NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11:
Chapter 11: An Unusual Accident:
The girl in the booth ahead was Dai Chuchan, the captain of Donghai University’s cheerleading team. She was widely recognized as the most beautiful girl on campus and, coincidentally, Lin Xian’s junior.
When Lin Xian graduated from Donghai University last year, Dai Chuchan was only in her sophomore year. She should now be in her third year.
To be a cheerleading captain, one’s looks and physique had to be impeccable, and Dai Chuchan certainly met those standards. She was stunningly beautiful, with a body both angelic and fiery.
However, despite her beauty, no one at the university had dared to pursue her.
The reason? Her second identity.
Dai Chuchan was the only daughter of the Dai family, the most powerful family in Donghai.
Her father, Dai Shuangcheng, not only chaired the Donghai Chamber of Commerce but was also a national representative in the legislative body. In Donghai, he was both a formidable figure and an untouchable local authority, often referred to as an “underground emperor.”
Though he adored his daughter, Dai Shuangcheng was incredibly strict. Even Dai Chuchan’s role as cheerleading captain was something she had to fight hard to secure, given her love of dance.
It was inconceivable that someone like Dai Shuangcheng would allow his daughter to visit a bar.
Lin Xian remembered a previous encounter with Dai Chuchan during a post-game celebration with the university basketball team. She had declined the invitation with this excuse:
“Sorry, everyone! My father is very strict. He doesn’t allow me to go out for dinner parties in the evening… I truly apologize!”
Dai Shuangcheng’s reputation was such that a single glare from him could send shivers through Donghai. Naturally, no one dared to insist that she attend.
Thus, Lin Xian was surprised to see Dai Chuchan at the bar tonight.
“Lin Xian! Stop zoning out! Drink!”
Brother Li’s cheerful shout, accompanied by a raised glass, snapped Lin Xian out of his thoughts.
He decided to let it go. Whatever the reason for Dai Chuchan’s presence here, it was none of his business. Perhaps her father had become more lenient.
The four friends continued drinking and chatting. In the hustle and bustle of city life, this was a rare chance for them to unwind.
By 10 PM, their night was winding down. Supporting one another, they exited the bar to hail a taxi.
“Hey, check out that group of girls over there!”
Vice President Zhang nudged everyone with a mischievous grin, signaling for them to look to the left.
Following his gaze, Lin Xian saw Dai Chuchan’s group of girls. All of them were beautiful, likely her cheerleading teammates gathering for a night out.
Dai Chuchan appeared to have had quite a bit to drink, as she wobbled unsteadily while her friends helped her into a Buick GL8 minivan.
“Chuchan! Your driver’s here to pick you up! Get in the car!”
Clearly intoxicated, Dai Chuchan climbed into the vehicle without protest.
The driver’s side window rolled down, and a lit cigarette butt was flicked outside. Sitting in the driver’s seat was a young man with brightly dyed hair.
Lin Xian frowned at the sight.
Would someone as esteemed as the Dai family employ a driver like that?
Especially one who smoked in the car, a glaring taboo.
After two girls accompanied Dai Chuchan into the van, the GL8 roared off toward the east.
Lin Xian decided not to dwell on it. He barely knew Dai Chuchan, so her affairs were irrelevant to him. He and his friends got into a taxi and headed home.
…
In the taxi, Lin Xian sat in the front passenger seat, being the most sober of the group.
“Let’s go, driver.”
After everyone was seated, the cab started heading east.
Barely five minutes later, the driver muttered, “Oh no, there’s been an accident up ahead!”
Lin Xian looked up and saw a serious car crash.
A minivan had collided with a construction dump truck. In this bustling nighttime area, a crowd had already gathered around the scene.
“Wait a minute,” the driver said, sounding puzzled.
“That GL8… isn’t that the same van that left MT Bar with you guys? How did it crash in less than five minutes?”
“Could it have been some drunk rich kid driving? With a wreck like that, the chances of survival are slim.”
The GL8’s front was completely smashed, and the rear passenger compartment was heavily deformed.
In the distance, sirens wailed as police and ambulances approached. The taxi driver, wanting to avoid trouble, turned the wheel sharply to bypass the crowd.
At a red light a few blocks away, the driver opened a group chat for local cabbies, where someone had shared a video of the crash.
“Damn… this is horrible,” the driver remarked.
Hearing this, Lin Xian leaned over.
“Let me see.”
The driver played the video for him.
The footage, taken by a bystander, showed two women being placed side by side on stretchers. Medical staff were performing defibrillation on both.
The camera then panned to the driver’s seat.
The driver’s compartment was entirely crushed, and the young man with dyed hair was reduced to a gruesome mess.
The videographer, speaking in a local dialect, narrated, “Footage from the dashcam in the car behind shows a girl trying to open the door and jump out. The GL8 swerved hard and crashed into the dump truck. The male driver died on the spot, and one girl ran away. The other two girls’ conditions are uncertain.”
The driver played another video, this time showing the GL8’s internal dashcam footage. Though blurry, the scene was still discernible.
In the video, the GL8’s door suddenly opened while the van was in motion.
A long-haired girl appeared to be trying to jump out.
The GL8 veered sharply, throwing the girl back inside before crashing into the dump truck.
Moments later, a girl climbed out of the wreckage, looked around frantically, and fled the scene.
Lin Xian’s eyes widened in shock.
Judging by her hairstyle and outfit, the girl who had tried to jump out of the car was unmistakably Dai Chuchan.