#57: Only Si Tingyan Could Do Something Like This

Below the manhole cover next to the unfinished building was a sewer. A child who fell in would surely die, but an adult who was six feet tall and had all their limbs would definitely be able to hold on for a while. Not only that, they would have the strength to call for help.

But if no one rescued them, after being soaked in the cold wind and cold water all night, they would only be a cold corpse stuck in a nearby well channel by tomorrow morning.

The shanty town was like a wasteland. Even if one cried for help, no one would answer. It was a perfect place for someone to disappear quietly.

The only hidden danger was the homeless man who spent the night in the abandoned building.

The homeless man went to West Street every day to pick up trash to exchange for money and food. He occasionally begged for three meals a day and would return to the unfinished building to sleep at night.

It was now a little past ten at night.

The money the homeless man got from picking up trash and begging every day was often not even enough for one meal, but he would pass by a foot massage parlor every night.

Every time he passed, his eyes would scan the foot massage parlor with a frequency of once every five seconds.

The foot massage parlor was in a shanty town. Outside the glass door, which said “foot massage,” stood provocatively dressed women.

Four days ago, the homeless man pried off the manhole cover outside the abandoned building and sold it. He got forty dollars for a piece of scrap metal. After getting the money, he excitedly went to the foot massage parlor.

When he got there, he said forty, and the lady said fifty. The two of them argued outside the store over ten dollars.

The homeless man had a goatee and a limp.

Today, he came out of a fast-food restaurant with a big bag of trash. In his hand, he held a disposable lunch box. The boss didn’t let him eat inside because he was too dirty.

The lunch box only had white rice. He squatted on the curb and wolfed down the rice.

Until he accidentally looked up and saw two red bills on the ground not far away.

The streetlight was a dim yellow about ten meters away. The yellow light spread all over the road. There were few people coming and going. The homeless man looked left and right, got up with his lunch box, and hobbled over. He furtively picked up the money and stuffed it into his tattered pocket.

He didn’t realize that the person he was guarding against was watching him from a dark place behind him.

Back on the curb, the white rice was bland and tasteless. The homeless man still took the two hundred dollars back to the restaurant and added a braised pork dish.

When he came out, he didn’t squat on the curb again. As if he was worried about being found, he changed places to squat.

After he finished the boxed meal, he stuffed the box into the trash can. The homeless man patted his pants and got up. He dragged his limping leg and a sack of trash away.

As expected, the homeless man took a few winding alleys and went to the foot massage parlor.

This time, his chest was puffed out a little more. He swaggered in with the woman who was soliciting outside the glass door and would stay there all night until dawn.

Si Tingyan withdrew his gaze, turned, and left.

________________________________________

Looking up at the sky.

The sky was a circle, not big, with a diameter of about half a meter.

Chen Zhaochi was soaked wet. His crew-cut head was leaning against the well wall. His right eye, with a scar running across it, was staring at the dark blue sky.

The look in his eyes was heavy.

The water below was rapid and muddy. It was like ice shards stabbing his legs, constantly impacting his leg muscles.

Chen Zhaochi didn’t shout, didn’t scream, and didn’t call for any help.

Because it was useless. In this place, even if he shouted until morning, no one would find him. Shouting and screaming before anyone came would only consume his physical strength.

Unless the homeless man in the unfinished building came back.

But after a long wait, there was only endless dead silence.

After swaying for a moment, Chen Zhaochi stood still in the water again. The wound on his arm, which had been torn when he grabbed the edge of the manhole, was constantly dripping blood.

The blood dripped down his fingertips and into the muddy water, diluted and washed away in the blink of an eye.

His hot body temperature was gradually being driven away by the cold water temperature, but the fierce look on Chen Zhaochi’s face didn’t loosen at all.

His face was cold and terrifying, like a horror mask, and he didn’t move.

After an unknown amount of time, a rustling sound came from above the manhole. Only then did a glimmer of human spirit crack on Chen Zhaochi’s face.

He looked up at the manhole.

Listening to the sound, the source of the commotion was so light that its weight was less than a hundred pounds. The footsteps were not loud. They were a short distance away, like the sound of someone going through grass, with a whining, anxious sound.

This sound was too familiar to Chen Zhaochi.

It was the sound of a dog sniffing for food.

Not only that, but Chen Zhaochi also knew whose dog it was.

Zheng Hongkai’s.

It was not a noble breed. It was the kind of small dog that you could buy on the street for twenty dollars.

This dog was a stray. It had been raised by Zheng Hongkai for a year. Some time ago, Zheng Hongkai caused trouble at school, was disciplined by the school, and was locked up in a detention center for a few days. It was for some embarrassing and dirty reason. After he was released from the detention center, his father kicked him and the dog out of the house.

