Chapter 13: There Really Is a Hole

“@Shen He, Old Shen, what did you do? That Zhao guy has been cursing you all morning in his office.”
“That’s putting it lightly! I almost suspect Shen He dug up his ancestors’ graves.”
“For real, he didn’t repeat a single insult the whole morning—I envy his creativity!”
“Wow, is the awards ceremony fallout really this bad?”
“What awards ceremony? That’s old news. No one knows what Shen He’s got on him, but he went straight over Zhao’s head and reported him. Now Zhao doesn’t even dare to meet up with those college girls for lessons anymore.”
“...”
“Zhao not seeing the college girls? Are you joking?”
“photo.jpg”
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“Holy crap! Where did you get these photos? Are you sure they’re not photoshopped?”
“Everyone knows Old Zhao loves college girls. His wife likes male models. Clearly, this isn’t a student in the picture—it’s a married woman in a tight skirt... But I gotta say, this woman is really something! I’m smitten~”
“No photoshop. My little brother’s step-uncle’s daughter works at the hotel. Definitely Zhao.”
“Is this some juicy gossip?”
“Avada eat the melon!”
“Quick, spill it!”
“Word is, after Zhao finished cursing Shen He this afternoon, he called up a woman and ditched work early for the hotel. Then he got set up, caught in the act, and busted right in bed. Someone took photos and a little video and tried to blackmail him for three million. Not sure who called the police, but now both sides are in custody.”
“Damn! Three million! That had to be a trap. I just wonder if that gorgeous woman managed to get away—otherwise, what a waste!”
“Three million for one time? Not even gilded edges are worth that much!”
“Shh! People from the higher-ups are in the company now. Looks like they’re dead set on taking Zhao down. He’ll lose his GM position for sure, and Wang Long’s boot-licking nephew is probably done for too.”
“...”
“@Shen He, now that Zhao’s out, aren’t you going to pop some champagne in celebration?”
“@Shen He, found a new job yet? Wanna come back?”
“@Shen He, such good news—you gotta send out red envelopes to celebrate!”
“...”

Shen He scrolled through the chat with the face of an old man on the subway looking at his phone.

Then, he exited WeChat.

He never expected it—the crooks who’d tried to set him up with a honey trap had actually turned around and caught Zhao Hu, that bastard, instead.

They really kept their word and remembered what he’d said: never kneel for money.

It’s just, after finally standing up for themselves once, they ended up in jail. What a bunch of pitiful souls.

And from the group chat, it seemed the board members had arrived at the company.

If they really investigated the documents he’d reported, this time Zhao Hu had no hope of turning things around.

For Shen He, it truly was a champagne-worthy occasion.

Old Zhao had his uses—he didn’t dare withhold a single cent from Shen He’s severance pay or commissions.

When he went drinking later, he’d have to raise a glass to him from afar.

With that thought, Shen He’s smile grew wider. He patted the seat in front and said, “Driver, take me to the night market nearby.”

Hearing this, the driver replied, “It’s still too early—it’s just past six. The girls haven’t started work yet.”

Shen He: “???”

“Driver, I’m going for barbecue at the night market. What are you thinking?”

“Oh, right, sorry, my mistake.”

Shen He leaned back, exasperated.

What was that supposed to mean?

Did he really look like some unsavory character?

Before he could say anything, the car suddenly braked, lurching him forward. He caught himself on the seatback just in time.

He was about to speak when the car suddenly jolted forward.

Bang!

They’d been rear-ended.

Shen He was thrown back against his seat. Once he’d steadied himself, he asked, “Driver, what do you do for a living exactly?”

The driver scratched his head, at a loss for words.

Shen He rubbed his wrist. “What kind of real driver brakes like that? Was there a pothole in front? You stopped so short.”

The driver pointed ahead. “Actually, there is a big hole.”

Stunned, Shen He looked in the direction the driver indicated and saw the road had collapsed in the middle, leaving a massive pit.

Cars all around had stopped, with people getting out to check the pit.

Others stood by the roadside calling the police.

Shen He swallowed nervously. “When did that happen?”

The driver, cursing, unbuckled his seatbelt. “Just now—a loud crash, four or five cars vanished in an instant. Scared the hell out of me.”

“And that car behind us—is the driver out of their mind? Couldn’t even brake in time, and I just bought this car.”

Still complaining, the driver got out and headed to confront the BMW that had rear-ended them.

A moment later, a stunning girl in a short skirt stepped out of the BMW.

The driver’s fierce expression immediately melted away.

Shen He got out too and walked to the edge of the crater, carefully inspecting the collapse.

There was no visible cavity below, only densely packed soil.

But how could something like this suddenly collapse three or four meters deep? Unless something had sucked all the soil out from underneath?

It made no sense!

At the bottom of the pit, several cars were still smoking, with conscious passengers struggling desperately to escape.

With the cars still smoking, if they exploded, those inside would be burned alive.

Many people gathered at the edge, but not a single one dared to climb down.

The pit was at least five or six meters deep; the edge wasn’t a sheer drop, but it was still too steep for most people to descend.

Seeing people trapped inside, Shen He frowned.

A hole this big, on a main road, meant traffic was probably backed up on both sides.

If they waited for emergency services, the cars below might catch fire before help arrived.

He glanced around, found a spot with a gentler slope, and carefully made his way down.

Shen He wasn’t a saint, but faced with a situation like this, it was hard not to act on impulse and try to help.

Especially since his stats had been doubled, making him considerably stronger than an average person.

Five minutes later, Shen He landed lightly at the bottom.

The moment he touched down, a few lines of small text appeared before his eyes:

[Temporary mission triggered: Rescue the humans captured by a Stage 3 Earth Dragon and dragged into its lair]

[Time limit: 3 hours]

[Reward: Earth Dragon Bracer (left arm)]

[...]

Staring at the words, Shen He leaned back instinctively.

What the hell?

A mission was one thing, but why was the reward just a single arm—and a left-handed one at that?

And this Earth Dragon—did they mean an earthworm?

Taking a deep breath, Shen He ran to a car that looked easier to open.

He yanked open the door and dragged out the passengers who’d been knocked unconscious.

As soon as the first group was out, those gathered above erupted into cheers.

The taxi driver pointed down. “That’s my passenger, my passenger...”