Point of no return
Guiyang, Guizhou Province POV: Natalie : September 2025, 8:30 PM
Why the hell is life so difficult?
I ran close behind Pai Pai, my hands shoving through the bustling crowds in the heart of the metropolis, which was bathed in the shimmering lights of skyscrapers.
“This way!” Pai Pai turned to shout before sprinting ahead. Her long legs churned as she veered into an alley, crashing into folding tables and street food carts, sending them tumbling in a chaotic mess. The scent of vegetable oil and mala spices wafted through the air amidst the trail of curses from vendors following behind us.
“Hey!! It’s a dead end!” I cried out in a panicked voice the moment I turned the corner.
I stopped, panting, and spun around frantically. I was so exhausted my heart felt like it was about to give out; my clothes were drenched in sweat and the late-night chill. My heart hammered violently, echoing in my chest. Pai Pai herself was bent over, hands on her knees, gasping for air so hard her body trembled.
Ahead was a concrete wall taller than my head. To the left and right were steep building walls with no fire exits in sight. There was no way for us to go further... and when I turned back to look at the mouth of the alley, they were already standing there, sealing off our only escape.
Four burly men were prowling toward us with triumphant smirks. Amidst the dim light filtering in, I finally noticed they weren't Chinese—and one of them was the large, blonde-haired Westerner Juyeon had warned us about... Who are these people? What kind of karma did I commit to have Westerners as enemies too? Or could they be Moses’s men?
Those brain-dead cells...
I watched them steadily closing in. My breath grew shallow until my vision began to blur; the bitter taste of blood welled up in my throat. Ordinarily, I would use my brain to analyze an escape route based on logic, but in this narrow, damp alley, no equation could help me phase through that concrete wall!
“Stay back!” Pai Pai grabbed a decaying wooden plank from beside a trash can, holding it with trembling hands.
I looked at the scene with pure pity... How pathetic did the two of us look in their eyes? A genius doctor and a girl from a foreign land about to be snatched away into the shadows of a dead-end alley, while the people outside didn't even care to call the police. Everyone was so intimidated by the unspoken rules of this city that they chose 'not to perceive.'
The image of Tan’s back as he ran away in the opposite direction flashed into my mind. My resentment instantly flared into loathing. In the end, low-class people are just low-class... When push comes to shove, he chooses to save himself and leave us in this hell.
“If you touch me even once, you'll regret it for the rest of your lives!” I screamed at them, losing my composure. My pride wouldn't allow me to bow my head and beg. “You Moses's lackeys are nothing but walking trash waiting to be scrapped too!”
The blonde-haired leader let out a cruel smirk. He reached out his thick hand, intending to grab me by the collar.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept into the alley, accompanied by a sound that violated the silence. It wasn't footsteps—it was the 'roar' of an engine thundering from the mouth of the alley. The sound of tires grinding against the concrete shrieked with an ear-piercing intensity.
All four of them froze and turned toward the source of the noise. The vivid glare from the massive LED screens outside pierced through the alley, revealing only the dark silhouette of a large object drifting wildly, blocking the entrance. The smell of burnt rubber and white smoke billowed everywhere, obscuring all vision in that split second!
“Get in!...”
My heart, which had plummeted to the soles of my feet, skipped a beat... Could it be…?
The white smoke drifted past the face of the man I had just finished insulting. “Tan!”
That simple, honest face I used to look down upon now looked fierce and focused in a way I had never seen before. His thick hands gripped the steering wheel firmly, as if it were an extension of his own body. I didn't hesitate for a second and jumped into the front seat immediately.
“Me too!” Pai Pai cheered, leaping into the back seat, knowing exactly what to do.
“Vroom...!!” Tan slammed it into reverse. The deep blue BMW rocketed backward out of the alley at a speed that made my heart nearly stop. The group of Westerners, who had just managed to get back on their feet, had to scramble and press themselves against the walls to avoid being crushed.
“Screeeech...!!” The moment we cleared the alley, Tan slammed on the brakes while whipping the steering wheel around. The front of the car slid and swept in a wide arc against the spotless Guiyang pavement, the tires shrieking and burning until the car lined up perfectly on the main road as if positioned by hand.
