novelraw Chapter 144 Farewell
Chapter 144 Farewell
“You see, the Killer wants to escape because he has a younger brother he depends on… well, at least he used to depend on him. But blood is blood—once he gets out, he’ll definitely go looking for his brother.”
Jiang Ran analyzed calmly:
“And as for Hothead, he’s the kind of guy whose brain can’t control his body—like a paramecium, just running on instinct. He stumbles along; whatever the group decides to do, he follows without thinking. We don’t even need to talk about him.”
“Then what about you, Maobin? What’s your reason? Why are you so determined to escape, even at the cost of your life? In fact… your desire to break out is stronger than anyone else’s. Even if I hadn’t taken the lead today, you still would’ve stepped up and caused trouble.”
Maobin fell silent for once.
He stood there without saying a word, staring at the mirror on the wall—at the unshaven, disheveled man reflected in it—then turned his head away.
“[For my mom.]”
He spoke softly:
“If I escape, I just want to see my mom one last time.”
Jiang Ran tilted his head.The sudden emotional shift caught him completely off guard. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
This…
This really didn’t match Maobin’s usual character at all.
“Is your mother… doing okay?” Jiang Ran asked.
Maobin scratched his hair.
“She’s probably… not going to make it much longer.”
As he said this, the burly, heavyset man let out a long sigh.
“About two months ago, a friend from my hometown asked a prison guard to pass me a message. Said my mom’s condition had gotten worse… probably won’t last through this year.”
“This prison doesn’t allow visits. Doesn’t allow temporary leave for family, either. You can’t even send or receive letters.”
“In this world, I only have my mom. She’s the one who raised me. And I turned out like this—useless—and ended up serving such a long sentence…”
“I used to think that if I behaved myself in here, someday I’d get out and take care of her in her old age, see her off properly.”
“But look at this damn place. If I don’t seize today—this one and only chance to escape… then I’m afraid I’ll never see my mom again in this lifetime.”
He rummaged through a cigarette pack. Luckily, he found both cigarettes and a lighter. He lit one and held it between his lips.
“To be honest, after being locked up for so many years, I’ve already come to terms with life and death. My only obsession… is to see my mom one last time before she dies.”
“Even if I get caught after escaping, dragged back from my hometown, and sentenced again until I die—it doesn’t matter. This rotten life of mine… worst case, I just die in here.”
He exhaled.
A tangled cloud of smoke drifted upward, mingling with sunlight and dust.
“So today… is my only chance.”
Maobin clenched the cigarette between his teeth, his gaze resolute as if facing death.
“Either I die on the road while escaping… or I die at my mom’s side. I don’t care about anything else.”
BOOM!!!!!!!!!
Suddenly—
A thunderous roar of cheers exploded from outside the window, shaking even the soundproof glass.
Jiang Ran glanced at the electronic clock.
It was already 11:30 AM.
At this exact moment, the Magician—Qin Feng—would be dragged out wearing a hood, forced to kneel on the execution platform outside.
Tsk.
Jiang Ran clicked his tongue.
Why were the Killer and the others so slow? Still haven’t found the vehicle?
If they delay any longer…
It’ll be too late.
Finally—
After Maobin had smoked through half a pack, and the room’s visibility had dropped below two meters—
A prisoner transport vehicle sped past outside, honking urgently.
“It’s them!”
Jiang Ran stood up and grabbed Maobin.
“Come on, let’s go! They found a vehicle—they’re here to pick us up!”
The two of them rushed into the corridor.
Jiang Ran knew these paths by heart. Left turn, right turn—he quickly found the white double doors leading to the execution grounds.
He pressed down the handle and pushed them open.
A vast sea of people surged like a tide.
Thunderous chants roared deafeningly.
The Magician’s life had entered its final countdown.
“Get in the car!”
The Killer rolled down the window and pointed toward the back.
“The rear door’s unlocked—get in and latch it from the inside!”
Jiang Ran and Maobin followed his instructions, ran to the back, pulled open the door, and climbed in.
Inside was a standard prisoner transport compartment—soft-padded walls, rows of seats on both sides, and an iron-barred window connecting to the driver’s cabin.
“Why did it take you so long?” Jiang Ran complained.
“Too many people! Hard to find a car!” the Killer snapped.
No time to linger.
The Killer immediately turned the vehicle around and drove toward the prison’s outer wall.
That was the only exit to the outside world—heavily guarded.
Everyone clenched their fists, palms slick with sweat.
“Damn… there’s a queue for inspection.”
The transport vehicle reached the exit—only to find a long line.
More than a dozen vehicles were ahead, waiting to be checked.
“Tch.”
Jiang Ran gritted his teeth and sighed.
Just when they had saved so much time earlier, they ended up wasting it all searching for a vehicle.
He glanced at the electronic clock.
11:58 AM.
“Too late.”
He spoke quietly.
In two minutes, he would be “kicked” back to 2025 by the worldline.
He didn’t know what would happen here in 2045 after he disappeared, but one thing was certain—
This time, he wouldn’t get to see how the story ended.
“What do you mean, too late?” the Killer asked, confused, glancing back.
“This is just a routine check. They won’t inspect too carefully. And this is an official prison vehicle—we’ll get through quickly. Just need to wait a bit.”
“Too late.”
Jiang Ran shook his head, cutting straight to the point:
“Killer, tell me—where exactly did you find this vehicle?”
“Northwest corner of the execution ground.”
“Be more specific.”
Jiang Ran urged.
“I memorized the license plate already—but where exactly was it parked?”
