Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 75 (Part 1)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 75.1 Lin Runsheng cried so hard, his words began to sound incoherent. Amidst his hiccups, he stammered, "I just—don’t—feel—happy—"
When Xiao Chi received the call, he was holding a regular company meeting on the follow-up ownership and development of the plot of land by Wubao Mountain. He could tell that Lin Jingzhe was interested in this land, but it was still a pool of rotten debts handed over by Dominion Properties. Before the troubles were completely over, this plot could not be handled by New Beginnings Real Estate, which lacked a strong backing. Fortunately, the commercial land could be jointly developed. With the 2nd Middle Road’s Mixed-Use Building as a forefront, the cooperation project between the two companies for Wubao Mountain could logically also be established.
The moment Xiao Chi put his ears by the receiver, the passage of time seemed to have halted. He felt short of breath, "What car accident?"
Deng Mai, who was on the other end of the phone, sounded extremely anxious, "Mr. Xiao, please help. All accident handling calls were made to the company. I am on my way there, but I have not been able to contact Mr. Lin. I’m left without any other option..."
Xiao Chi no longer took in whatever Deng Mai said afterwards.
Everyone in the conference watched in astonishment at their boss who suddenly rushed out of the room after snapping out of a second long daze.
It took three seconds for Hu Shaofeng to react. He got up and picked up the coat on the backrest and chased after him, "Brother Xiao, your coat—"
He stopped mid sentence, for the corridor outside the meeting room was empty, with no trace of Xiao Chi’s figure.
After making several failed calls, Xiao Chi fiercely threw his phone into the co-pilot seat. His hands were covered in sweat and could hardly hold his car keys. It took two attempts before he could start the engine. His hands trembled, feeling as if those two attempts seemed as long as a century.
"...When you are able to illuminate the emptiness of the five aggregates[1]..." He struggled to make out the road ahead, but couldn’t remember the next verse of the scriptures that he copied no less than a thousand times. His head was full of Deng Mai’s voice that echoed from afar. It was then that he realized that he hadn't turned on the headlights yet.
Suddenly, Xiao Chi felt a sharp pain in his head, the affliction caused sweat to develop on his forehead.
"Brother Xiao!!!"
While he was queuing by the exit, Xiao Chi’s driver’s seat door was suddenly pulled open, it was Hu Shaofeng. The latter looked worriedly at the fast moving front windshield wipers and Xiao Chi, who had a delayed reaction and only turned to look over a few passing seconds after his call. "What happened?"
Xiao Chi stared at his concerned face for a while, and as if a bubble in his head had just been loudly popped, the gorgeous world that was once within was now covered by an endless haze. He climbed out of the car soberly, and got into the backseat.
Hu Shaofeng then heard a hoarse, almost indecipherable voice, "Something happened to Jingzhe."
The black car sped across the road, Hu Shaofeng displayed all his abilities as an amateur racing driver. Amid the sound of the engine screaming at the accelerating speed, Hu Shaofeng used the rearview mirror to glance at Xiao Chi's reaction in the back seat. After his brief disorientation, Xiao Chi was in a everso sober state, making calls one after another with the mobile phone he found on the co-pilot's floor mat.
"...Yes, help me search every emergency department for car accidents in the city."
Xiao Chi finished his order in a cold voice. He then hung up, stared at the phone blankly, and dialed the familiar number once again. Unfortunately, he still couldn't get through.
Hu Shaofeng watched as Xiao Chi suddenly dropped the phone beside him, hunched over, and buried his face in his palms; his whole body exuded exhaustion.
The black car parked on the side of the road was smashed into pieces, but Xiao Chi immediately recognized it. His knees were a little soft when he got out of the car, however, Xiao Chi completely discarded this and immediately pushed through the crowd and entered the center area.
The things in the car were knocked out. Shopping bags, clothings, and a familiar interior were spread all over the floor. The onlookers all communicated about the loud noise not long ago.
Hu Shaofeng went around to look at the battered car’s license plate, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. "Brother Xiao..."
Xiao Chi squatted down on the spot, staring at a mobile phone that was broken in half within the caution tape. His trembling voice sounded cutting off his words of concern, instantly overshadowing all the clamor of the scene, "Do you have a cigarette? I need a smoke."
*******
Lin Jingzhe frowned as he looked at the policeman in front of him. Shen Tiantian fiercely asked, "Why can’t you let us make a phone call!?"
The policeman replied, "Just wait until the report is finished. Some people at the scene have accused you of beating the driver of the car accident. The blood on his head has still not stopped yet."
Shen Tiantian retorted in disbelief, "He’s a murderer! He would have ran away if I didn't hit him!!"
The policeman helplessly replied, "The other party was just driving drunk and had an accident. Although he crashed into your car, it did not cause any personal injury, and there was no indication of a planned escape. Your action under this premise is just acting out on a personal grudge and can be classified as intentional assault."
