Chapter 3

"Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misa opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there."

Lu Zheng slowly opened his eyes; the intense pain from the car accident that had shattered his bones seemed to be gradually fading.

"Where am I? Have I reached the underworld?"

Before him, the scenery was blurry, a mix of red, green, and gray, blending together like an abstract painting, twisted and strange.

Is this what hell looks like?

Lu Zheng closed his eyes in disappointment, realizing that death wasn't as terrifying as he had imagined.

Lu Zheng had always thought that he wouldn't make it to heaven. A man who was disloyal, unfilial, unrighteous, and inhumane, the deepest level of hell was his rightful place.

But he was so unwilling, so incredibly unwilling.

Thinking about the last word his father shouted at him before he died, "Get out!"—with his last ounce of strength, he used all his energy just to tell him to leave, to get as far away as possible!

At that moment, did he, who had always been indifferent to everything, feel some pain? Perhaps he didn't even know.

His mother, that fierce and strong woman, hadn't spoken to him for many, many years. Once, she had favored him the most, forgiving and accepting him no matter what he did wrong. When did she stop talking to him? Ah, he really couldn't remember. The bastard that he was, he had never cared about her, had he?

Du Xiaohu, his most loyal friend, had swallowed over a hundred sleeping pills because of him. Did that gradually cold body regret following him?

And then, that beautiful figure he never wanted to think about again.

Was he, who was disloyal to his family, unfilial to his parents, and unrighteous to his friends, worth following?

Perhaps he should have died long ago.

But why was he so unwilling? Why did he have such resentment?

Was it because he remembered that he had once had a warm spring?

That was a very long time ago, wasn't it?

Yes, a very long time ago, after he had survived the life and death trials of the South China battlefield and just transferred to civilian life, he had not yet walked in the darkness.

Was it 1983 or 1984? He almost couldn't remember.

If he were to trace his life, he should start from when he was born, right?

Perhaps everyone, on the road to the underworld, would recall their entire life, regardless of whether they were scum like him.

He was the third generation of the once glorious Lu family in the People's Republic. His childhood was fraught with misfortune. His parents were in difficult situations, and he was taken away by a nanny right after he was born.

He had the deepest bond with his nanny. In his heart, she was his true mother. Unfortunately, when he was eight years old, his wandering nanny died in Guangning, a small coastal county. He was then adopted by a family with the same surname, Lu, in Guangning, and his household registration was also registered there. However, his new adoptive parents treated him poorly, making him work in the fields from a young age. It wasn't until he was sixteen and ran away from home that his biological parents finally found him and sent him to the military.

He joined the army at seventeen and participated in the Sino-Vietnamese War in South China, where he was honorably wounded and transferred to civilian life. During the Nanshan Campaign, his company suffered heavy casualties, and he was admitted to the Party and promoted to a cadre on the front lines. After returning to Guangning, the county committee, following the central government's policies, gave special consideration to him for his second-class personal merit and appointed him as the second-ranking deputy political commissar of the county bureau.

Ah, he remembered, it was 1983, and he was 21 years old.

But the following year, 1984, he resigned in frustration due to constant exclusion and entered the business world, starting his dark career. As a businessman, he was successful, even earning the legendary title of "Business Magician." However, he used any means necessary to succeed, and every coin was stained with blood.

Then, as the Lu family was brutally purged from the political landscape of the People's Republic, he, who had distanced himself from the Lu family, was also implicated, serving two prison terms, and his company was seized.

What if?

What else was there to think about? There is no "what if" in this world.

Lu Zheng sighed softly, then felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Were the ghosts of the underworld here to take him?

"Commissar, wake up, why are you sleeping?"

The voice was familiar. In the underworld, perhaps there were hallucinations?

So be it, if they came, they came. Even if the Ten Courts of Hell were here, what could they do? He had already disgraced the Lu family in life; he could not let them be further disgraced in death! At the moment of his death, he finally understood that no matter what, his blood was the blood of the Lu family, and from the moment he was born, he was deeply marked by the Lu family.

