“Dad, there’s a parent-teacher meeting next Friday afternoon. Will you be able to come back?”

I jolted awake in my daze, and the sharp pain shooting through my neck told me that now was absolutely not the time to give up.

Although the seat was reclining at a slow rate, by this point it had already laid me completely flat.

From this angle, Zhang Huanan couldn’t exert any force at all and could only keep dodging backward.

After reclining the seat fully, my left hand continued groping around until I quickly found another button.

Once this button was pressed, the entire seat would slowly slide backward.

“You fucking…” Zhang Huanan was being pushed back continuously by my seat, and it was clear he was running out of room to move.

I finally escaped the wire’s restraint, feeling a dull ache throughout my entire throat. But this was a life-or-death moment—anything that wasn’t fatal could only count as superficial injuries.

I immediately raised my pistol and turned around, but everything before my eyes was pitch black. My brain hadn’t yet recovered from the oxygen deprivation.

Based on sound and experience, I aimed the gun straight ahead, preparing to finish off Zhang Huanan.

But at that moment, the entire car suddenly began shaking violently.

A few seconds later, I came to my senses—this was actually an earthquake.

I had lived in Inner Mongolia for over thirty years and had never experienced an earthquake before.

Yet this earthquake was so distinct that it made me, already dizzy and disoriented, even more unable to steady myself.

After two consecutive shots missed, Zhang Huanan suddenly launched an attack, gripping my hand tightly.

I had fought with him before. This con artist didn’t have much strength, but every move he made was sinister.

One hand pressed down on my pistol while his other hand reached for my left pinky finger, grabbing it and wrenching it hard.

I hadn’t anticipated this move and instantly pulled my left hand back. In the next second, I finally regained my vision, only to see Zhang Huanan pull out a hammer from somewhere.

Before I could react, the hammer flew toward my head.

In that instant, I felt the world spinning, as if my very soul was about to separate from my body.

I knew this was a precursor to passing out. The next few seconds would be my last chance.

The car also began sliding around randomly due to the violent earthquake. Through the car window, I vaguely saw the buildings on both sides of the alley collapsing, walls cracking, and even the distant sky developing fissures…

Wait… the sky split open?

Before I could process this, Zhang Huanan’s hammer fell again, which I narrowly dodged.

I came back to my senses, knowing that if I couldn’t take Zhang Huanan’s life here, he would take Xuanxuan’s life. In the future, even more people would be defrauded by him. Even if I had to die here, I absolutely had to drag Zhang Huanan down to hell with me.

I extended one finger and thrust it viciously toward Zhang Huanan’s eye. I felt a wet warmth as it pierced straight through his eyeball.

He let out a wail and released his grip on the pistol. I immediately aimed at his chest and fired a shot.

The bullet clearly drilled into his lung, but at the same moment, his hammer swung over again, striking my temple.

The next few shots—whether because the earthquake was too violent or because my temple had been hit—completely lost control of their direction. Although I desperately wanted to fire a few more rounds, my entire sense of balance had been completely destroyed.

All I could see was pitch blackness before my eyes. I didn’t even know where I had collapsed.

The hammer seemed to still be falling on my head.

But I couldn’t feel anything anymore.

Cool liquid soaked my eyes, and all I could hear was the “bang bang” sound from my own skull.

Everything was shaking, everything was shattering.

Distant massive sounds rushed over like ocean waves—screams, shouts, the sound of vehicles colliding, and the sound of buildings collapsing all erupted at once.

No, I still couldn’t die.

I had to quickly deal with Zhang Huanan, then get out of the car to save people.

I needed to call my squad and request backup.

Had to save people, had to save people immediately.

During an earthquake, every minute of precious rescue time wasted was carelessly throwing away lives.

I had my mission. I couldn’t just sit by and watch…

But would I… still be alive?

…

Am I even alive now?

When I opened my eyes, nine strangers sat before me.

This place somewhat resembled an interrogation room, but we would never use a round table.

A circular shape wouldn’t give people a sense of oppression; instead, it gave a feeling of reunion and comfort. That’s why interrogation room tables were usually square, while hotel dining tables were round.

At first, I thought this was some little trick Zhang Huanan was pulling… but thinking it through carefully, both he and I should be dead by now.

I reached up to touch my head. My skull was slightly indented, but I didn’t see any bleeding.

I touched my neck again and felt a sharp pain.

It seemed the injuries I’d sustained were still there, but I hadn’t died. What was going on?

Both the neck and skull were fatal injuries, yet here I sat perfectly fine. I could not only see and hear but could also feel my own wounds.

A senior colleague at the police station once told me that when people die, they replay everything they’ve done in their life like a revolving lantern.

But I didn’t remember ever meeting these nine people before me. Each of them wore an unfamiliar face and, like me, was looking around.

So this wasn’t a revolving lantern, but rather some strange dream?

A minute later, that person wearing a goat head mask killed someone without hesitation, and I finally understood my mission.

Even if this was a strange dream, even if this was hell.

My mission still hadn’t ended.

This was a place for me to continue repaying my debts.

I would sweep away those evildoers and save all innocent people.

This time, I absolutely wouldn’t hesitate again, and I absolutely wouldn’t let myself have regrets.

I was a police officer, and even here, I had to fulfill my duties.

I never expected that the identity I drew would actually be “The Liar.” What came next was a difficult choice.

Should I first preserve the lives of the innocent… or should I survive to personally strike down that masked pervert?

After a few seconds of internal struggle, I understood.

Never follow a suspect’s line of thinking. He wanted us to kill each other, but I was determined to save everyone.

As long as everyone survived, there was still hope for everything.

Unfortunately, even if I won this game, I couldn’t go back.

I had killed someone.

I could no longer face Xuanxuan. All that awaited me was the sanction of the law.

So this place could only be my end.

Life doesn’t give second chances. I had no way to change my past.

It was just a pity that I didn’t even have a single cigarette in my pocket, and I hadn’t brought the lighter Xuanxuan had bought me with her allowance either. I didn’t know how unbearable the days ahead would be.

If it were possible, I truly wished I could smoke one more Cordyceps cigarette.

So let me finish what I need to do, then quietly depart.

My name is Li Shangwu.

I’m about to start lying.