Before noon, they left Grandma Sun Ye's house.
Officer Li had already selected a burial plot. After obtaining Grandma Sun Ye's consent, the burial would take place early tomorrow morning.
After having lunch with Officer Li, Tong Yang and the other person returned to the hotel.
Tong Yang ducked into the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out, she saw Chu Shiyu standing at the door, clutching a fruit knife in her hand.
"What are you doing?" Tong Yang wiped her damp hair and glanced at her.
Chu Shiyu raised the knife, looking innocent. "Don't we need to prove it?"
Tong Yang slowed her hair-drying motion and took the fruit knife from her hand.
Chu Shiyu pushed her hair aside, revealing her fair neck, and said, "Be quick about it."
Tong Yang pressed her lips together and placed the cold blade against Chu Shiyu's neck.
Seeing her hesitate to proceed, Chu Shiyu urged, "What are you waiting for?"
Tong Yang casually tossed the fruit knife aside and said calmly, "It's unnecessary."
"Huh?" Chu Shiyu looked up in surprise. "Unnecessary? Aren't you afraid I'm from the First World?"
Tong Yang said, "First confirm if you are, then ask if I'm afraid."
"I'm not."
"Even if you were, I wouldn't be afraid."
Chu Shiyu picked up the fruit knife and put it back in its place. "You should have said so earlier. I even went to the front desk specifically to borrow this knife."
Tong Yang walked out of the bathroom and said, "Get ready, we're leaving soon."
"Going where?"
"To check on the others from examination hall 1209."
"Oh, alright."
Chu Shiyu walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Soon after, the sound of pattering water began.
Tong Yang, her hair still wet and loose, sat on the edge of the bed and picked up her phone.
Chu Shiyu hadn't lied. On May 17th, she was injured but survived.
So, was someone in the "Netizen Gossip 007" group chat lying?
Tong Yang felt she couldn't jump to conclusions yet.
Tong Yang opened the social app, entered the gossip group chat, and scrolled up to review the messages.
The person who had searched for the news and posted the crime scene photos yesterday was a group member with the nickname "Two-Fifty."
Usually quite active in the group, nothing particularly stood out about them.
After she boarded the plane last night, she hadn't checked the group messages, and many new ones had appeared.
[@Two-Fifty I found the news article, but couldn't find the photos]
[Same here]
[The news says it was related to offending some gang, details are unclear]
[Weren't cases related to parallel worlds always without locked suspects before?]
[Gotta say, it looks really scary]
...
The news article existed in the future, but not the crime scene photos.
Tong Yang clicked on the corpse photo again, carefully examining the condition of the body, and gradually noticed something off.
The body was discovered a month after the incident, and the photo was taken a month after death. Logically, after such a long time, the corpse should show some degree of decomposition, yet the body in the photo showed no signs of decay.
Was Two-Fifty lying? Or was there another explanation?
Studying Is For Making Money: [@Two-Fifty Where did you get the corpse photo?]
In less than a minute, Two-Fifty replied: [Found it on Weibo, why?]
Found it on Weibo?
Studying Is For Making Money: [Are you sure this is the corpse from the May 17th death?]
Two-Fifty: [...Well, not entirely sure, why, Sister Tong?]
Tong Yang frowned, looking at the words in the dialog box, and replied: [It's nothing, I almost misunderstood.]
Two-Fifty: [Misunderstood? Misunderstood what?]
Tong Yang didn't reply immediately. Misunderstood what?
If it had been anyone other than Chu Shiyu, Tong Yang might have already killed them last night.
Looking at it this way, the words in the "Netizen Gossip 007" group chat couldn't be fully trusted either.
Two-Fifty: [Sis Tong, is the matter resolved? What's next?]
Tong Yang thought for a moment before replying: [Go check out the new district of Yaocheng]
Two-Fifty: [Okay, okay. Did I cause you any trouble?]
Studying is for Making Money: [No. Next time, tell me only after you've confirmed it.]
Two-Fifty: [I understand!]
The chat fell silent. Tong Yang didn't press further.
Chu Shiyu hadn't died on May 17th. Whether Two-Fifty had specifically lied or not, she wasn't sure, as the source of that photo wasn't clear.
As for the person in the photo, it was undoubtedly Chu Shiyu, but the incident might not have happened on May 17th.
After Chu Shiyu finished washing up, they set off for Yaocheng's new district to visit a candidate injured in an attack who was hospitalized, hoping to learn more from him.
