Chapter 003: Sudden Death News in the Newspaper

The next morning, as soon as I woke up, I immediately picked up a cigarette and went to look for the experienced drivers at the bus station, asking them where the previous driver of bus route 14 lived.

In the entire Dongfeng Yuntong Company, the only people who can open the door to my dormitory at the main office are Chen Wei and myself. He is the supervisor and must have the dormitory key, but he has never come by. So who else could it be? I thought to myself: Could this be someone's prank?

As I can no longer find Master Huang, who has passed away, I am unable to gather information about Bus No. 14 from him. Therefore, I must turn my attention to the previous bus driver, hoping that nothing has happened to him.

I was taken aback, scratched my head and recalled carefully. After returning last night, I took a shower and went straight to bed. So who placed these shoes here for me

After the bus returned, I cleaned the carriage and this time I found a necklace again on the back seat

For some unknown reason, a layer of goosebumps appeared on my skin, and an inexplicable sense of dread surged within me. I retrieved the high heels from the pile of trash and locked these items away in my drawer.

I didn't tell Chen Wei about this, as I estimated he wouldn't believe it even if I did. However, the next day when I returned from my trip, just before getting off the vehicle, I discovered that there was actually a high heel shoe placed on the last row of seats

After locating the hardware factory, I successfully found Zhou Bingkun in the workshop. His hair was disheveled, and he was grinding a steel pipe in front of the lathe. I noticed that the ring finger of his left hand was severed, and the wound at the break was scarred, with an uneven cut surface, as if it had been injured by a blunt object

Because the tone of this flat-headed person was quite unfriendly, and he had an expression as if everyone owed him money, I quickly explained my purpose.

I was taken aback and hesitantly asked: This... Master Huang... he...

This has really upset me; I thought to myself, which woman is this, so lacking in manners? Not only did she take off her shoes on the bus, but she also threw those filthy shoes onto the seat.

I nodded: Thank you, uncle

Not quite, these high heels are handmade. They were quite popular over a decade ago, but now there are no girls wearing such high heels anymore

After pausing for a moment, he turned to me and said: "Come in and have a seat."

I ran out to ask Chen Wei if he thought I looked too tired, and if he could help me tie my shoelaces. He just laughed and said: Who would touch your stinky shoes

After some time had passed, the strange occurrences increased. I couldn't help but inquire with a colleague about the home address of the previous experienced driver, so I bought some fruit and prepared to pay a visit.

The experienced driver lives in the suburbs, in a small village. When I arrived at his home, the main door was open. Upon entering, I found a well-appointed courtyard residence. I stood in the yard and asked, "Is Master Huang at home?"

Xiaopingtou let out a cold snort and said: Although my father is over fifty years old, he is in good health. When he applied to be a driver for Bus Route 14, he mentioned that he only drives one shift a day. I absolutely do not believe that my father would suddenly die. I have already consulted a lawyer about this matter, and this time I am determined to take Dongfeng Yuntong Company to court

I shivered all over, and the fruit basket I was holding almost fell to the ground. Did he leave a month ago? Then who was the Master Huang I encountered a couple of days ago

Upon entering his home, I was instantly taken aback. On the wooden table in the due north direction of their house, there lay a black-and-white memorial photo, which unmistakably belonged to the experienced driver

When I got up in the morning, I groggily wanted to put on my slippers to fetch the pair of sneakers that had already been cleaned. Looking down, I saw that the shoes were placed neatly by my bedside, and the laces were tied very neatly.

Upon further reflection, it seems incorrect. Generally, there are few people seated in the designated spots for the elderly, the sick, and the disabled. However, it appears that I did not see the elderly lady board the vehicle when it departed this evening

I did not think much of it either, and at that moment, I threw the high heels into the trash can.

Seeing my surprise, he thought I was still unaware of this news, so he poured me a glass of water and said, "Wait for me a moment"

Having glanced at the clock, it was only a little past 10:00 AM, and there were still over ten hours until departure, so there was more than enough time. I immediately got up, bought two boxes of good cigarettes, and headed straight to the home of the previous 14 bus driver.

