Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One: In the Human World
July 7, 2001.
The seventeenth day of the fifth lunar month.
Minor Heat.
Auspicious for commencing work, opening businesses, breaking ground, and signing contracts.
Inauspicious for weddings.
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The rain had started in the morning. By nearly noon, it had lessened somewhat but hadn't stopped.
At the entrance of Wan Jia Lake Middle School in Jinling City's JN District, half the street was under traffic control, with traffic police standing guard at both ends of the road. An ambulance and a fire truck were also parked at the school gate, with two police cars stationed across the street.
On either side of the school gate, amidst a dense crowd, were faces filled with anticipation and anxiety.
Some held umbrellas, others wore raincoats. Some, restless and seeing the rain subsiding, had simply taken off their raincoats and carried them.
Remarkably, despite so many people gathered on both sides of the school gate, it was miraculously quiet, with no one making loud noises.
Occasionally, when someone in the crowd spoke in hushed tones, if their voice rose slightly, someone nearby would immediately remind them.
And those reminded would acknowledge their mistake, cautiously nodding and lowering their voices.
A huge sign hung on the wall at the school gate:
"Examination Zone: Silence Required!"
Banners with encouraging slogans were hung around the school buildings.
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When the bell rang, a commotion swiftly arose from the waiting crowd outside, quickly escalating from hushed murmurs into a noisy clamor.
Soon, the barriers were removed, and the school gates opened wide. Gradually, a trickle of students began to emerge, followed by more and more.
Parents already thronged the entrance, packed together and craning their necks eagerly. They intently and anxiously searched the crowd for their children.
A thousand words all boiled down to one question: "How was the exam?"
Some children walked out confidently, their faces beaming with pride. Others were frustrated and nervous, their hearts filled with anxious fear.
Thus, some families rejoiced while others worried.
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When Zhang Linsheng emerged from the examination hall, he was lagging behind, dawdling. It didn't take long for his father to find him and pull him aside.
A thermos wrapped in a plastic bag was unscrewed and handed to him. His father's face showed hope and even a hint of eagerness to please. This rough man in a work uniform, its cuffs permanently stained with oil, was not very articulate. After swallowing hard a few times, he only managed to muster, "Drink some water."
Zhang Linsheng's father, Zhang Tiejun, was forty-three this year. His name was typical of his generation.
Zhang Linsheng took the cup; he felt conflicted but still drank deeply.
The thermos was slightly leaky. The water was no longer hot, just retaining a remnant of warmth.
"The exam... it was okay, okay," Zhang Linsheng whispered to his father.
Zhang Tiejun seemed to sigh in relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart. He managed a slight smile. "Good, good! That's great!"
In fact, he had performed rather well.
He had correctly guessed the answers to two questions during his last-minute review.
Although his grades weren't generally good, he had likely performed above his usual level on that morning's exam.
Zhang Linsheng silently handed the water cup back to his father.
Zhang Tiejun was still muttering to himself, calculating whether it was possible to get into the target school. The Zhang family wasn't aiming high for Brother Haonan; their goal was a technical college specializing in mechanical and electrical engineering. One could tell by the name alone that it wasn't a prestigious institution.
But for Brother Haonan, just getting admitted was already a blessing.
However...
Zhang Linsheng gazed at his father's expectant face, struggling internally for a long time. Eventually, he suppressed the words he wanted to say and remained silent.
What he really wanted to say was, "Dad, I don't want to study anymore."
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「South Pacific, British Ronihil Island.」
Local time, around seven o'clock in the evening.
Under the cover of night, a fishing boat slowly docked at the pier. Dark-skinned boatmen leaped ashore energetically, then grabbed the heavy ropes and began their work.
One by one, boxes of fish were carried up.
At the rear of the cabin, in a corner of the deck, a young man wearing a hoodie slowly stood up. He straightened the backpack on his shoulders, tightened his clothes, and gave a deep stretch.
The Captain was a seemingly simple and honest man but, in fact, was very shrewd and cunning.
As the young man disembarked, he handed over a small roll of notes secured with a rubber band.
The notes were green M currency.
The Captain accepted them and then handed the young man a slip of paper.
"Go to old Pierre's tavern," he said. "Mention my name, and he'll take care of you."