Lu Zheng slowly straightened his body and opened his eyes to look behind him. Even if it was a ghost, so what? They were all ghosts now; he wasn't afraid. In life, he was a demon; in death, he would be a heroic ghost!

But when Lu Zheng gradually saw the face of the young man who had gently tapped his shoulder, his pupils contracted sharply. The person in front of him was wearing a blue police uniform with red collar badges, had clear eyes, a neat and tidy haircut, and a few acne spots, just like Du Xiaohu when he was young.

"Commissar? What's wrong?" Du Xiaohu's gaze was strange.

Lu Zheng shook his head and looked around. He saw willows swaying gently, narrow streets lined with low-rise buildings and bungalows, and bicycles zipping by, ringing their bells. The scene was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it.

At the southeast corner of the crossroads, a slightly grander yellow building caught Lu Zheng's attention. It was a three-story building with a diamond-shaped wall, and on it were four elegant golden characters, "Department Store." It was clearly visible from a distance.

Lu Zheng suddenly realized that this was the department store in Guangning County. It still stood in the old district of Guangning when he returned in 2012, but compared to the luxurious large supermarkets and new department stores in the new district, it had become old and neglected. He heard that it was demolished not long after he left.

But why was it here, and the surroundings?

Lu Zheng looked sharply at "Du Xiaohu" again, hesitated, and asked, "Are you, are you Hu Zi?" His voice trembled slightly. It had been many, many years since he had felt any emotion. He had even taken Du Xiaohu's loyalty for granted.

"Commissar, what's wrong with you?" "Du Xiaohu" became anxious. "Do you need to see a doctor?"

Commissar? Lu Zheng looked down at himself and saw that he was wearing the same blue police uniform with red collar badges as Du Xiaohu. This 71-style police uniform was replaced by the 83-style olive green uniform in 1984 and 1985.

Suddenly, a "sizzling" sound, like static in the air, caught his attention. Lu Zheng looked up and saw that it was coming from a high-frequency speaker on a street lamp. Then, the music of "The March of Friendship" played, and a female announcer reported the news with enthusiasm, "Our women's badminton team overcame all difficulties, demonstrating great revolutionary spirit, and won the Uber Cup! They have made new contributions to our modernization efforts!..."

Although the content of the broadcast seemed naive and laughable, the spirit and the uplifting melody were so familiar, something he hadn't heard or seen in a long time.

Later, announcers and hosts gradually became more cloying, and the hardy and fresh style had long disappeared.

Lu Zheng suddenly had an epiphany and urgently asked "Du Xiaohu," "What's the date today? No, what year is it now?"

"Du Xiaohu" looked at Lu Zheng with concerned anxiety but obeyed his orders, just as he had followed him on the South China battlefield, fighting bravely as a deputy company commander.

"Commissar, today is May 14, 1984."

Lu Zheng slowly stepped back a few steps. 1984? He had returned to 1984?

His mind and heart were filled with disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something but couldn't.

Finally, he looked at Du Xiaohu, his lifelong loyal friend, subordinate, and brother, perhaps even a fool!

In his previous life, no matter what difficulties he faced, Du Xiaohu had always been by his side. When he joined the army, Du Xiaohu followed. When he transferred to civilian life, Du Xiaohu came to the countryside with him. When he entered the business world, Du Xiaohu resigned to follow him. When he was in prison, Du Xiaohu worked outside to help him. In the end, Du Xiaohu was also restricted and committed suicide at home to protect him.

Before he died, the first thing he thought of was that Du Xiaohu was his only friend, and having this one friend was worth it!

Lu Zheng took a few steps forward and slowly grabbed Du Xiaohu's shoulder.

"Hu Zi, to see you again, I... I'm really happy! Really!..."

Du Xiaohu just smiled foolishly, scratching his head, thinking, "Did Brother Zheng have a nightmare about the battlefield again?"

---

(End of the page)