"Oh right, Shutong, do you know that Qiumian thought you had gone home to rest and even told me to take you out to relax? If she knew about this, she would definitely worry again..."
Teacher Song put away his phone and quietly leaned into his ear.
Zhang Shutong was silent for a moment, "That's for the best, don't tell her."
There was no need, he wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone. She already had bodyguards around her, her situation was safe. To hint that he was running around outside, looking for the so-called killer, was that intentionally trying to get sympathy or just self-pity?
And even if she knew, she would just call from home or ask a few questions on QQ.
Teacher Song shook his head and said no more. The group went to the second floor of the mall. Colorful banners were fluttering. There were some newly opened storefronts. The destination for this trip was a Sichuan restaurant chain. Teacher Song said he needed to go to the bathroom, so Zhang Shutong and Lu Qinglian browsed around the entrance.
"First time here?"
"First time."
Now they were standing in the home appliance store opposite the Sichuan restaurant. The malls at that time didn't have clear area divisions, like the first floor being the fashion area and the second floor being the food area. Instead, they were all jumbled together in a noisy mess.
You might walk out of a hot pot restaurant, and the next door might be a lingerie store.
Zhang Shutong and Lu Qinglian were watching TV outside the store.
The TV was showing a local channel, the noon news. It was reporting on the heavy snow in the past few days, and also introducing some safety tips for snowy weather, such as clearing snow from roads and sheds in time, walking slowly, and not riding bicycles these days. It might even appear in a Chinese language assignment a few days later.
Zhang Shutong glanced at it and no longer paid attention. It was truly without substance. Lu Qinglian, however, looked at it very seriously, like a cat watching dried fish in a display case.
Forget it, this girl finds everything new and interesting.
The screen changed, and new footage appeared. It was probably a shot of a mountain on the island, with snow covering it. Then the host changed to a lighthearted tone, reminding everyone to be careful of avalanches.
Avalanche, a somewhat distant word.
But Zhang Shutong knew it wasn't impossible for one to happen. The host then said that students should remember not to go to the mountains alone this weekend, and if they did, they must be very careful.
Because avalanches usually don't happen right after the snow stops;
Instead, a few days later, when the temperature rises and the surface of the snow melts, the meltwater will slowly seep in, causing the once solid snow to loosen.
At this point, a new piece of data was inserted:
"According to experts, 90% of avalanches are caused by the victims or their teammates. This type of avalanche is called a 'man-made recreational avalanche'.
"The sounds made by winter sports enthusiasts can unintentionally become the fuse. Sometimes, it only takes a sneeze. The vibrations from the sound source are transmitted to the interior of the snow layer, causing the precarious snow to collapse.
"Therefore, when doing outdoor activities, be sure to stay quiet, especially during an avalanche. The victim's scream is very likely to trigger a secondary avalanche.
"And if a person is buried in the snow and cannot be rescued within half an hour, the hope of survival will be very slim..."
"That time is unreliable, don't believe it." Zhang Shutong said casually, "In fact, the optimal rescue time for an average person is only fifteen minutes. Half an hour is only possible for an adult male with extremely good physical fitness."
Lu Qinglian nodded her chin, and then asked in confusion, "Do I need to soak my feet in hot water after being rescued?"
Zhang Shutong fell silent.
"Watch if you want to." He said helplessly, "No one told you to live in the mountains every day."
The screen changed again, showing another mountain view. The camera zoomed in, and Zhang Shutong looked at it with a sense of familiarity:
"Do you see the road at the bottom of the mountain? Does it look like the mountain road to the villa?"
"It seems so." Lu Qinglian also frowned.
"Then do you think those footprints could be..."
"Left by reporters?" The girl calmly finished the second half of the sentence.
If that was the case, it would be a huge misunderstanding.
Zhang Shutong examined it carefully for a moment before saying:
"It shouldn't be. Did you see that tree there? I remember I rested there and looked at the snow on the mountain, worrying if there would be an avalanche. There was no tree at that time, and there were no footprints on the mountain road. It's probably old footage to make up the numbers."
Lu Qinglian recalled, "I didn't see a tree either."
Just then, they heard Teacher Song calling them. Zhang Shutong turned around, but Lu Qinglian was still watching TV.