His experience was similar to Chu Shiyu's: after April, he had been attacked intermittently on multiple occasions. During that time, police had been protecting him covertly, but most people around him were unaware of the situation. Despite their best efforts, a lapse occurred. Fortunately, he escaped with his life and all limbs intact.
After leaving the hospital, Tong Yang stood by the bustling roadside and called Officer Li for an update.
"Sun Ye should have had dedicated protection too, right?" Tong Yang asked.
Officer Li said, "There were two police officers."
"Then why did..."
Officer Li sighed. "I was also very surprised when I got the news. I later found out he sneaked out by himself. He went missing on his way to a part-time job."
Tong Yang frowned. This wasn't Sun Ye's first attack; he had already died twice last year. He should have been more wary of the parallel world than others. How could he sneak out for a part-time job under such circumstances? Did he have a death wish?
"What's wrong? Did you find something?"
Tong Yang said, "No."
"Alright. You two be careful. Contact the local police immediately if anything happens."
"I know."
Hanging up the phone, Tong Yang took a deep breath.
"What did Officer Li say?" Chu Shiyu asked.
"Sun Ye went missing on his way to a part-time job. When he was found again, he was in that state."
Chu Shiyu's brow furrowed tightly. "A part-time job?"
"During this period, we've all been attacked. Sun Ye mentioned in the group chat that one incident happened at the shop where he worked part-time, damaging a lot of stuff. He got fired because of it. Worried it might happen again, he said he planned to wait until things calmed down before looking for another job. Why would he suddenly sneak out for work now?"
Tong Yang said, "I also think there's something fishy about it. Sun Ye is timid. Knowing his life could be in danger at any moment, he wouldn't easily leave the police's sight."
Chu Shiyu looked at her. "Could it be that something forced him to leave?"
"Possibly."
"Oh my god!"
"Someone's going to jump!"
A commotion suddenly erupted at the bustling intersection. Tong Yang turned to look and saw a familiar figure sitting on the windowsill of the fourth floor of the hospital inpatient building.
"Oh no! What's happening?"
"Young man, don't do anything rash!"
"Where are the doctors? The nurses?"
Tong Yang clearly saw the figure by the window and her expression instantly changed.
"This is bad!" Chu Shiyu exclaimed.
The patient by the window was precisely the student from examination hall 1209 they had visited just minutes before.
Tong Yang's brow was tightly furrowed. It was too late to rush back to the ward. Traffic at the intersection was at a standstill. Tong Yang randomly yanked open a car door and pulled the person from the driver's seat out.
"Borrowing this. I'll pay for any damage."
Tong Yang slid into the driver's seat, started the vehicle, and drove toward that window. Unclear of the situation inside the ward, he would absolutely not seek death himself; falling from the fourth floor onto a car had a higher survival rate.
"Hey! My car!"
Chu Shiyu reassured, "Sir, don't worry, we will definitely compensate you later."
Tong Yang didn't have a driver's license but had learned to drive long ago. She slammed the accelerator, moving closer to the hospital wall. Fortunately, the inpatient building was located on the side of the road with little traffic, so no congestion was caused.
"Bang—"
As Tong Yang drove the car swiftly, a truck parked by the roadside suddenly slammed into her without warning. The situation was too urgent; Tong Yang hadn't fastened her seatbelt. The violent impact made it almost impossible for her to hold the steering wheel, and her body slammed heavily against it. Before she could even adjust her posture, the truck pushed the vehicle she was in toward the curb, crashing into the hospital wall with another "bang."
Tong Yang's lips tightened into a thin line as she looked toward the truck's cab. The truck driver was terrified, tears streaming down his face. Sitting beside him was an expressionless man holding a gun to his chin.
The truck was too large. Trapped inside the car, Tong Yang couldn't fight back. The car body was crushed against the wall, severely deformed. She sustained some minor injuries. She noticed the truck reversing a few meters, then accelerating to ram her again.
"Watch out!"
"Oh my god! Be careful!"
Staying in the car meant certain death. Tong Yang wrapped the window-cleaning towel around her hand and smashed the windshield with several fierce punches. At the critical moment, she pushed off the center console and leaped onto the hood.
"Bang—"
Before Tong Yang could steady herself, the truck crashed into them.
Seeing no other choice, Tong Yang jumped onto the hood of the truck. The man in the passenger seat watched her coldly, said something to the truck driver, who suddenly turned the steering wheel, pushing Tong Yang toward the wall.