“There’s a dedicated parking lot in the northwest corner. All the prison vehicles are there.”
The Killer answered precisely:
“This one was parked by the wall—second row, first position.”
Jiang Ran repeated it twice in his mind, locking it firmly into memory.
Then—
He stood up.
And tossed the electronic clock onto the floor.
“Everyone… see you tomorrow.”
He smiled faintly and waved to Maobin and the others.
“Congratulations—we’ve finally reached the last step.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll finally be able to breathe… fresh air outside the prison.”
Buzz!
Buzz!
Buzz!
At the exact moment the clock struck 12:00 AM, a thunderous cheer erupted from the execution platform—
And Jiang Ran’s vision went black, his body plunging into a swirling vortex of space-time.
The world spun.
His head felt heavy, his body light.
He could see nothing.
Hear nothing.
Two seconds later—
The distinct autumn fragrance of osmanthus from Donghai University filled his lungs.
Breathing in the familiar scent of his alma mater, Jiang Ran slowly… opened his eyes.
“It worked!”
Excitement surged through him.
After being trapped for months in that future prison—
He was finally about to clear it!
Tomorrow—
All he had to do was tell the Killer the vehicle’s exact location in advance.
Or better yet, the four of them could go to the parking lot together.
They could queue early, pass inspection early, and leave the prison early.
“Tomorrow… is the moment all the mysteries will be revealed.”
Jiang Ran clenched his fist and looked toward the distant corner where maple leaves drifted down.
This season—
Was Donghai University at its most beautiful.
Osmanthus fragrance in the air.
Maple leaves falling.
Ginkgo trees turning golden.
The entire campus shimmered with color—vibrant, alive, abundant.
And he…
[Would finally obtain the answer he had long awaited.]
Returning to the Film Camera Club activity room, Jiang Ran made an agreement with Chi Xiaoguo: starting tomorrow, all Positron Cannon experiments would be conducted at night.
No more early mornings.
After that—
The two of them packed the Positron Cannon into a cardboard box, hid it away, locked the door, and went to their respective classes.
The next day.
6:00 AM.
Even though he had canceled his alarm, biological rhythms don’t change easily.
Jiang Ran still woke up naturally at the same time.
He picked up his phone and checked the date.
September 15, 2025.
He didn’t need to go to the club this morning.
But since he was already awake, Jiang Ran decided to get up—
And go say goodbye to Old Tian.
During this period, cleaning together every morning had become an unspoken routine between them.
Every day, at the same fixed time, Old Tian would be waiting in the flowerbed.
And Jiang Ran would jump out the window at just the right moment.
They would exchange a glance and smile—
Then clean side by side.
Since he wouldn’t be able to accompany Old Tian anymore, Jiang Ran wanted to explain things clearly—so the old man wouldn’t keep waiting at the usual time.
After getting dressed and heading out, Jiang Ran took the main road and arrived behind the student activity building.
“Oh! Not jumping out the window today, Little Jiang?”
Old Tian spotted him from afar and greeted him cheerfully:
“You suddenly walking over from the main road… I’m not used to it!”
Jiang Ran smiled slightly, walked over, grabbed a spare broom from the tricycle, and began sweeping skillfully.
“Old Tian, today will be the last day I sweep with you.”
He made up a reason—said that the club recruitment period had ended, so there was no longer a need to wake up early to prepare materials.
Which meant he wouldn’t be able to clean with Old Tian anymore.
“That’s nothing!”
Old Tian waved it off, completely unconcerned:
“Cleaning is my job in the first place. I shouldn’t have had you helping me.”
“You’re a student—studying is what matters most. How can you waste time on something like this? You’d be better off sleeping a bit longer and getting proper rest!”
Today, Old Tian seemed to be in a particularly good mood.
He chatted with Jiang Ran for a long time, even sharing bits of gossip and amusing stories about the school’s logistics department.
The final moments always pass too quickly.
Jiang Ran felt that each sweep of the broom across the ground was brushing away the last threads connecting him and Old Tian.
Just like this road they had swept together countless times from south to north—
The fallen leaves remained the same each day.
Yet day after day, everything changed.
As the final shovel of trash was loaded into the tricycle, Old Tian clapped his hands and said goodbye:
“That’s enough, Little Jiang. I’ll take it from here.”
He grinned and patted Jiang Ran on the shoulder.
“Honestly, meeting you has made me really happy. You’re a good kid. These days, I’ve looked forward to seeing you every morning. You’ve helped me a lot—even introduced Teacher Si to me, worrying about Lily’s situation.”
“Old Tian, you’re making it sound like we’ll never see each other again.”
Jiang Ran chuckled.
“Even if we’re not cleaning together anymore, we’re still on the same campus. If anything comes up, just contact me. You’ve got my number—don’t hesitate.”
“And about… the matter Teacher Yan Susu discussed with you—if there’s anything you’re unsure about, make sure to talk it over with me. Don’t make decisions too quickly.”
“Of course, I understand!”
Old Tian grasped Jiang Ran’s hand, reluctant to let go.
“I really wish my daughter… could be like you. Kind, energetic, studying at Donghai University.”
“It’ll get better.”
Jiang Ran reassured him.
“A lot of things… will slowly get better.”
Then Jiang Ran released his hand, preparing to watch Old Tian leave.
Old Tian climbed onto the tricycle.
But instead of pedaling, he paused there—
Hesitating.
Finally…
He slowly turned around.
“Little Jiang.”
Old Tian pressed his lips together, gripping his hands, looking at Jiang Ran.
“Can I ask you… for a favor?”