As a student with no money and nothing to do, he naturally couldn’t afford a good house.

It was only because Chen Zhaochi was here and had lent him some money that Zheng Hongkai found a place to stay in this shanty town.

Zheng Hongkai liked his dog quite a bit. Even when he had nowhere to go, he still kept it with him.

Zheng Hongkai himself was a lackey who loved to cling to Chen Zhaochi. His dog followed him around every day. After a while, Chen Zhaochi fed it a few pieces of beef jerky, and it became familiar with Chen Zhaochi.

Listening to the dog’s commotion from searching for food, it was probably because Zheng Hongkai had been at different bars from last night until now and hadn’t come back to feed the dog.

Chen Zhaochi was silent, as if he was thinking about something. In just a few seconds, he had a plan to get out of here alive.

Chen Zhaochi bent his fingers and whistled.

After the sharp whistle, the surroundings fell into a moment of silence.

Chen Zhaochi could imagine the dog’s ears perked up.

Then, the sound of four feet running fast came from the manhole.

Soon, a white dog with a small black patch on its right ear appeared above the manhole. It wasn’t big, not even knee-high. It barked madly at the well below, frantically wagging its tail at Chen Zhaochi.

Chen Zhaochi looked up and laughed.

It didn’t have a hint of relief or excitement. Instead, it was malicious and cunning.

He got up from the well wall. Without the wall to support him, his body swayed for a moment and then straightened up.

Then he bent down to feel for broken stones at the bottom of the water. The water was up to his shoulders.

Because his crazy mother had died recently, Chen Zhaochi hadn’t looked at the dog properly or fed it for several days.

The dog was still frantically wagging its tail above. Because it found that Chen Zhaochi couldn’t get up and it couldn’t get down, it was so anxious that it ran in circles around the manhole, constantly making a whimpering sound.

Every time Chen Zhaochi met it, he would throw it a few pieces of beef jerky.

But today, what Chen Zhaochi threw was not beef jerky.

It was a stone.

He pulled his arm back fiercely and threw the stone in his hand up with a lot of force.

The accuracy was terrifying.

The wet stone shot out a water line and hit the dog, which was almost skin and bones, with a muffled thud.

The hard, broken stone and the flesh and bones made a creepy, muffled sound.

From a distance of three or four meters, and with Chen Zhaochi’s great strength, the dog let out a bloodcurdling yelp when it was hit. In pain, it ran around frantically.

But it didn’t leave. It just turned in circles in a hurry because of the pain.

Chen Zhaochi sneered.

Stupid.

He almost didn’t stop moving. He bent down and took another stone from under the water.

Chen Zhaochi stared at the dog. He tossed the stone in his hand. When the dog was about to stop, he threw it again with a flick of his wrist.

There was another bloodcurdling cry of pain that made his scalp tingle.

This time, it didn’t hit the body but the front leg.

The dog fell to the ground in pain. Its barking was so loud that it was heartbreaking. It ran in circles around the manhole with a limp, trying to escape the pain.

Until it couldn’t bear it anymore and couldn’t run.

Even in this situation, it still didn’t try to escape. It stupidly stayed by the manhole, guarding Chen Zhaochi.

Dogs were always the most loyal.

But it was loyal to the wrong person.

Chen Zhaochi was not a good person. He even thought that the dog’s barking was not loud enough at this moment.

It wasn’t loud enough to attract its owner.

The dog hadn’t eaten for a day. With Zheng Hongkai’s character, who could barely feed himself but still bought food for his dog, he would definitely come home from the bar tonight to feed the dog.

As soon as he came home, he would definitely find the dog missing.

When the dog was missing, he would come out to look for it.

Zheng Hongkai lived nearby. Although he didn’t have to pass by here, he didn’t live too far away.

Just from the sound, even Chen Zhaochi could tell it was Zheng Hongkai’s dog, let alone Zheng Hongkai himself. And with such a loud commotion, Zheng Hongkai would definitely come looking.

The dog’s pain had passed. Only a low, aggrieved whimper was left.

Chen Zhaochi made a tutting sound, finding it too quiet. He bent down and took another stone from under the water.

The water was getting colder, and the current seemed to be getting stronger.

He was a little annoyed, and the strength in his hand increased.

This time, the stone was not only accompanied by a water line but also drops of blood from his arm.

Zheng Hongkai’s dog was hit again and let out a terrible cry, which made Chen Zhaochi feel more comfortable than any previous cry.

No one came.

So he kept throwing them, one after another.

Chen Zhaochi was playing with the stones as if he were throwing them into a lake, still finding it interesting.

Until a hurried footstep came from above.

