Chapter 8

When Ren Bāqiān got home, he couldn't fall asleep. He turned on his computer and started looking up information about saltpeter.

In the morning, Ren Bāqiān stretched lazily. Throughout the night, he had not only looked up information about saltpeter but also a lot of information about polar bears.

Saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate, absorbs a large amount of heat when dissolved in water, thus turning water into ice.

There are many sources of saltpeter. Besides saltpeter mines, it can also be found in the corners of walls in rural houses and in the ground near pigsties.

As long as that world has this substance, Ren Bāqiān guessed he could find it near the animal park, specifically near the animal waste pits.

However, just to be safe, Ren Bāqiān decided to buy some to bring along, in case he couldn't find saltpeter there.

Hmm, not only did he solve the bear problem, but he also managed to create ice in the middle of summer, finally proving his "abilities." He wouldn't be taken out and beheaded on a whim, right?

Ren Bāqiān picked up his phone, which was indeed off again. He plugged it in to charge and climbed back into bed to sleep some more.

His mind alternated between thinking about that world and the real world, creating a sense of disorientation.

A day in that world equals three days in this world. Ten years in that world would be thirty years in the real world. He wondered how his lifespan would be calculated with all this back-and-forth travel.

And there were actually qilins in that world? If he took a photo and posted it online, wouldn't he instantly become famous? They would probably think it was photoshopped.

He thought about all sorts of things and eventually fell asleep again.

When he woke up, he checked his phone and saw it was 8:30 AM.

He had several missed calls, two from Chen Qìng and one from a former colleague.

Ren Bāqiān smiled wryly. He had spent a year there, and his relationship with everyone was superficial. He guessed this colleague was calling to ask him to come back and clean out his things.

To others, it might seem like a miserable situation, but Ren Bāqiān was used to it.

After a good shower and a change of clothes, Ren Bāqiān went to his former company to settle his salary and collect his belongings.

The company was about a half-hour drive from his place, located in a commercial building.

When Ren Bāqiān entered, many people saw him, but few spoke to him, as if they didn't recognize him. They only looked up and exchanged glances after he passed.

He knocked on the manager's door and, hearing "come in," pushed the door open and walked in.

A woman in her forties, wearing glasses, looked up and immediately turned cold. "You've been absent without leave and have been fired. Go to the finance department to settle your accounts, then clean out your things and leave."

Ren Bāqiān nodded and turned to leave.

The woman was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to leave so easily without a word. She then lowered her head and continued working.

After settling everything, Ren Bāqiān stood at the company entrance, took one last look, and turned to go downstairs.

As he passed by, he saw that his seat was already occupied by someone else, likely a new employee. He didn't care about his belongings; they could throw them wherever they wanted.

There was no drama, no one would actively mock him. To most people, he was less than air. Air was at least a necessity, but his presence or absence made no difference to them.

Ren Bāqiān thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile as he went downstairs.

He bought 25 kilograms of potassium nitrate from a chemical reagent store and sent it back to his room. Then he went to a bookstore to buy a few books about animals and to a veterinary pharmacy to buy some vitamin B, which could treat indigestion. He also noticed the bear had some bald spots, and this medicine could help with that.

After preparing everything, he called Chen Qìng back.

"I've been looking for you for days. Want to go out tonight?" Chen Qìng asked as soon as the call connected.

Ren Bāqiān knew what he meant by "going out" – going to a bar to have fun.

Chen Qìng was sunny, handsome, and wealthy, always popular with girls. He rarely came back empty-handed from a bar.

Many girls who went to bars for fun went in groups. Ren Bāqiān was also quite good-looking, at least not unattractive, and being with Chen Qìng, he often had a good time too.

Ren Bāqiān really wanted to relax. He had been tense for a while, and now he could finally unwind. "Sure, you pick the place."

"Alright, I have something to do now. I'll text you the time and place."

That evening, Ren Bāqiān waited at the entrance of a newly opened bar, as Chen Qìng had said.

Chen Qìng arrived in his car a few minutes after Ren Bāqiān.

"New car?" Ren Bāqiān raised an eyebrow. Chen Qìng used to drive a Buick, but now he had an Audi Q7.

"My dad and Jiang Nán's dad talked recently, and he sponsored this car," Chen Qìng said with a smile.

"Wow, met the parents! Congratulations!" Ren Bāqiān smiled, genuinely happy for Chen Qìng.

"So, I won't have much time to play in the future. Let's enjoy ourselves while we can," Chen Qìng said, hooking his arm around Ren Bāqiān's neck as they walked in together.