I smiled and said: I am here to visit him. While speaking, I casually shook the fruit in my hand

I nervously put away my ID card, and the cleaning lady teased, "Xiao Ming, are you dating someone?"

My anxiety stems from the unclear origin of this ID card, and the cleaning lady might think that I took a girl to a hotel, registered the ID card, and then forgot to return it to her

The previous experienced driver was named Huang Xueming. He shouted a couple of times in the yard, and suddenly the door of the house to the north swung open. A young man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, emerged. He was wearing flip-flops and colorful shorts, sporting a crew cut. At that moment, he frowned and asked me: What do you want with my father?

Upon reflection, it seems that no young ladies boarded the vehicle when it departed tonight. After all, I am a single man, and if a beautiful woman were to get on, I would certainly take a few more glances.

Not correct

In the following days, I remained restless, wondering how a person in good health could suddenly die while driving a bus

In the end, he sighed and said meaningfully: "What a good young man. If you can drive another bus, you should change as soon as possible. Ah, but don't tell anyone else about this."

He opened the drawer, searched for a while, and handed me a slightly worn newspaper. The headline on the newspaper read: "Bus Driver of Route 14 Worked Night Shifts for 37 Consecutive Days, Resting Only Three Hours Each Day, Died Suddenly on the Bus"

Xiaoping sighed and said: A month ago, my father passed away

I held the newspaper, my arms trembling incessantly, because it featured a black-and-white photograph of Master Huang slumped in the driver's seat, his head tilted, hands gripping the steering wheel, already lifeless

On the third day, I deliberately kept a watchful eye. Whenever the vehicle arrived at a stop, as I paused to open the door, I would first open the rear door to let the passengers out. Then, I would turn back and keep a close watch on them to see if anyone intentionally placed something on the seat.

At the beginning, many people shook their heads and said they didn't know. I specifically asked experienced drivers. In the end, the veteran driver of bus route 306 found my attitude quite sincere, and occasionally offered me cigarettes, and quietly provided me with the address of the previous driver of bus route 14.

Was the Master Huang I saw a couple of days ago really an illusion

I held back the nausea in my heart, gripping the worn-out shoe, ready to throw it out of the bus. However, as I glanced at it, my hand trembled, and the shoe nearly slipped from my grasp.

A few days later, it rained heavily in the evening. When I returned to the dormitory after driving, my shoes were already soaked. Fortunately, another pair of sports shoes had been cleaned long ago.

Through conversation, I learned that the previous 14 bus driver was named Zhou Bingkun, who is in his early forties this year. After several inquiries, I found out that he is currently an apprentice at a hardware factory in the urban village where Zhou Bingkun resides

This is someone else's family matter, so I cannot interfere. I nodded and exchanged a few pleasantries with him. After all, everyone was not in a good mood, so I found an excuse, saying I had other matters to attend to, and left.

After a long silence, my heart was in turmoil. Seeing the crew cut, I felt uneasy as well. I offered a word of comfort: "Brother, let us all mourn together, sigh."

After all the passengers who were supposed to get off have disembarked, I will then open the front door to allow the waiting passengers to board. Moreover, I carefully observe each passenger and make a rough mental note of their appearance

People often say that having an elder at home is like possessing a treasure. Older individuals have experienced much and understand a great deal. Although I do not believe in such notions, recent events have indeed left me feeling quite uneasy.

The next day, when I returned after driving, while cleaning the carriage, I found a gold ring on the seats designated for the elderly, the sick, and the disabled. The style was very old and simple, without any patterns, the kind that is handcrafted. My grandmother used to wear such a ring.

Excluding the identity card and focusing on the other three items, it perfectly corresponds to the order from feet to head

A woman's identification card, with the name Ge Yu, features a rather attractive appearance. I do not know this person, yet looking at the photo gives me a sense of familiarity, as if I have seen her somewhere before. I must have encountered her, but I just cannot recall at the moment.

I gazed at the pearl necklace, and was suddenly taken aback, reminiscing about the first time when a new ID card appeared in my wallet, the second time when an old high-heeled shoe showed up, the third time when a vintage gold ring was added, and the fourth time when a necklace appeared.

If this conjecture is correct, then what appears tomorrow should be ... ! ... a hat !

What?