“Ah!” My head snapped back against the headrest as he floored the accelerator. The engine roared, delivering massive torque that sent us hurtling forward. The G-force pressed my body deep into the leather seat.
“What took you so long? I thought you’d run away!” I tried to maintain my doctor persona by complaining, but my heart was racing. The overwhelming sense of safety made me look at Tan’s profile and feel that he... 'had changed.' He no longer looked like the lowly trailer truck driver I thought I knew.
“Which way next, Pai Pai?” Tan’s voice was deep and steady, a world away from the man who had been submissively following us earlier.
“Out of the city! Now!” Pai Pai shouted back, her laughter ringing with satisfaction after shaking those guys off.
“Which way out of the city?!” He turned back, looking completely bewildered…
“Huh?!” I was even more stunned than him.
“Straight ahead! Turn right at the intersection!” Pai Pai answered from the back.
I sat rigid, gripping my seatbelt tight, watching the city of Guiyang blur past the windows at breakneck speed. The driving skills I once looked down upon as 'low-class' had now become the only miracle saving my life...
My vision blurred as the car swerved left and right, weaving through slower traffic. He overtook every vehicle, heading straight for the intersection ahead without slowing down for a second.
The car drifted sideways through the intersection just as the light turned yellow. I had to grab the overhead handle, my body tilting with the centrifugal force.
“Hahaha! This is awesome!” Pai Pai laughed out loud.
“I’m terrified!...” I cried out, my head shaking with every jolt of the car.
“Aiya! They’re here! They’re back again!” Pai Pai screamed from behind, swatting at his shoulder. I turned and saw two black cars weaving through traffic, chasing us closely.
“Left!” Right after Pai Pai’s shout… My head slammed against the window immediately.
He spun the steering wheel rapidly; the rear of the car slid out before plunging into a narrow alley barely wide enough for the vehicle’s body.
“We’re hitting it! We’re hitting it! ...Aieee!” I gasped in terror, the fear overflowing as the car lurched violently…
“Animal cell structure and components: 1. Cell Membrane, characterized by a thin film composed of proteins and fats!”
“Turn left!”
I saw Pai Pai’s hands flailing wildly as she pointed the way. Tan wrenched the steering wheel until the turning radius felt like it had folded in half. The car lunged onto the pavement in a heart-stopping leap, the undercarriage scraping against the concrete curb with a thunderous metallic clash that vibrated through my very liver and soul.
Tan’s eyes were fixed, his hands tense as he steered the car along the narrow sidewalk—flanked by skyscrapers and smart lampposts—with an accuracy that was bone-chilling.
“2. Nucleus, characterized by a spherical mass in the center of the cell... Ack!” I bit my tongue as the car slammed into a pothole, but my mouth kept rattling off the incantation like an unstoppable rap song… “Functions to control cell activities and transmit genetic traits!”
The black car attempted to ram us, utterly disregarding the fact that this was a populated area. The moment they mounted the curb to follow, the Skynet cameras on the lampposts began flashing rapid red lights, and the city’s security sirens wailed, echoing throughout the entire block.
The whole city was waking up to hunt us down!
He continued to stare at the road without blinking, hands steady on the wheel while blaring the horn to scatter pedestrians. The car smashed through roadside objects, sending them flying in every direction.
“Turn right!” Pai Pai’s hand pointed.
Tan yanked the wheel, and the car lunged back onto the pavement, with him bracing the vehicle through the narrow passage once more.
“Right again!” Pai Pai ordered once more.
“Screeeech! Vroom...!!” The car entered an alley ahead that led toward a shrine, where a tall steel flagpole stood obstructing the path directly in front of us...
“It’s a dead end!” Tan shouted.
“Uh... I don’t know anymore!”
“What?! Then why were you giving me random directions?!” Tan cursed, his hands spinning the wheel to avoid an electric bus that squeezed in so close our side mirrors almost kissed.
“This isn't my home at the Wuhan market, you know!”
Just as despair was about to take hold, a burst of static erupted from the BMW’s radio speakers, replacing the pop music...
