You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 570: Inescapable Fog

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding this desolate mountainous area. Tang Yin sat in the driver's seat, his hands unconsciously stroking the leather of the steering wheel, his eyes gazing through the windshield into the distance, where there was only a bottomless darkness.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil of unease. Reason told him that the wisest option now was to leave this strange place. But every time he made up his mind to leave, an inexplicable resistance would surge in his heart, as if something was silently warning him.

"Who cares?" Tang Yin muttered to himself, reaching out to turn the car key. The roar of the engine was particularly clear in the silent night sky, as if it had disrupted some kind of balance. He habitually checked the data on the various dashboards; everything was normal.

The left turn signal flickered orange, glaring against the pitch-black night. Tang Yin's left hand rested lightly on the gearshift, his right foot slowly pressing the clutch. These ordinary driving maneuvers now seemed strangely unfamiliar, and every detail felt strangely awkward.

The car slowly pulled out, the tires making a subtle rustling sound as they rolled over the ground. Tang Yin stared fixedly at the road ahead, trying to convince himself that this was just an ordinary nighttime drive. Back in the city, with a hot bath and a good night's sleep, this absurd experience would become a topic of conversation after dinner.

But at some point, the air had grown increasingly damp and sticky. Tang Yin turned on the headlights, only to find his view ahead shrouded in a strange white mist. The mist had come suddenly and strangely, like a curtain appearing out of thin air, isolating him from the entire world.

The light from the car lights was refracted by the fog, forming a hazy white halo. Tang Yin reflexively slowed down the car, but found that the fog was growing thicker at a visible speed. Soon, he couldn't even see the hood of the car.

An unprecedented sense of panic gripped his heart. This was no ordinary fog; it seemed to possess some kind of consciousness, actively devouring the entire space. Tang Yin tried to turn the car around, but found the steering wheel had completely lost its function. The car simply drove straight forward, into the eerie white abyss.

Before his last consciousness faded, Tang Yin vaguely thought: Maybe, some things really cannot be avoided.

【GAME OVER】

When the image cleared up again, Tang Yin found himself back where he started. This experience had made him realize one thing—leaving was not an option. The invisible force would not allow him to escape like this; it waited for him to uncover the truth.

Leaning against the steering wheel, Tang Yin smiled wryly and shook his head. He suddenly understood the convenience store clerk's subtle attitude; perhaps she had experienced something similar. Bypassing Baifeng Village? It sounded like a good option, but his intuition told him that it wouldn't work either.

"You won't cry until you see the coffin, right?" Tang Yin said self-deprecatingly, "Then let me see what this land wants to tell me."

The night breeze blew through the half-open car window, bringing a hint of coolness. Tang Yin knew he had to face this mystery head-on, or he would never truly leave this place. Even in the life of an ordinary person, there will always be unavoidable difficulties, let alone such a supernatural experience.

The mountain road twisted like a snake, the headlights casting two pale streaks of light in the darkness. Tang Yin gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. After nearly two hours of driving, exhaustion washed over him like a tide, nearly suffocating him.

The mountain wind howled through the cracks in the car window, and even though he was wearing a thick wool coat, the chill still penetrated his bones. Tang Yin adjusted his sitting position, trying to ease the pain in his back. This intense driving had strained his body to its limit, but the thought of stopping to rest was forced down his throat.

"Two more hours." Tang Yin muttered to himself, a hint of fatigue in his voice, "I don't know if I can hold on."

In the darkness, a blue sign suddenly came into view. Illuminated by the streetlights, the three large characters "Baifengzhuang" stood out against the darkness. Tang Yin's fingers subconsciously tightened on the steering wheel, but quickly loosened again.

According to his original plan, he was going to bypass this place. Neither Baifeng Manor nor Wuyin Village was within his itinerary. Crossing the two mountains ahead would lead him to another town, with bright streetlights, bustling crowds, and the atmosphere of normal life.

Strangely, Tang Yin felt unusually calm at the sight of this unsettling place name. Perhaps it was because he was so exhausted that he couldn't even muster the emotion of fear. He mechanically controlled the steering wheel and steered the car toward another fork in the road.

At that moment, a wisp of white mist rose silently from the end of the road. It was a thin layer at first, but soon grew thicker. Tang Yin felt his consciousness begin to blur, his thinking becoming increasingly dull, as if something was eating away at him.