The young man quirked his lips, made a face, and then nimbly jumped off the boat.
The pier was filled with the stench of fish, and the sea breeze blew over, carrying a hint of saltiness.
The sky above was like a mirror adorned with dazzling gems.
The weather was excellent; before disembarking, he'd heard the Captain say the good weather would continue for the next few days.
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The feel of solid ground under his feet sent a brief wave of disorientation through Chen Nuo.
He walked along the pier towards the hills ahead, arriving halfway up a slope.
A rock outcropping jutted out by the side of the road.
Chen Nuo walked over, tapped it lightly with his foot, and then surveyed his surroundings.
From this spot, he could see the pier at the foot of the slope by the sea.
Not far away was a small shop with a few sheds next to it...
After staring for a moment, a smile slowly spread across the young man's lips.
"I… have returned," he murmured.
Yes.
This place was where Lord Yama had met his end in "his previous life."
It was right on this rock beneath his feet that he had smoked his last cigarette, traded insults with the President of M Country over the phone, and then finalized that last deal.
It was also here that he and that CIA agent had raised their glasses of champagne to each other.
And it was here that he had taken his last breath.
Chen Nuo stood by the rock for a full ten minutes.
Then, the young man smiled again.
He smiled with utmost joy!
In this life, none of that will ever happen again! Never!
·
Walking along the path on the slope for a few minutes, he came to a crossroads where two pickup trucks were parked.
Chen Nuo approached one of the drivers and spoke with him briefly.
His English, thick with the local accent, perplexed the driver; the young man was clearly a stranger.
A few minutes later, they agreed on a price. Chen Nuo handed over a roll of US dollar bills, then, hoisting his backpack, hopped into the back of the pickup and knocked forcefully on the cab roof.
The pickup truck drove off.
It traveled along the mountain road, uphill and downhill, around bends, and through an open expanse.
The island was large. Soon, after entering a small basin, they arrived at a modestly sized town.
The town had been established during the British Colonial Era.
At its center was a church with a spire; the cross atop it was visible from a distance.
The island's population had few natives left. There hadn't been many to begin with, and successive waves of colonizers during the Colonial Era had been too ruthless.
Nowadays, most of the island's residents were white people; many were descendants of colonizers, and many others had come from South America.
The town had only one or two thousand inhabitants.
Chen Nuo alighted from the truck at the town entrance and, relying on memories from his previous life, made his way inside.
Everything is unchanged.
To the left of the church was a hardware store, followed by a small shop selling boat engine parts—the two shops were owned by brothers.
The only tavern in town was at the west entrance, run by Pierre, a descendant of Gaul Country, whom he remembered for his large, aquiline nose.
Behind the tavern was a fur shop.
There were no hotels, but the tavern had a few guest rooms upstairs available for rent if you negotiated a price.
However, when Chen Nuo walked into the tavern, he had no intention of lodging. He merely approached the counter and gave Pierre, the man behind it, a once-over.
In 2001, this guy isn't too bald yet; a thin layer of hair still covers the top of his head. The wrinkles on his face aren't so deep either. Hmm, his hook nose is still as big, though.
"A shot of tequila," Chen Nuo said, tossing his backpack to the floor and casually sitting on a high stool.
Pierre glanced at the unfamiliar young man, pushed a glass toward him, and then poured from the bottle. He casually grabbed the saltshaker from the table, rimmed the glass with a fine layer of salt, then deftly sliced a lemon wedge and perched it on the edge.
Chen Nuo picked it up, licked the salt from the rim, downed it in one go, then exhaled deeply before lightly sucking on the lemon.
"PHEW! Refreshing! Another one!" Chen Nuo laughed.
Pierre smiled back.
·
「After three shots.」
"From out of town?" Pierre casually struck up a conversation.
"Yeah. Traveling."
"Traveling? What're you doing here? There's not much fun to be had on this island."
"Is that so?"
"Of course! This isn't Hawaii; there's no hula dancing, no hot girls," Pierre shrugged.
Business at the tavern was mediocre—it had never really thrived, always just lukewarm.
In the corner was an old jukebox, considered quite novel on this island.
Chen Nuo exchanged some coins with old Pierre, walked over to the jukebox, inserted a coin, and randomly selected an old Elvis song.