"Next, we will demonstrate the standard movements for artificial respiration..."
He called out, and the girl looked at it for a few more seconds before turning her head and entering the restaurant with her crutch.
...
Not long after, the three best friends also arrived.
They weren't surprised to see the two had arrived first, other than a few words of concern about Lu Qinglian's foot injury.
After ordering, the group was led into a private room by the waiter. Teacher Song was the leader, standing up straight. The other party called him Mr. Song, and combined with the golden super VIP card in his hand, he really looked like a successful person.
But the moment the door closed, he was exposed.
The man took off his jacket and said with a wry smile:
"You guys remember this, although I said I would treat, this favor must be credited to Qiumian. I thought a deposit of five hundred would be the most, but I didn't expect it to be a full five thousand."
"How much?"
The partners exclaimed.
"Five thousand, and it's because this card can only be topped up to five thousand at most," Teacher Song was a little troubled. "It's not that I'm being ungrateful, but if I had known it was this much, I wouldn't have accepted it. Actually, I wasn't going to accept it at the time, but Qiumian said to let me take you guys out to have a good time, to calm down and not take yesterday's matter to heart. I thought it wasn't just me spending it, and one meal would probably be gone, so I took it. But how do I spend this five thousand... Do you guys want to buy clothes?"
"No." The group shook their heads at the same time.
"After we finish this meal, the card will be left with you. You can decide how to split it up. I, as a teacher, should avoid suspicion..."
"We don't have much use for this much either," Du Kang said subconsciously, "Can we return it?"
"How about this," Teacher Song said cheerfully, "Let's pretend this card doesn't exist. This meal is still on me. When I see Qiumian tomorrow, I'll say I forgot to bring the card, so she will probably feel bad and treat you to another meal. This way, you can have two meals. As for this card, Shutong, you can find a chance to return it to her."
Everyone unanimously agreed, and the card was muddled into his hands. Zhang Shutong looked at it, and it was actually made of metal, with a good weight.
Soon, the dishes were brought up one by one, a full eight of them. Teacher Song was actually a little pained, but at this time, he couldn't show his weakness in front of his students. He actively picked up his cola and toasted everyone.
"Shutong, why are you sitting so far away?" Ruoping asked in surprise.
"I have a cold." Zhang Shutong pulled down his mask, "I'm afraid of infecting you guys."
"How late were you out yesterday?"
"I forgot." Zhang Shutong answered truthfully.
He air-toasted with everyone and drank his cola in big gulps.
Zhang Shutong said he had a super flu and that even a little bit of spit would be bad. Those who weren't afraid of dying could come closer.
As expected, he was shunned.
Ruoping even "considerately" found him a pair of serving chopsticks.
It was already past one in the afternoon.
He was already a man of few words, and even less so today. He listened to the others chattering at the dinner table and quietly ate his meal from a distance. Everyone knew he was sick and was considerate, so they didn't ask him to chat or toast.
Zhang Shutong would occasionally check his phone. He was now clear-headed, and he had Teacher Song to thank for it.
He remembered that after dealing with Zhou Ziheng and his son on the way home, he had arrogantly thought that so-called retrospection was just about kicking away the stumbling blocks on the path of life. Now, thinking about it, it was just that some things needed to be given an explanation to himself. If he could still run, he would continue to run. If he had really tried his best, he could rest for a while.
Someone who wasn't afraid of death approached him, it was Qingyi:
"Any new discoveries?"
"Discoveries about what?" Zhang Shutong moved his chair and picked up a piece of Kung Pao chicken, "Oh, I found something. This thing is actually sweet."
"Where are you going this afternoon?"
"I'm going to ride around again."
Qingyi was surprised, "I thought you would hide it from us."
"That would be too boring. Now if anyone asks me, I'll tell them. If they don't ask, I'm happy to have some peace and quiet."
"What do you need us to do?"
"Nothing much. I'm just wandering around. When I'm completely exhausted, it's time to go back." Zhang Shutong thought about it.
"To find that footprint?"
"No, it's actually another person. I now know what I'm worried about subconsciously," Zhang Shutong sighed, "If it's just the footprints on the mountain road, there's nothing to be afraid of. But do you remember the figure I saw in the restricted area?"
