At this moment, the nurse had already arrived at the ward, but found no one inside and was quite surprised. Seeing the window open, she leaned out and saw the security guard walking by, but they hadn’t noticed anyone either.

Hearing the conversation between the nurse and the security guard, and realizing they were about to look for someone, David Carter, who was already outside the wall, hurriedly quickened his pace. Haicheng Second People’s Hospital wasn’t exactly close or far from where he lived—about a dozen bus stops away. David Carter had lived in this area for more than three years and was very familiar with it.

Run, get out of here quickly—what happened today was too bizarre, and absolutely no one could find out about it. As David Carter ran, he kept thinking. As he ran, he felt as if everything around him had come to a standstill. The people occasionally out for a walk on either side, and even the cars on the road, all seemed to slow down, and the sounds became much quieter. It was so silent.

At this moment, he felt his heartbeat getting slower and slower, and everything around him was slowing down as well. Some people even seemed to be completely frozen. Fortunately, it was already nighttime. Although Haicheng was bustling at night, there weren’t many people out shopping, especially along this kind of roadside. Besides, David Carter was running far from the streetlights, and his mind was in chaos. Even though he felt it was strange, he was so focused on getting home that he didn’t pay much attention.

“Mom, Mom, just now a black shadow flashed by—whoosh! It ran even faster than Liu Xiang…” A little girl suddenly stopped and turned to look in the direction where David Carter had just run past.

Her mother turned to look but saw nothing behind them, and quickly scolded, “Don’t talk nonsense, it’s late at night. It’s all your dad’s fault, telling you ghost stories for no reason.”

David Carter lived in the urban-rural fringe of Haicheng’s western district, where most of the houses were single-story. Since the subway had just opened nearby, even though most houses were single-story, the prices weren’t exactly cheap. Of course, compared to the bustling city center, it was much more affordable.

He had arrived. David Carter suddenly stopped and realized he was already at the entrance of Shuguang Sixth Street, where he lived. His place was on Shuguang Tenth Street, which ran from First to Tenth—ten streets in total. So fast—David Carter could hardly believe it himself. Just then, a horn sounded in his ear, and a van passed by him. The surrounding area was filled with the sounds of people’s lives. There were many people selling skewers and small goods by the roadside, and some acquaintances greeted him.

Only now did David Carter suddenly realize what was going on. In the past, when he ran at his fastest, he would feel the world slow down a little, and sounds would become slower too. But it was always very faint, never as strong as it was now. This time, the feeling was so intense—he could move several times faster than before.

At this speed, even a real world champion couldn’t do it. How could this be? Not only had his left arm regenerated, but his body and strength had also improved so much.

What on earth had happened?

“Thump… thump… thump…” At this moment, David Carter finally felt his heart pounding violently. Wearing a patient’s gown and looking a bit dazed, he walked toward his small courtyard.

“What kind of pajamas are those? They look like hospital patient clothes…”

“Haven’t seen you for days—why are you wearing that?”

…

David Carter was well-liked, and after living here for several years, he knew quite a few people. Right now, he could only nod and quickly head into the yard. It was a two-story building; the landlord’s family lived upstairs, and the downstairs was divided into three units, each rented out.

“Finally caught you! You think I don’t know your tricks? Coming home late and leaving early—you think you can get away with it? Pay the rent now. If you don’t, then move out and make room for someone else. There are plenty of people looking to rent these days.” Blocking the doorway was David Carter’s landlady, Grace Parker, a woman of about twenty-six or twenty-seven. She wasn’t very good-looking, but had starved herself thin. She was ordinary to begin with, and her poor makeup skills didn’t help. Now that she was angry, she looked even worse.

“You think wearing a patient’s gown means you’re off the hook? This isn’t a charity. That trick doesn’t work on me. Pay up—this time you have to pay a year and a half’s rent all at once. If you can’t, then get out.” Seeing David Carter silent and a bit dazed, and noticing he was wearing a patient’s gown, Grace Parker had even more to say. Her voice grew sharper and her words even more cutting.

“Little David is back! Haven’t seen you for days.” At this moment, a middle-aged woman came out of another room in the yard, slightly plump and holding a big palm-leaf fan. Grace Parker frowned as soon as she saw her, especially at the way she fanned herself, looking utterly disgusted and contemptuous.

This was David Carter’s neighbor, Mrs. Thompson. When she rented the place years ago, it was David Carter who reminded her, so she and David Carter signed a three-year contract with the landlord together. The price was set, and the rent was paid every six months. A year and a half had passed in a flash, and now the rent had nearly doubled. Watching other landlords raise rents, Grace Parker complained about her own husband every day, always looking for ways to drive out David Carter and Mrs. Thompson. Now, she was demanding that David Carter and Mrs. Thompson pay a year and a half’s rent all at once.