"Have you set a date?" Ren Bāqiān asked as they walked in.

"October 1st for the engagement," Chen Qìng replied.

"Congratulations, congratulations..."

A moment later, they were sitting in the bar. Ren Bāqiān focused on his drink, while Chen Qìng chatted and scanned the room for potential targets.

"Those two look good!" Chen Qìng said, raising his eyebrows, then added, "Too bad they have boyfriends."

In a bar, you need good judgment. Being rejected is one thing, but getting beaten up is another. Ren Bāqiān had seen this happen before.

He was looking for targets, and so were others.

Soon, a waiter brought two drinks. "Sir, these are from table 57."

They looked in the direction the waiter pointed. At that table were three women in their early twenties, all quite attractive. One of them was raising her glass to them.

Chen Qìng raised his glass in response. After the waiter left, they took their drinks and moved to that table.

They introduced themselves. The three women were all from the area and were high school classmates. They were now studying out of town and had returned for the summer break.

Chen Qìng was a good conversationalist and soon got along well with the three women.

Ren Bāqiān listened and occasionally chimed in with comments.

If nothing went wrong, they would have a good night.

But something did go wrong. While they were chatting, two groups of people nearby started arguing. This was common, and no one paid much attention.

However, within half a minute, a shout was heard, and the two groups started fighting.

There were about five or six men in total. Tables and chairs were overturned, and Ren Bāqiān's group was affected. They tried to move back to avoid getting hurt.

At that moment, one of the men stumbled toward them. Chen Qìng caught him and gently pushed him away.

"They're with them, beat them up!" the other group suddenly shouted and started throwing bottles at Ren Bāqiān's group.

"Damn!" Ren Bāqiān didn't know what to say about this unexpected trouble.

"It's a misunderstanding, we don't know them!" Chen Qìng raised his hands and tried to explain while backing away.

"Damn!" Ren Bāqiān shouted again. This time, one of the men pulled out a small knife and lunged at Chen Qìng.

Ren Bāqiān instinctively stepped in front of Chen Qìng, trying to grab the man's wrist. He cherished this only friend.

However, Ren Bāqiān overestimated his speed. The knife stabbed him in the stomach before he could react.

Ren Bāqiān clutched his stomach, trying to curse, but the intense pain made him unable to speak.

"Murder! Murder!" someone shouted.

The two groups, seeing the situation, fled.

...

When Ren Bāqiān woke up, he was in the hospital, with Chen Qìng by his side.

His stomach hurt, but he could still speak.

"Awake? Thirsty?" Chen Qìng asked, concerned.

"How long has it been?" Ren Bāqiān wanted to know how long he had been asleep.

"Over 20 hours. Mainly because of the anesthesia. The doctor said there's no serious damage, just let the external injuries heal. Thanks to you this time!"

"Those people were up to something!" Ren Bāqiān thought about the scene in the bar and felt something was off. The other side wasn't blind; they had already raised their hands to say it was a misunderstanding, yet they still attacked with a knife.

The others he saw before he passed out also fled. If they were innocent, why would they run?

Clearly, they were after him and Chen Qìng.

He didn't usually offend anyone, so the target must be Chen Qìng.

"This time, I got you involved. I'm sorry. I'm glad you're not seriously hurt, or I wouldn't know what to do." Chen Qìng held Ren Bāqiān's hand.

"Don't be so dramatic." Ren Bāqiān looked at him with disdain. "I just got carried away in the moment. If I hadn't been drunk, I would have run as fast as I could."

He suddenly didn't want to say what he had planned. Chen Qìng understood, and he would handle it.

Chen Qìng's father had a significant business in the city and wouldn't ignore his son's danger.

"True friends show themselves in times of need!" Chen Qìng laughed.

"When can I be discharged?" Ren Bāqiān asked.

"The doctor said a few more days of observation. You have nothing to do recently, so just stay and recover."

"No, I need to be discharged tomorrow." Ren Bāqiān insisted. He crossed over every three days, and it had already been 40 hours. He had to be discharged by tomorrow, or he would disappear in the hospital bed, scaring everyone.

"Your wound is still bleeding. Moving around will make it worse." Chen Qìng tried to persuade him.

"Discharge me in the morning and use a wheelchair to take me back." Ren Bāqiān insisted.

"Alright, I'll ask the doctor. By the way, Jiang Nán came by but left when you didn't wake up. She left you some flowers!" Chen Qìng waved a bouquet of flowers at Ren Bāqiān.

"Money would be more practical."

Page break for ads

Page break for ads