Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 055

Chapter 55 ☆, A Narrow Escape.

Xin Xin once heard someone say that near-death experiences were very rich; in the instant of losing consciousness, a lifetime of memories would flash before one’s eyes like a revolving lantern.

But now, under the blazing sun, Xin Xin saw double images of the sun, and she began to think that near-death experiences were commonplace. So commonplace that people could simply be walking around casually and suddenly lose their lives.

They escaped by smashing the window just as dawn was breaking. Although they managed to find the car keys, unfortunately, the car was out of gas.

They decided to take the water and food and head back. After all, the return journey would ensure there were people around, and they would have a rough idea of ​​when and where they were headed.

At first, Xin Xin and Fu Meng were full of confidence. Based on the travel time, they were sure they could get there even if it took three or four days.

But after walking for more than a day, perhaps because of the large temperature difference between day and night, the two slept outdoors overnight, and Xin Xin developed a fever.

Fu Meng’s willpower and physical strength were far superior to Xin Xin’s. But two days later, her energy also began to wane, and they seemed to have lost track of time.

As long as they could leave the Gobi Desert and the highway and walk into a field, even if there were no one there, they would feel hope.

But when they reached the end of the road, there was no road at all. The hillsides were covered in gravel and dust, with only a tire track remaining.

Fu Meng was very determined when she decided on a direction.

But at this moment, she also began to feel uncertain.

Xin Xin sat down against a rock, took a sip of water, and felt that she had lost the last bit of strength. At first, she was just a little weak, but now her eyes were getting heavier and heavier, and she could barely open them.

Until this moment, no one could have imagined that they would encounter such a desperate situation in their ordinary daily life.

“Fu Meng, you should leave. Like we said before, let’s not drag each other down.”

Fu Meng poured water into her hands and hurriedly splashed the water on Xin Xin’s face. “Cheer up, pull yourself together, we’ll be there soon.”

Stimulated by the water, Xin Xin managed to regain her senses for a short while. Not wanting to disappoint Fu Meng, she stood up and started walking again.

Since there were no proper roads, walking became even more difficult. Xin Xin’s legs felt like lead, and she thought aimlessly, “If I died, how heartbroken my parents would be. Who would have thought that someone could die so suddenly while they were at work?”

It was not surprising; such accidents happened every day.

Xin Xin recalled that when she went home for the Chinese New Year, someone at a class reunion told her that a classmate had died in an accident. The cause of death was very bizarre; the classmate had choked to death while eating spicy hot pot.

How strange, death never gave a warning and had no logic.

Perhaps Fu Meng would be rescued. When she was rescued, the police might be surprised that a modern person could die from a fever even with food and water available.

Xin Xin was too exhausted to walk any further; the intense headache was causing her consciousness to gradually fade.

“Fu Meng, you should go now. If it takes you a long time to find me and something happens to me, remember to tell my parents that I’m not in a lot of pain.”

Fu Meng looked at Xin Xin in silence, tears suddenly falling down her face. She didn’t say anything but helped Xin Xin to a shady spot formed by a rocky hill.

“Xin Xin, it won’t be long. Stay awake and don’t think about anything else. As long as you have food and drink, you’ll be fine.”

When people anticipated an extreme scenario, they assumed they would be rational. However, in reality, when faced with extreme situations, people would become exceptionally emotional, and almost no one could make a completely rational and correct choice.

For example, if Fu Meng were completely rational at this moment, she would take most of the supplies and try her best to find rescue.

But in the end, she only brought one bottle of water, leaving the other two packs of biscuits and three bottles of water next to Xin Xin.

Xin Xin wanted to call out to Fu Meng and tell her not to leave anything for her, but her consciousness became increasingly blurred. In her hazy state, she saw Fu Meng’s figure, bathed in the blazing sun, growing further and further away.

At the same time, Xin Xin’s consciousness was drifting further and further away.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when someone called Xin Xin. In her dazed state, she heard a cacophony of voices.

“Xin Xin.”

She responded subconsciously and felt herself being lifted onto a bed.

A very distant yet familiar voice called her name again and again, gently but frantically.

“Xin Xin, Xin Xin…”

Xin Xin opened her eyes.

The first thing that came into view was a haggard face with stubble, bloodshot eyes, and a smile on its lips.

Xin Xin had never seen Zheng Zaochuan look so disheveled.

“Zheng Zaochuan.”

“Um.”

Xin Xin stared blankly at Zheng Zaochuan’s lips. “I only realized today that you have a smiling face.”

Even in the most difficult times, Xin Xin never saw Zheng Zaochuan show any sadness or distress. His delicate, somewhat childlike face always displayed a sharp, indomitable spirit and a slightly mocking smile.

But today Xin Xin noticed that Zheng Zaochuan’s lips were naturally curved in a playful way. But in reality, he wasn’t smiling; the fear in his eyes was almost overflowing.

“I’ve only been away from you for a few days.”

When Zheng Zaochuan opened his mouth, his voice was even hoarser than Xin Xin’s, and bitterness leaked out from every word.

Xin Xin didn’t feel scared, only a sense of relief at surviving a disaster. She suddenly remembered, “Where’s Fu Meng?”

“She’s fine; she’s sleeping next door. She’s just a little tired.”

It was only then that Xin Xin realized they had been very close to people that day. They were almost at the nearest town, and Fu Meng saw people after walking for less than half an hour.

