Last Bus of Route 13 - Chapter 75 - Who to Believe?

Last night, I received a letter from Old Tang, thinking it was a forgery. But now Bai Fan has seen Old Tang herself, there’s no mistake-Old Tang is back!

It’s been over a month since Old Tang disappeared, and now he suddenly shows up wanting to go to the second floor. What’s he up to?

I stood there, puzzled, unable to make sense of it. Bai Fan gently nudged me.

“Li Yao, are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” I replied, snapping out of my daze and smiling at her.

I decided not to dwell on Old Tang’s matter and turned my attention to Old Liu.

Clearly, Bai Fan’s recovery was thanks to Old Liu. I grabbed a chair for him to sit and asked about what happened.

Old Liu stared coldly at Bai Fan, speaking slowly, “I got help from a friend. Don’t ask anything more.”

Old Liu was known for his aloofness and decisiveness. Although I was curious about this mysterious friend, it was clear he wasn’t going to elaborate.

Bai Fan’s ordeal, though it ended safely, had me worried. From the recent incidents of people pretending to be ghosts, it seemed like someone was secretly causing trouble around us.

Initially, I thought Bai Fan was targeted for seeing a thief, but if this person was Old Tang, it didn’t make sense. Old Tang was a real ghost, a sneaky one at that. How could he be in cahoots with humans?

Now that Bai Fan was safe, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

After completing Bai Fan’s discharge paperwork, I personally took a cab to send her home. On the way, I recalled Old Tang’s letter and asked her, “Bai Fan, how’s Sixth Uncle doing lately? Haven’t seen him in a while.”

Bai Fan’s expression remained unchanged as she casually replied, “Sixth Uncle? He’s doing well. I saw him in the city selling vegetables at a stall just the other day.”

“What? Are you sure you saw Sixth Uncle?”

Bai Fan was taken aback by my sudden change in demeanor.

“Yes, I’m sure. Why? Why are you suddenly interested in Sixth Uncle?”

“It’s nothing.”

I could choose not to believe Old Tang’s letter, but I had personally seen Sixth Uncle’s death records in Old Wu’s second file folder.

Bai Fan is someone I trust completely, and I don’t think she’d lie to me. So, I decided to tell her the truth.

“Bai Fan, listen to me, don’t be scared. Sixth Uncle is actually dead.”

Bai Fan furrowed her brows at my words.

“What?? When did this happen? Was it while I was unconscious these past few days?”

I shook my head.

“Route 13 bus had three accidents ten years ago. Sixth Uncle died in one of those crashes. If you see him again, stay far away.”

Bai Fan listened wide-eyed and then burst into laughter.

“You scared me! I thought Sixth Uncle had an accident while I was out. Sixth Uncle did tell me about the bus accident before. He said all passengers, including the driver, died, but he was the only one who survived.”

What? Sixth Uncle survived the accident back then? He didn’t die?

Bai Fan’s words completely overturned my understanding.

But then, what about Sixth Uncle’s death records in the archive room? The white paper and photos were all there, clear as day!

Bai Fan noticed the worry etched on my face and continued, “Li Yao, I don’t know why you’re driving all over the place instead of staying on course, but I trust you have something important to do, right?”

“Bai Fan, I’m not joking with you. Who told you that Sixth Uncle survived back then? Are you sure about that?”

Without a second thought, Bai Fan replied, “Of course, I’m sure. I told you, Sixth Uncle watched me grow up. If you don’t believe me, you can go to Tangwazi Village and ask around.”

Going to Tangwazi Village to ask around seemed like a good idea. Bai Fan might have been misled by Sixth Uncle, but an entire village of villagers wouldn’t all lie.

We didn’t dwell on the topic much longer. After settling Bai Fan at her home, I returned to the dormitory.

After the recent incident with the hearse and the Ghost Wall, Xiao Liu insisted I stay away from his beloved car and take a proper rest.

Reluctantly, I set up some drinks and snacks in the dormitory, waiting for Xiao Liu to get off work so we could have a drink together.

Just past midnight, there was a knock on the dormitory door.

The floor housed older drivers who kept a regular schedule, usually going to bed by nine or ten. Who could be visiting so late?

