Trembling in the Skies

Chapter 37: You Reap What You Sow

If Guo’s mother chose to get off the bus with Li Teng, once they were off the bus, the restrictions on the ghost would no longer apply. Everyone present could easily imagine what would happen then. “Don’t get your hopes up—I’m not going to tell you,” Gao Fei shook his head firmly. “Oh? Then think this through carefully. If you don’t tell me, there’s a fifty percent chance you’ll be killed. Keep in mind, I have no grudge against you, but if we can’t find him by then, I’ll have no choice but to kill you to complete the plot,” Guo’s mother threatened Gao Fei. “Whatever.” Gao Fei wore a resolute expression, ready to go to any lengths for his friend. Last time, Li Teng had pushed him out of the way at the last moment, saving his life. If he didn’t return the favor now, he felt he’d be letting his conscience down. “Kid, there’s no point in you telling me. All she has to do is get off at the first stop. If you’re at the first stop and he’s at the third, she can just run to the third stop and wait there. Ghosts run fast—she can still kill him; it’ll just take a little longer. But you’ll have made enemies with us, and it’ll probably be tough for you to get by on set from now on!” The fair-skinned man chimed in, issuing a few threats to Gao Fei. “So what if I’ve offended you? It’s just turning into a wax figure—that’s nothing to be scared of.” Gao Fei showed no sign of backing down. He knew he might die because of this, but it was also possible that Guo’s mother didn’t want to kill anyone else—she only wanted to kill Li Teng. And Li Teng could use this opportunity to seize that sliver of hope to escape. As long as Guo’s mother couldn’t find Li Teng within an hour, she’d be the one turned into a wax figure! This was Li Teng’s only chance to turn the tables! “I’ll play the lighting technician on the film crew, and I’ll get off at the first stop.” To everyone’s surprise, Li Teng slammed his two bamboo sticks down on the table with a loud “smack.” Sure enough, one of his bamboo sticks read “You play the lighting technician,” and the other read “Get off at the first stop.” “No! Are you crazy? Why tell her? Just let her take a 50-50 chance!” Gao Fei hurriedly reached out to cover Li Teng’s sticks, but everyone else had already seen the words written on them. “I’ll take full responsibility for my own actions. I’ll clean up the mess I made. The blame lies with me—I’m the one who deserves it. Dragging my friends into this isn’t my style.” Li Teng’s expression was calm, as if he had everything under control. “Hahahahahaha… I’ll give you credit for being smart—it’s pointless for you guys to try to hide it anyway!” Guo’s mother hadn’t expected Li Teng to confess so readily and couldn’t help but burst into loud, wild laughter. “What a pair of drama queens! Putting on that act of boundless loyalty—who are you trying to impress?” the guy with glasses muttered under his breath. “You’re gonna die a miserable death!” Gao Fei heard the bespectacled man’s mutterings and cursed at him. “I don’t know if I’ll die a miserable death, but in this little drama, someone’s definitely going to die—haha,” the man in glasses continued smugly. The woman in sunglasses, the office worker, and the young girl all looked at Li Teng with sympathy. They couldn’t help but marvel at just how terrible Li Teng’s luck really was. In his very first scene at the film studio, he ran into Guo Zhipeng, with whom he’d had a grudge in the real world. He’d barely survived thanks to a barstool. Then, during the second scene, another highly unlikely event occurred. Guo Zhipeng’s mother had tracked him down! If this wasn’t deliberately orchestrated by someone behind the scenes, specifically targeting Li Teng, it simply wouldn’t make any sense. Seeking revenge is one thing, but Guo’s mother went so far as to be the first to remove the only ghost—the one capable of controlling others’ lives and deaths. Then, right in front of everyone, she forced Li Teng to reveal which stop he would get off at. It was, without a doubt, a knockout blow! This time, Li Teng had absolutely no chance of turning the tables. “Time’s up. What’s your choice?” The female director glanced at the clock and asked Guo’s mother. “The first stop, of course,” Guo’s mother replied to the female director. “Are you sure? If you choose the first stop and get off with me, you’re as good as dead!” Li Teng turned the tables and threatened Guo’s mother. “Hahahahahaha…” Guo’s mother burst out laughing. “Have you made up your mind?” the female director asked Guo’s mother again. “You only get one chance! Think it through before you answer! Don’t regret it if you get it wrong!” Li Teng quickly chimed in again. “You think these little tricks will throw me off? I’m choosing the first stop!” Guo’s mother replied firmly to the director. “Okay, next.” The female director gestured to the woman in sunglasses. “The third stop,” the woman in sunglasses said after a moment’s silence. By now, their choices no longer mattered. Li Teng once again “stepped up” and took on the role of the one who would “get the axe” for them. Last time, Li Teng had successfully turned the tables on Guo Zhipeng using a barstool. This time, no matter how you looked at it, he had absolutely no chance of fighting back. He could only wait for his fate. “If you choose the first stop, there’s a loophole,” the fair-skinned guy suddenly realized. “What loophole? Are you worried they might have swapped their tickets?” Guo’s mother’s face paled; it seemed she, too, had suddenly realized this possibility. “It’s very likely. The two of them swapped their tickets under the table to trick you into getting off at the first stop, while he gets off at the third. If you can’t outrun the bus, he’ll make a mad dash after getting off. As long as he holds out for an hour, he’ll be safe! Those two little crooks are so sneaky!” The fair-skinned young man looked deeply regretful. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Guo’s mother frowned as well. “I just realized it myself!” The fair-skinned young man slapped his forehead. Clearly, the two of them had overlooked this crucial detail just moments ago! It was precisely this oversight that gave Li Teng an opening—a chance to escape! An hour—in a film studio this huge—if he managed to hide and Guo’s mother couldn’t find him within that time, she’d truly be at risk of being killed by him! Over here, Gao Fei, upon hearing the conversation between the fair-skinned young man and Guo’s mother, was overcome with regret. He regretted not having thought of that—otherwise, if he’d secretly swapped bamboo skewers with Li Teng from under the table just now, Li Teng might have had a glimmer of hope. But he hadn’t even considered that possibility! Even someone as smart as Li Teng hadn’t thought of this solution. Now, of course, Guo’s mother had already decided to get off the bus with Li Teng at the first stop—it was too late for them to do anything to make up for it. Gao Fei sighed and glanced at Li Teng. Li Teng, however, showed no emotion whatsoever, continuing to sip his free coffee at a leisurely pace. These might be the last few cups of coffee of his life.