To the powerful rhythm, the young man glanced at the ceiling fan above, then at the heavy wooden tables and chairs in the tavern. He looked again at the familiar Pierre behind the counter.
It really felt like old times returning. Truthfully, I don't have anything specific to do in this tavern. It's just... probably... for that little bit of indescribable nostalgia hidden in my heart. That tiny bit of yearning for the past.
「After the fifth shot of tequila.」
Pierre began to solicit business. "Need a room? There are some upstairs; you can pick one yourself. Clean sheets, hot shower. And a free breakfast to boot."
Chen Nuo laughed.
The young man laughed heartily.
This crafty businessman... still the same as in my last life. The rooms are all narrow and damp. The sheets look clean but probably haven't been washed in a month. As for the hot shower, it's hot, alright, but often runs out halfway through. And the so-called free breakfast... nothing but boiled potatoes and some fish paste.
"No, thanks," Chen Nuo smiled, then pointed to a spot on the liquor shelf behind the counter. "Give me that."
It was a bottle of whiskey.
To be exact, it was the best bottle in Pierre's tavern.
It might not actually have been that great or expensive, but this was, after all, just a small town on an island, so it seemed precious.
Chen Nuo threw down a small roll of US dollar bills, took the bottle, stashed it in his backpack, waved to Pierre, and strode out.
"There's nowhere else to stay in town tonight, kid! If you want to leave town for a room at the pier, there won't be any transport until daylight!" Pierre called after him.
Chen Nuo pretended not to hear, smiling as he walked out of the tavern.
He took a deep breath of the outside air, and the tipsy look in his eyes quickly dissipated.
He patted his pocket...
Mm, the money... it's all gone.
Now, Chen Nuo couldn't pull a single M currency note from his pocket.
The money he had just spent on the whiskey was his last bit of cash.
·
Let's put it this way.
A little over half a month ago, just before the Star Sky Empress, Lu Xixi, left Jinling City, she paid Chen Nuo a visit and gave him a good beating.
Besides giving Lord Yama a thrashing, the Empress also did something else.
She transferred out the entire balance from the Ardent Pyromaniac's account on the Octopus Monster website!
When Chen Nuo returned home the next day and checked his account, he found that the Empress had left him with only one hundred US dollars!
That was all of Chen Yanluo's assets!
All the money he'd gotten from robbing so many people, from protecting Jiang Yingzi, from killing so many assassins, from several heists...
Several million US dollars...
Overnight, he was back to square one!
Chen Nuo couldn't hold back and sent a private message on the Octopus Monster website to the Star Sky Empress, condemning her reprehensible act of assault and robbery.
But the Star Sky Empress replied with just one sentence.
"Honey, don't I get an allowance for household expenses?"
Uh... household expenses? Well, she has a point.
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If it weren't for the few gold bars hidden in his bedroom that the Empress hadn't found and confiscated, Chen Nuo probably would have been so poor he couldn't even afford the plane ticket and travel expenses for this trip abroad.
However... It doesn't matter.
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Chen Nuo walked out from the west end of the town.
After leaving the town and entering the wilderness, the young man's pace quickened...
A moment later, he was moving at full speed, his figure a blur as he swept through the air like the wind!
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「On the West Coast of the island, about two miles from town.」
On a hillside, the only access path was barricaded by walls and an iron fence.
A "Private Property" sign hung there.
Next to it was another sign: Grey Rock Manor.
Chen Nuo stood outside the iron gate, staring at the "Private Property" sign for a long while.
Then he looked at the security cameras mounted on the nearby wall.
He walked to a call button and pressed it a few times.
Soon, a nearby security camera adjusted its angle, focusing precisely on Chen Nuo.
Chen Nuo exhaled, then waved at the camera and smiled.
"Hello~~ Tell the Captain the debt collector is here!"
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Grey Rock Manor. What many didn't know was that it had another, true identity:
The headquarters... of the Abyss Organization!
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A minute later, several fully armed men rushed out of a building on the hillside!
Chen Nuo watched quietly. Then, with a smile, he walked up to the main gate and patted it.
CRASH!
The iron gate burst inward and collapsed!
"Such nice weather," the young man mused, still smiling. "The blood should dry quickly, too~"
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