Chapter One: The Car Accident

“Good evening, listeners. This is FM 101.5, Economic Voice. Welcome to the Financial Live program. Today, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets plunged by more than 200 points, and the total volume has dropped below the lowest point since 1994. As international financial turmoil continues, professional analysts point out that this bearish trend may persist for quite some time, which certainly makes domestic investors break out in a cold sweat. Next, our station has invited professional stock analyst Mr. Wang Lei to give us a detailed breakdown of the recent market trends…”

The young man's voice from the radio filled the cramped space of the car, accompanied only by the low rumble of the engine and the look of utter misery on my face. My churning stomach and the reek of alcohol kept numbing my heart, which felt as if it was about to be torn apart. I couldn’t bear such a blow; I slammed the horn several times, trying to vent my frustration and rage. Yet the car horn, shrill as it was, was instantly swallowed up by the thunder and lightning raging across the sky.

My name is Xiao Qiang—a man with a failed life. No one could have imagined that a stock once soaring high would, with the turbulence of the financial tsunami, crash almost overnight. It didn’t just sweep away countless fortunes; it also took with it my only hope. Today is July 1st, 2010. My small company finally collapsed, unable to hold on any longer. After falling into debt with loan sharks, I was pushed out the door by my father during a beating from the collectors—I have no idea where to go from here. Perhaps I was never meant to be a businessman. Perhaps I was destined to live an ordinary, unremarkable life. My cowardice and timidity made me miss opportunity after opportunity, resulting in the miserable situation I now find myself in. All I ever wanted was to make some money, to prove myself in front of her, to make her look at me with new eyes. But here I am, thirty years old, only now realizing how utterly useless I am.

Thirty years of life—how many more can one have? Love, friendship—I’ve missed far too much. I just wanted to prove myself, to let the woman in my heart see what I’m capable of, to have the means to make her happy. Is it really so wrong to want to be worthy of her?

Through my drunken, bleary eyes, I glanced at the dashboard and realized I was already driving at 100 kilometers per hour. The speed limit on this winding mountain road was only 80. Maybe I’ve never been so reckless in my life. Never before—until today. I let out a bitter laugh and muttered, “Didn’t I bring all this on myself? Weren’t these all choices I once made? If I’d known it would come to this, why did I even begin?”

“Pathetic—you're just a pathetic loser!” The more I thought, the angrier I became, and I slammed my fist on the steering wheel. That was a mistake; the blow sent my stomach over the edge, and I couldn't hold back the burning flood of high-proof brandy. I vomited, filling the car with the stench. “Heh…heh…” I giggled foolishly, heedless of the mess around my mouth. The alcohol had completely overtaken my mind. “If living is this painful, then what’s the point? Might as well just die!”

I stomped on the gas. The car sped up even more. The fragments of my thirty years flashed through my mind. It was the very ordinariness of my life that made me yearn for something spectacular, and in reaching for that, I lost everything. Gazing at the cliff beside the mountain road, my thoughts grew clearer, and I smiled bitterly. “If there’s a next life, I’ll prove to the world that Xiao Qiang is second to none! I’ll be a dragon among men. I’ll make sure everyone knows I’m the best in the world!”

Muttering to myself, I pulled out my phone and flipped through my contacts. There it was—the name I’d kept for more than a decade, never daring to call, even as the numbers changed again and again. This time, I made up my mind. If I’m not afraid of death, what else can stop me? With determination, I dialed her number.

“Hello? Who’s calling?” A sweet, familiar female voice came through the phone. My eyes stung, and I nearly burst into tears. I forced myself to steady my voice and asked, “How have you been, my old classmate…?”

“Who is this?” She seemed puzzled, unable to recognize me. “Sorry, I really can’t tell who you are. Could you tell me your name?”

“Heh… It doesn’t matter. I… I know you’re getting married tomorrow, so I just wanted to call and wish you happiness in advance.” As I spoke, I could no longer hold back my tears. They flowed like a dam breaking, and my voice choked. “I wish you happiness…”

There was a moment of silence, then her voice came back, trembling with emotion. “Xiao Qiang? Is it you? You’re Xiao Qiang, aren’t you? Thank you for your kind wishes. Honestly, after all these years, if it weren’t for… I might not have recognized your voice.” She finally guessed my identity. Should I feel happy or sad? Her beauty kept me waiting silently for over a decade, but her status made me too afraid to confess. I only wanted to wait until I was successful—only then could I openly declare my feelings. But now…

“Sorry, I’m not Xiao Qiang. You’ve got the wrong person. I’m hanging up now. Goodbye, Su Xin.” I murmured, preparing to end the call, but then I heard something that made my entire body tremble.

“Thank you, Xiao Qiang. I’ve waited far, far too long for this call. Just when I thought I’d never get it, you finally called. But it’s a pity—it’s too late now. If only you’d called sooner…”

My phone slipped from my hand and fell onto the seat. I was completely stunned. She’d been waiting for me all along. She’d always liked me. And yet, because of my ridiculous stubbornness, I let her wait in vain for more than ten years!

Beep! Beep! Just as I sat there, dazed and in despair, thunderclouds roiling overhead, a blaring horn and blinding headlights suddenly appeared at a sharp bend in the mountain road ahead! Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes, but the car showed no sign of stopping. It continued skidding straight forward…

It’s over! That was the only thought in my mind. And at that moment, I saw what was coming toward me—a truck, its cargo bed piled high.

Crack—BOOM! Lightning split the sky open. In the midst of that deafening roar, torrential rain poured down on the mountain highway, washing away all the heat and dust of the mortal world…