"Look out!"
"Ah!"
"Thud—"
Gasps erupted from the surroundings. To avoid the impact, Tong Yang rolled onto the roof of the truck. Faintly, she heard the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground not far away, followed by several horrified screams.
Tong Yang whipped her head around. The young man had already fallen from the fourth-floor window, his body slamming heavily onto the ground. Blood gushed out from beneath him, multiple bones broken, but he clung to a sliver of life.
"Move aside! Move aside!"
Chu Shiyu and several medical staff pushed a stretcher, rushing frantically from the hospital entrance.
"Did no one go to the ward to stop him all this time?"
"The patient locked the door from inside. Security was breaking it down when he just..."
The boy on the ground hadn't lost consciousness. With great difficulty, he raised his head to look at Tong Yang, his face a mess of blood and tears, his lips moving as if pleading with Tong Yang for help.
"Run him over."
Just then, Tong Yang heard a merciless voice from inside the cab.
A shudder ran through her. She realized the truck had changed direction and was now heading toward the immobilized boy on the ground.
"Stop!"
"Stop!"
"I said stop!!"
Tong Yang pounded on the truck's windshield with all her might. Unfortunately, it was much tougher than car glass, only developing cracks but not shattering.
The truck driver was deathly pale, tears pouring down his face. The gun pressed against his chin left him no room for thought. He muttered, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
"Bang—"
"Bang—"
A gunshot rang out. The truck's front tire exploded, and the vehicle lost control, swerving to the side.
Chu Shiyu clutched the pistol, her face pale with shock.
Tong Yang grabbed the side mirror and clung to the hood to steady herself. The truck's tires screeched violently against the pavement.
She glanced back. Chu Shiyu and several medical staff had reached the boy's side.
Tong Yang turned her attention back to the truck's cab. The driver, having suffered a severe impact and unable to withstand the psychological pressure, had passed out in his seat.
The man in the passenger seat expressionlessly holstered his handgun, his eyes dull and icy. "Time anchor point. I'll be waiting for you in the First World."
Seemingly unconcerned about being discovered, the man brazenly opened the door, ready to walk away.
Tong Yang yanked the side mirror off its mount, jumped down from the truck, and pounced on him, driving the broken edge of the mirror into the man's temple.
Blood trickled down from his temple. Unhurried, the man threw Tong Yang off his back, pulled out the mirror handle, and slightly raised the muzzle of his gun. He repeated, "I'll be waiting for you in the First World."
Tong Yang steadied herself and sneered, "Then wait with your neck clean."
"Once I've cleaned out the vermin from the parallel worlds, I'll come find you personally."
The man tossed the mirror handle aside. "If you continue to act against them, everyone around you will end up like him."
He looked toward the boy being placed on a stretcher by the medical staff and continued, "This is just a warning. If you persist in your delusion, both they and your brother will die."
Tong Yang's fingernails dug into her palms. Furious, she laughed. "Are you threatening me?"
The man said, "Not me. The entire First World."
He looked toward the inpatient building not far away and waved at someone by a fourth-floor window.
Following his gaze, Tong Yang saw a figure standing at the spot where the boy had fallen, observing the thrilling, chaotic scene like a spectator enjoying the show.
Meeting Tong Yang's eyes, the figure waved gracefully, then raised a hand, holding a pearl earring and dangling it in the air, as if declaring her victory.
Watching this, Tong Yang laughed without warning.
This was Chu Shiyu of the First World.
Tong Yang understood now. Chu Shiyu hadn't lied. The members of the gossip group hadn't lied. They had just been misled.
The person who died in that photo wasn't Chu Shiyu. The time of death wasn't May 17th either. It was Chu Shiyu of the First World, dying on some future day.
Sun Ye's death could also be explained now.
Why had he slipped out alone, beyond the police's protection? Because someone he trusted implicitly had told him to do so.
Chu Shiyu of the First World was undoubtedly that person.
"Time anchor point. We'll be waiting for you in the First World."
The corner of Tong Yang's mouth lifted in a cold smile. "Then wait."
She couldn't kill him here. There was no point wasting energy or time.
She walked out of the wedge formed by the truck and the wall. Outside, chaos had long since erupted.
"Kid, are you okay?"
"How could you try to stop the truck alone?"
"You're bleeding! You should go to the hospital!"
"The police will be here soon, don't be afraid."
"Speaking of which, this accident was really strange."
"That little girl even had a gun!"