She called the police at a small shop.

The police and ambulance arrived very quickly. In fact, even if she hadn’t called the police, they would have already located their general area.

“When did you arrive?” Xin Xin asked Zheng Zaochuan.

Zheng Zaochuan gave a wry smile. “When I couldn’t get in touch with you.”

At the time, Zheng Zaochuan couldn’t get through to Xin Xin by phone, and for some reason, he felt uneasy. So, he managed to contact Xin Xin’s colleague and got Boss Zhang’s phone number.

At that time, Mr. Zhang hadn’t realized they were in trouble, but because Zheng Zaochuan had called, just in case, Mr. Zhang called his friend’s company to inquire about the driver, Wang Zhihe. Then, he discovered a very disturbing fact: Wang Zhihe of Jinshi Seed Industry didn’t have a younger brother at all.

They called the police immediately.

Police discovered that the driver’s license information was fake based on the image of the driver’s license left on Mr. Zhang’s phone.

At that time, a day had passed since they went missing.

That same day, Zheng Zaochuan received a call from Su Chengjie.

What followed was an intense search and rescue operation. Zheng Zaochuan stayed with the police throughout and even answered phone calls from Xin Xin at the police station.

By comparing surveillance videos bit by bit, the police were able to determine their approximate direction of travel.

Fortunately, Xin Xin collapsed less than fifteen minutes’ drive from the town, and her illness was not serious. However, when the ambulance brought her back, she had a fever of nearly 40 degrees Celsius, was somewhat dehydrated, and was close to shock.

If it weren’t for the timely rescue, even if the person had survived, it would be hard to say whether their brain would have been damaged.

Xin Xin had been in the hospital for a day, but she was already bouncing around again. “Thank goodness, I almost burned myself silly.”

Zheng Zaochuan has been taking care of Xin Xin while communicating with the police for the past two days. Fu Meng had already recounted their ordeal to the police once, and after Xin Xin recovered, she described their experiences over the past two days to the police again.

“I suspect the driver’s Shaanxi accent was fake at first.”

Looking back on the past few days, details that didn’t seem strange before are now clearly in Xin Xin’s mind.

The police officer listened to Xin Xin’s recollection while taking notes, asking, “Why do you think that?”

Xin Xin thought about it carefully and said cautiously, “On the first day our car was scratched, at the hospital, we could hear that the driver had a very obvious Shaanxi accent. But when he spoke to us the next day, his accent was much lighter.”

Driver Wang Zhihe is from Shaanxi.

Perhaps this mysterious driver, a northerner, disguised his accent to increase credibility.

“Who did this? Do you have any clues?”

Xin Xin was stunned for a moment, then quickly glanced at Zheng Zaochuan. She suspected it was Su Chengjie, but she had no proof. Moreover, she believed that if Zheng Zaochuan hadn’t spoken up, even if they caught the driver, they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint Su Chengjie’s involvement.

“No.”

After the police left, Xin Xin asked Zheng Zaochuan, “It was Su Chengjie who did it, wasn’t it?”

As Zheng Zaochuan peeled an apple for her, he said, “Focus on getting better first; we’ll talk about it later.”

“Why did he ask me to call you? What deal did you make with him?”

Zheng Zaochuan handed her the apple, seemingly quite pleased with his apple-peeling skills, saying, “Look at how thin the peel is, like a cicada’s wing.”

Xin Xin could tell that he didn’t want to talk about this, and for some reason, she suddenly became a little angry.

“Zheng Zaochuan, I almost died because of this. Don’t I at least have the right to know what happened?”

This time, Zheng Zaochuan looked intently into her eyes. “Xin Xin, stop investigating. Let it go. These things have nothing to do with you, and my feud with Su Chengjie has even less to do with you.”

Xin Xin felt a chill spread through her body instantly because of his cold gaze and attitude.

She didn’t say it, but seeing his barely concealed fear and the joy of finding what he had lost made Xin Xin feel that they were closer to each other than ever before.

However, Zheng Zaochuan calmly told her at that moment that it had nothing to do with her.

Xin Xin once again realized the insurmountable gap between them.

This time, it was even more painful than when he ruthlessly reminded her of his boundaries each time she crossed them in the past.

Xin Xin sneered, “Zheng Zaochuan, my relationship with Su Chengjie is none of your business. I’m determined to pursue this matter. As for you, since you think it’s none of my business, then my affairs are none of your business either. Why did you come to Jin City? To travel?”

Seeing her sudden coldness, Zheng Zaochuan was furious and wanted to say something, but in the end he didn’t say a word.

They didn’t even sulk; they simply retreated to a safe distance in tacit agreement.

A few days later, they set off together back to Haining.

Shortly after returning to Haining, the Jinshi Public Security Bureau called Fu Meng and Xin Xin to report on the latest developments in the case. With the assistance of the sketch artist, they found the driver’s information, issued an arrest warrant, and quickly found clues.

The driver, named Wang Yu, was from Jinshi and had a prior robbery record. He was arrested at a small hotel and voluntarily confessed to the crime. He had been working odd jobs on construction sites for years, and after the project recently concluded, he continued his job search in Haining City.

According to his confession, he traveled to Jinshi on the same flight as Xin Xin and Fu Meng. He noticed that they were well-dressed and thought he could get something out of them, so he impulsively decided to commit the crime.