"Oh, weren't you talking about Lu Qinglian?"
"It's not her." Zhang Shutong could only answer this way, "But I don't know who it is. She and the footprints are two different people. Oh right, on the way back yesterday, I ran into the real killer. Lu Qinglian had a confrontation with her."
Zhang Shutong briefly described it, "Looking at her skills, there's nothing to worry about. If she walks into a trap, even if I can't beat her, a bunch of bodyguards can. Not to mention, I plan to take Lu Qinglian with me tonight."
"The one who's truly unsettling is the figure in the restricted area?"
Zhang Shutong nodded, "If I can find her, I'll find her. If not, I'll wait for the snow to melt and look for her slowly. I have to find her."
"I think I understand a little bit. The situation isn't that dangerous right now. You just want to get past the hurdle in your own heart?"
"Yes."
"So you're not trying to hide it from anyone, you really just don't need help?"
"Mmm."
"Don't make yourself too miserable."
"A man has to be a little miserable sometimes." Zhang Shutong made a rare joke, "Actually, it's just OCD."
"This is called protecting what you cherish." Qingyi said a chuunibyou line and waved her hand, "Then we'll be in touch if anything comes up."
The same thing sounds different when said by different people. In Teacher Song's eyes, it was OCD. In Qingyi's eyes, it was chuunibyou. Of course, he didn't think so himself.
After the meal, Zhang Shutong and Lu Qinglian discussed something.
He asked her to go home with Ruoping to rest for a while to prepare for the evening.
She couldn't go back to the mountain in her current state, and it was inconvenient to contact her if she went to her own home.
Ruoping naturally agreed. After they decided, Zhang Shutong grabbed his clothes and said goodbye to the others.
...
"How much did it cost, Teacher?" Ruoping asked curiously.
She saw that Teacher Song's hands were trembling when he came out.
"Don't ask, it's not expensive." The man closed his eyes, exhaled and inhaled. He was embarrassed to say that the meal cost him a seventh of his salary, a full six hundred.
"How about we all chip in?" Ruoping noticed that the teacher's tone was a little off and felt a bit embarrassed.
"I said I'd treat, how can I regret it?" Song Nanshan sighed, "I haven't had any major expenses in the past few years, so I've become a little stingy. Actually, when I was young, I was also a spendthrift and spent money lavishly."
"Was it to buy gifts for your girlfriend?"
"You're right." Teacher Song smiled, "You're a girl, you should know that girls have a lot of expenses. There's a way to live frugally, but if you don't want to settle, the consumption level instantly goes up a notch. Let me tell you, just buying fruit..."
Ruoping covered her ears:
"Stop, I don't want to hear you show off your affection."
"Just expressing my feelings, expressing my feelings." Song Nanshan said awkwardly. It was indeed a bit inappropriate to say these things to students.
"Then I'll take you guys back later. Don't worry about Shutong for now. This kid has been a little stubborn recently. Well, how should I put it, as his friends, you should be a little more tolerant."
"No problem~" Ruoping said in a drawn-out voice, "Sigh, I'm too lazy to ask anymore. Let him be for the next few days. I'll just go along with his crazy behavior."
"Mmm, it's his luck to have friends like you."
Song Nanshan smiled with relief.
"I hope so. I'm afraid he finds us annoying." Ruoping rolled her eyes and told the two remaining boys to hurry up.
They had run to the home appliance store opposite the restaurant at some point and were watching TV. The TV was showing "Armored Hero".
The two boys gestured with their hands and shouted the lines:
"Hey Qingyi, I never want to see people's tears again! I want to see everyone's smiles!"
"What a coincidence, me too, Du Kang. So, watch my transformation!"
But before the transformation was complete, Ruoping dragged them back speechlessly.
"You're so old and you're still watching Armored Hero? Aren't you guys childish..."
As soon as she said this, she was met with the extreme anger of the two boys:
"First of all, this is Kamen Rider. Second, I, am, here!"
Ruoping was instantly silent.
"Do you know you're wrong?"
"I don't know you two..." She sighed, "Okay, Qinglian's foot is not well, and she's waiting downstairs. We should hurry."
