Beep!!!
The sharp sound of a car horn pierced through his eardrums.
Li Chengyi suddenly snapped out of his stupor, realizing he was still standing at the bus stop, and nothing had changed.
An old, white bus was honking repeatedly, urging a pedestrian in front to get out of the way.
The pedestrian was an older woman with a burlap bag, crossing the street recklessly and quickly walking up to the platform. The bus horn was warning her.
Li Chengyi's vision blurred for a moment, and the image of that enormous face that had been closing in on him earlier seemed to linger in his mind.
His whole body still felt numb, his scalp tingling as if all his hair had fallen out.
Huff... huff... Was it another dream?
He looked around. He hadn't ended up back in the underground parking lot. He was still standing at the bus stop.
On a metal road sign beside him, the location was marked: Andu Road, Tongfeng Road.
The warm air turned into a breeze, carrying the scent of trees and flowers.
The faint floral fragrance helped clear his mind a little.
Ding ding.
His phone vibrated twice.
The slight vibration felt like a lifeline, instantly pulling Li Chengyi out of his foggy state.
He quickly pulled out his phone and checked the screen.
It was a text from his parents.
"Don't come home early, your sister asked about it. Do you have enough money on you? I'll transfer some more for you." — Dad
"Stay at school a bit longer, have lunch and then come home. Your sister's issue is important, and your future job might depend on her." — Mom
Li Zhao and Feng Yurong were as always, their focus entirely on his sister.
Li Chengyi could understand, though. For families like theirs, the only chance to rise was to cultivate a strong, successful elite.
And right now, his sister Li Chengjiu fit that expectation perfectly.
Got it. He calmed himself and replied briefly.
He put the phone away and stood there, his chest rising and falling quickly as he replayed everything that had just happened in his mind.
He also recalled what he had seen on the forum earlier:
"If you encounter a dead corner, please do not contact us. Enjoy your last moments of life. The dead corner will slowly approach you. On the third warning, it will pull you in completely. Live your life doing all the things you wanted but were too afraid to do."
The third time...
If last night was the first time, then what just happened at the school didn't count—after all, it wasn't the same place, and he hadn't fully entered it.
But just now...
Did that count as the third time? Or was it the second?
Li Chengyi's mind was in turmoil.
He didn't know what the dead corner was, or what that giant face was, but he just wanted to survive.
He had come to this world by accident, mysteriously became someone with the same name, and now...
He didn't want to die.
He didn't want to die in such a meaningless way, drowning in fear.
The fear of survival grew heavier in his heart.
What should I do!?
Maybe... maybe that wasn't a warning. Yeah, it must not be. After all, I was just too tired earlier, probably just dozing off.
He kept telling himself that.
Just then, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ankles.
Looking down, he quickly rolled up his pants leg to take a look.
There were numerous tiny blood spots, clearly spread across both of his ankles.
Li Chengyi froze.
After a brief pause, he quickly stood up, pulled open his collar, and checked his body.
Thankfully, there were no blood spots on his torso.
It was earlier! It was from earlier!
He suddenly realized.
When he was in that mysterious underground parking lot and encountered the giant face, he had also felt the sharp pain in his ankles.
And now...
This pain had followed him into the real world...
Is this... a reminder? Was that not a dream!?
His chest tightened as he breathed rapidly, feeling as though a heavy stone was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
What should he do!?
What should he do!?
Countless chaotic thoughts raced through his mind. But if everything he had just experienced was real...
Facing that terrifying, giant face—it was clearly not a normal creature.
He was at a loss.
Maybe I should call the police? Seek help from the authorities!?
The thought flashed in Li Chengyi's mind.
As soon as the thought rose, it stayed with him, growing stronger.
In the face of an unknown danger, seeking help from the national apparatus seemed like the best option.
But just then, the crying girl from the coffee shop appeared in his mind—the girl in the white sweater.
Why didn't she call the police?
A doubt surfaced in his mind.
With this thought, Li Chengyi couldn't stay still any longer. He quickly looked around, retracing his steps toward the coffee shop he had just left.
He ran, a deep sense of urgency and danger pushing him forward, speeding up.
