Mysterious Courier

These pants were clearly ruined. Fortunately, San Gou had brought a change of clothes.

San Gou looked somewhat reluctant.

"Alright, alright. Don't you think you should be glad you're unharmed?"

San Gou put on a crying face. "These pants were bought for me by my dad specifically for the New Year."

"I'll have Uncle San buy you another pair later."

"Who knows when that will be," San Gou clearly had little faith in his father.

Just then, Jiang Yue's phone rang.

"Jiang Yue? I have a package for you. I'm downstairs at your building now, could you come down and get it?"

A package?

Jiang Yue rarely shopped online. Basically, if anything needed to be bought for the house, his sister Jiang Ying was in charge. His sister had a habit of online shopping, but she always used her own name, phone number, and mostly her company address.

He went downstairs, and the delivery driver had just arrived.

The package was very light, almost weightless. Jiang Yue guessed it was probably some documents, or flyers for GG, or something?

But who would be so bored as to send GG flyers by courier?

Jiang Yue entered the elevator and casually tore open a corner. A three-finger-wide slip of paper slid out.

To be precise, it couldn't be called a piece of paper. It was a slightly textured yellow talisman paper, covered in strange symbols. Each stroke seemed to contain some profound meaning.

These things were quite common in the countryside.

Many rural households hung them in front of their houses or pasted them on their doors to ward off evil and bring good fortune.

However, unlike the crudely made talismans from the countryside, this one, placed in his palm, felt light and weightless, yet it seemed to contain some indescribable mystery.

It was like genuine jade placed next to a common stone; the difference was immediately apparent.

It didn't even need the common stone for contrast; its unique aura was obvious to anyone with eyes.

"There's writing on the back.

Elm Street, Daozi Lane, Villa No. 9.

Jiang Yue held the talisman, feeling a bit strange.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the elevator, or people might have misunderstood.

"Con artist" certainly wasn't a good reputation.

Especially a con artist at such a young age.

While Jiang Yue was spacing out, something strange happened.

The surface of the talisman suddenly emitted a faint golden-yellow halo. Driven by some peculiar force, the talisman slowly lifted.

The faint golden halo gently swirled, and the talisman suddenly atomized, scattering into dots and gradually fading into nothingness. The symbols on the talisman seemed to pass through the skin of Jiang Yue's palm and seep into his flesh, becoming a brand on his hand.

In an instant, Jiang Yue felt an absurd and inexplicable sensation wash over his body and mind.

He shivered as if his body and soul had simultaneously received an electric shock.

In that moment, Jiang Yue felt as if he had entered a strange world, or perhaps a strange world had entered his body.

Ding!

The elevator's arrival chime clearly told him this was the real world.

Looking at his palm again, the brand had vanished without a trace.

For no reason, the talisman floated in his mind, displaying a few words:

24 hours.

Jiang Yue was greatly startled. What was going on?

The writing only lingered in his mind for a few seconds before disappearing.

Afterward, no matter how Jiang Yue tried to provoke it or fiddle with it, there was no further reaction.

This series of events happened so abruptly that Jiang Yue stood dazed at the door for a long time, unable to make sense of it.

He had no choice but to calm himself down and open the door to go inside.

The carefree San Gou had long forgotten about his pants. He was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding the remote in one hand and a bag of chips in the other, happily watching a variety show called Sailing High, Little Sisters.

This show was hard to get into without some experience.

From Jiang Yue's observation, San Gou definitely lacked experience.

His focus was mostly on the "little sisters'" legs and their fair skin.

Being able to laugh foolishly without a care in the world like San Gou was also a kind of happiness.

Jiang Yue didn't want to ruin San Gou's happiness and didn't plan to tell him about the package.

He flipped through the courier bag; there was nothing else inside. This meant that the person who sent him this package had only sent him a strange talisman.

What kind of bizarre operation was this?

Looking at the sender, there was nothing!

This move was too slick, wasn't it? Sending something without leaving a name or address?

Aren't express deliveries very formal these days? How could there be such carelessness?