"Right." Du Kang instantly betrayed the Rider faction, "Hurry up Qingyi, I've been saying Kuuga isn't that good-looking."
"You..." Qingyi's eyes widened in disbelief.
The three of them chattered and walked towards Song Nanshan. The man was waiting for them at the elevator entrance.
"I can't control them anymore, Teacher, you handle it." Ruoping walked while rubbing her forehead.
The man was leaning against the handrail, smiling and watching them mess around. He waved and was about to step onto the elevator when his smile suddenly froze:
"Wait a minute, Ruoping..."
"What's wrong?"
"You guys go play first... Or can you call your dad to pick you up? I suddenly have something urgent to do... I'll be there soon," the man was visibly incoherent, "No, I might not be able to come back for a while. In any case, I have to go..."
"What's wrong, Teacher? What happened?" Du Kang ran to him and asked.
But Song Nanshan didn't respond. Instead, he stumbled and ran down the elevator. The three of them were shocked by the sudden turn of events and then thought of following him, but their homeroom teacher had already run to the first floor of the mall and disappeared into the crowd.
"What's wrong with the teacher?" Ruoping said blankly.
"Let's call and ask later." Qingyi looked back, "Where was he looking just now?"
"The first floor, I think?" Ruoping pointed. The three of them looked over at the same time, where the crowd was bustling.
"I'll call my dad first." The group quickly went down to the first floor. Ruoping sighed wearily and made the call, while waving to Lu Qinglian, "Over here, over here, the plan has changed, let's take my family's car home..."
...
Zhang Shutong rode his bike to the police station.
He now remembered another question. Since three people died in the restricted area after eight years, had such a case ever happened before? Or, had anyone ever witnessed a suspicious figure in the restricted area before?
In the original timeline, in front of the funeral home, Du Kang once said that a few days before the incident, a fisherman had seen someone in the restricted area.
Zhang Shutong originally thought it was a poacher and set a trap for it, and finally ruled out the restricted area, but now, all the clues had to go back to the beginning.
He now had the phone numbers of two police officers, one was Officer Xiong, whom he met through fishing; the other was Officer Wang, whom Teacher Song had a previous relationship with.
However, both police officers were not there. They said they had gone to the city to make a report because of the Gu family's matter. Only a connecting police officer was left. The phone call also didn't go through. It was busy, probably in a meeting.
Zhang Shutong asked the police officer if he could look at the case files. The other party looked embarrassed:
"Case files definitely don't fit the procedure, but I can tell you about the two situations you mentioned. They haven't happened in these years. If you're talking about someone dying in that wasteland, it's that legend, where a fishing boat carrying college students capsized. But that was in the early 21st century. I was about your age back then, and there's still no saying whether it's true or false."
Zhang Shutong sighed and thanked the other party.
It was now three in the afternoon.
If Saturday midnight was set as zero o'clock, then there were still 9 hours until the incident.
He habitually looked at his phone. Ruoping said they had arrived home and also said that Teacher Song suddenly had something urgent and left in a hurry for some reason. She had made a phone call, but it hadn't gone through, and she was going to try again later.
Zhang Shutong replied that he knew.
He put on his helmet and gloves, got on his bike, and began to ride around the island against the cold wind.
He didn't know if what he was doing was right, running on the road tirelessly to find a person who "didn't exist." The exhaust pipe of the motorcycle was hot. He accidentally touched it when he got on the bike, and it hurt a little even through his gloves.
He followed the bus route, going around and around.
Did Teacher Song also walk this path?
Zhang Shutong would sometimes wonder.
White snow, reeds, stones, ice, dirt...
The scene was desolate.
Winter was never a kind season. It just covered the desolation with white.
Zhang Shutong didn't know how long he had been riding. His state at noon seemed to be a brief burst of energy. His head was starting to feel dizzy again. He knew he couldn't keep going. He looked at his phone, and it was already past four.
The entire afternoon had passed just like that.
Zhang Shutong rode his bike back to the hospital, registered on his own, still in the respiratory department. The doctor on duty was still the same uncle. The other party was obviously taken aback:
"It's you again?"
"I think I'm starting to get a fever again..." Zhang Shutong said, "Can I get another shot?"