Chen Zhaochi looked up.

He’s here.

The sound arrived before the person. Zheng Hongkai probably saw his dog being beaten like this from a distance. He was so furious that he rushed over immediately.

A normal person wouldn’t look down. Zheng Hongkai was no exception.

He was cursing his father and mother and calling someone a bastard, but he didn’t look at Chen Zhaochi in the manhole.

Chen Zhaochi tossed the broken stones in his hand: “Who are you cursing?”

Taken by surprise, Zheng Hongkai was startled: “Fuck! Who is that?”

Chen Zhaochi lowered his hand, and the broken stones in his hand fell into the water with a plop: “Your dad.”

This action clearly showed that he was the one who did it.

At this moment, Zheng Hongkai recognized him, and his anger was instantly silenced.

At the same time, he was quickly replaced by shock. Zheng Hongkai leaned over the edge: “Damn, what’s going on? Brother Zhao, how did you get down there?”

He also said: “I’ll go find a rope to pull you up.”

Chen Zhaochi: “Pull my ass. Can you pull me up?”

He was over a hundred pounds. Not to mention, he didn’t have the strength to struggle now.

He had to save some strength for other things.

Chen Zhaochi didn’t want to talk nonsense with Zheng Hongkai: “Go get an A-frame ladder.”

Zheng Hongkai asked: “Where do I get it from?”

Chen Zhaochi gave him a cold stare: “Did you not have eyes? How many times have you been to my house?”

Zheng Hongkai really didn’t pay attention to those things and still asked stubbornly: “Where is it?”

“Downstairs, next to that broken bicycle,” Chen Zhaochi said.

“Okay, I’ll go get it. You wait.”

After Zheng Hongkai said that, he also picked up his dog and left.

Chen Zhaochi leaned back against the well wall. His leg muscles were already aching from supporting him. His whole body was in pain.

He knew that if it weren’t for Zheng Hongkai’s dog tonight, he would surely die.

He didn’t wait long. Zheng Hongkai quickly brought the A-frame ladder and lowered it into the manhole.

After the ladder was in place, Chen Zhaochi grabbed it and climbed up.

He went from the cold sewage, one step at a time, to the open air.

His wet clothes made his legs feel very heavy, constantly dripping with water.

The A-frame ladder was over two meters high. It was still almost two meters away from the top of the manhole.

Chen Zhaochi, who was over six feet tall, stood on the very top step and used his height advantage. He put his hands on the edge of the manhole and climbed up.

The ladder was light. A person could be washed away, let alone a ladder.

The ladder was instantly moved out of place.

As soon as Chen Zhaochi came up, Zheng Hongkai cursed: “Damn it, what bastard stole the manhole cover.”

He thought that Chen Zhaochi had accidentally fallen.

But Chen Zhaochi’s eyes were gloomy. He looked at the green construction safety net hanging on the edge of the manhole.

Zheng Hongkai followed his gaze: “Brother Zhao, what’s wrong?”

Chen Zhaochi asked abruptly: “Was there any movement upstairs?”

“What?”

As Chen Zhaochi said this, he remembered the knife that Li Chu had used to threaten his life tonight.

Tonight, everyone was against him.

Zheng Hongkai reacted at this time: “Are you talking about the floor above your room?”

Chen Zhaochi had no intention of listening anymore. He walked out of the small path of the unfinished building.

He wasn’t going in the direction of his rented room.

Chen Zhaochi was covered in wet, murky filth. He clearly had injuries on his body, but his body was as strong as iron.

Zheng Hongkai looked at him: “Not going back?”

Chen Zhaochi didn’t even turn his head. There was a pile of rusty steel pipes by the wall. Chen Zhaochi directly pulled one out.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to have some fun.”

________________________________________

The shanty town and the bar were in the same area. Cheng Mi and Li Chu took the same taxi together.

The bar was not far from the metal sheds and self-built houses. It would take only five or six minutes to walk straight through this messy area.

But if they continued to take the taxi, it couldn’t enter the shanty town. It would have to go around a big road, which would take even more time than walking.

Cheng Mi got out of the car, and Li Chu also opened the car door and got out with her.

They went deeper into the area, as if they were entering a no-man’s-land, with a few sparse lights from struggling families.

Li Chu had been moving around this area a lot recently and was very familiar with it. She walked in front to lead the way for Cheng Mi. The alleys were intricate, but Li Chu could lead Cheng Mi with her eyes closed.

Until they got to Chen Zhaochi’s rented building, the two of them found that Chen Zhaochi hadn’t come back at all.

The upstairs was still the same as when they left.

The curtains were piled up messily. There was a pane of broken glass in the window, and no lights were on inside.