“There’s a small alley beside the shrine!”
“Juyeon Unnie!” I was so happy I nearly jumped. My guardian angel had come to the rescue.
“Don’t ask questions yet... Right now, Skynet is tracking this car’s digital footprint. I’m jamming the camera signals within a five-kilometer radius for you, but it won’t last more than three minutes!”
“Juyeon Unnie! We’re counting on you!” Pai Pai cheered at the top of her lungs.
Tan yanked the steering wheel hard to the left as ordered, the sound of tires grinding against the road shrieking continuously.
“Vroom!.....” My eyes couldn't keep up with the scenery; it blurred past way too fast, yet he didn't reduce his speed at all, blaring the horn through the alley to force people out of the way.
“Another 100 meters, 90-degree right turn! Counting down: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Turn!”
Tan blared the horn while slamming on the brakes until the entire car shuddered. My blood surged, pooling in my face until my vision dimmed.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Aieee!” I screamed as the car pulled a 90-degree turn that defied all logic. The massive centrifugal force pinned me down, my face flattening against the window glass, which was scorching from the sunlight. The stench of burning rubber grinding against concrete wafted thick into the cabin.
“Screeeech...!”
He yanked the handbrake. The rear of the BMW slid and swept in a wide arc like a blade slicing through the street. Thick white smoke billowed up, obscuring everything. His feet danced frantically between the brake and accelerator pedals, one hand spinning the wheel while the other expertly managed the handbrake... This isn't a truck driver anymore. This is a straight-up demon!
“1. Cell Membrane... characterized by a thin film... composed of proteins and fats... Ugh!” I rattled off my incantation as my fear shattered all limits. “Functions to maintain the cell's shape... and controls the passage of certain substances... like water... air... and pure bad luck!”
I’m going to lose my mind! Why is the life of a genius doctor resting in the hands of this brutal man?! My stomach churned until I wanted to vomit up animal cell components once and for all.
“The car behind is still following! It’s flashing its high beams at us!” Pai Pai didn't seem shaken at all; the brat was clinging to the back of the seat, peering forward with excitement as if she were on a roller coaster at an amusement park.
“Turn left at the next junction!” The traffic light turned green in sync with Juyeon’s voice. “Be careful, Tan! There’s a construction zone ahead! The only way to survive is to punch through it!”
Tan didn't answer with words; his response was a downshift and a floor of the pedal until the tachometer needle shot up. The car lunged into the narrow alley. Oh my god... if my cell membrane isn't strong enough, my face is definitely going to be plastered across the dashboard!
“Two more alleys, then turn left!” Juyeon’s voice grew fainter but remained sharp. “Watch out for the first obstacle... an elevated pedestrian bridge. There’s a height limit ahead, and the area is crowded. I’m disabling the district’s safety sensors right now!”
Tan didn't hesitate. He downshifted, making the engine roar as he lunged the BMW into the narrow skybridge flanked by the glass facades of skyscrapers.
“2. Cytoplasm!” I shrieked, competing with the sound of tires grinding against the ramp. “It’s a liquid... Ugh! Gel-like... composed of water and nutrients! Eek! The windshield is going to smash into the building edge!”
“Get your heads down!” he barked while swerving past steel support beams by a hair’s breadth. The car jolted so hard the cytoplasm in my brain felt like it was about to spill out into a heap.
“Second obstacle... the smart fountain plaza ahead!” Juyeon’s voice rang out again. “The police are trying to use the water-curtain system to block the exit. I’m going to delay the program by three seconds. You only have one shot!”
“Let’s do this!” Tan gritted his teeth.
The moment the car charged toward the giant fountain plaza, curtains of water shot into the sky like liquid walls. He floored the accelerator, driving through a gap that hadn't yet fully closed. Water slammed against the windshield, momentarily blinding us.
“Aieee! 3. Nucleus!” I clutched my bag tightly, eyes squeezed shut, not caring about anything anymore. “It’s a spherical mass... controls cell functions... and is responsible for transmitting genetic traits! If I die, my genetics must not end in this car!”