"You're treating fever shots like a meal, you got one at noon and you're back in the afternoon." The doctor said with a headache, "I think you should just get an IV drip and rest there for a while. If your fever doesn't go down tonight, it will probably get serious."
Zhang Shutong thought for a moment and had no objection.
He got the medicine and went to the ward to get the shot. It was still the same young nurse. "Why are you here again?"
"Busy." He was always a humorous person.
Zhang Shutong held out his hand. The other party tied the tourniquet and patted the back of his hand, as if sizing up a pork rib:
"How long have you been outside? You're so cold?"
"The whole afternoon."
"Don't run around anymore."
"Can't run anymore." Zhang Shutong raised his hand and answered weakly.
He also asked the nurse for a charger. This time, he didn't dare to be reckless and had to make sure to fully charge his phone.
Zhang Shutong closed his eyes to rest, occasionally opening them to look at the IV drip, worried that he would fall asleep.
It turned out he was overthinking. There were even more people in the evening. The ward was crowded with people. The sounds of coughing, spitting, and various strange smells permeated the air. There were also the sounds of crying children, making his temples throb.
The hospital was definitely not a good place, but he was spookily feeling a hint of warmth here.
Zhang Shutong saw a small chubby kid whose veins couldn't be found. The nurse suggested injecting his foot, but the kid refused to do so no matter what, using his hands and feet to desperately hide his two feet under his body, like a meditating Arhat. His mother was anxious next to him, crying non-stop. The nurse wouldn't rest. Zhang Shutong saw this and smiled. He had forgotten if he was like this when he was a child, crying at the sight of a needle. But so-called adults are just a day when you're not feeling well and you consciously go to the hospital for an IV.
This was a small ward about the size of his living room, a few dozen square meters. There were sofas and beds. The sofas were full of holes, and there wasn't much foam left inside. He could feel the metal frame with his butt when he sat on it. He didn't know who was so bad. It was just a normal IV, why did they have to pick at the sofa... But when he came to his senses, he found that he had also pulled out a small handful of foam and felt embarrassed.
It was almost dinner time. In addition to the strange smell of various mucus, there was also the fragrance of food. Zhang Shutong felt a little nauseous and decided to go out for a walk. He took off the IV drip himself, held it, and came to the corridor. It was crowded here. He came up with a crooked idea and hung the IV drip on the window handle, finally freeing his hands.
The hospital was not strictly managed now. A man was standing next to him, smoking a cigarette non-stop. The cold wind from outside rushed in, pushing the smoke in all directions. Zhang Shutong knew that the emergency room was next door. Whose husband or father was this?
Winter was a desolate season, and the hospital was the place closest to death.
Behind him were people rushing by, adults, children, men, and women... It was noisy behind him. He looked at the snow outside the window, the only peaceful place.
He yawned and was about to go back, but was suddenly bumped.
"Move aside!" It turned out that a group of nurses was running through the corridor. The leader was a male nurse. His voice was anxious, and he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. Zhang Shutong was almost knocked over by him, and the needle in his hand almost bled.
He looked closely and saw that the nurses were surrounding a sickbed. It was indeed a rescue. He quickly moved to the side, knowing that at this time, he shouldn't worry about whether he was bumped or not. If he couldn't help, at least he shouldn't cause trouble.
He was even thinking that this was the disadvantage of a small hospital. It wasn't like a large hospital where the areas were clearly divided - getting an IV was just getting an IV. Not to mention the emergency room, even children were in a separate pediatric department.
But on the small island, you could see all kinds of patients, those with runny noses, those with persistent high fevers, those in need of emergency rescue, and those on the verge of death.
Zhang Shutong felt a little emotional. He shook his head and brushed past the sickbed.
A man was lying on the sickbed. He had a bandage wrapped around his head, and blood was seeping through it. His eyes were tightly closed, and his face was ashen.
"Bang--"
The IV bottle in his hand fell to the ground, and the liquid spilled everywhere. The glass splattered on the terrazzo floor. This was already the center of chaos, and now it was even more chaotic.
Zhang Shutong was struck by lightning. He opened his mouth but suddenly couldn't speak.
Because he knew that man.
The man's name was Song Nanshan.