Jiang Yue opened his phone and checked the tracking number.

The result was that the tracking number didn't exist!

If even the tracking number couldn't be found, calling the express company probably wouldn't yield any results. The clue was pretty much dead here, and it would be hard to pick it up again.

To solve this mystery, perhaps there was only one way...

Elm Street, Daozi Lane, Villa No. 9.

Jiang Yue silently memorized this place name.

Elm Street was one of Star City's top three commercial districts, Jiang Yue knew that much.

As for Villa No. 9 on Daozi Lane, for a child from an ordinary family living in an apartment building, this was a bit beyond his scope.

What made him feel even more suspicious were those words.

24 hours?

What did that mean? Was it revealing a clue? Or warning of some crisis?

Or did I have to go to Villa No. 9 on Daozi Lane within 24 hours?

"Second Brother, what package is it?" San Gou asked casually.

"GG flyer," Jiang Yue replied just as casually.

"Who has that much free time? That stuff is too rough to even wipe your butt with. And they paid for express delivery?" San Gou scoffed.

Jiang Yue didn't respond.

Seeing that it was already past twelve-thirty, there wasn't enough time to go grocery shopping and cook.

Jiang Yue went into the kitchen and made two bowls of noodles. With the snacks and preserved meats Aunt had stuffed into his bag, he ate heartily.

Just one bowl of noodles made San Gou extremely satisfied with city life.

"Second Brother, why don't you let me stay in the city? I really don't want to go back to town."

"Feeling itchy again?"

"Second Brother, listen to me. If you take me in, I'll be your ox or horse from now on." San Gou was shamelessly persistent.

"I'm not used to ordering child labor around. Go back to town and finish your studies."

"You might as well kill me. Books just give me a headache. I don't know if I'm reading them, or they're reading me."

"How about you say that to Eldest Sister later?" Jiang Yue asked with a half-smile.

"Please don't..." San Gou's face turned green at the mention of Eldest Sister.

San Gou's Eldest Sister, who was also Jiang Yue's biological sister, was three years older than Jiang Yue. Due to family changes, she had left school two years ago and entered the workforce. She was currently working at a real estate agency.

The unruly San Gou, who feared nothing, treated Eldest Sister like a tiger.

If Aunt could barely be called a strong woman, Eldest Sister could be called a strong woman plus.

The female children of the Old Jiang Family inherited a tenacious spirit that wouldn't yield to men.

Aunt's tenacity was mostly in her words; once she started speaking, she wouldn't let up.

Eldest Sister's tenacity, however, was usually hidden. But if provoked, she would truly resort to violence.

San Gou hadn't been beaten by his own father, nor by Aunt, nor even by Jiang Yue over the years. But he had been severely beaten by Eldest Sister.

San Gou was incredibly naughty at school, and under normal circumstances, Eldest Sister wouldn't intervene.

The reason for that beating was that San Gou had crossed the line.

For some reason, he had put a snake in a female classmate's backpack, scaring her so badly that she wet herself on the spot and had to be hospitalized for several days, almost suffering a mental breakdown.

This forced Aunt to care for her at the hospital for days without sleep, handling all her needs.

When Eldest Sister received the call, she immediately dropped her work, borrowed a colleague's car, and drove a hundred miles to the town school.

On the way, she picked up a rattan vine. As soon as she parked the car upon arrival, she chased San Gou all over the school, beating him until he rolled on the ground begging for mercy.

After that beating, the female classmate's parents, who had witnessed it firsthand, felt too embarrassed to make a further fuss. In the end, they settled the matter with some compensation.

Although San Gou's mischievous nature didn't change, he finally understood what the bottom line was. At the same time, he both respected and feared Eldest Sister.

Asking him to tell Eldest Sister he wouldn't go to school anymore – who knew if Eldest Sister would beat him again?

The Jiang family had very strict upbringing rules; the elders disciplined the young, and punishment was considered natural and justified.

Speaking of Eldest Sister, San Gou deflated, eating his noodles absentmindedly.

While he was eating, his phone rang again.

