Chapter 18

Liu Qian was extremely puzzled, but seeing that Xu Mo did not explain, he did not continue to press the matter. After Xu Mo finished speaking, he said, "Alright, I'll go and tell Zhao Hongzhe and the others."

He then headed in the direction of the thatched cottage.

Xu Mo followed behind him. Although he had come up with this idea, there was one thing he couldn't figure out: the car accident must have a reason, it couldn't just happen for no reason, right? If the hint in the Book of Enlightenment is true, and that off-road vehicle really will have an accident, what caused the accident? Was the driver really drunk, and did he drive the car into a ditch? Or did he collide with another car?

He thought for a moment but couldn't figure it out.

The two quickly returned to the thatched cottage. Su Yan saw them and hurriedly came forward. She also noticed Ma Wu, who was not far behind them, and frowned, saying, "I heard Xu Tao and Zhao Hongzhe say that you had a conflict with Ma Wu and almost came to blows. What exactly happened?"

Xu Mo did not answer. This kind of thing was not his forte, so he left it to Liu Qian to handle.

Liu Qian casually replied, "It was a small matter, nothing to worry about."

How could Su Yan believe him? She said, "Don't try to fool me. If it was just a small matter, would you stop working? And why didn't Chen ignore you? What is Ma Wu doing with you?"

Liu Qian smiled and turned to wave at Zhao Hongzhe and the others.

Zhao Hongzhe and the others approached, and Xu Tao asked, "Brother Qian, what's up?"

Liu Qian smiled and said, "I need your help with a small favor."

Guo Xia glanced at Ma Wu and timidly said, "It's not going to be a fight, is it?"

Liu Qian glanced at her with disdain, "If it were a fight, would I ask you? Do you think you can handle it?" His words were full of contempt.

Zhao Hongzhe and the others, far from being offended, were relieved. Xu Tao said generously, "As long as it's not a fight, Brother Qian, you tell us."

Liu Qian said, "Do you remember how that off-road vehicle driver almost hit Brother Xu yesterday when he drove the car into the ditch?"

"Of course I remember," Zhao Hongzhe interjected, then seemed to understand something and asked, "You didn't have a conflict with Ma Wu because of this, did you? I think Ma Wu is in league with that Chen and the off-road vehicle driver."

Xu Mo knew he had misunderstood, but it was a good thing he thought this way, as it saved Liu Qian from having to explain.

Liu Qian clearly thought the same and decided to go along with it, nodding and saying, "That off-road vehicle driver has a low tolerance for alcohol but likes to drink. After just one small cup, he's almost done for. So yesterday, after drinking, he almost had an accident and almost hit Brother Xu. You should tell others not to ride with him when they go back. This guy likes to drink, and the mountain roads are difficult. If something happens, they might lose their lives."

Guo Xia sighed in relief, "Oh, I see. After what happened yesterday, even if you didn't tell us, we wouldn't dare ride with him. We three had already decided that if we couldn't take the bus, we'd rather walk back than get in his car."

Liu Qian said, "Not just you, but you should also tell the others so they know."

Guo Xia hesitated, thinking, "What does it matter if others ride or not? Why should we bother to tell them?"

Zhao Hongzhe slapped his chest and promised for all three, "No problem, leave it to us. We might not be good at fighting, but we can handle this small matter. Brother Qian, you can rest assured."

Liu Qian gave a few more instructions, and the three went to spread the word.

They were young and acted with passion and impulsiveness, not thinking much about the consequences. If it were someone else, or if they had more social experience and a more mature way of thinking, they might not have agreed so easily.

By lunchtime, the news had spread completely, and everyone knew about it. However, the message gradually changed, and it became known that the off-road vehicle would have an accident on the way back.

Everyone was talking about it, and the news reached Xu Mo's ears. The people talking about the impending accident spoke as if they had seen it happen in the future, which made Xu Mo both laugh and cry.

He was secretly worried: I hope the outcome hinted at by the Book of Enlightenment doesn't change because of this rumor.

Time passed slowly, and it was finally evening. The part-time job was over, and everyone returned to the square. The bus that had brought them there came back.

Xu Mo was getting more and more nervous, with a vague sense of unease. He had put all his bets on the Book of Enlightenment's hint being correct, without considering any backup plan. If anything went wrong, it would be a disaster. Liu Qian seemed to have made no other preparations either.