It was clear that no one was inside.

Cheng Mi was cautious and didn’t miss a single spot. She still went upstairs. She was relieved only after seeing that no one was there and left the place.

The two of them walked out of the alley that led straight outside. Midway, they were blocked by a high pile of trash.

The foul smell made both of them frown slightly.

Li Chu said: “Let’s take another small path.”

Cheng Mi nodded. The two of them turned and left the alley.

Li Chu led Cheng Mi to the small path next to the unfinished building. Every second that passed, Cheng Mi became more anxious, even though she didn’t show it on her face or in her words.

The two of them were using their phone flashlights. After they entered the small path, their footsteps gradually slowed down.

They both saw the manhole cover.

Cheng Mi and Li Chu exchanged glances and walked over.

There was water below. There were a lot of chaotic bloodstains around the manhole. It was obvious that something had happened here not long ago.

Cheng Mi shone her phone into the manhole. The well channel below was not very wide. An A-frame ladder was half-stuck in the channel.

Li Chu also saw it: “Chen Zhaochi’s A-frame ladder from downstairs.”

Cheng Mi looked at her.

It was clear that Li Chu and Cheng Mi had thought of the same thing: “Did Si Tingyan do it?”

No one would dare to do this to Chen Zhaochi. Only Si Tingyan had the ability to do something like this.

Cheng Mi’s emotions were very complex.

Fortunately, Chen Zhaochi didn’t lose his life because of Si Tingyan’s scheming. Si Tingyan didn’t get blood on his hands because of her.

Her Si Tingyan’s life path should be bright and clear forever.

Instead of being ruined by her.

But Chen Zhaochi not dying also didn’t give Cheng Mi any relief because Chen Zhaochi was out, which meant that Si Tingyan was not safe now.

Her rationality wasn’t squeezed out by her anxiety. She asked Li Chu: “Who are the people around Chen Zhaochi recently?”

Li Chu looked at her: “Are you asking who could have saved him?”

Cheng Mi nodded.

Li Chu said: “Zheng Hongkai, or his other lowlife friends.”

But Cheng Mi felt that something was wrong. She shook her head: “If Si Tingyan was going to make a move on Chen Zhaochi, it would be flawless. And no one would know about it.”

She knew Si Tingyan. If Si Tingyan were to do something in secret, it would be seamless and without anyone knowing.

Li Chu frowned slightly and also had no clue for a moment.

What was urgent for them now was to think about what Chen Zhaochi would go to do.

They couldn’t follow Si Tingyan’s line of thought, but Chen Zhaochi’s was barely traceable.

Suddenly, Li Chu looked at the unfinished building and remembered something: “There’s another one. It could be the man who lives in there.”

“What man?”

“A homeless man. Chen Zhaochi and I ran into him before.”

That day, Li Chu came to find Chen Zhaochi. It turned out he was here, chatting idly with the homeless man.

That day, the homeless man didn’t drag his sack to pick up trash. He was here bragging to Chen Zhaochi about how many women he had slept with at the foot massage parlor and said that a certain Miss Qian was particularly exciting in bed.

At that time, Chen Zhaochi pulled the approaching Li Chu into his arms. His eyes, however, were not on her. He was looking at the homeless man and smiling in a sleazy way.

He said he would try it next time.

At that time, Li Chu was in his arms, listening. She even raised her hand and hit his face quite hard.

It was a loud slap.

But Chen Zhaochi seemed to enjoy it. He wasn’t angry. He was about to kiss her in front of the homeless man.

Li Chu suddenly felt that she was a very good actress.

She didn’t linger on this memory for even a second. She asked Cheng Mi: “Do you think he was the one who saved Chen Zhaochi?”

But the moment Li Chu said “homeless man,” a thought flashed in Cheng Mi’s mind.

Since Si Tingyan chose to scheme against Chen Zhaochi here, it was impossible for him not to guard against the homeless man who lived in this building. If Si Tingyan knew, it would be impossible for him to let the homeless man come back, and it would be impossible for him to save Chen Zhaochi.

She suddenly asked Li Chu: “Where does the man who lives in this building usually go?”

Li Chu didn’t know Si Tingyan as well as Cheng Mi did. She was a little confused by Cheng Mi’s question but still said: “He told Chen Zhaochi that he often goes to the West Street area and probably often goes to a foot massage parlor called ‘Li Mei’ at night.”

“But what’s the use of asking that? Even if he was the one who saved Chen Zhaochi, he wouldn’t be going to those places now.”

Before she could even finish, Cheng Mi’s chestnut-colored wavy hair whipped past her eyes.

She ran out: “I’m going to the foot massage parlor. You go check the bar.”