Chapter 1: The Knife's Terrifying Awakening

  "Hmm hmm hmm"

  On the third day, this metallic and stone collision sound lingered in my mind, endless and irrepressible, making my head ache to the point of bursting. One after another, with a strong rhythmic sense, it was like the sound of sharpening knives I used to hear when I was young in the countryside. This sharpness made me feel really nauseous.

  But I didn't dare to be careless, on Monday morning, the streets were filled with a pot of dumplings.

  The last red light, I slammed on the brakes with one foot and lay back in the driver's seat.

  I deliberately turned up the volume of the car's audio, but this "whooshing" sound was like a birth from my heart, tightly surrounding me, still abnormally clear.

  Suddenly, the car's audio changed from smooth music to a hissing sound like a cassette tape. I was startled and reached out to adjust the buttons. As I turned them lightly, a strange breathing sound emerged, exactly like a woman's faint gasps, which seemed to synchronize with my movements. Frightened, I withdrew my hand and looked around, only to see a thin white mist blowing out of the air conditioning vent, colorless and odorless, spreading throughout the car in an instant.

  I didn't turn on the air conditioner! What the hell, did the car catch fire? I was so startled that I sat up straight, and all my organs were on high alert. But years of driving experience told me that there was nothing wrong with the engine.

  My hands were shaking so hard that I could barely hold onto the steering wheel, and my hand was trembling as I reached out to turn off the engine. But in an instant, the thick fog suddenly turned thin. Suddenly, a red shadow floated to the window of my driver's seat. And strangely, as the red shadow approached, the audio system in my car returned to normal, and the white fog disappeared.

  Knocking on the car window, tender white scallion-like fingers, printed on the window, each joint protruding like a bone wrapped in skin. Ah, skeleton! It startled my whole heart.

  "Big brother, big brother." It was a woman's anxious cry.

  Gathering up the courage to roll down the window, a similarly young and extremely anxious face appeared before his eyes, "Big brother, please do me a favor and take me to the intersection near my home, I really can't hail a cab."

  Hesitated for a moment, then the sound of horns filled the air, and it was already green light. No time to think more, shouted "Get in the back seat".

  Almost at the same moment when the woman got into the car, I started the engine. Can't wait any longer, or else those behind would have asked for my ancestors' names for generations to come.

  The woman in red thanked him repeatedly after getting on the bus, saying that if it weren't for her big brother's kindness, she really wouldn't have made it.

  I didn't say a word, but my heart was in my throat. Damn it, is tension the cure for all illnesses? The eerie whirring sound of the knife suddenly disappeared, leaving an empty feeling.

  Carefully followed behind someone's car, stole a glance at the rearview mirror on the roof.

  "My goodness! There's nothing, the back seat is empty, but clearly someone got on. Driving the car, I didn't dare look again, but my nose caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance, and a voice floated into my ears like a celestial sound, 'Good brother, you're a lifesaver, you've saved me in my time of need.'"

  He lifted his head again and looked back through the rearview mirror, and saw a woman sitting in the back seat with a bright red dress.

  My mom is so unlucky, even drinking cold water can choke her! I think I'm getting anxious.

  "They're all damn busy, they're all damn anxious, in the end, it's just a dick." I thought to myself with hatred.

  I have good reason for thinking of this!

  The common saying goes: "A knife on top of the heart, endurance is supreme!"

  Ancient words also say: If this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated?

  It was just three nights ago that something happened to me that even my uncle could hardly bear, and I'm afraid my aunt couldn't either.

  The company sent me to Hainan on a business trip, but I was hesitant and tried to get out of it. The boss put great pressure on me, saying that the other party had specifically asked for me. The strong and capable boss said this with a wink, adding that Hainan has warm winds and beautiful people, so it's just right for you to go take a look.

  What the heck, my little Yu Zhen, this lovely demon who has been in love with me for two years, these days I don't know what medicine she took wrong, asking me how our marriage nest is doing. The promotional buildings on the street are overwhelming, and the red-cheeked white-skinned sales ladies are seducing like they've been injected with chicken blood: Love her and give her a bed, just need one room for a bed. I spit, then I pick up a celery stalk on the road, afraid that I'll still have to marry a cook.

  Just thinking about how to calm down the little demon's heart fire, but I have to go on a business trip and can't get out of it. Helplessly, I whispered softly to the little demon, telling her to be obedient and listen to me, I'll leave now and come back later, and then we'll go to the building together to play chicken blood.

