Chapter 2

As a top-notch thief, Jiang Ping's mental fortitude was naturally beyond question. He quickly forced himself to calm down and began to carefully observe the situation in the room, immediately noticing how familiar the environment was. The old wooden bed, the desk by the window, the bookshelf against the wall, and the osmanthus tree outside the window—all of it was exactly the same as his room from twenty years ago!

Surprised, Jiang Ping walked to the desk and, out of habit, glanced at the mirror hanging on the wall. He immediately saw a young face. The young man in the mirror couldn't be more than twenty years old, his face filled with confusion, mirroring Jiang Ping's current state of mind.

Looking at the young version of himself in the mirror, Jiang Ping couldn't help but mutter, "Is this really me?"

When Jiang Ping's gaze subconsciously fell on the calendar, his face was filled with shock. The calendar clearly showed that today was June 4, 2002, and below it, in red ink, was a small line of text he had written: "30 days until the college entrance exam!"

At this moment, Jiang Ping's mind was in chaos, and he involuntarily sat down at the desk. Fortunately, as a famous thief in his previous life, his mental fortitude was absolutely top-notch. It didn't take long for him to gradually sort out his current situation.

For some unknown reason, after jumping off the White Cliffs of Dover at the age of thirty-eight, Jiang Ping had somehow returned to the past, twenty years ago. At that time, Jiang Ping was still in his senior year of high school, just a month away from the first major turning point in his life—the college entrance exam. Although he didn't know why this had happened, it was undoubtedly a great thing for Jiang Ping. Not everyone gets a second chance at life.

After realizing he had been reborn, the first thing Jiang Ping thought of was revenge! The betrayal by his partner Dong Zhen and the police forcing him to commit suicide were deeply etched in Jiang Ping's mind. For someone who always distinguished right from wrong, he would never be happy in this new life if he didn't avenge this wrong.

However, Jiang Ping soon realized that he had only met Dong Zhen in his late twenties. Before that, they had no connection, and Jiang Ping had no idea where Dong Zhen was or what he was doing at this time.

If Jiang Ping still had the connections from his previous life, finding Dong Zhen wouldn't be a problem. But now, as an ordinary high school student, finding his former enemy in the vast sea of people would be extremely difficult.

Moreover, even if Jiang Ping could find Dong Zhen now, with his current abilities, seeking revenge would be like a pipe dream. He might end up sacrificing himself without achieving his goal.

With the mind of a middle-aged man, Jiang Ping knew that revenge was necessary, but it couldn't be rushed. For Jiang Ping, the most important thing right now was to improve his abilities. Only then would he have the strength to avenge himself and make Dong Zhen pay for his past actions!

With this thought, Jiang Ping's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and he murmured to himself, "Since heaven has given me this chance, I will live this life to the fullest!"

At this moment, Jiang Ping felt a sudden sense of clarity, and many memories from the past began to flood his mind. When his gaze fell on the calendar again, he suddenly remembered something and his face changed. He quickly glanced at the alarm clock, feeling slightly relieved, and hurriedly changed his clothes and rushed out of the room.

Seeing her brother's hurried appearance, Jiang Wei couldn't help but scold him, "I told you to wake up early, but you didn't listen. Now you're in a rush, aren't you? Breakfast is ready, come and eat quickly!"

However, Jiang Ping didn't have time to think about breakfast. He pushed his bicycle out the door.

Jiang Wei, seeing this, quickly chased to the door and shouted, "Brother, you're not eating breakfast?"

"Got an emergency, no time!" Jiang Ping replied without turning back, quickly riding his bicycle out of the alley.

For Jiang Ping, who was already in his late thirties, many things from twenty years ago had faded from his memory, but the events of June 4, 2002, were something he would never forget. On that day, his father, Jiang Jianhua, was arrested for a traffic accident. He had hit and killed a family of three crossing the street and was eventually sentenced to twelve years in prison by the court.

