Ghost Hand

Lao San completely lost it. He shot to his feet and bellowed, "Xie Huiying, are you out of your mind! I just said a couple of words to you—what's the big deal? It's the truth."

Xie Huiying raised a hand. "No worries. I'm just saying we should part on good terms. Stop talking—it was never my obligation to bring you along in the first place."

"Exactly, Lao San. If you look down on your aunties so much, we'll just leave. You take care of your own son, so if he goes missing again, don't go blaming others. If everyone acted as ungratefully as you, nobody else could survive." Aunt Huang was a blunt woman who'd long been fed up with these freeloading families. The moment Xie Huiying spoke, she piled on, leaving the few households fuming with no face to spare.

Xie Huiying swept her gaze across the crowd. "We're all old neighbors here. You understand what I'm saying, right?"

No wonder Xie Huiying was the leader—her words made the grumbling families fall silent at once.

Of course, it wasn't just her natural authority. As she spoke, she'd pulled a knife from her luggage, settling matters by force of persuasion—armed persuasion, that is.

Song Weishi silently gave her a thumbs-up, approving of the move. With people like this, no matter how much you gave, they took it for granted.

Sister Xie had no obligation to help them. They were neighbors; helping was a kindness. Not wanting them to die here was generous, but refusing was perfectly within her rights—no one was obligated to take responsibility for another's life.

So when Xie Huiying asked her again, she agreed. Having companions wasn't bad. Though these women were older, they were in great shape, not high-maintenance, and suited her just fine.

They all had bicycles loaded with luggage and some supplies. Now all they had to do was wait for dark to set off.

The two elderly relatives sitting beside Xie Huiying remained quiet for a long while before one finally spoke. "Huiying, is this really necessary? Can't we all stick together?"

"You should know, some words once spoken can't be taken back. Lao San saying what he did shows he's been holding a grudge against me for a long time. Parting ways sooner is better for everyone. Whether you come with me is entirely your choice—I won't force anyone."

Everyone had their own place. Song Weishi thought Sister Xie saw things clearly.

Sister Chen sat beside her, unbothered by the earlier commotion, urging Song Weishi to rest so she could take over the watch later.

The two groups drifted further apart. After confirming there was no threat, Song Weishi used her backpack as cover to pull out a thin mat, laid it on the ground, and lay down to sleep. She was truly exhausted—it had been a long time since she'd walked this intensely, and her body wasn't used to it.

She'd barely kept her eyes open until now, but the moment her head hit the mat, she was out. She didn't forget to set up a few defensive measures around herself. She was still in her pajamas with a thin sun-protection jacket over them, sleeping quite comfortably.

She slept straight through to the afternoon, when Sister Chen, yawning, woke her for her shift.

The woman had the courtesy not to use Song Weishi's mat, choosing instead to sleep in a separate spot, soon snoring away.

Nothing happened until nightfall. The journey had tired everyone out, leaving little energy for talk.

The day dragged on, the heat making everyone drowsy. It wasn't until evening that things started to cool off.

Song Weishi ate a little before preparing to set out again.

Using the cover of darkness, she claimed to have spotted an off-road vehicle in the motorcade with bicycles strapped to it, and smoothly retrieved her car from the space.

As they were checking their gear before departure, Aunt Huang cried out, "Why is my tire flat?"

She treasured her bicycle—she had a lot to haul, and without it, she'd definitely hold the group back.

Song Weishi went over to look. Her front tire was completely deflated, flattened against the ground, looking utterly pitiful.

She poked at the tire and found a clean slash across the middle. It had been fine when they arrived earlier—how could it have become like this after a nap?

Aunt Huang immediately erupted: "Who! Who did this!"

No one answered. Instead, Lao San let out a sneer, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "No idea. Weren't you just saying others were dead weight? How's it feel now that it's happened to you? Must feel great, huh?"

Aunt Huang was so furious she lunged at him on the spot, wrestling with him. "You bastard! You can't stand to see me doing well, can you? You're paying for my bike—did you do this?!"

"I just can't stand an old biddy like you. What about it?"

Lao San fought back with equal ferocity. Aunt Huang was short, but that didn't hinder her in the least.

A few people initially moved to intervene but were held back—if anyone joined, it would become more than just a personal quarrel. Soon enough, the fight was over.

Aunt Huang ended it with two swift kicks to his vital area.

"This brat wants to become a eunuch? Just say so—Auntie will give it to you free of charge, no need to be polite."

Lao San's face went pale with pain, all trace of his earlier arrogance gone. He lay on the ground, unable to get up no matter how others pulled at him, not even a whimper escaping.

Song Weishi gave her a thumbs-up and immediately came up with a solution. She pulled a mountain bike out of her space to replace Aunt Huang's.

Aunt Huang looked at her with gratitude, stroking the new bike with delight. Others searched for the source, but they'd never find it.

This had come from Song Weishi's space—transportation wasn't something that easy to come by.

The six of them set off ahead, completely ignoring the three remaining aunties who were still hesitating.

Though their speed still wasn't what it had been before, riding was still fast.

While sleeping during the day, Song Weishi had hidden her solar panel in a discreet spot, and now it was fully charged.

Normally, extreme heat damaged solar panels, but this one from the system seemed highly durable—even under relentless sun, it showed no signs of breaking down.

She finally understood what those hardware parts from the supermarket cart were for—they were all used for energy conversion.

The electricity generated by the solar panel during the day could be used at night, saving her quite a bit of battery.

In the darkness, the convoy rode in perfect unison like a moving train, moving at a surprisingly fast pace.

The aunties were experienced cyclists, often riding in groups. Without the dead weight dragging them down, Song Weishi could feel the speed increase. They'd probably reach Huihai City in a few days.

Still, she had to glance back from time to time to make sure no one fell behind.

The further south they went, the more humid the air felt—no longer the dry heat that made your nose bleed.

Damp heat was harder to bear than dry heat, like your skin couldn't breathe.

The greenery along the road grew taller and more imposing. Towering trunks stretched wildly, looming over the roadside like dark clouds, their drooping branches reaching out like ghost claws, teasing every passerby.

If you weren't careful, a branch would whip across your face. Even riding in the middle, they couldn't always dodge in time.

Song Weishi felt an itch all over, constantly brushing things away from her face. Then, suddenly, she felt something grab her neck. A crushing suffocation hit her, and her vision went black.

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Author's note: Happy New Year