He feared that the dangerous situation from earlier might happen again.
If someone could just exchange a few words, give him some advice—maybe...
He ran back to the same place—Yesli Coffee Shop.
Outside, a small mobile cart was set up with a new coffee sign and small cups of new dessert samples.
Li Chengyi pushed open the door and wandered around inside. There were more people now.
Most were university students, but he didn't spot the girl in the white sweater.
Everyone was smiling and chatting, some playfully teasing each other, others eating while studying with their tablets.
Their lives seemed completely separate from Li Chengyi's, like they belonged to another world.
He searched the first floor, then rushed upstairs.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't find the girl in the white sweater.
Disappointed, he went back downstairs, and as the sweet "Welcome Again" electronic voice played, he stepped out.
Outside.
On the street.
A white city SUV was parked quietly by the road.
The window was already rolled down, revealing the face of the driver.
It was an older man, with thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, and neatly combed gray-white beard. His face was thin, and his hair was neatly styled, all pushed back.
He had one hand resting on the steering wheel, staring out the window at the passersby, seemingly lost in thought.
For some reason, as soon as Li Chengyi stepped out of the coffee shop, the man's gaze shifted swiftly to him.
It was as if he was observing something... or had seen something.
Li Chengyi felt his body tense up, an unexplainable feeling of nervousness overwhelming him.
He hadn't found the two girls earlier, but now, his mind was flooded with thoughts.
The best help now is probably from online research and... seeking official help.
His thoughts began to clear rapidly, focusing on what might give him the best chance of survival.
"If I were you, I wouldn't wander around like this," a low, deep voice came from in front of him.
"Why not try something crazy while you still have time?"
The voice continued.
Li Chengyi looked up abruptly, following the voice. His eyes locked with the man in the SUV.
"You... know something!?" he opened his mouth but found his voice low and hoarse.
Without thinking, he walked closer to the white city SUV.
"You're going to die soon," the man said indifferently. "The third warning is coming. Then, you'll be like everyone else... poof."
He clasped his hands together, mimicking the sound.
"Disappearing for good."
"Is there a way out?" Li Chengyi's eyes widened. With a calmness he didn't even realize he had, he quickly responded.
"Has anyone ever survived? Can you help me?"
This thought seemed to be a breakthrough for him, a lifeline.
If someone who knew the truth could help him, maybe he could escape!
This thought surged in his mind.
"Me?" The man smiled, turning his head to look outside the car window. "I'm just a failure. A useless man. What can I do to help you?"
"The place..." he turned back to look at Li Chengyi. "No one can help you. The only one you can rely on is yourself."
"Just like my friends, my son... they were all like that."
As he spoke, he took out a cigarette from his black suit pocket, lit it with a quick flick, and took a drag.
"Hurry up, leave. Don't hang around here, you're bringing bad luck."
"There's a way, right?" Li Chengyi quickly asked.
"You came to find me, talking to me, so you must need something from me, right?" Li Chengyi replied. "So..."
"So," the man interrupted him, "If you survive the first time, we'll talk about working together afterward."
"Okay! How do I survive?" Li Chengyi quickly asked. "Do you want me to tell you what I've experienced..."
"No need!" The man interrupted again. "It's pointless. The dead corner only allows certain people, and they can only enter it in a specific way. Once you enter, it will keep drawing closer, over and over, until it completely devours you."
"Then how do I survive!?" Li Chengyi pressed on.
"After you completely enter on the third warning, find the exit and leave. That's how you survive," the man answered. "But... there is no real exit there. Like when you entered, you need to find a special way to find the door out."
He pointed to his head.
"You need to think, not use force. In there, weapons, numbers, none of that matters. By the way, I advise you not to call the police. Otherwise, you might lose even your last hope."
"I..." Li Chengyi wanted to ask more, but the car window rolled up.
The man waved at him through the window, started the car, and slowly drove away.
He seemed to have little hope that Li Chengyi would survive. A hint of disappointment lingered in his expression.
Perhaps Li Chengyi wasn't the person he was looking for after all.
What do you think of the mysterious man and his cryptic advice? Is there really hope for Li Chengyi to escape the dead corner?Comment your theories below!