After a pause, at the sight of the two’s unsightly expressions, the policeman continued with a calm smile, "Since both parties are at fault, I suggest you push aside your differences and resolve this issue into a trifle. Your economic losses will be fully compensated by the truck driver. As for the driver’s injuries, we will try our best not to have him hold you accountable for your intentional assault, would that be alright?"
Lin Jingzhe's eyes became sharper, "What standpoint are you advising us from? I can tell you for sure that this was no accident but a deliberate and planned act. I witnessed the whole process on the sidewalk, that truck repeatedly ran over my roof three times. If it weren’t for the fact that I had left the car earlier on..."
Shen Tiantian was still crying, her voice was hoarse, but she stubbornly added, "This is definitely an intentional murder!"
The policeman gazed at them with a hint of weariness before letting out a sigh. "Please refrain from making unfounded claims. Have you sustained any injuries? No. Accusing someone of such a serious crime without evidence is a serious matter. The individual in question consumed excessive alcohol and was involved in a minor accident. While you may have experienced some losses, aggressively pushing him into a difficult situation seems excessive. He has a family, and he tirelessly works to transport goods to support his children's education. It's not an easy job. Even in the event of a fatal outcome in this accident, he would likely receive a maximum sentence of seven years, considering he did not flee the scene. Given your lack of injuries, his prison term would be considerably shorter—perhaps two or three years. What purpose does it serve? I recommend considering a negotiated settlement for additional compensation."
Shen Tiantian was furious, she got up and was about to say something else when Lin Jingzhe stopped her.
Lin Jingzhe calmly looked at the policeman. "I am not short of money, and I will definitely properly investigate."
The policeman stared back for a while, then got up and left. "Up to you."
Shen Tiantian was so angry that her lips began to tremble. Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of a familiar figure. She immediately stood up and asked, "Where are you taking him?!"
The injured truck driver's head had already been bandaged. Led by several policemen, he was currently being escorted out with his head down. Shen Tiantian broke free from Lin Jingzhe's grip and stepped forward to stop them. The two leading policemen blocked her and stated with an evasive gaze, "This case has been taken over by the Municipal Bureau, we are only responsible for escorting, and don't know the details."
Shen Tiantian was on the verge of going berserk, her mind seemed to have muddled from her fury, and the whole situation fell into a deadlock. Lin Jingzhe already realized that something was amiss but didn't want to have his sister suffer any immediate losses, so he got up and was about to persuade her.
However, just as he stood up, there was a sudden screeching sound of brakes coming from the outside, followed by a loud commotion.
Lin Jingzhe turned his head to look, his eyes had yet to focus when he felt a gust of wind.
Shen Tiantian's surprised voice sounded, "Xiao—"
Before she could fully utter his name, the scene in front of her caused Shen Tiantian to become speechless.
Lin Jingzhe was taken into a firm but familiar embrace.
Shen Tiantian looked at the two people embracing: "...???"
Lin Jingzhe was almost suffocated by his hug. Xiao Chi's rapid breathing sounded right by his ears, and although he was only wearing a thin cardigan, Lin Jingzhe could feel a layer of sweat behind his back. Shocked, he hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! My phone broke. I wanted to call you, but the police wouldn’t allow it..."
After a short hug, Xiao Chi held Lin Jingzhe’s face and gave him a passionate kiss.
Lin Jingzhe narrowly escaped from the dead. Although he was also in shock, he put on a front to appease his younger sister. Now that he was in the arms of his faithful other half, his state of mind collapsed. Without a second thought, Lin Jingzhe enthusiastically responded to Xiao Chi’s advances.
After a while, Xiao Chi let go of Lin Jingzhe's lips, and repeatedly stroked his cold cheek. As if he hadn't recovered, Xiao Chi muttered repeatedly, "Amitabha..."
Looking at Xiao Chi’s pale complexion, Lin Jingzhe understood he had been terribly frightened, so he quickly patted his back to comfort him. He lightly kissed him again, trying to make out the particular taste in Xiao Chi’s mouth, "Why does your lips taste like cigarettes?..."
Xiao Chi shook his head quickly and stepped back. He looked at Lin Jingzhe carefully from head to toe, not letting go of a single strand of hair, and quickly noticed Lin Jingzhe's bare feet. He questioned, "Where are your shoes?"
Lin Jingzhe curled his toes in when he suddenly came to a realization. He widened his eyes and looked outside.
He met countless pairs of dazed eyes.
Shen Tiantian waddled forward in a pair of men's leather shoes; their shoe sizes were surprisingly similar. Confused, she looked straight into her older brother’s eyes, tears quickly started to well up.
"Uh..." Lin Jingzhe received Xiao Chi's equally vigilant gaze and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling an incoming headache. "I can explain..."
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Footnote:
[1] ‘When you are able to illuminate the emptiness of the five aggregates’ (照见五蕴皆空，就是排除人间一切障碍。) - This is a verse from the Words of Wisdom from Buddhist Master Jun Hong Lu. The whole reads: When you are able to illuminate the emptiness of the five aggregates, you are able to eliminate all hindrances in life.