In his last lucid moment, he saw the fog rushing towards him as if it had life, engulfing the entire world in a vast expanse of white.

【GAME OVER】

After two failures, Tang Yin finally understood the inevitability of certain things. He let out a long sigh, his gaze becoming resolute. It was time to face the truth and return to the place where that bloody incident took place.

Death replay—this supernatural phenomenon is like a double-edged sword, both a curse and an opportunity. Familiar faces emerged in Tang Yin's mind:
The tall and capable female reporter Xia Hui, Zhou Zhengxiong who always carries a camera, Gao Zhijie who always has a simple smile on his face, the taciturn Qin Yi, the rough-spoken Zhao Gang, the elderly but energetic Wolf Master, the lively and cheerful Tong Xiaoliang, the beautiful Hua Lu, the gentle and virtuous Chen Xiang, the smart and capable Qian Jin, and the always smiling Xiao Mee.

There are also the people who opposed him in the last round of banquets: the cold-blooded Qin Ming, the mysterious Granny Rong, and the unpredictable Gao Mei.

"They're all victims of superstition," Tang Yin said softly, a hint of pity in his voice. This time, he wouldn't run away. Since fate had given him a second chance, he would work hard to change this tragic ending.

The moonlight was like water, spilling over the winding mountain road. Tang Yin sat in the driver's seat, his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes a bit dazed. A self-deprecating smile played at the corner of his mouth, and the voice in his heart kept echoing:

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Tang Yin."

He knew exactly what kind of person he was. He wasn't some embodiment of justice, nor did he possess lofty ideals of saving the world. He had no strong will, let alone extraordinary abilities. He was simply an incurable meddler.

But even so, he still wanted to change something. He wanted to make better choices, to atone for past mistakes. This thought might be naive, but it was his nature. If he had lost even the courage to face the unknown, what kind of Tang Yin was he?
"Let's do it again." He took a deep breath, his fingers clenching the steering wheel until they turned white. "Even if it means risking my life, it doesn't matter." He wasn't doing this for others. But whenever he thought of Wang Lina's slightly stubborn face, how she said "I hate it the most" but couldn't hide her attachment to her hometown, he couldn't help but want to prevent the impending bloody tragedy.

"What a contradictory bastard." Tang Yin looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror and said softly, "Willful, stubborn, selfish, dirty, and with ulterior motives. This is the real me."

Every face and name from the Hidden Mist Village came vividly to mind. Those once hazy fragments of memory were now crystal clear. His mission was as clear as if it were etched in his bones.

The roar of the engine was particularly eye-catching in the night. Tang Yin turned the steering wheel and the car turned right. The clerk's words rang in his ears: "There is an overpass here. After crossing the overpass, there is a large rock at the first intersection. Just turn right there."

Sure enough, an overpass spanning the highway came into view. Under the moonlight, the uniquely shaped giant rock stood by the road like a silent guardian. But this time, Tang Yin chose to ignore its presence.

I floored the accelerator, and the car roared across the overpass, heading straight ahead. The winding mountain road stretched out in the darkness like an endless black ribbon. Strangely, the suffocating fatigue I'd felt before seemed to have eased considerably, and my mind was clearer than before.

He didn't even need to consult a map; it was as if his body had memorized the route. Every turn, every hazard, felt eerily familiar. The feeling sent a chill down his spine—perhaps in some forgotten time and space, he'd already walked this very road countless times.

"But none of this matters anymore." Tang Yin's gaze grew firm. "Even if my memory is incomplete, even if I can't prove anything, it's at least much better than knowing nothing at all."

These fragmented memories are like a double-edged sword, a curse and his only weapon. The headlights drew a bright arc in the darkness, illuminating the unknown road ahead. This time, Tang Yin chose to face the truth shrouded in fog.

The sky gradually darkened, and the pale moon, like a shy girl, hid behind layers of dark clouds. Tang Yin looked at the sky through the windshield, his eyes flickering. He knew that a rainstorm was coming.

The car's headlights cast two bright beams across the dim mountain road, illuminating the winding path ahead. Suddenly, a flash of indigo crossed his vision. Tang Yin's eyes fixed, and he instinctively slammed on the brakes. The tires scraped against the ground with a sharp sound, and he quickly turned the steering wheel with both hands, skillfully completing a drift.