Curious, I opened the door, only to be startled. I was about to close it when the person pushed their way in.

It was Old Tang!

I took a deep breath. He had written to me precisely because he didn’t want to show up in person. Why was he here now? Did he find out Bai Fan had mentioned him?

Old Tang forced his way in, glaring at me, then glanced up and down the hallway to ensure no one saw him before entering the room.

“Don’t you recognize me? You see it’s me and try to shut the door?”

I stared at him intently and whispered, “Old Tang, why are you back? Ran out of money? I’ll burn some for you tomorrow.”

Old Tang paused, surprised. “What are you talking about? I’m here to save you.”

“Save me?”

Old Tang took off his coat, draped it over a chair, and, seeing the table full of food and drink, picked up some chopsticks and took a couple of bites before speaking. “I told you before, I’ve revealed too much to you, and now the ghosts have taken notice. I didn’t want to show up, but I can’t just watch you die.”

Old Tang’s words were intriguing. What kind of game was he playing now?

“So, tell me, why do I need saving?”

Old Tang took another sip of wine and quietly asked, “You read the letter I sent, right? I told you not to trust Sixth Uncle, yet here you are, getting involved with that Bai girl?”

I had already steeled myself against Old Tang’s words. This ghost, I wouldn’t believe anything he said. But now he was bringing Bai Fan into it.

“Bai Fan? What’s she got to do with this?”

Old Tang frowned, set down his chopsticks, and whispered, “Sixth Uncle and this Miss Bai have an unusual relationship. Think about it. Sixth Uncle’s been dead for years. What kind of person do you think this girl is? They’re both using you, my foolish friend.”

Using me? Old Tang’s words threw my mind into chaos. Ever since Sixth Uncle introduced me to Liu Yunbo, I had decided not to trust him. Saying he was using me made sense. But Bai Fan? She was just a neighbor to Sixth Uncle.

Old Tang saw my confusion and added, “I’ve been investigating openly and secretly for months, and just found out yesterday that you’re involved with that Miss Bai. It scared the hell out of me, so I took the risk to come and warn you.”

I tried to keep my composure and asked, “Old Tang, let me ask you, in that reservoir accident ten years ago, did any passengers survive?”

Old Tang frowned and waved his hand dismissively, “Survive? No way. Think about it, the road was so close to the reservoir. Once the bus started moving, who had the chance to escape? They all died.”

Seeing my stunned expression, Old Tang continued, “What are you getting at, brother? Did that Miss Bai tell you Sixth Uncle survived? Don’t believe that nonsense!”

Though I didn’t trust Old Tang’s ghost stories, the situation was indeed peculiar, especially since it involved Bai Fan.

“You’ve talked about everyone else, now tell me, why did you sneak into the second floor the other night?”

Old Tang smirked and said, “Never mind why I went to the second floor. If you really don’t believe me, here’s the deal: tomorrow, come with me to Tangwazi. We’ll see if there’s anyone named Sixth Uncle in the village, or if there’s anyone named Bai Fan.”

His words made my heart sink. Bai Fan had suggested I go to Tangwazi Village to verify Sixth Uncle’s life or death, and now Old Tang was suggesting the same. Why were both sides so confident?

Gritting my teeth, I nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll go with you tomorrow.”

Seeing my agreement, Old Tang had a couple more drinks, set the time and place, and then carefully slipped away.

Meeting Old Tang tonight was truly eye-opening. I couldn’t fully trust what he said, yet it seemed to make some sense.

I had always wanted to reveal that he was the first driver, but in the end, I didn’t. First, I feared it might put me in danger, and second, I wanted to find out the truth. With so many people and clues, what was the real secret?

The next afternoon, I informed Xiao Liu and took a ride to Tangwazi Village as agreed.

Old Tang wore a large mask and a baseball cap, covering his face completely. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought he was a celebrity.

Last time, when I came to Tangwazi with Old Liu, we encountered the Accompanying Burial Paper Coffin that Liu Yunbo had tampered with. The villagers, whether they usually took the bus or not, already recognized me.

Walking through the village with Old Tang, many villagers greeted me. We casually asked a few people about Sixth Uncle, and the results left Old Tang in disbelief.

