Chapter 6

The beginning of the book still featured an author photo.

However, the original photo of the author in a hospital gown had disappeared.

In its place was a photo of himself in a dark blue prison uniform, with a scruffy beard, sunken eyes, and half-gray hair, his face devoid of a smile, etched with unwillingness and沧桑 (cāngsāng, meaning "the vicissitudes of life").

It had to be said that the photographer had chosen an excellent angle.

The cramped room, the simple furnishings, and the only iron window through which sunlight shone.

The gloomy atmosphere was fully captured!

Meng Lang sat on the floor, staring blankly at this photo that represented a certain future for him, his eyes filled with endless confusion.

Once, I thought that an elegant split leap could jump over the big pit in life, but I never expected to perfectly avoid Pit A, only to land headfirst into an even deeper and bottomless Pit B...

The turning points in life are not just two choices at a three-way intersection, one leading to darkness and the other to light.

There are countless possibilities, perhaps one leading to darkness and another to even deeper darkness...

He finally understood that the future can change, but not necessarily for the better; it could be even worse!

At least I lived for 18 more years in "A Tragic Life," right?

This time, it's even worse, 10 years to go, setting a new record for the shortest survival.

Life is full of traps, and living to a ripe old age in peace is really too difficult...

...

"Hey, Langzi."

"Xian, are you free at noon?"

"Yes, what's up?"

"I suddenly feel like talking to someone, let's have lunch together, my treat."

"Huh? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, just feeling down."

"Is it... not about selling me insurance?"

"..."

"Alright, alright, shall we go to the usual place?"

"No! A health-conscious person, a health-conscious soul, a health-conscious person doesn't eat spicy hot pot."

"Ha! What are you talking about health? You? Not eating spicy hot pot?"

"Yes! I just quit!"

The other side was silent for a full ten seconds. "Looks like it's a big deal, alright, where do you want to eat?"

"The vegetarian restaurant downstairs."

"Uh..."

...

Half an hour later, at "Liu He Zhai" Vegetarian Restaurant.

"Sir, what would you like to order?"

The middle-aged boss lady, still graceful, spoke in an exceptionally gentle tone, her eyes filled with affection as she handed the menu to Meng Lang... across the table.

"I'll let my friend order." Duan Xian, with a strange look, pushed the menu, filled with unfamiliar dish names, to Meng Lang.

Duan Xian, Meng Lang's college roommate and best friend.

In the annual campus online poll, he ranked No. 2 on the "Top Ten Campus Heartthrobs" list!

Long legs, 180 cm tall, a perfect physique, plus eyes like Andy Lau, eyebrows like Aaron Kwok, a nose like Tony Leung, and a mouth like Takeshi Kaneshiro...

Girls who saw him wanted to commit crimes, and boys who saw him... wanted to stamp a size 42 shoe print on his 24K pure handsome, five-star perfect face.

In short, a natural womanizer, an unparalleled killer who could charm anyone, young or old!

Incidentally, the one who ranked first that year was the son of the head of the Political and Educational Affairs Office.

Just by looking at the boss lady's infatuated expression and the nearby waitresses who kept glancing over, one could tell how much of a magnet for the opposite sex he was.

Meng Lang was already used to this.

He took the menu, glanced at it, and started ordering.

"A plate of steamed potatoes and carrots, a dish of boiled cabbage, two bowls of chestnut porridge, and a fresh vegetable salad.

Less sugar, less salt, less oil, no monosodium glutamate or chicken essence, thank you."

"Uh..."

The boss lady was momentarily stunned by Meng Lang's meticulous and demanding "personalized customization," but quickly recovered her charming professional smile.

"Alright, please wait a moment!"

The boss lady personally expedited the order, and the dishes were served in no time.

The translucent steamed potatoes and carrots, the lotus-shaped cabbage blossoming in the clear broth, the carefully colored salad, and the chestnut porridge emitting a sweet and sticky aroma.

There was also a sweet-looking waitress standing by, ready to serve at the slightest gesture.

One of the benefits of dining with this guy was that, no matter where they ate, they would likely receive Michelin-level VIP treatment.

Looking at the meticulously prepared dishes with not a trace of oil, and then at Meng Lang, who was seriously disinfecting his teacup and utensils with hot water, Duan Xian was speechless.

Was this guy swapped?

Please return my normal best friend who could shout for another round the day after eating gutter oil and getting diarrhea!