"Luckily, there aren't any other cars at this hour." He breathed a sigh of relief and parked by the roadside. Turning his head, he saw the brand new blue sign standing out against the night sky. The white arrow pointed to the right, and the three large characters "Baifengzhuang" were clearly visible.

"We're finally there," Tang Yin murmured, a complex expression flashing across his eyes. The clock had already passed midnight, but it had moved much faster than he'd expected. Another half hour's drive and they'd reach Baifeng Manor, the place so closely guarded by the people of Wuyin Village.

As the car continued forward, scattered houses began to appear on both sides of the road. Although it was pitch black all around, the outline of the mountain road became clearer as we went deeper. Raindrops began to fall from the sky, splashing tiny drops of water on the windshield.

"We have to find a way before the rain gets heavier." Tang Yin frowned, scanning his surroundings. There were barely any streetlights in the village, and not a single light shone through the windows of every household, as if the entire village had fallen into a deep sleep.

However, compared to the dilapidated wooden houses of Kirigakure, the houses here are quite modern. Concrete buildings are neatly arranged on both sides of the road, and the road surface has been hardened. Occasionally, the outlines of bus stops and vending machines can be seen, showing the appearance of a modern rural village.

"Find a hotel for the night? Forget it, who would take me in at this hour?" Tang Yin chuckled self-deprecatingly. City dwellers always naively believed they could find shelter under any roof, or perhaps find a hospitable farmer to take them in for the night.

This fairytale fantasy seemed laughable in the face of reality. As someone who had experienced so much, he knew all too well the true nature of the countryside. In these remote corners, family values ​​and regional traditions were deeply rooted. Many country folk firmly believed that it was these ancient customs and rules that allowed their lives to continue in peace and stability.

The sound of raindrops hitting the roof grew louder and louder, and Tang Yin's expression became particularly solemn in the shadows. He knew that what awaited him next would be a storm even more intense than the rainstorm.

Raindrops pattered against the ground, reflecting the faint light of the street lamps. Tang Yin leaned against an old locust tree by the roadside, gazing at the scattered villages in the distance, a complex expression in his eyes. He knew well that the country folk's indifference toward outsiders was not entirely unjustified, but this xenophobia was indeed daunting.

Especially in Baifeng Village, a place that pushed its closed-off conservativeness to the extreme, a place that relied on isolating the Mist Village and enacting numerous unfair rules to maintain its rule. Tang Yin stroked the newly grown stubble on his chin, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The level of isolation here was probably far greater than he had imagined, and the villagers' attitude towards outsiders must be even harsher.

The rain grew heavier, the large raindrops hitting his dark brown leather jacket with a dull thud. Tang Yin wiped the rain from his face, a flicker of determination in his slightly tired eyes. He mounted his motorcycle, the roar of the engine particularly piercing in the rainy night.

"Even if I know the result, I have no choice but to go ahead with it." He muttered to himself, turned the handlebar with his right hand, and the motorcycle rushed towards the village entrance like an arrow.

His short brown hair was wet from the rain, clinging to his forehead. Tang Yin, dressed in the standard casual attire of a city dweller, stood out in this traditional village. The motorcycle's tires rolled over the muddy road, sending up splashes of water.

Suddenly, a blinding flashlight beam shot out from the darkness, accompanied by a stern shout: "Stop! Who are you? Stop the car immediately! Get out! Follow me!"

Tang Yin slammed on the brakes, sending the motorcycle spinning on the slippery ground and nearly falling. He looked up and saw a uniformed police officer walking towards him quickly, flashlight in hand, his face full of vigilance and suspicion.

"What an idiot!" Tang Yin cursed himself inwardly. How could he have been so naive to think that he could figure out a solution once he got to his destination? Instead, he rode his motorcycle in like a frivolous city dweller, only to be caught red-handed by the police.

Raindrops trickled down his hair, forming small puddles on the ground. In the darkness, the police officers drew closer, their flashlights fixed firmly on him. Tang Yin lowered his head, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips. The plan had just begun, and an unexpected event had occurred. This was a profound irony for the usually cautious Tang Yin.

(End of this chapter)