Every villager claimed to know Sixth Uncle and said he lived in the village.

I particularly noticed that Old Tang’s incredulous expression wasn’t faked.

Sixth Uncle living in the village! Could the death records in the second file folder be false?

This news was a relief to me. If Sixth Uncle was fine, then Bai Fan was fine, and my love was fine!

Old Tang wasn’t convinced and asked around some more, but regardless of age or gender, everyone gave the same answer.

Sixth Uncle indeed existed in the village!

“Damn it, what’s going on? This can’t be right,” Old Tang cursed as we stood at the village entrance, angrily throwing his baseball cap to the ground.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood to the side and quietly watched him perform.

“No, maybe the Sixth Uncle they’re talking about isn’t the same one we’re looking for. They said Sixth Uncle isn’t dead, right? Okay, let’s go and meet this undead Sixth Uncle.”

Since we were already here, I decided to play along to the end. I didn’t object and agreed to his suggestion.

As night fell, Old Tang found an empty house to avoid attracting attention, and we made do with staying there. During that time, he said he needed to go out to gather more information and left.

I lay alone in the room, reflecting on everything that had happened during the day. Seeing is believing, but was the Sixth Uncle talked about by the villagers the same Sixth Uncle I had met?

As I was deep in thought, there was a loud knocking at the door. I climbed off the kang and opened the door.

It was Old Tang. He pulled his hat down low and urgently said to me:

“Brother, I found out something. Sixth Uncle lives in a tiled house at the west end of the village. Hurry up and pack, I’ll wait for you at the junction.”

After saying that, Old Tang left like a thief in the night.

Hearing this, I turned around to pack my toiletries and was in the middle of packing when there was another loud knocking.

I opened the door impatiently shouting:

“I’m not done packing yet.”

But the door swung open, and I was startled to the point where my hair stood on end.

“Sixth Uncle?”

It wasn’t Old Tang standing outside; it was the Sixth Uncle we had been looking for all along!

Sixth Uncle looked the same as always, with a white scarf tied around his head and a dry cigarette holder at his waist.

Sixth Uncle saw me and smiled, nodding as he said:

“Kid, I heard you were here, bringing a ghost along with you. This place isn’t safe. Hurry up and pack, then come to my house.”

Sixth Uncle didn’t wait for my reply and continued:

“My house is at the east end of the village. I’ll wait for you at the junction. Hurry up.”

With that, Sixth Uncle turned and walked away.

My head was about to explode. What was going on?

Sixth Uncle also appeared, but Old Tang said Sixth Uncle lived in the west of the village, and Sixth Uncle himself said the east. Whose word should I take?

I didn’t rush to make a decision, just stood inside the house unsure of what to do.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The door was knocked on again. Was it Old Tang or Sixth Uncle? I opened the door with trembling hands.

“Slap!” A slap came flying at me.

“Are you fucking tired of living? Didn’t I tell you not to come here, not to get involved in this mess!”

I looked up and saw that it was Old Wu who had hit me!

Old Wu was here too!!!

Tonight was really lively; all three problematic people had shown up.

“Old Wu, how did you get here?”

Old Wu walked into the room, grabbed my bag, and started dragging me out.

“If it weren’t for Xiao Liu, I wouldn’t have known you were here to court death. I don’t care what you’re here for or who you came with. If you value your life, come back to the company with me.”

Old Wu’s leadership was in full force, and I had no choice but to follow him as he led me down the village road.

Just moments ago, I was unsure of what choice to make, but now that Old Wu was here, I finally felt at ease.

Let Old Tang wait at the east junction and Sixth Uncle at the west junction; they could keep waiting. I’m going home. I’m not playing with you guys anymore.

The moon was bright tonight, and Old Wu, holding my hand, hurriedly walked ahead of me. I sighed and was about to ask Old Wu a question when I accidentally looked at the ground.

I was so scared that I instantly broke into a cold sweat, quickly let go of Old Wu’s hand, and stood still.

Old Wu turned around, angry, and asked:

“What the fuck are you doing? Hurry up, we’re running out of time.”

I shook my head and pointed at Old Wu’s feet, asking:

“Old Wu, why don’t you have a shadow?!!”