“Last obstacle... The Security Insurance Building!” Juyeon warned with a strained voice. “The exit to the mountain district is blocked by electromagnetic safety barriers. They’re strong enough to stop a truck... but beside the building, there’s a steep construction ramp. You have to jump it!”
“A jump?! Tan! Do it! I want to fly!” Pai Pai cheered wildly from the back.
“Nucleusssssss!” I screamed for the cell component as if crying out to God when I saw the steep ramp ahead. Tan didn't tap the brakes even for a fraction of a second; his grip tightened on the wheel, his gaze ahead terrifyingly calm.
“Get ready... to fly!” Tan roared.
“...............” The BMW charged at the steel ramp at lightning speed. The second the front wheels cleared the edge... the entire world entered a state of perfect weightlessness!
My head snapped back as the BMW slammed down onto the ground.
“Floor it! The only way to survive is to leave Guiyang's Skynet zone and head for the mountains! The signal is cutting out now!” Juyeon’s voice faded, replaced by the hiss of static.
Tan floored the accelerator, heading toward the skyway bridge that stretched out toward the pitch-black mountain range ahead.
“You’re such a good driver. I like it... it makes my stomach tingle!” Pai Pai told Tan, her voice trembling with the jolting of the car.
“I’m about to pee myself!” I had been terrified the whole way, sitting there with my muscles—and my butt—clenched in pure tension.
“They can’t catch up to us now!” Pai Pai turned back to look, reporting in a bright, cheerful voice.
“I think we need to switch cars soon,” Tan said with a smirk, showing not a hint of anxiety. This lanky guy’s heart must be made of stone to find such destruction amusing.
“Switch how? Where are we going to get another car?” Pai Pai asked excitedly. It seemed like the two of them were perfectly in sync now.
“Let’s hit a gas station! There’s one right ahead,” Tan pointed forward, flicking the turn signal as he prepared to turn the wheel.
“How did you get this car anyway?” Pai Pai asked the very question I’d been wondering this whole time: where on earth did he get this vehicle?
“I saw it looked nice, so I asked to borrow it for a bit,” Tan turned to give a shameless wink.
I couldn't stand it anymore and snapped at him... “That easy, huh?!”
I didn't believe him for a second. He definitely stole it from someone. These trailer truck drivers are nothing but thugs—quick-fingered and cold-hearted.
He ignored me, glancing at the rearview mirror to smile at Pai Pai. “Well, there was a bit of resistance, but there's no need to go into details. By now, the owner has probably reported it stolen.”
See?! I knew it! What else could you expect from a brute like him? He answered with a smirk, his shifty eyes focused back on the road.
Pai Pai clapped and laughed heartily, pointing behind us. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Just the way I like it! The owner definitely reported it—the police are right behind us now! Don't they ever sleep?!”
This brat... what exactly is so fun about this? I looked at the police car, my heart trembling. The bad luck just never seems to end.
“There’s no time to switch cars anymore! We have to shake the cops off first!” Tan floor it, the car surging forward, swerving left and right along the path. The speed returned to a critical level once again.
“Are we even going to make it?! Juyeon Unnie is gone now!” Anxiety clawed at my heart just as before. My internal frustration finally exploded...
“Why the hell do I have to deal with this?! What kind of karma is this?!” I shrieked at the top of my lungs—a mix of thrill, terror, and rage.
“I think the one who should be saying that?” Tan turned to shout back.
“Excuse me?!” I bristled at his nerve to argue. “Why are you complaining? You’re the one doing these terrible things! You chose all of this! You made these decisions on your own!”
Pai Pai leaned her face forward. “Believe me! They aren't here to catch me and Tan.”
“You’re taking his side… I’m not your friend anymore!” My voice trembled with the car’s swaying.
“Hey! Apologize to Unnie right now!” This little one knew her role, turning to glare at him.
“No!” He was utterly cold.
“Since when did all of this become my fault? I was just trying to escape normally! Who told you guys to get into a shootout with that bald guy? And why did you have to go and steal a car? I have nothing to do with this!”
“Wait, what?!” Both of them looked completely stunned.
