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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 9: Similar Dreams
Zhang Xian let out a sigh of relief and then forced a smile. "Alright! Thank you."
I strode toward the bus station, feeling frustrated. This was the second time I had been kicked off a vehicle, and it was all my fault for speaking up. My intention was to remind Zhang Xian that she had opened a clinic and should avoid unethical practices; Sha Doctor was a living example of that. I never expected her to get angry and throw me off the bus.
I shook my head and chuckled to myself as I hurried along. I truly didn’t expect Zhang Xian to still be around. She drove slowly to catch up with me and called out, "Get in the car; I have something to ask you." I thought I must have misheard her. How could she possibly want me to get back in? Wasn't she afraid I'd scare her again?
Zhang Xian grew impatient, pointing toward a bend ahead. The car passed by and stopped. As I approached, she opened the door. Reluctantly, I climbed in. Damn it, how could she just decide when I should get in or out? What did she think I was?
But standing there awkwardly with people passing by wasn’t a solution either, so I begrudgingly took a seat.
"Ma Qi, I'm not actually angry; I'm just struggling with what you said earlier. I'm afraid you'll keep bringing up scary things."
"If you don't want to hear it, I won't say anything more."
"Actually, when you rushed off earlier, I forgot to give you my phone number and business card. This is the location of my clinic. If I need to reach you for something urgent, you won’t refuse me, right?"
I took her business card and replied, "If there's money to be made, how could I refuse?"
"You don't seem like someone who only cares about money. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you."
"What is it?"
I tucked her card into my bag and listened quietly.
Zhang Xian's driving skills weren't great, so I occasionally reminded her to pay attention to the road. "Don't worry; I won't run any red lights," she said. "What I want is just a dream. For some reason, I dreamt of a woman dressed in black who kept staring at me. She was holding a Square Box that looked like an insulated container in a hospital..."
It was the Black-Clad Woman again, the Black-Clad Woman who was Li Mingliang. How could I be dreaming about Li Mingliang? Moreover, I had this strange dream as well. What did it mean? I interrupted her and asked, "Who is this Black-Clad Woman? Do you know her? What is her connection to you?"
"Don't ask just yet. I'm sure I don't know her; she feels both strange and familiar. I can't recall right now. The key issue is that this dream has appeared countless times, and that's why I felt the need to ask you."
"Oh, do you remember someone named Li Mingliang? Is there anyone like that in your memory?"
"Li Mingliang! I don't remember."
"Don't be so quick to dismiss it. Think carefully when you get home, and ask your mom or dad about this person."
"Okay." I heard Zhang Xian agree as we approached the Fifteenth Route bus stop. The Fifteenth Route would take us to New South Street. I said to Zhang Xian, "Pull over; I need to get off."
"Shouldn't I take you home?"
"No, if you take me home, it would be a detour for you to get to your clinic. Take care; I'm really getting off now."
Zhang Xian pulled the car over, and I got out while she waved at me with a smile.
I nodded as I watched her drive away. In no time, the Fifteenth Route bus arrived, and since there were no seats available, I stood. Standing like this made it impossible to doze off. One stop after another, we quickly reached New South Street. I got off without having sat down.
The bus was too crowded, and as soon as I stepped off, my body relaxed a bit in the cool air. After winding through several streets, I finally reached home and saw my landlord. She shouted, "Ma Qi! Where have you been? We haven't seen you for days!"
"I was out having some fun. Auntie, I'll send you the rent via Red Envelope."
"I'm not here to ask for rent; I wanted to tell you that someone came looking for you."
"Who?"
"Who do you think it is, dressed in tiger stripes?"
Qin Jian? No way, he doesn't usually wear uniforms; he usually goes out in plain clothes, and most of the time, he's in a suit and tie. As I was lost in thought, I reached my front door, took out my keys to unlock it. Just as I was about to open the door, a loud voice came from behind me: "Don't move." Startled, I froze for a moment. I couldn't turn around as my hand was grabbed. "Do you know that the con artist who tricked people into eating and drinking has caused someone's death?"
"Hey, who are you?" I struggled, unable to move my hand. Angrily, I retorted, "Stop messing around, who are you?"
The voice was unfamiliar; I didn't recognize this person. Was he sent by my landlord?
He continued, "I'm from the station. Ma Qi, please calm down and come back with me to the station."
"From the station? You're a fraud; I'm also from the station."
"You? You think you qualify? A rustic bumpkin like you is also from the station? Aren't you just some thug involved in special cases with Lao Qin? Don't pretend to be someone from the station. This is all unnecessary; come with me to the station."
What’s going on! Someone from the station is here to take me; what does this mean? Finally, I turned around and saw him—it was indeed Zhang Sheng. His uniform looked real, and he had an imposing demeanor.
I was confused. While pretending to cooperate with him, my mind raced to devise a plan. Qin Jian's phone was off—was that intentional or because he was in a meeting? If he was in a meeting, he would have to turn off his phone. Another question nagged at me: why did I leave the hospital alone when we had gone there together and were in the intensive care unit? Gong Elder had called out to me; he knew I was there. So why did I leave quietly?
I couldn't make sense of it; my thoughts were chaotic, and my heart raced uncomfortably. Adding to this tension, this man treated me like a criminal and was about to pull out handcuffs. I shouted angrily, "What are you afraid of? I haven't committed any crime! If you dare put those cuffs on me, I'll fight back!"
"Fight back? You might not even have a life left for that." He said as he pulled out the handcuffs.
Damn! If I'm cuffed, how can I escape? Seeing this situation unfold, without thinking twice, I kicked him hard in the abdomen. As he doubled over in pain, I threw a punch that landed squarely on his face and then bolted away from him.
I ran for my life toward a crowded area, still trying to figure out what crime I had committed. Why was the station targeting me? Had I caused someone's death?
What on earth is happening!
I wanted to shout, to tell everyone that I hadn't harmed anyone. But I couldn't do that; I needed to find a place to hide quickly. As long as I had my freedom, I could figure out who was trying to harm me, who was playing these schemes. The problem was, where should I run? The Ma Wu Funeral Home was definitely not an option.
They would have thought of that too; my first refuge would be the Ma Wu Funeral Home.
If that didn't work, I could look for Li Mingliang.
In the end, I chose to go to the Ma Wu Funeral Home. I wanted to see if Fatty could give me an update on recent events and if I could find a breakthrough. Also, I needed to ask him to help with some matters, like performing rites for those who had died unjustly, to prevent any further incidents or deaths.
The car quickly arrived at the street of the Ma Wu Funeral Home. I got out, hands in my pockets, trying to appear relaxed as my gaze fell on the funeral home.
The sign for the Ma Wu Funeral Home was still there. By the counter stood a person in a suit and a newsboy cap.
He had his back to the counter and was facing outside, looking around as if he were an employer keeping watch over someone. My heart sank; it seemed I couldn't go back to the Ma Wu Funeral Home. Reluctantly, I turned and headed toward a nearby barbershop.
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