Si Ren was on the night shift today, so he slept in a bit and didn't wake up until noon.
As the saying goes, a happy event brings a brisk spirit. Ever since he signed the contract, he felt like a completely different person, full of longing for the future.
"Boss, give me a pack of Huazi."
The boss casually grabbed a pack of cigarettes, handed them to Si Ren, and smiled. "How about that? Did you get the job?"
Si Ren scratched his head and replied with a smile, "I got it. I have to thank you, Boss—you really are my lucky star. Anyway, I won't chat any longer. Let me treat you to a meal tomorrow after I get off work to show my appreciation."
The boss waved his hand and politely said, "No need, I just made conversation, I didn't really help with anything. You go handle your business, we'll talk later."
After grabbing a bite to eat, Si Ren checked the time. It was half past seven—time to head to the company and check in.
Even though the company's benefits and pay were quite good, the mere thought of driving a hearse at night made him feel deeply uneasy. Plus, his right eyelid kept twitching today, giving him the sense that something bad was about to happen.
At 7:50, Si Ren arrived at the company.
From a distance, he saw Huang Quan standing at the entrance. Parked beside him was an Iveco van, the front bumper tied with black chrysanthemums that looked exceptionally glaring.
"Si Ren, very punctual. This is the vehicle you'll be driving today. The destination is in an envelope right on your passenger seat. Open it only after you get in the car."
Si Ren was puzzled by Huang Quan's setup. "Brother Quan, why put it in an envelope? Just tell me directly, and I can use my phone for navigation."
Huang Quan shook his head and offered a brief explanation. "The destination is rather remote, and mobile phones don't have a signal. Alright, time's almost up. Get in the car and don't keep them waiting too long."
Si Ren climbed into the driver's seat, fastened his seatbelt, and started the engine. Then he rolled down the window and looked out at Huang Quan.
"Brother Quan, I'm heading out then?"
Huang Quan checked the time—only a few minutes left. With a solemn expression, he said, "Kid, let me give you a few words of advice.
First, no matter what happens on the road, you are not allowed to stop. Even if you hit someone, you must not stop.
Second, if you hear someone calling your name, absolutely do not answer.
Third, the coffin is very secure, so you don't need to worry about anything getting out. Therefore, no matter what sounds you hear, do not look back.
Fourth, you must always remember that you are driving a hearse, and you are carrying a dead person inside.
Do you see the white liquor next to the envelope? Take a sip whenever you feel your heart panicking.
Alright, that's all I have to say. Good luck."
With that, Huang Quan turned and left, giving Si Ren no chance to ask questions.
Every single one of these four pieces of advice sounded deeply bizarre.
"What the hell? Does Huang Quan want to scare me to death in the middle of the night? I'm hauling a corpse in this car! What kind of dogshit advice is this? Feeling panicked while driving means taking a sip of liquor? White liquor at that? What's that supposed to mean? Trying to make me drink and drive?"
Si Ren shook his head to clear these messy thoughts, reached out and opened the envelope beside him to confirm the destination. As for the white liquor? Hmph, don't even think about it. He was a good citizen: drivers don't drink, and drinkers don't drive.
Si Ren departed right on time at 8:00. Along the entire route, there was nothing but pitch black and dead silence—not a single sound. Besides his Iveco, not a second vehicle could be seen on the wide road.
The journey was overly monotonous, so he turned on the car radio, hoping to listen to some music or the voice of a radio host. In such a confined space, with only himself and the dead person in the coffin, it was simply too oppressive.
However, the radio emitted only a static hiss, and the volume was deafeningly loud.
The massive noise startled Si Ren, and he hurriedly fumbled to turn the radio off. "Aiya, damn it, which heartless bastard did this, setting it up so loud? Scared the living daylights out of me."
Just as he lowered his head to adjust the radio, a white shadow flashed across his windshield. By pure coincidence, his peripheral vision caught that fleeting white blur.
"What was that? A plastic bag?"
Though he convinced himself it was just a plastic bag, his heart began to pound violently, and his mind filled with endless thoughts of ghosts and spirits. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, feeling his entire back soaked in cold sweat.
Right at that moment, a creaking, rattling sound came from beneath the car.
"What kind of piece-of-junk car is this? Is it falling apart?" Si Ren sounded like he was complaining, but in reality, he was pumping himself up.
He wasn't driving very fast, maintaining a steady speed between 75 and 80 kilometers per hour. The main reason was that the Iveco had halogen headlights, which weren't nearly as bright as xenon or LED bulbs. Shining on the road, the light felt like a thin veil, making visibility extremely uncomfortable.
Not far ahead was a fork in the road. Si Ren slowed down to a crawl and chose the path indicated by the map.
The previously wide road suddenly became exceptionally narrow, barely wide enough for a single vehicle to pass. Dense bushes lined both sides of the road, and from time to time, the cries of night owls echoed from deep within the woods, adding a terrifying tone to the pitch-black midnight.
The trees on either side of the road twisted into bizarre postures, varying in height and girth, resembling human figures. Some of the taller trees were even wrapped in red fabric. Under the illumination of the headlights, those patches of red looked unusually glaring.
Si Ren swallowed hard involuntarily, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, placed it between his lips, lit it, and took a deep, fierce drag. Only then did he feel a bit more comfortable.
Just as he went to flick the ash off, he suddenly realized a problem: there was no ashtray.
Si Ren rolled down the window, intending to flick the ash outside. But before he knew it, the moment the cigarette extended past the window, it flared up and burned rapidly—though he failed to notice this.
Barely a second later, he felt a burning sensation on his fingertips and instinctively let go. He assumed the car was moving too fast and the wind had blown the burning embers onto his hand. It never crossed his mind that the cigarette had burned all the way down to the butt and scorched his skin.
"I only took one drag of that Huazi, and it costs over two yuan a stick. What a waste."
The wind, carrying the scent of grass and trees, blew into the cabin. Si Ren took a deep breath and sighed, "The city is full of car exhaust everywhere; this place is great—pure nature."
After driving for a stretch, he suddenly noticed that the concrete road ahead had vanished, replaced entirely by a dirt road, and the road conditions were atrocious.
He pulled out the map and glanced at it. He was less than three kilometers from his destination; he was almost there.
He slowed down, driving bumpily and swaying along the rugged dirt road. Because of the dirt path, the dust was thick, so he rolled the windows back up.
He had driven less than 500 meters down the dirt road when he spotted a flicker of fire at a crossroads not far ahead.
"Where on earth is there a fire out in the middle of nowhere?"
He drove slowly toward the fire and saw an eighty-something-year-old woman, dressed entirely in black, standing beside the flames and staring fixedly at him.
Illuminated by both the fire and the car's headlights, the old woman looked eerie and terrifying.
Cold sweat beaded on Si Ren's forehead, but he didn't dare wipe it away. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, kept his eyes straight ahead, and drove right past the old woman without looking aside.