48 Hours a Day

“Interesting. I used to like coffee. I even flew all the way to bloody Ethiopia to buy coffee beans. But now, the very smell of it makes me feel like puking.” Han Lu lifted the cup, only to put it down moments later. She looked into Zhang Heng’s eyes. “I need you to tell me the truth. Do you really have a way to help me? If I can choose how I die, I don’t want to die at work suddenly. At the very least, I should get four or five young and ripped men to keep me company, perhaps lie in the bathtub with me. Might as well spend some money and pamper me before I die.”

“I’m trying...’

“You know well enough that an answer as such is not good enough for me,” said Han Lu.

Zhang Heng opened his mouth, but his phone vibrated at the same time. It was a WeChat message by Fan Meinan. There was only one sentence, and he could see it without unlocking his phone.

(She called me!)

Zhang Heng got up. “Let’s hold on for a little longer. We’ll be getting an answer soon. You have been holding on for so long, and if you give up now, all that suffering will be wasted.”

“I know what a sunken cost is.” Zhang Heng walked to the door, and Han Lu spoke again. “If you still can’t catch her this time, can you take a few days off from school?”

“Why?”

“I have many friends, but none I want to see before my funeral. And your mother may not be able to come back in time. I don’t want to leave this world alone.”

“You are not going to die yet,” Zhang Heng said. “Since you managed to escape from Pestilence, there is no reason why you can’t survive this crisis.”

Late at night, in the suburbs~

Although there were still vehicles passing by the overpass, the streets were practically deserted, and there wasn’t a soul to be seen.

The lady in shades emerged from the darkness. Her red high heels tapped the ground with a distinctive click, and from the steady but slow steps, it was apparent she wasn’t in a rush. The first thing that she did was to take out a pair of night-vision goggles from her handbag. After putting it on, she strolled around the area, making sure that no one would ambush her. Only after she was certain did she take off the goggles, tidy up her clothes, and walk towards the meeting spot.

Pestilence had agreed to meet her in front of a newsstand that was now closed.

The lady in shades reexamined whatever she wanted to say in her mind. Compared to their first meeting, she was now more relaxed. Since Pestilence had agreed to meet up with her, it meant that he was interested in making a deal. However, she was about to come face to face with a demon of sorts, and regardless of how much she wished she could put her mind at ease, there was no way she could fully relax.

The lady in shades arrived at the newsstand five minutes earlier, and at the same time, left an escape route for herself. To do that, she had paid 10,000 yuan to hire an amateur driver, who could come and get her within 120 seconds if something went wrong.

After becoming public enemy numero-uno of the three powerful guilds, many thought that she would be found after going into hiding. For now, however, she was very much alive and well, and in addition to her superb ability to disguise herself, being extremely meticulous had also helped a lot with her cause as well.

Right now, she wasn’t even trying to defend herself against Pestilence. After witnessing first-hand the creature’s power in the hospital, she knew there was nothing she could really do if the celestial being really wanted her life.

She continued waiting before the newsstand, taking constant glances at her watch. Only less than two minutes were left before the meeting commenced. She didnt have to wait long before faintly seeing a dark figure wearing a crown and holding a longbow coming to her from a distance.

The silhouette looked just like one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, not to mention how it looked down on her in condescension. Then, in just a few seconds, it turned away, disappearing into the night.

Now, the lady in shades became increasingly nervous. She then noticed another figure walking toward her. Pestilence had changed his appearance to “Director Kuang,” and considering the human image the creature carried, it made most situations less stressful for the unexpecting spectator. The teleportation she witnessed earlier had also left her deeply impressed.

No wonder Pestilence was known as an entity powerful enough to destroy the world. His otherworldly powers were simply unfathomable to most.

“My Lord,” cooed the lady in shades, her greeting as respectful as ever. “Director Kuang” had a blank look written across his face. He kept the same pace, walking to her a step at a time. “Have you made up your mind? Just follow my method, and we can reproduce the Spanish flu of 1918. Your name will definitely be remembered by the world again,” said the lady in shades before pausing for a moment. “I’m not talking about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I’m talking about you, Pestilence. You will become everyone’s worst nightmare. In fact, you’re the first Horseman that walked the earth, which is why you deserve to become the leader of the four. Whether Death or War, how could they compare to you...”

“Extend your hand...” Director Kuang interrupted her with a commanding tone.

The lady in shades didn’t hesitate and immediately stretched out her right hand.

“Director Kuang” took out something from his pocket, leaving a hint of confusion in the lady’s eyes. The object looked a little strange. Based on its design, it looked like a regular everyday item, square-ish in shape, and looked a lot like a power bank of sorts.

Anyone would pass off unnoticed if they had such an object in their hands. However, it was odd to see Pestilence holding it. Before she had time to ask anything, “Director Kuang,” who was opposite her, suddenly put on a weird smile, and at the same time, pressed the switch on the device. What turned out to be taser instantly generated a high-voltage pulse through its built-in transformer, throwing the lady into a brief fit before rendering her unconscious.

She had fainted before she even had a chance to call her emergency driver.

After that, “Director Kuang” bounded her hands and feet with cuffs. Before she took out her mobile phone to call Zhang Heng, he had already appeared in front of her.

Fan Meinan was stunned, “What the hell. How did you get here so soon? Are you Liu Xiang?”

Zhang Heng did not say anything. He dragged the lady in shades on the ground and carried her into the Polo’s back seat. Zhang Heng had not obtained his driver’s license yet, but it shouldn’t be a big problem if he drove at night. Of course, he could have easily called for a cab, but he didn’t do it for obvious reasons since he was with an unconscious girl.

Not wanting things to go bad like the last time, he specifically instructed Fan Meinan to set the meeting at midnight. This time, no matter what the lady in shades did, it wouldn’t affect Zhang Heng because his world would stop at midnight.

The plan went smoother than expected. Thanks to the good amount of preparation, the lady in shades didn’t suspect that the “Director Kuang” she met was actually a disguised Fan Meinan. Of course, the most important thing to note was that she didn’t expect Pestilence to have been killed by Zhang Heng

Zhang Heng avoided the path that the amateur driver would take, driving the Polo to the overpass instead. Now, all he needed to do was make the lady in shades spill out the method to neutralize the curse of the Dreamland of Death.