Finally, Duan Xian couldn't help but ask Meng Lang a soul-searching question.

"So, are you planning to turn over a new leaf and become a monk? Why?"

Hearing this, Meng Lang, who was delicately wiping his chopsticks, remained calm.

"Because of the damn survival instinct."

"..."

After a long pause, Duan Xian tentatively asked, "What exactly happened?"

Meng Lang silently picked up a fork of salad, chewed the tasteless spinach in his mouth, his eyes twitching as he struggled to swallow the food.

He slowly put down his chopsticks and sighed deeply. "Sigh!"

Dying of advanced gastric cancer twice made Meng Lang realize how important a healthy diet is.

Unfortunately, in the first "A Tragic Life," he was unaware, and in the second "My Struggle," he had no conditions to do so.

So, health must be a priority, the top priority in "changing fate."

Without health, he couldn't even serve his full sentence, how tragic!

He planned to find time to go to the hospital for a check-up, and maybe a gastroscopy.

Yes, preferably a painless one.

"It's nothing, just encountered a hurdle in life that I can't get over, suddenly felt the value of life."

Feeling the value of life? Hearing this familiar line, and seeing Meng Lang's strange behavior and low mood, Duan Xian was suddenly alarmed.

"No way? Could it be... you have a terminal illness? That's so cliché!"

Meng Lang gave him a faint look.

"Not exactly, but it's coming soon."

"I..."

Duan Xian had a lot to say but didn't know where to start.

What does "it's coming soon" mean? Can something like that be "coming soon"?

In fact, Meng Lang had a basis for saying this.

He had just looked it up; gastric cancer is a malignant tumor of the stomach, and from early to advanced stages, it usually takes one to two or three to five years, a very rapid process.

So, even the Meng Lang in "My Struggle," who had a shorter survival time, should have developed the disease five years later, under extremely harsh conditions.

Now, Meng Lang was probably still in the "mild gastritis" stage, a sub-health condition that could still be salvaged.

Seeing Meng Lang's serious expression, Duan Xian, unsure of what had happened, could only comfort him.

"Stop being a joker! Since you can still tell jokes, it can't be that serious. Everything will fall into place, life has no insurmountable hurdles!"

Hearing this, Meng Lang asked seriously, "But what if the hurdle is still a hurdle after you jump over it?"

"Still a hurdle? Then jump again! If one step isn't enough, take another, you have two legs!"

Meng Lang was stunned for a moment, then nodded slowly, his face showing some relief.

"Yes! You're right, I feel much better now."

"Exactly, come on, tell your brother what's bothering you, but if it's about a woman, don't mention it!"

"Yes! I understand the rules!" Meng Lang nodded.

Speaking of Duan Xian's rules, it goes back to their college days.

Once, a good friend of Duan Xian's fell for a junior, and this guy was quite crafty, wanting to stage a hero-saving-the-damsel-in-distress scenario.

Unfortunately, he didn't choose the right extras and foolishly asked Duan Xian to help.

The outcome was predictable.

Although he was supposed to play the villain, his looks were too good.

In the end, the junior fell for the bandit, suffering from severe Stockholm syndrome, while the hero fainted in the toilet.

Despite Duan Xian's multiple rejections and clear stance, the two ended up as enemies, parting on bad terms.

Since then, Duan Xian became reclusive.

Later, he let loose, changing girlfriends frequently, which was somewhat related to this incident.

Meng Lang carefully chose his words before speaking.

"Actually, it's like this. The situation is quite complicated, and I can't explain everything, so I'll keep it simple and tell you what I can."

"Okay! Go ahead!" Duan Xian listened attentively.

"I need money."

"..."

The silence was deafening, and the sudden concern from a friend was overwhelming.

After a long pause, Duan Xian's face turned from green to white, then from white to black, a vivid display of emotions.

He stared at Meng Lang expressionlessly until Meng Lang's gaze became awkward.

"So, all this buildup was just to borrow money?"

"That's not entirely true, I really needed to vent, and only thought about the real matter after feeling better." Meng Lang said somewhat guiltily.

Duan Xian barely resisted the urge to pour the boiled cabbage over his head.

"How much do you need?"

"That depends on how much our friendship is worth."

"Can our friendship be measured in money?"

"If it can, I hope you can put a price on it."

Duan Xian: "..."