Chapter 88: A Stroke of Luck

In the months that followed, under the relentless pursuit of Xiaomei’s family, the two were in great distress, leading them to contemplate a tragic end.

Cheng Chao knew it was selfish, but Xiaomei insisted that she couldn’t live a day without him and would rather die.

Cheng Chao purchased a syringe and a drug called Amber Chloride online. On a clear day, they went to a desolate mountain in Caoji, a place Cheng Chao had visited with friends during college. He knew of a hidden cave there, perfect for their final resting place.

Finally reaching the cave, the desperate lovers embraced, hoping to be together in the next life. Cheng Chao gritted his teeth, injected Xiaomei with a needle, and then used the remaining drug on himself.

At this point, he rolled up his sleeve to show Chen Shi a needle mark on his arm.

He had a dream, though he couldn’t remember it clearly, and then woke up, crawling to the cave’s edge to vomit. Cheng Chao initially thought he was in hell, but upon seeing Xiaomei’s lifeless body, realized he had survived.

Xiaomei had already passed away.

Cheng Chao felt like crying. Why was he unable to even die successfully? He planned to jump off a cliff to end his life but couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from Xiaomei in death.

He sat in the cave for an hour, when suddenly he received a text message. It turned out that a lottery ticket he had bought a few days ago had won the grand prize—20 million!

He knelt and cried, questioning why fate would play such a cruel joke on him. Just as he was ready to marry Xiaomei, she was already gone.

He got up, determined to claim the prize and exact revenge on those who had looked down on him.

At that moment, a man dressed as a mountaineer entered the cave. Seeing the woman on the ground, he asked in surprise what had happened. Cheng Chao lied, saying she was his girlfriend who had fallen ill and was sleeping.

The man, being helpful, prepared to call an ambulance. Cheng Chao suddenly thought that if the situation became known, he would be guilty of murder, and the 20 million would vanish.

So, as the man dialed the phone, Cheng Chao grabbed a rock and smashed it into his face, then beat him repeatedly until he stopped moving.

He described this memory as a blank, like a beast was in control of him.

When he came to his senses, it was too late. A disfigured corpse lay on the ground. Cheng Chao grabbed his hair, pondering how to deal with the situation…

Wait!

The man was about the same age as him. With Xiaomei’s body, weren’t they a pair of tragic lovers?

Realizing this, he swapped clothes with the man, arranged him and Xiaomei together, and, thinking that the police would find it harder to solve the case the longer they took to identify the bodies, he destroyed Xiaomei’s face with tears in his eyes.

After staging the scene, he left under the cover of darkness to claim his 20 million.

The feeling of being rich was like a dream. That night, he drank, partied, and splurged on women, spending money extravagantly. The world, which had once been so hostile, now seemed to smile brightly. This was the world of the wealthy, and it was so wonderful.

When he woke up from a hangover, he thought of a horrifying possibility: the police could use DNA technology to easily determine the bodies weren’t his.

He had to think of another plan. He returned to the scene, where the bodies were still undiscovered, pulled out some hair and skin flakes from the male corpse, and brought them to his residence to leave for the police to find.

Since Cheng Chao had vanished, he had no intention of returning. Just as he was about to leave, he bumped into an angry An Xu.

An Xu pushed him against the wall, demanding to know where Xiaomei was. She had been missing for a day, and her family was frantic, searching everywhere for her.

Cheng Chao had always feared An Xu. Under his threatening demeanor, he pitifully confessed Xiaomei’s death. When An Xu raised his fist to hit him, Cheng Chao suddenly said, “How about I give you money? Please keep this a secret.”

An Xu sneered, “You poor fool, how much can you give me?”

“One million?” Cheng Chao offered.

An Xu couldn’t believe it. When Cheng Chao actually transferred him one million, An Xu’s attitude changed drastically. He not only agreed to help Cheng Chao cover up but also suggested keeping the money in a card not under his name to avoid police detection.

The feeling of having money was exhilarating! It was like being the protagonist of an online novel!

Cheng Chao felt that after over twenty years of bad luck, he had finally turned his fate around. While Xiaomei’s body slowly decomposed in the mountains, he splurged in some decadent, luxurious corner of the city, indulging in sensory pleasures.

Of course, during this time, An Xu also joined him several times. This wealthy young man knew many good places and often asked Cheng Chao for money.

Now, in this extravagant dream, there was a new face…

“How much do you want?” Cheng Chao asked with a cold smile.

“Do you think money can buy me?” Chen Shi asked.

Cheng Chao pointed at An Xu, “Look at him. How did he treat me in the past, and how does he treat me now? I’m over it now. Everything is fake, only money is real. To hell with love. I once thought Xiaomei was perfect because she was all I had. Now, I just throw money around, and women come to me.”

“Kid, you’ll blow through 20 million if you spend like this.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll indulge and die. Anyway, my life’s worth it.”

Chen Shi heard the sound of approaching cars. He pulled out his “police badge,” which was empty, and said, “Actually, I’m not a cop.”

Cheng Chao’s mouth curled into a smile, and he laughed towards the sky, “My luck is unbeatable, I’m the chosen one, the chosen one…” An Xu, seeing his expression, angrily threw his cigarette on the ground.

Cheng Chao laughed and asked, “So, how much? Less than one million, I can give you right now.”

“Kid, you misunderstood. I meant the real police are on their way. I was just stalling for time.”

The sound of approaching cars grew louder. An Xu panicked and shouted, “Let’s go!” He and Cheng Chao fled to the car. Chen Shi quickly got in as well. Before their car could start, it was violently hit from behind, pushing it several meters away and crashing it against the roadside.

An Xu was furious, hitting the gas and brake simultaneously, causing the wheels to spin wildly and the gravel to fly. The rear-flying car collided with Chen Shi’s car, shattering the windshield. The airbags deployed, and the massive impact made Chen Shi’s head buzz, cutting his forehead with glass shards.

But Chen Shi didn’t give up. He floored the gas, ramming the other car sideways in the road.

At this moment, police cars surrounded them from both sides, trapping them. Chen Shi sighed in relief, rested his head on the airbag, and passed out…