Chapter 007: First Active Reset, A Wild Escape!

Chapter 007: First Active Reset, A Wild Escape!

This was bad. Wu Chen knew it instantly.

He’d never once weighed consequences before doing anything—not even killing—because there hadn’t been any consequences to weigh.

But today, time had finally started moving. And yesterday, he’d blinded a man in one eye, cut another man’s throat without knowing whether he’d survive, name-dropped a powerful figure to bluff his way through a standoff, and topped it all off by stealing Wang Zhuangyuan’s car on the way out. Trouble stacked on trouble.

Yes, he could still reset time. And this time, actively, on his own terms.

But July 7th was gone. It was July 8th now. Yesterday was permanently out of reach.

If he handled this badly, the underworld would kill him outright—or he could end up sentenced to death for murder.

Wu Chen smiled at the thought.

This was what made life worth living.

He glanced out the window again. No sign of Wang Zhuangyuan himself yet—probably still en route—but dozens of his men had already arrived.

He had no idea whether Bearded Liu had told Wang Zhuangyuan who he really was, once Wang had shown up last night.

If Liu had talked, there’d be no immediate danger—Wang wouldn’t dare lay a hand on him, only track him down first.

If Liu hadn’t talked, Wang’s men would probably attack on sight.

In Donghai, touching that man’s car was practically a death wish for anyone foolish enough to try it.

Wang Zhuangyuan’s real name was Wang Zhe. Fifteen years earlier, he’d been Donghai’s top science-track scorer on the gaokao—destined, by every measure, for greatness. Then, the summer after the exam, his parents were beaten during a dispute over a demolition, his father left paralyzed for life. In a blind fury, Wang had stabbed someone.

Top scorer stabs man had become headline news for a while.

He served three years for it. Coming out, he’d drifted into the underworld and, somehow, thrived there—no connections, no money, no power behind him, only the one advantage most street men never had: real intelligence.

These days, Wang Zhuangyuan was a name that meant something across Donghai’s underworld, backed by serious muscle.

Wu Chen knew exactly how to handle a man like Wang. Just not today—not with the timing this bad.

Wang, honestly, was the least of his problems.

The real disaster was that he’d used Young Master Li’s name yesterday, borrowed the man’s authority to bluff his way clear. If that ever surfaced, it wouldn’t just be a problem—it would be catastrophic. Every underworld faction across East China would come hunting for him.

God, this is exciting.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The pounding at the door hadn’t let up, and from the sound of it, more men had joined in.

“W-what do we do—” Mu Qianqian, terrified, took a stumbling step toward him and crumpled to the floor with a cry, eyes welling up from the pain.

Her body was still too weak, still aching. She couldn’t run even if she tried.

He crossed to her quickly and helped her up, noticing the fresh bruise forming on her elbow.

She could barely stand, hadn’t even gotten dressed—still just wrapped in the blanket. His own hands were torn open. And someone was actively breaking down the door.

“What do we do—I’m scared.” She started crying.

“It’s fine. It’s fine.” He smoothed a hand over her hair, smiling. “Let’s just do it over.”

Spacetime Reset!

Ding! Host has performed the first spacetime reset of July 8, 2020. Cost: 1 spacetime credit. Remaining balance: 537,819,336.

—

7:00 a.m., July 8, 2020.

Wu Chen opened his eyes, stared up at the ceiling, and smiled—genuinely, all the way through. Seven a.m. was the settlement point, and the reset point as well. Reset before seven, and technically you were undoing the previous day. After seven, and you were undoing the current one.

“Hey! You jerk—didn’t you say July seventh keeps repeating? That everything resets every day? It’s July eighth today. Explain that.” A cool, needling voice came from beside him.

He turned. Mu Qianqian sat there in the blanket, gripping the bat with both hands, cheeks puffed out in a glare.

“Didn’t you already decide I was a liar? Since when have you believed a word I said?” He smiled, reached over, plucked the bat straight out of her hands, and set it on the table.

“Hmph. No fun. You’re no fun at all. You won’t even play along.” She huffed.

He held out a hand toward her.

“Jerk.” She swatted his arm—then curled obediently against him anyway, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.

“Regret it?” he asked.

“Regret what?”

“Coming home with me.”

“Mm… yeah, I regret it. So hurry up and reset already. Go on. Hmph.” Her tone gave the whole thing away—teasing, not sincere.

“I’ve slept with ten thousand women. Doesn’t that bother you at all?” He glanced at her sideways, smiling.

“Why would it? I never said I wanted to date you.” She rolled her eyes at him.

“I was worried you’d fall for me.”

“Ha! Don’t flatter yourself. And get this straight—last night, I slept with you. Not the other way around.”

“Tch. Fair enough.”

He sat up, walked to the bathroom, and came back with their clothes, tossing hers onto the bed. “Get dressed. We need to move.”

“Move where? I want to sleep a little longer.” She yanked the blanket back over her head, playing helpless.

“We caused some serious trouble yesterday. You know I lied to you about most of it—I don’t actually have that kind of pull. Wang Zhuangyuan’s men are going to find this place fast. If we don’t leave now, we’re in real danger…” he said, unhurried.

She sat bolt upright and started dressing at speed.

“You—you have absolutely no idea how to treat a girl gently. You knew it was my first time yesterday, and you still wouldn’t stop… It still hurts!” She finished dressing and threw a wad of tissue at his head for good measure.

“Enough talk. We leave now or we get beaten.” He crossed the room, smiling, and scooped her up.

Out the door.

He carried her through the alley, past a few early-morning grocery shoppers who turned to stare. Mu Qianqian didn’t care in the slightest—wild by nature, unbothered by an audience.

The white Lamborghini sat parked outside the alley, untouched.

Wang Zhuangyuan’s men hadn’t arrived yet. But they would soon.

They climbed in.

“Where to?” she asked, clicking her seatbelt into place, then added, quieter, “Are we driving out somewhere empty and dumping it?”

“Guess.” He smiled at her.

“Ugh. Always with the mystery act. Fine, fine, I won’t ask. You’re all talk anyway.” She flipped him off.

Which, in truth, was exactly what she found so interesting about him. Though the real reason she’d come home with him wasn’t just that he was interesting—it was that he’d saved her.

Girls her age liked to dream about knights in shining armor, about being rescued, about some reckless, once-in-a-lifetime romance while they were still young.

Mu Qianqian, being naturally contrary, would never have admitted any of that out loud.

VROOM—

He hadn’t even revved the engine yet when another engine roared to life behind them.

He checked the mirror. A line of off-road vehicles, led by a Mercedes G-Wagon. One glance at the plates told him everything—Wang Zhuangyuan’s men, and they’d already spotted the Lamborghini parked at the curb.

“Interesting.” He grinned. “Hold on tight.”

Gear shift. Throttle. All in one motion.

Launch.

The Lamborghini tore forward, hit the main road, and accelerated like it meant to outrun the sun itself.

“ARE YOU INSANE?! It’s morning! The road’s full of cars!” Mu Qianqian screamed.

“Check behind us—they’re still chasing. Getting caught would be worse.” He tilted his head, unbothered.

She glanced back. Sure enough, several vehicles were closing—fast, but not fast enough. The gap kept widening.

“Don’t talk. I need to make a call.” He picked up his phone and dialed.

It connected almost instantly.

“Speak.” A voice answered—ice-cold, clipped, utterly without warmth.