“Just escape first, then we’ll talk!” He focused on the three-lane road stretching long out of the city. The police cars, sirens wailing, were hot on our heels.
“I’ll use Google Maps to help you!” Pai Pai whipped out her phone.
The police cars wove left and right, snapping at Tan’s heels without letting up. Tan swayed the car to and fro, narrowly missing the vehicles blocking his path.
“Is there any other way?!” Tan shouted.
“There’s a tunnel on the right!” She replied instantly, her eyes glued to the map on her phone.
“Hang on tight!” His gaze was fixed intensely on the road. He swung the car into the leftmost lane, which was currently a long, open stretch.
The flashing police lights glinted off the mirrors, accompanied by heart-shaking sirens.
He floored the accelerator, violently jerking the car toward the right lane.
“Aieee!” I was tossed around by the centrifugal force. Before I could even steady myself, he swerved the car back to the left lane once again.
But this time... the rear of a massive trailer truck appeared right before my eyes!
“Whoa...!!” My eyes bulged as I screamed at the top of my lungs.
The BMW lunged toward the back of the trailer at point-blank range. Meanwhile, a slower car to the right was flanking us, boxing us in, while the police cars were practically glued to our rear bumper. At a speed of 200 miles per hour, there was no way out! I squeezed my eyes shut, rattling off my personal incantation without stopping...
“...Animal cell structure and components: 1. Cell Membrane, characterized by a thin film composed of proteins and fats! Functions to maintain the cell's shape and controls the passage of certain substances!”
“Crack!” The sound of the impact was so loud it deafened me. My body lurched to the right as if being violently yanked by a giant hand.
“Screeeech! Crash...!!” That was followed by a long, shrieking brake and a massive collision from behind.
“Awesome! We barely missed it! The side mirror is gone! Hahaha! Hoo-hoo...!!” Pai Pai laughed wildly. This brat must have lost her mind, finding a life-or-death situation so entertaining.
“What was that noise just now?” I asked with a trembling voice, my heart pounding so hard my chest ached. My hands went limp as I fumbled over my body to check if all thirty-two of my organs were still intact. “Why do you have to drive so fast? Are you in a hurry to die?! Just you wait, I won’t let this go... Tan!”
“He swerved past the trailer by a hair, Unnie! The police car couldn't dodge in time and slammed right into the back of the trailer—it totally flew! Hahaha! So satisfying... Whoo!” Pai Pai chattered cheerfully, describing the catastrophic scene behind us with great relish.
“We’ve shaken them off,” Tan said flatly, his eyes still fixed on the path ahead.
“Slow down already! I can't take it, I’m going to throw up!” I said, feeling nauseous as the car slid through an intersection and onto a frontage road beneath a high bridge.
“That’s probably not possible!”
He replied sternly while flooring the accelerator again. My head snapped back against the seat. I was seething with rage, but the moment my eyes hit the scene 300 meters ahead, my anger vanished, replaced by sheer terror.
The police had parked their cars across the road in a long barricade, leaving only the leftmost lane open for a single vehicle to pass!
“Again?! Why are there so many of them?!” My eyes bulged, staring at the roadblock ahead that looked like steel claws waiting to crush us! Six or seven police officers swarmed toward the left lane, drawing their guns and aiming directly at our car.
Suddenly... A spotlight flared over us. My face went numb, and my heart sank.
“Tan! A helicopter!” Pai Pai pointed and screamed at the top of her lungs.
“.................” Tan didn't answer, but his gaze was locked onto a patrol car parked diagonally, blocking the middle lane.
“Get down!” he roared, downshifting hard. The engine bellowed until the entire car shuddered.
He didn't turn into the left lane as the police commanded. Instead, he yanked the wheel, charging toward the narrow gap between the rear of the patrol car and the concrete barrier!
Handgun rounds slammed into the hood and the windshield, spiderwebbing the glass.
I shrieked at the top of my voice as the car smashed into the rear of the obstructing patrol car. The massive impact sent the police vehicle spinning away, opening just enough of a gap for us to squeeze through by a hair’s breadth.
