Chapter Seventy-Four: The Transparent World (Please Vote!)

Chapter 74: The Transparent World

Gonggong was the last to enter, and when he emerged, his expression appeared unchanged. However, Chen Xiao, ever sensitive, detected a subtle shift in Gonggong’s gaze—so slight, yet still caught by Chen Xiao’s keen perception. Yet, due to the rule, Chen Xiao did not inquire what Firework had said to Gonggong—nor would Gonggong have answered, even if asked.

When they reached the mouth of the alley, Chen Xiao had not yet boarded the car. His mind kept circling around Firework’s words about “what happens at the mouth of the alley.” Instinctively, he glanced left and right...

Suddenly! A scream came from afar—

“Robbery! I’m being robbed!”

A woman’s voice, followed by the sight of a man dashing out of the alley, clutching a lady’s handbag in one hand, a gleaming dagger in the other.

From a distance, the man raced forward, brandishing his knife and cursing viciously as he ran: “Out of the way! Move! If you don’t want to die, get out of my way!” Passersby, startled by his ferocity and the flashing blade, hurriedly dodged aside.

Chen Xiao, about a hundred meters away, saw this scene and immediately charged forward without hesitation!

By now, the thief had already sprinted out of the alley and was bolting across the street. Perhaps in his haste, he failed to notice a minibus careening toward the intersection! Chen Xiao was less than ten meters away, watching helplessly as the robber dashed across the road. The minibus driver, never expecting someone to run out so recklessly, slammed on the brakes and wrenched the wheel—an ear-splitting screech as rubber tore against asphalt, leaving a U-shaped mark on the ground! The minibus crashed violently into a utility pole at the roadside and overturned!

The pole shattered at its base from the collision. The windshield exploded in shards. The driver’s face was covered in blood; fortunately, the emergency brake stopped the bus in time. But a metallic groan echoed as the pole snapped and, with a shower of sparks from severed wires, crashed down—the broken half landing across the road, smashing through the glass window of a nearby shop. Flames quickly flickered up, and the shop was soon ablaze...

The chain reaction left Chen Xiao stunned. The robber had fallen, his stolen bag and dagger scattered on the ground, staring blankly around him.

Chen Xiao’s daze lasted perhaps twenty seconds. Chaos erupted: the shrieks of the minibus passengers, the cries of shocked pedestrians, the shopkeeper’s desperate pleas for help...

In that instant, it seemed as if countless branching paths appeared before Chen Xiao!

What should he do first?

The robber had fallen but was already scrambling to his feet, preparing to flee...

The minibus driver was gravely injured and needed help. The terrified passengers, trapped by the overturned bus and blocked doors, were pounding at the sides, some trying desperately to smash the windows to escape...

The broken utility pole, sparking, had set the shop ablaze...

At that moment, Chen Xiao suddenly recalled Firework’s words from just moments ago...

"Your future is made up of countless crossroads and countless choices!!"

In the briefest instant, so many choices emerged... Should he capture the thief? Rescue those trapped in the minibus? Or try to put out the fire?

Chen Xiao finally moved. He dashed to the overturned bus, leapt onto it, smashed through the window with a punch, and dragged two people out. By then, more pedestrians had joined the rescue, and someone had already called the police...

As for the robber, he slipped away amidst the confusion, leaving behind only a dagger and a lady’s handbag on the ground...

...

"His life is composed of endless choices. That’s why I said his future is the strangest I’ve ever seen. I’ve met so many people. For most, their future is a straight line, already destined—a matter of inevitability. But not his. His future is full of variables."

Firework reclined in her chair, her eyes calmly fixed on the ceiling. Phoenix stood by the window behind her, faintly hearing the wailing sirens in the distance...

"He chose to save the people in the bus first—because, judging from the scene, those trapped in the bus were the most, and if there was a fuel leak and explosion, the casualties would be the greatest. The choice was reasonable. But I know, if he hadn’t done so, the bus would not have exploded, and there would have been no deaths—at most, six would have sustained minor injuries. As for letting the robber escape, it seems like a minor theft, nothing too serious. But I know, that robber will commit a home invasion and murder in a month, resulting in three dead and one wounded. He will eventually be captured, sentenced to death, and executed... Four lives in all. And the store that caught fire—without immediate response, a valuable item inside will be destroyed, causing the shop owner to go bankrupt and commit suicide. His wife and two children will lose their means of support..."

Phoenix raised her eyebrows, a hint of surprise in her voice: "Does that mean... Chen Xiao’s choice was wrong?"

"Not exactly," Firework’s voice was weary as she sighed. "Given the circumstances, his decision wasn’t wrong—after all, he couldn’t have known what would happen. Besides, if he hadn’t rescued the bus occupants first, the driver would have lost too much blood, been hospitalized, unable to work for a long time, and then fired by the bus company. That would have led to further conflict... equally grave consequences..."

She finally turned her head to glance at Phoenix. "What I mean is... the future is made up of countless possibilities. Every choice may bring more variables. Especially for him... his fate is so unusual that even I cannot see clearly what lies ahead."

Phoenix gave a wry smile. "Since you’re aware of so many potential outcomes, why didn’t you just tell him everything?"

"I couldn’t," Firework replied with a bitter laugh. "His fate is so unique that I fear if I revealed everything, the future would change again! Besides... I’ve never enjoyed playing the role of ‘arbiter of fate.’ Phoenix, you should understand that."

Phoenix sighed. "I still don’t understand—perhaps what you’re saying is too profound."

Firework was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I’m tired."

She lay back down and closed her eyes, saying no more. Behind her, Phoenix sighed softly and quietly left.

Long after Phoenix had gone, Firework suddenly opened her eyes and murmured to herself, "Your meeting with him is his good fortune. For you—whether it’s fortune or disaster... that’s hard to say. Ah, variables, variables... I’ve always despised inevitability, always sincerely hoped the future wasn’t predetermined. And yet, I’ve met such an extraordinary boy, one who is connected to my dearest friend... Indeed, life is full of contradictions."

She rose, walked softly to the wall, and pulled a cord. The sound of a bell rang out, and the middle-aged woman from the courtyard entered.

"Pack up. We’re moving. We’ve lived here long enough," Firework’s voice was weary.

The woman hesitated, then asked respectfully, "Miss, leaving already? We’ve been in K City less than a month."

"Let’s go..." Firework seemed to smile. "If the future cannot be seen, then perhaps it’s best not to keep watching. Phoenix’s fate will always be her own."

...

Chen Xiao had no idea that the simple choice he made in less than twenty seconds would spark so many changes in the future. Yet perhaps... that, too, was a kind of blessing.

By the time police and fire trucks arrived, Chen Xiao had quietly left, boarded Xu Ershao’s car, and the group departed the area, returning to Unfinished Street.

In the car, everyone noticed the heaviness in Chen Xiao’s mood.

He sat with furrowed brows, lost deep in thought.

His heart was indeed full of shock!

That woman, Firework... Would every word she spoke come true? Really?

Suddenly, he turned to Gonggong and asked, "Brother Gonggong... that senior Firework... is it true you can only meet her once? If I wanted to see her again, could I..."

Gonggong was taken aback, then shook his head. "I don’t know... but it’s unlikely. In fact, most people who meet her wish for her advice again, but no one ever finds her twice. You know, with her abilities, if she wishes to avoid someone, no one can find her."

Chen Xiao fell silent.

Indeed... she could foresee the future! With such an ultimate power, even if someone tried to trick her, how could they possibly hide it?

In her eyes... the whole world is transparent.