Free Web NovelChapter 358: Chapter 358: Extra 7
Jiang Cheng was inside the truck, watching Shen Que joking around seriously with the others, wanting to laugh.
At this moment, Shen Que seemed like her.
No wonder people say that couples become more alike over time.
Jiang Cheng calmly watched the show, while Shen Que was outside, adamantly insisting on calling the police.
The other side’s aunties and uncles were silenced, scared stiff by Gao Zhonghua’s one-handed brick-breaking move.
In other words, they really did not hit anyone, but their show of force was too strong.
In the end, the scammers left in defeat.
Shen Que and the others returned to the car, noting down road signs and the appearance of a few people, as well as the names of those who came earlier.
The truck was righted by Master Guo’s skillful maneuver, honking twice loudly in displeasure.
A jet of black smoke spurted from the exhaust pipe, aimed directly at the group of orchestrated scammers.
With a buzzing sound, the truck left, and Jiang Cheng saw through the rearview mirror that the others were cursing.
She looked away and asked Shen Que, "What do we do next?"
"Call the police."
"Ordinary folks might find calling the police ineffective, but when taxpayers call, it tends to have an impact."
Jiang Cheng understood Shen Que’s words; having an identity matters, otherwise what’s the point of working hard to advance?
Seeing Shen Que confident, Jiang Cheng didn’t ask further.
While couples are intimate, they should also retain some space for each other.
Jiang Cheng changed the topic, curious about what Master Guo did before, as his driving skills were so impressive.
"I used to drive in the army."
"No wonder, you’re really skilled."
Jiang Cheng praised generously, and Master Guo chuckled naively, showing none of his earlier aggression.
So, all of that was an act.
The truck smoothly entered the county town, and the four of them parked the vehicle before choosing a noodle shop.
The hot noodles warmed them up as they ate.
After finishing the noodles, Shen Que bought some baked pastries from a neighboring shop, ready to eat anytime.
That wasn’t all; he also bought Jiang Cheng some drinks, seeds, candies, preserved plums, fruits, and snacks.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng teased, "I’m not a child."
"Take your time to eat; we have a long drive ahead, and we might not reach a town later on."
Shen Que was replenishing supplies for her.
Jiang Cheng secretly pulled Shen Que’s finger to show her gratitude.
After exchanging a quiet glance, the two climbed back into the truck and continued on their journey.
Once out of the county town, Gao Zhonghua took over driving.
The vehicle continued heading south, and the day was uneventful, with nothing significant happening.
It was nighttime when the wind started blowing — possibly due to bad weather, and even robbers seemed unwilling to operate.
Shen Que was driving, as the wind grew stronger.
The wind blew off many branches, which fell onto the vehicle’s roof with a clatter.
This night, Shen Que drove during the first half, while Master Guo took over in the latter half.
At around five in the morning, the wind gradually subsided, but the sun still didn’t rise.
Everyone felt a bit heavy-hearted, looking at the gloomy sky outside.
"Looks like it’s going to rain, a heavy one."
"Indeed."
As soon as the words were spoken, the sound of beans cracking the ground began.
Enormous raindrops fell hurriedly, with no sign of light rain.
In just a few minutes, visible raindrops turned into dense lines, making a sound like pouring water.
A torrential downpour arrived just like that.
They were on a mountain road passing through, where experienced Master Guo dared not stop, as such heavy rain is a prime cause for mudslides.
Stopping downhill would be dangerous; they had to get past this stretch to open, flat ground.
At this moment, only Master Guo could drive, as he had the best skills.
The dense raindrops completely blocked the windshield’s view, making it impossible to see what was ahead.
Gao Zhonghua lowered the window, manually holding onto a mop, trying to wipe the front glass, in hopes of giving Master Guo some visibility.
Meanwhile, Master Guo removed the driver’s seat rail, leaning his body out to look forward, his hands gripping the steering wheel.
Simultaneously, Shen Que and Gao Zhonghua were also watching the mountain conditions on both sides, ready to react at the first moment.
Working together, the truck slowly moved forward.
Turning past one bend after another, just as they were about to descend, suddenly three figures rushed up from the slope below, frantically waving at the truck.
"Don’t go!"
"Landslide!"
Three people shouted in the heavy rain, using dialect, which Master Guo didn’t immediately understand, but Jiang Cheng did.
"They said there’s a landslide ahead!"
Jiang Cheng spoke in time, and Master Guo braked, while Gao Zhonghua swiftly jumped out of the truck, running past the three to check ahead.
The three on the road were relieved when the truck stopped.
A few minutes later, Gao Zhonghua returned, drenched, confirming the three people’s claims.
"The road’s been destroyed."
Master Guo, upon hearing, turned to look at Shen Que.
Shen Que made a quick decision to go back.
Master Guo turned the truck around, and the three folks who brought the warning were also picked up, though there wasn’t room in the front, so they had to sit in the rain-soaked truck bed.
But the three didn’t mind; they climbed aboard, expressing thanks in their dialect.
Jiang Cheng exchanged a few words fluently with them in dialect, which surprised them, not expecting to meet a fellow villager.
However, there was no time to delay, as the truck retraced its path.
The truck drove into the increasingly heavy rain.
The sky had completely darkened; it should have been bright at eight o’clock in the morning, but now it was pitch black.
The rain blurred the boundaries between heaven and earth.
Thunder and lightning roared overhead, almost seeming directly above them.
Shen Que nervously held Jiang Cheng’s hand, not afraid himself, but Jiang Cheng’s presence made him fearful.
Jiang Cheng held Shen Que’s hand tighter.
"Don’t worry, we’ll be okay."
"Yeah."
Shen Que didn’t say much more but continued to watch the road conditions beside them.
Half an hour into the drive, Shen Que suddenly shouted.
"Speed up!"
Master Guo didn’t understand why, but instinctively obeyed the command.
With a buzz, followed by three thuds, probably the sound of the three people in the truck bed falling.
The truck accelerated dramatically, and rumbling sounds echoed on both sides.
It felt stifling, not akin to thunder.
Jiang Cheng looked out, her heart pounding with an intensely calm mind.
Mudslide!
Mud mixed with stones rushed down the mountain top, demolishing anything blocking the path.
"Ah—hurry!"
"The mountain’s collapsing!"
"Quick, quick, quick!"
Loud banging sounds from the truck roof, a reminder from the three people.
Master Guo remained ultra-calm, pushing the speed to the maximum.
When the mudslide reached about a meter from the ground, the truck roared through, scattering rocks and splashing mud.
The next second, the mud collided with the truck, exploding and scattering.
Brown mud splattered on everyone’s face, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still, yet quickly passed.
With a hum, the truck shot forth.