“There’s a tunnel on the left!”
“Hold on tight!” Tan swerved to avoid the flying glass shards. The target ahead was a mountain tunnel just a few hundred meters away—the only way to shake off that "diamond eye" in the sky!
“Push the glass out!” he said while brushing away the glass fragments in front of him. I reached out, but I couldn't quite reach it.
“Lay back and kick it hard with your feet!”
I leaned back against the seat and kicked the windshield panel, the tinted film holding together the shattered, fine grains of glass.
“Get into the tunnel, now!”
Two police cars with blaring sirens trailed behind us at a distance. Oh god... this is straight out of an action movie. Why is every single moment so difficult? Did I steal a dragon's egg in my past life? Why is my luck so rotten? And this guy's driving...
“There’s a junction ahead—kill the headlights and go right, Boss!” Pai Pai shouted excitedly.
The long tunnel stretched through the mountain pass. A biting cold wind whipped into the cabin through the now-empty windshield frame. The whistling wind was so piercing it nearly drowned out the roar of the BMW’s engine. The remaining glass shards stuck to the edges rattled with every pothole we hit. Having just kicked out the windshield, I sat there shivering violently, trying to huddle into my dust-covered clothes to protect my body, which was already battered from the impacts.
“We have to ditch the main road; they’ll set up another blockade ahead!” Tan shouted over the gale. The fierce intensity in his eyes as he stared forward made me too intimidated to argue.
The car raced into the steep, pitch-black mountain range with a helicopter flanking us from above. We sped past a roadside warning sign: Great Sinkhole. Below was a bottomless abyss, hidden in the dark. The car drifted left and right through terrifying turns, the tires shrieking in protest as the vehicle swung through the complex, jagged mountain curves. Once we reached the foot of the mountain, a long, blind curve lay ahead; the car hugged the road, maintaining its high speed.
Tan slammed on the brakes with all his might before letting the car roll slowly by its own momentum until it finally came to a complete stop.
“We’re trapped,” he uttered softly.
“What do we do now?” Pai Pai scooted forward until our shoulders pressed together, while the car continued to roll forward slowly on its remaining momentum.
The red lights from the police vehicles strobed across our faces, alternating with rhythmic darkness. They had completely dead-bolted the skyway, blocking both lanes.
Tan shifted his grip, clutching the wheel so hard the leather groaned against his gloves. To our left and right, there was nothing but stars in the pitch-black sky.
The high-pitched sirens hammered from behind, closing the distance second by second.
“The police have caught up,” Pai Pai’s voice was so faint it was nearly swallowed by the silence.
The sound of rounds being chambered echoed from the group of uniformed men ahead. They snapped into formation the moment our car drifted into effective firing range.
“Tan! Are they really going to shoot us?!” I asked, my eyes darting frantically through the windshield that was spiderwebbed with cracks.
He revved the engine and yanked the handbrake. The car whipped around, pulling a 180° spin.
Rapid gunfire erupted. The car lost its footing, the tires shrieking in agony.
Tan struggled to maintain control, but the violent momentum sent the car fishtailing toward the desolate cliffside.
“We’re in trouble—the tire’s blown!” His voice sounded like a calculation of zero probability for survival.
“Animal cell structure and components... 1. Cell Membrane, characterized by a thin film composed of proteins and fats. Functions to maintain the cell's shape and controls the passage of substances... 2. Cytoplasm, a liquid containing nutrients, sugar, fats, and waste...”
Tears streamed down my cheeks while my mouth continued to rapidly rattle off those academic terms for the last time.
“3. Nucleus, containing the nucleolus which holds genetic material, DNA and RNA... Chromatin is the chromosomal network... DNA controls the expression of various traits...”
I suppose this is my last chance to recite you... Goodbye, my dear friend. Goodbye, this cruel, cruel world.
My auditory nerves went numb, and I could no longer hear the whistling of the wind. Before my consciousness flickered out, my body felt weightless, as if drifting into a massive black hole. It spun, plummeted, and was sucked into a deep, dark, and frigid void... toward an emptiness that seemed to have no end.
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- End of Volume 1 -