The impact of this major event caused Jiang Ping to perform poorly in the college entrance exam a month later. Six months later, his sister was diagnosed with leukemia and died after a year-long battle with the disease. His mother, exhausted from overwork, died of a heart attack a few months later, following his sister.

In just two years, Jiang Ping, who had once had a happy family, became an orphan. It was during this time that he met Dong Zhen and eventually embarked on the path of becoming an internationally renowned thief.

It wasn't until after Jiang Jianhua was released from prison that Jiang Ping learned that his father hadn't been the one driving the car; he had just taken the blame for someone else. However, regardless of the reason for his father's imprisonment, June 4, 2002, was the day when the family's bad luck began, deeply etched in Jiang Ping's mind.

Since heaven had given Jiang Ping a second chance, he was determined to make up for the regrets of his previous life. He couldn't find his archenemy Dong Zhen at the moment, so his top priority was to prevent the car accident and help his father avoid prison, changing the tragic fate of his family.

Jiang Ping clearly remembered the time and location of the accident. With less than half an hour until the accident, he rode his bicycle as fast as he could. His heart was racing, fearing that he wouldn't arrive in time.

Fortunately, his eighteen-year-old body was full of energy, and he didn't feel particularly tired despite riding at top speed. When he reached the intersection where the accident had occurred in his previous life, everything was still calm, and nothing had happened, which slightly relieved Jiang Ping.

This was a remote intersection with almost no other pedestrians. Jiang Ping leaned his bicycle against a utility pole and patiently waited for the critical moment to arrive.

Actually, if Jiang Ping just wanted to help his father avoid prison, he could have prevented his father from taking the blame without coming all the way to stop the accident.

However, with the memory of his previous life, Jiang Ping knew that the family of three who were killed were none other than Zhao Guoquan's daughter, Zhao Wanqing, and her family. If Jiang Ping could save Zhao Wanqing and her family from the car, it would bring significant benefits to both himself and his family.

Even better, Zhao Guoquan was currently at the lowest point of his career due to the influence of his former leader. No one expected that in just a few months, Zhao Guoquan's former leader would be rehabilitated and reappointed, and Zhao Guoquan's career would then take off. If Jiang Ping could save Zhao Wanqing's family now, the timing would be perfect.

"Time is almost up," Jiang Ping glanced at the digital watch on his wrist, reminding himself to stay alert.

After a few more minutes, Zhao Wanqing and her family finally appeared on the opposite side of the road. Zhao Wanqing was a graceful young woman, and her husband was a handsome young man. Zhao Wanqing was holding a three- or four-year-old girl, who was likely their daughter. The three of them were waiting for the traffic light, looking like a happy family.

However, Jiang Ping, now a middle-aged man, noticed that the relationship between Zhao Wanqing and her husband was somewhat strained. They even avoided eye contact, clearly having deep-seated issues.

At this moment, Jiang Ping didn't have the leisure to concern himself with the emotional problems of Zhao Wanqing and her husband. He was focused on the situation around him, ready to rush in and save them at any moment.

Although Jiang Ping could have gone to the other side of the road now, found an excuse to delay Zhao Wanqing and her family, and let the accident vehicle pass before they crossed the road, doing so would ruin his plan to connect with Zhao Guoquan.

Despite his young appearance, Jiang Ping wasn't a hot-blooded youth. He wouldn't do something that only benefited others without any benefit to himself.

In Jiang Ping's plan, only by saving Zhao Wanqing and her family from the car would he maximize his own interests. So he had to wait for the most opportune moment to act.

Time ticked by, and the countdown on the red light was almost over, indicating that the light would turn green in a few seconds. In a few seconds, Zhao Wanqing and her family would start crossing the road, and that would be the moment that would decide their fate.

Jiang Ping was also a bit nervous. His gaze swept across the intersection and finally settled on Zhao Wanqing and her family. He took a deep breath, focusing all his energy and preparing to act. Concentrating before taking action was a habit from his previous life that he naturally carried into this one.

However, at this moment, as he was fully focused on Zhao Wanqing and her family, Jiang Ping suddenly saw something strange.

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