At this critical moment, there was no time to think much. Liu Qian reminded him, "Get on the bus and save me a seat."

"Got it," Liu Qian replied, then asked curiously, "What about you?"

"Me?" Xu Mo smiled bitterly and turned to look at Ma Wu, who was also looking at him. Suddenly, he stepped back and ran.

Ma Wu was taken aback but immediately chased after him.

The bus door opened, and the part-time workers rushed to get on. Liu Qian, being strong, was still the first to board, finding a window seat and opening the window to watch Xu Mo.

Xu Mo ran along the edge of the square, with Ma Wu chasing after him. Seeing that he had fallen for it, Xu Mo felt much more at ease. When he reached the edge of the square, he stopped and looked back. Seeing that most people were on the bus, he turned and walked back.

Ma Wu was puzzled, not understanding what he was doing, and cursed a few times, but Xu Mo ignored him.

Back on the bus, Xu Mo sat down next to Liu Qian, and Ma Wu followed him on. At this point, everyone except Xiao Chen and the off-road vehicle driver was on the bus.

Besides Ma Wu, two young, well-mannered men who looked like students had no seats. They didn't want to squeeze in with others and stayed at the back.

The bus driver looked back and called, "Those without seats, get off and take the other bus."

The two men who looked like students stood there, not moving.

Ma Wu shouted, "Who will switch with me and take the off-road vehicle?"

He asked several people, but no one was willing to switch. Everyone had heard the rumor at lunchtime, and although they might not fully believe it, no one wanted to take the risk.

A moment later, Xiao Chen got on the bus and looked around. His gaze swept over Xu Mo and Liu Qian, revealing a hint of malice.

He then turned to the two men who looked like students and pointed at them, saying, "You two, get off and take the other bus."

One of the men stammered, "That bus will have an accident."

"Who said that?" Xiao Chen glared at him and sneered, "Spreading rumors can get you in trouble."

The two men didn't respond, looking unwilling and standing still.

Xiao Chen and Ma Wu exchanged a glance, then looked around. He saw the large, fat man who had been sitting in the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle on the way there. This man's physique was distinctive, making him easy to remember.

He patted the fat man on the shoulder and smiled, "Buddy, I remember you were in that car on the way here. Switch with him and take your seat in the passenger seat." He pointed at Ma Wu.

The fat man firmly shook his head, "That bus will have an accident, I'm not going."

Xiao Chen was taken aback, "Who said that?"

The fat man said, "Everyone is saying it."

"Are you going to believe everything others tell you?" Xiao Chen smiled and patted the fat man on the shoulder again, saying, "Switch with him, buddy. The passenger seat is so comfortable, and no one will squeeze in with you. Isn't it better than here?"

The fat man was still unmoved. Xiao Chen, frustrated, looked up and saw the two men who looked like students again. He asked, "Why aren't you getting off?"

The man who had spoken earlier said, "That bus will have an accident."

Xiao Chen frowned and said coldly, "What's going on? Tell me why everyone says it will have an accident."

The man, lacking social experience and feeling nervous, saw his serious expression and shrank back, saying, "I'm not really sure."

Xiao Chen, displeased, said, "Then tell me what you do know."

"Someone said..." The man pointed at the off-road vehicle driver, "That he has a low tolerance for alcohol and will drive the car off a cliff when he drinks."

Xiao Chen was stunned, "Who made up this story?"

The man continued, "It's not made up. Didn't it happen yesterday? He drank a small cup of alcohol, and the car went into a ditch as soon as it started."

Xiao Chen suddenly understood, feeling both amused and helpless, but couldn't explain it. He shouted to the off-road vehicle driver, "Old Li, did you drink today?"

Old Li was already in the off-road vehicle, sitting in the driver's seat. Hearing the question, he turned around and replied, "I had a small cup, what's the matter?"

He didn't know what had happened and answered truthfully, but this caused a commotion on the bus. Many people started whispering, and the situation became a bit out of control.

Xiao Chen cursed under his breath, with a bitter smile, and said, "I won't let him drive on the way back. I'll drive instead. Is that okay? You two, get on that bus."

He pointed at the two men who looked like students, and they, reluctantly, got off the bus.

Xiao Chen then negotiated with the fat man, "Hey, buddy, I'll drive. No need to worry about an accident, right? Switch with him."

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