  Yu Zhen this time was unusually straightforward, saying go and be careful, what's wrong with this woman's brain circuitry.

  It was a trip to settle accounts with old clients for many years, and just as my boss said, this good drinker of two liters really got along with me. Three days of work were completed in four days, and I was left idle for one day, but I pushed it away saying I had something to do. In fact, I was still thinking about Yu Zhen's affairs. This demon is really good at things, always making you enthusiastic about doing big things without needing to be stimulated.

  Thinking of returning early, it just so happens to be Friday, which is a good time. The plane lands at 9:30, and I can rush all the way to deliver myself to the little devil's bedside by 10 o'clock sharp. Who knows, my early return might even move her a bit. And wouldn't that be perfect for taking advantage of the situation? Thinking about it is actually making me a little excited.

  Everything was normal, at the right time and place, but unexpectedly, it was not the "right person". On my familiar bed, a white sheet covered everything, with clear breathing sounds, without any intention to hide. A layer of thick, greasy fat lay on top, while underneath, struggling desperately, was the delicate skin I knew all too well.

  With a surge of anger, he directly rushed up and lifted the white thing on top, throwing it to the ground. Just as he was about to use his fists and feet, he was stopped by a soft voice.

  "Stop it, can you afford to pay for it if you break it?"

  On the other side, Yu Zhen was not flustered, slowly and calmly getting dressed and getting out of bed, and coincidentally accurately throwing a pile of clothes to cover up a pile of white things twisting on the ground.

  "Li Xin, are you even a man? You're stuck with that pile of IOUs, poor as can be. I'm teaching you a lesson, letting your woman sleep in your bed. When you have money, you can do whatever you want. Go jump in the river!"

  To be honest, I wasn't scared off by the thought of losing money, but was instead stung by that demon's last sentence.

  I didn't jump into the river, but slammed the door shut, closing a memory along with it.

  This is probably what they call unbearable.

  Saturday and Sunday were spent in a daze, with the sound of "clang clang clang" of metal and whetstone constantly echoing in my mind, making my head ache, it was definitely the sound of sharpening knives from the countryside, perhaps the impulse in my subconscious made this sound unforgettable.

  Monday, no room for sloppiness, got up early and rushed downstairs. Opened the car door, got in, started the engine, habitually reached out with my right hand, but didn't feel the expected soft lace, instead my palm heavily slapped against the leather passenger seat. Damn it, I'm single again.

  It's okay, this loss actually made me more clear-headed. If I lose the meal ticket again, I'll really have to jump into the river.

  Hurry up and go, wait for the red light, avoid motorcycles, let pedestrians pass.

  Screeching to a halt, the last red light. This is what I meant by my previous state. I was reclining in the driver's seat, "Rushing to reincarnate", every morning was like this, wandering aimlessly and startled. Originally, there was Yu Zhen in the passenger seat as a comfort, but now my mood is really indescribable, the sound of "hōu hōu hōu" grinding knives still echoing faintly in my mind.

  "Damn it, I'll get him." My teeth clenched tightly.

  By the way, as Yu Zhen said, "Don't look at me driving a car and wearing a tie, being called 'General Manager Li' by everyone, I'm actually just a nobody." I am the Deputy Financial Director of that road bridge company. Chinese people are used to omitting the word "deputy", so it's all "general" everywhere. Saying "Deputy Financial Director" is to sound more impressive, but in reality, it's just an accountant. The financial department has always had four people, and my director and I are the two fixed old soldiers in the iron-clad camp. The other two are like a revolving door, they are all young graduates from universities who come to gain work experience and wait for the opportunity to take the exam and one day enter the "Big Four" accounting firms. Yu Zhen said that I'm "guarding a large pile of money but poor as can be", which is actually true. Every day, dealing with millions of dollars is normal, and money has become numb to me. It's not like I have a choice, my rice bowl depends on it. When the old general manager asks me to go on a business trip, he says "the other party only recognizes me", which is also true. Over the years, our company's business has been smooth and clean, and my personal integrity has been certified by the company's annual awards.

  Be careful, just ahead is the intersection leading to my home, a street that locals call "Central Food Street". It's lined with small eateries serving fast food and quick meals, mainly catering to working-class customers who value speed and affordability. I also occasionally patronize these places for convenience and thriftiness.

