best for resisting explosions—they refresh and become brand new anytime.

Bai Fuling held a pitch-black hamburger. He looked down, then lifted it forward, exclaiming as if discovering a new continent: "Look, it's a brand-new variety—the Flaming Burger! Anyone want to buy a taste?"

Everyone around: ?

Wait, is the tone a bit off here?