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Chapter 602 - Arrival
Li Huowang looked nervous. He was sitting on the plastic seat of a public bus and was biting the back of his hand with his teeth.
His mind replayed everything that he had gone through recently as he stared at the streets outside.
He was wearing a white mask to cover the scars on his face and to make sure that he wouldn't get recognized.
After some hesitation, he took out Wu Cheng’s phone and dialed a phone number that he had memorized.
“...Hello? Who is this?” Yang Na’s soft voice sounded over the phone.
Li Huowang’s heart trembled upon hearing her voice. It had been a very long time since he heard her voice.
”Hello? Who is this?”
Li Huowang quickly regained his composure. He pinched his throat and deliberately lowered his voice, “Hello, is this ID Good Rabbit? There are two parcels for you here. Can you please come out of school to pick them up? They’re large, and it’s not convenient for me to leave them at a storage unit.”
“What? Parcels? I haven’t bought anything, though...”
“Perhaps someone sent them to you. Please come out and sign the delivery forms.”
“Sorry, I’m not available right now. I’m not at school today, too. If you can't leave them in a storage unit, then just return them.”
Li Huowang was reassured upon hearing that. It seemed that Yi Donglai had conveyed his message to Yang Na.
Regardless of where Yang Na was hiding, it was much better than staying in one place.
They just needed to hold on until he reached Beihai Port. Once Xu Shou was no more, Yang Na would be safe.
“...Huowang?” Yang Na asked, sounding hesitant.
Li Huowang’s heart trembled, but he forcibly calmed himself down and said, “What? Anyway, all right. I’ll go and bring these two parcels back to the hub. I still have other parcels to deliver."
With that, Li Huowang ended the call and blocked the number.
Li Huowang covered his mouth with his hand and closed his eyes in pain. He really wanted to meet Yang Na, but this wasn’t the right time.
She was in danger, and he had to ensure her safety before anything else.
Moreover, Li Huowang reckoned that Yang Na would only feel worried about him if he were to meet her right now.
Yang Na's mental health was already bad, and Li Huowang didn’t want her condition to worsen just because of a selfish decision on his end.
Li Huowang took a deep breath and looked at the others on the bus. For some reason, everything felt unfamiliar to him.
Of course, everything would feel unfamiliar, as it had been a while since he appeared in public.
Li Huowang fell into a daze, and his surroundings distorted, seemingly transforming from a bus to a wooden carriage.
“Beep~ Senior discount.” The voice of the bus' assistant echoing throughout the bus brought Li Huowang back to realit.
Just ten more stops, and I will be at the port. Stay calm, and don’t get recognized. Li Huowang adjusted his collar.
Just then, a bald old man with a fishing rod in hand started walking in Li Huowang's direction from the front of the bus.
When the bald old man saw Li Huowang’s eyes, he shivered in fright. Then, he stopped walking and turned around to hold on to the hanging handrail.
Li Huowang found the bald old man's actions to be suspicious.
Li Huowang tried to ignore it for a while, but he still felt uneasy, so he stood up and walked toward the bald old man to take a closer look at the latter.
Li Huowang's pupils constricted upon recognizing the bald old man. The bald old man was a fellow patient. More specifically, his name was Old Liu, and Li Huowang could still remember knocking out Old Liu's dentures with a punch.
The bus door opened just then, and the panicking Old Liu rushed down the bus with his fishing rod and bucket.
When Old Liu saw that Li Huowang was following him, he abandoned his fishing rod and bucket. Old Liu started breathing in ragged pants as he ran away desperately.
“Old Liu! Why are you running away?! I’ve recovered!” Li Huowang exclaimed. He caught up to Old Liu and grabbed the latter by the shoulder.
“I... I don’t believe you!” Old Liu exclaimed. He struggled desperately and shouted in despair, “Help! Someone help! Call the police! This lunatic is a murderer!”
“Shut up! I'm going to kill you if you don't!” Li Huowang warned. He took out a little saw and pointed it at Old Liu’s belly, who closed his mouth immediately.
He dragged Old Liu to behind a bush. Then, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Old Liu’s screams didn't attract any attention from the sparse crowd.
Li Huowang took a moment to compose himself before explaining, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do this to you, but I have something important to do right now! I have to finish it before I get caught!"
Old Liu looked down at the bloodstains on the saw and gulped. “Okay, you... you can go, I promise I won’t call the police.”
“Heh, I know you too well. You cheated your way to victory in those card games with the other patients. I can’t trust you at all. Anyway, is there anyone else at your home right now?” Li Huowang supported Old Liu as the two of them walked away from the bush.
“What.. what do you want?” Old Liu asked with an ashen look.
“There’s no one at home. My... my son is at work, and my grandson is in school.”
“I’m not going to do anything; I just need to make sure that you won't call the police once I've left you alone!”
“I really won’t call the police, Little Li. Please spare me. I really was just sick at the time; I didn’t mean to hurt your girlfriend.”
Unfortunately, Old Liu’s words didn't convince Li Huowang nor weaken his determination.
They soon arrived at Old Liu’s home. It was a second-floor apart in a small residential area, and there was no one inside. Old Liu hadn't lied.
However, Li Huowang was still dissatisfied, so he decided to tape Old Liu to the toilet. He did it tightly so that Old Liu would find it difficult to break free.
He ignored Old Liu’s pleas, but he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he went into the kitchen to select a handy tool.
A little saw wouldn't be enough to handle his opponent. He needed a handier and more powerful weapon.
“Little Li, I beg you, I really won’t call the police!” Old Liu exclaimed. The crisp sound of metal scraping against metal echoed from the kitchen, and it made Old Liu shudder.
Li Huowang picked up a long-handled boning knife and returned to the bathroom.
“Little Li, you can kill me, but can you spare my grandson?” Old Liu pleaded in despair.
Li Huowang frowned deeply and said, “How many times must I tell you? I've recovered!”
“Yes, yes, you’ve recovered, you’ve recovered crazy,” Old Liu said, nodding repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice.
Li Huowang gagged Old Liu and even sealed it with tape to ensure that Old Liu wouldn't be able to make any noises. “Sorry, you've recognized me, so I have no choice but to do this."
Having resolved the unexpected danger, Li Huowang pushed the door open and walked out of the apartment.
Li Huowang went down the stairs and returned to the bus stop at the entrance of the residential area. He hopped onto a bus that was heading to Beihai Port.
As the number of people on the bus dwindled, the frown on Li Huowang's face became tighter.
Soon, they arrived at the port, and the stacked shipping containers made him feel oppressed.
Li Huowang was in a dilemma. How could he infiltrate the place?