  Suddenly, a blackness appeared in front of my eyes. Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes with one foot and accelerated with the other, making a loud screeching sound. I crashed into the steering wheel, and my breakfast almost spilled out. Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. Oh my god! Out of nowhere, an old man suddenly appeared, riding a bicycle across the street, but then he crashed into a stray dog on the street. The dog let out a mournful cry as it was dragged along the ground by its hind legs, using its front legs to desperately escape. In an instant, it vanished from sight, leaving behind a long, mournful cry, a pool of blood on the street, and a long trail of blood that caught my eye.

  The old man riding the bike, however, seemed completely nonchalant, with a hint of an eerie smile, quickly passing through the streets. The straight goatee on his chin didn't even twitch, leaving me with the deepest impression as I stood there in shock. In an instant, he was gone without a trace. Passersby merely slowed down their pace and turned their heads to take a look, but everything seemed normal. This small alley was lined with restaurants, where from time to time a chicken would run out of one or a stray dog searching for food would appear, all just part of the usual scene.

  My eye sockets are about to burst, my mouth is open wide enough to fit an egg in, and the cold sweat on my forehead is dripping down.

  Suddenly a cool breeze stuck to his forehead, "Slow down, are you also in a hurry to reincarnate?"

  With a sudden jerk of the head, I almost bumped into a smiling face as lovely as a flower. It was the red-clothed woman who had hitched a ride with me, handing me a tissue to wipe my forehead. What's more, the grinding sound in my mind that had disappeared for a while started again, this time even sharper.

  I'm really done for, holding my head in both hands, with both feet still firmly pressed on the clutch and brake.

  And yet it was light, a pair of white hands that were incredibly pale, yes, just like the bony hands I saw on the car glass, moved my gear into an empty space and skillfully shifted my already extinguished car.

  It's still that voice, "Thanks big brother, I've arrived, drive slowly and be careful."

  The sound of my old car opening and closing the door is what I'm most familiar with, but now it's as if there's no sound at all. Maybe I was too nervous to hear it. All I saw was a red shadow floating in front of my car, seemingly smiling at me, with a pointed chin and two eyes that had a piercing sparkle, then disappeared.

  Vehicles of all kinds whizzed by the car, and various horns sounded in unison.

  A taxi driver passing by me just scolded me with a loud curse, "Foolish, waiting for death on the street!"

  I suddenly woke up. Everything in the car was normal, the stereo was still loud, and the engine was purring softly, I stopped in the middle of the street. If it weren't for the remaining bloodstains on the front that reminded me that I had just hit a dog here, I would have thought everything was an illusion.

  I quickly dropped my hands that were holding my head, damn it, this was weird, the "whooshing" sound of sharpening a knife had vanished into thin air.

  "What the hell, you're such a coward! You let Yu Zhen, who slept with someone else, turn you into this? You're so suspicious and paranoid. Can't you have some dignity?" I scolded myself harshly in my heart, actually trying to boost my confidence and courage.

  Hurry up, or you'll really become a stupid cunt.

  Start, slide, accelerate, nothing's wrong.

  "What a damn lowlife scum, great." I muttered to myself again.

  At this time, there was no sound of sharpening knives in my mind, but suddenly another idea emerged. Just now, that woman in red, wasn't she sitting in the back seat? How did she wipe my sweat and also start the car? Was it because of that sudden emergency brake that she moved to the driver's seat? But why was her face almost touching mine when I turned around?

  My goodness, a sudden thought, it can only be an explanation, she's probably floating right above my head!

  Subconsciously, I glanced at the rearview mirror and saw a pale smile floating by. Suddenly, a bony hand reached out to my face, and with a cracking sound of joints, only the index finger was left, pointing at me. My grandma! I was so scared that I shrunk my head, instinctively slammed on the brakes, and the car shook violently. The screeching sounds from surrounding cars were familiar and comforting, reminding me that I was still driving in a city and streets I knew well. The image in front of me vanished into thin air.

  I suddenly shrank my head, and with another burst of force underfoot, the car shot forward like a rabbit.

  My heart is pounding like a hammer, I'm afraid it's going to shatter. I desperately pressed down on it again and took another frantic glance at the rearview mirror above my head, only to see the familiar face of a loser with a distorted facial expression and a panicked gaze - it was myself!

  Damn you're really pathetic.

  I went to the company this morning.

  Pull over and close the window when entering the courtyard.

  Suddenly, his eyes were stuck on a bright orange wallet on the back seat. After a moment's thought, he suspected it was left behind by the woman in red. At this time, however, it seemed to be emitting an eerie orange glow.

  No time to think more, busy taking the wallet upstairs, the early shift needs to punch in, that means full attendance, hehe.