Cold eyes, cold nights, cold rain, cold encounters—over the past month, Ryan Bennett had endured too many scornful looks and too much pressure. The fact that he hadn’t completely broken down was already a testament to his formidable mental strength. The world was simply too harsh and unkind to him, yet he still gritted his teeth and stubbornly held on with the tenacity of a cockroach!

After a while, Ryan Bennett finally stood up again, wiped away the tear stains at the corner of his eyes, and took a few deep breaths, at last managing to readjust his state of mind. He coughed a few times, his brows tightly furrowed, clearly suppressing pain. After searching around the house, he found half a stick of beef jerky that had already gotten a bit damp.

Even though Ryan Bennett had no appetite at all, he still forced himself to eat the remaining beef jerky bit by bit. If someone had been nearby, they would have thought that the way Ryan Bennett frowned and tore at the food with his teeth made him look just like a wolf.

A starving wolf, cornered in a blizzard, still baring its fangs and bristling its fur!

Full of wildness, and even more full of danger!

In Ryan Bennett’s heart, he always remembered one saying:

What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger!

After eating, Ryan Bennett took out his phone to check and saw that some money had been deposited. Just as he was about to head out, a sudden, violent fit of coughing struck him, making him hunch over and clutch the wall, coughing so hard it felt like his heart and lungs were being torn out.

It took quite a while before Ryan Bennett could catch his breath and straighten up again. Blood was already trickling from the corner of his mouth, and the palm of the hand covering his mouth was stained with blood. He casually grabbed a tissue to wipe away the blood, took a pill, and then weakly walked out the door.

……

The supermarket at the street corner was still open, but it was drizzling outside. The cold raindrops mixed with the chilly wind fell on people, bringing a bone-deep chill. Even those with umbrellas hunched their heads or necks, hurrying along.

Because this road was rather remote, the installed cameras and traffic monitors had long since broken down. Plus, this was a slum area, so the authorities didn’t pay much attention. As a result, many overloaded trucks and dump trucks sped recklessly down this road, rumbling thunderously, practically rampaging through, and the road surface was badly damaged.

Ryan Bennett walked down the street with an indifferent expression, and after five minutes, arrived at the supermarket and began shopping.

“A case of Big Bowl instant noodles…”

“Ten pounds of dried noodles (near-expiry promotion)”

“A bag of beef jerky (for nutrition)”

“A packet of spicy bean paste (for noodle seasoning)”

“……”

It was clear that everything Ryan Bennett bought was just to fill his stomach. Why was he so frugal? Because when he was treating the illness and handling the funeral for Mr. Carter, who had adopted him, he had borrowed a lot of money—over a hundred thousand in total.

Although Ryan Bennett’s childhood and youth were filled with hardship and left him with a certain resentment, when his worldview was forming, he was deeply influenced by the honest and sincere Mr. Carter.

So now he had a conviction in his heart: even if he really died of an incurable disease, he had to pay off his debts before he died. On top of that, the boss he’d met before was a real penny-pincher, which was another reason for his extreme thriftiness.

After quickly buying everything he needed, Ryan Bennett carried his things to the checkout. But just then, he suddenly felt a stomachache and went to the supermarket restroom.

After coming out of the restroom, he naturally went to the sink outside to wash his hands. Usually, there was a mirror directly opposite the sink for customers to tidy up their appearance.

Under the pale light shining down from above, the sink area was empty. After washing his hands, Ryan Bennett habitually splashed some cold water on his face to refresh himself—a habit he’d developed after years of working at the auto repair shop.

However, just as he looked up at the mirror, he was suddenly struck by a bone-chilling cold, and an indescribable sense of terror instantly enveloped his entire body!

Because Ryan Bennett did not see his own face in the mirror!

Where the mirror should have been, there was a swirling mass of dense black mist! Not only that, but from within the vortex, a bloodied, scarred hand reached out and grabbed Ryan Bennett by the throat, yanking him forward with brutal force.

Ryan Bennett felt a searing, excruciating pain where his neck was grabbed, as if it had been branded with a hot iron! His whole body was powerless—or more accurately, whatever strength he had was utterly useless in the face of that bloody hand.

Just as Ryan Bennett’s face was about to crash into the swirling black mist, he suddenly saw a crazed, blood-red eyeball appear within the vortex. The eyeball looked as if it had been gouged out of its socket, with ragged crimson tissue still clinging to it, and blood vessels running through it.

The deep, dark pupil seemed to have a tremendous pull. The moment Ryan Bennett’s gaze met it, he immediately felt as if he were soaring through clouds, the world spinning around him—and then he lost consciousness, knowing nothing more.

……