"What on earth is going on?"
Tong Yang wiped the blood from her forehead and silently walked through the crowd towards the hospital entrance.
Chu Shiyu hurried out from the emergency room doors, her clothes also stained with quite a bit of blood. "Are you okay?"
Tong Yang shook her head. "What about him?"
"He's in the operating room. The doctor issued a critical condition notice. Whether he survives depends on the surgery." Chu Shiyu gasped for breath. "Luckily, Officer Li gave me a gun for self-defense, otherwise..."
Tong Yang reached up and brushed aside her hair. The pearl earring on her left side was already gone.
"Let's go back to the ward and check."
"Your injuries..."
"It's nothing."
The two returned to the ward from which the boy had fallen. Security had already pried the door open; there was a hole broken through the middle of the door panel. The room was empty.
Tong Yang walked in, looking around. The Chu Shiyu from the first world hadn't left any traces. She went to the window, leaned over, and looked down, spotting a bloody finger lying by the windowsill.
A gift from the Chu Shiyu of the first world.
The owner of this finger was undoubtedly Sun Ye, who had died by her hand.
Chu Shiyu walked over to her. "Tong Yang, let's get your wounds treated first."
Tong Yang picked up the bloody finger and wrapped it in a piece of paper.
"This is..."
Tong Yang said, "Sun Ye's finger."
"Sun Ye's finger? Why would his finger be here?" Chu Shiyu asked, confused.
"The person who killed Sun Ye and the one who pushed him are the same."
"Who? Did you see them?" Chu Shiyu asked.
Tong Yang said, "I saw."
"Who?"
Tong Yang lowered her gaze. "The you from the first world."
Chu Shiyu's expression froze. "The me from the first world? How could..."
Tong Yang had no intention of hiding it and saw no need to.
"Sun Ye probably slipped out alone because she contacted him using your identity."
Chu Shiyu looked shocked, momentarily unable to process it.
Tong Yang put the finger away safely and turned to look at her. "She is her, you are you. You are human, she is not."
"She is just an alien invader wearing human skin."
Chu Shiyu nodded blankly. "I... I understand..."
As they left the ward, the police arrived.
The officer in charge glanced at the two of them. "Come with me."
Following the police to a monitoring room, a staff member adjusted the surveillance footage to the key time point.
"You are Tong Yang, right?"
"I am."
The officer walked over to the monitor, moved the mouse, and clicked play.
The corridor surveillance footage showed the two of them walking out of the ward. Chu Shiyu brushed her hair, and a pearl earring fell to the ground.
The officer fast-forwarded the footage. Their figures disappeared around the corner of the stairs. Half a minute later, "Chu Shiyu" returned alone to the ward door, picked up the fallen earring, walked back into the room, and closed the door.
The surveillance footage stopped there. The officer turned to look at the two of them. "Do you have anything to say?"
Even in China, after the incident with the defective virus, those who knew about the existence of parallel worlds were still a minority.
Tong Yang answered the question with another. "If I tell you, will you believe me?"
The officer said, "You tell me first. Whether I believe it or not is my business."
"That person wasn't her," Tong Yang said.
The police officer narrowed his eyes slightly, turning his gaze back to the computer screen. "Apart from this surveillance footage, all other cameras in the hospital that could have captured you two are offline. However, there are quite a few eyewitnesses."
"Is that not enough?"
The officer looked up at her. "It's enough."
"Then can we leave?"
"Tong Yang, you betrayed us, didn't you?" the officer suddenly asked.
So, he wasn't completely in the dark. On the contrary, he knew quite a bit, even having heard about what happened on Hake Island.
However, the guests on Hake Island came from all over the world, so it was inevitable that someone would leak information. That was precisely why Wu Pingxue and Mr. Du had advised her not to return to the country for the time being.
"Who knows," Tong Yang said with an air of indifference.
The officer smiled. "You don't seem like that type of person."
"Do I?"
"I saw the video of you acting bravely to save others." The officer patted her shoulder. "Tong Yang, well done. Young and promising."
Tong Yang frowned. "You patted my wound."
"Sorry..."
Since he seemed to know everything, Tong Yang didn't stand on ceremony with him.
"That car was borrowed. Remember to reimburse the driver."
"Don't worry, we'll handle the rest." At this point, the officer paused briefly and looked at Chu Shiyu. "I've already verified the gun on your person with the capital police. It's fine. But I'm curious, how did you bring it here from the capital?"