"Hello? Li Yue?" This call was a bit unexpected. It was Li Yue, his deskmate from school. This girl was usually so shy that she would blush even when making eye contact with someone. This was the first time in his memory that she had called him proactively.

"It's... it's me..."

"Are... are you okay?" Li Yue stammered.

"Huh? I'm fine! I'm just eating lunch," Jiang Yue could feel Li Yue's nervousness over the phone.

"Oh, then it's nothing. Beep, beep, beep..."

Jiang Yue held his phone, completely bewildered. The call was so out of the blue.

It was rare for Li Yue to call him proactively! Jiang Yue thought something huge must have happened, but it was just those two sentences, and then she hung up?

To put it crudely, it felt like, "I've taken off my pants, and this is what you show me?"

Ding ding dong!

A WeChat message notification popped up on the screen.

It was from Li Yue.

"I just saw the news on my phone. A landslide near Mount Dajin buried a bus. I was worried you were on it."

Jiang Yue suddenly understood. Okay, that explanation finally made sense.

As expected of his deskmate, she really was considerate.

But this happened yesterday. How long was his deskmate's reaction time?

Or did she just see the news? How focused must she be on her studies? Was she studying this hard even during the holiday at home?

"I'm fine. I got a ride back to the city this morning. Thanks for your concern, deskmate."

He sent the message, put down his phone, and continued eating his noodles.

San Gou was shoveling noodles into his mouth, a strange smile on his face as he stared at Jiang Yue.

"What? Can't eat?"

"Alright, Second Brother, you're quite the actor, aren't you? Your face isn't even red."

"Are you sick? Why would my face be red for no reason?"

"Hehe, your girlfriend, right?"

Pfft!

The noodles Jiang Yue had just put in his mouth almost came flying out. He hadn't even grown any body hair yet, and he was trying to act like an experienced old driver?

Seeing this, San Gou got even more excited. He slammed his chopsticks on the table: "Look, look, that's the look of a guilty conscience. Second Brother, tell me, what does my future sister-in-law look like? Is her skin fair? Does she have a big butt?"

Jiang Yue looked at his bowl, then at San Gou's forehead.

"San Gou, believe it or not, I'll dump this entire bowl of noodles on your head?"

"A gentleman uses his words, not his hands. Second Brother, you can't bully the younger and weaker." San Gou scooted his butt back, moving to a safe distance.

"You brat, looks like I need to send you back early."

"If you send me back, I'll tell Eldest Sister that you were secretly smoking." San Gou grinned wickedly.

"It won't matter even if you tell Eldest Sister..."

Fine!

Actually, it would matter.

Jiang Yue compromised.

He really couldn't let his sister know about this. Otherwise, if his sister went berserk and turned dark, the consequences would be truly unimaginable.

Jiang Yue didn't have a strong craving for cigarettes, or any craving, really. The reason he smoked occasionally was actually because something was on his mind.

As a student, what else could bother him besides his studies?

Quite the opposite, Jiang Yue had never been bothered by his studies. Although his parents were both missing, as highly educated individuals, their genes were still very strong.

This was especially evident in Jiang Yue.

From childhood until now, Jiang Yue had always possessed an extraordinary ability: photographic memory.

From kindergarten all the way until now, his academic performance could be described as cheating his way through.

Others' success was one percent genius and ninety-nine percent hard work.

Jiang Yue's academic achievements were definitely one percent hard work and ninety-nine percent talent.

In terms of academics, from childhood until now, he truly had no worthy opponents.

In this regard, Father Heaven was definitely biased towards him.

His troubles stemmed from his family.

His Mother disappeared mysteriously, and his Father left home without explanation.

Anyone Jiang Yue's age would inevitably feel defeated.

Over the years, Jiang Yue had never confided in anyone, nor had he ever shown any negative emotions in front of others.

However, in a certain corner of his heart, there had always been a knot that sunlight could not penetrate.

Everyone thought he had long accepted his fate, but--

In Jiang Yue's heart, he had never, ever accepted this fate!