Chu Shiyu replied, "I have a police-issued firearm permit and a special pass. They conduct a separate inspection during security checks."
Apart from Chu Shiyu, everyone involved in the parallel world incident, including Tong Yang, had been issued firearm permits and special passes by the police, though they had to separate the guns from ammunition during flights.
"I see."
Without lingering further, the two left the monitoring room and headed to the entrance of the operating room, planning to wait for the results of the boy's surgery before leaving.
As for how the police would handle the follow-up and explain it to the public, that had nothing to do with Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu.
The surgery was lengthy. Several hours later, Tong Yang finally remembered to tend to her own wounds.
She had numerous large and small wounds, but fortunately, none were deep. A simple cleaning, disinfection, and bandaging would suffice.
Tong Yang sat in the room getting her wounds bandaged, while Chu Shiyu browsed the internet beside her, checking related news posts.
Many bystanders had captured footage of Tong Yang struggling with the truck and uploaded it online.
Chu Shiyu said, "The videos are blurry and don't show your face clearly, so they haven't been taken down. But you can't find any information about you online now."
Tong Yang replied calmly, "I don't really mind. Who knows, maybe I'll become an internet celebrity. If I ever hit rock bottom, I could still make money by live-streaming sales."
Chu Shiyu chuckled. "Aren't you already financially secure? Why are you still so fixated on making money?"
"I have a fear of being poor. And besides, who ever thinks they have enough money?"
"That's true," Chu Shiyu nodded.
During the surgery, a nurse came out once to inform them that the boy's life had been saved.
Tong Yang had done her best. Whether the boy lived or died wasn't crucial to her anymore.
Hearing the news, however, lightened Chu Shiyu's mood considerably.
"The netizens are quite amusing. They're offering rewards all over the internet for information about you."
Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. "Do they want to kill me too?"
The nurse's hand trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but glance at Tong Yang.
Chu Shiyu was amused by her. "What are you thinking? They just want to get to know you."
"Sure, one hundred bucks for the name exchange."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
"Just shut up."
After a while, Chu Shiyu switched to her social app and found some new messages in the list, most asking about Tong Yang.
Strangers couldn't tell the person in the video was Tong Yang, but those familiar with her could recognize her from just a silhouette; her distinctiveness was that high.
Chu Shiyu said offhandedly, "Where's your phone? Xu Junyue and the others are asking about you."
Tong Yang finally remembered, pulling her phone from her pocket. The screen was already shattered and bent.
Chu Shiyu stifled a laugh, "You really should replace it."
Tong Yang frowned, looking more exasperated than if she were the one injured, "What a waste. It still works."
Chu Shiyu had no choice with her, "I'll buy you one, okay?"
Tong Yang nodded immediately, "Thank you, young mistress."
Chu Shiyu was puzzled, "Then what do you earn so much money for?"
"To look at."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
"Huh? Ye Huai is calling me."
Looking at the caller ID on her phone screen, Chu Shiyu was astonished.
Tong Yang motioned for her to answer, listening in herself.
"Hello."
Chu Shiyu glanced at her and said into the phone, "She's right here, got a bit injured."
"Her phone's broken."
"What? You're at the hospital?" Chu Shiyu's eyes widened, looking at Tong Yang.
Tong Yang raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing.
Not knowing what was said on the other end, Chu Shiyu swallowed, "Besides you, there's Aunt, Uncle, Lin Lin and LeLe... Grandma came too?!"
Tong Yang's expression froze, her heart skipping a beat, "I have something to do, I need to leave."
The nurse sister grabbed her, "What do you have to do? Can't you go after getting bandaged?"
"No."
Tong Yang's breathing was slightly hurried. She gave Chu Shiyu a look, signaling she was leaving first and for her to handle the situation.
Chu Shiyu twitched the corner of her mouth, "You're in the hospital lobby already?"
Tong Yang walked to the door, her steps halting. Leaving through the entrance would most likely lead to running right into them.
She looked around and saw the half-open window. The room was on the second floor; this height was no problem for her at all.
Afraid she might be a second too late, Tong Yang strode to the window and, under the nurse sister's horrified gaze, lifted one leg over the sill.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" The nurse sister rushed over in a few quick steps, grabbing her tightly.
However, Tong Yang's movement had already frozen.
With one leg outside the window, sitting on the windowsill, her gaze met that of a group of people standing on the steps of the outpatient lobby across the way.
Tong Yang: "..."
