Jiang Chen rode his bicycle into the county town, planning to take a bus to Taohua Village.
However, the last bus had already left for the day. He didn't want to wait until tomorrow—he was eager to see Wen-xian. So he left town and began biking along the winding mountain road toward Taohua Village.
It had rained earlier that morning, and the mountain road was pockmarked with potholes and filled with muddy puddles.
As he was riding, a commercial van approached. Jiang Chen waved, hoping to hitch a ride.
The driver smiled at him—but as he passed, he suddenly slammed on the gas, sending a huge wave of muddy water splashing directly onto Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen couldn't dodge in time. He was drenched from head to toe like a drowned rat.
The driver stuck his middle finger out of the window and let out a wild, mocking laugh.
Jiang Chen grabbed a rock from the roadside and hurled it with full force.
With his system-enhanced strength, the rock flew like a bullet, smashing into the car's side window—shattering it instantly.
Startled, the driver hit the gas and sped away.
Jiang Chen wiped the muddy water from his face, watching the van disappear into the distance. He cursed aloud:
"Damn it! Acting all high and mighty in a piece-of-junk car! One day, I swear I'll buy a car—and nothing less than a luxury brand!"
Grumbling, he pushed on.
Up ahead, he noticed a commotion—people gathered around, voices rising in alarm.
When he arrived at the scene, he saw that a truck had rear-ended a sedan, pushing it onto a roadside barrier. The back half of the sedan was hanging precariously off the edge, about to fall.
Below the edge was a steep slope beside the highway bridge. If the car slipped, it would roll twenty meters down into the river below. It was a life-or-death situation.
Jiang Chen parked his bike and pushed through the crowd to look into the car.
Inside were two women and a man.
The man, in the driver's seat, was frantically trying to open his door—but it was jammed.
In the backseat, a middle-aged woman and a teenage girl were crying uncontrollably.
Jiang Chen tried the door handle, but the impact had warped the frame—there was no way to open it.
Someone brought over a hammer and tried smashing the window. But each strike made the car shake dangerously.
Afraid it might fall, the man stopped.
Meanwhile, rainwater had started trickling down the mountain slope, softening the dirt under the tires. The back end of the car began slowly sliding toward the edge.
"This is bad! It's going to flip!" someone shouted.
The truck driver pressed his hands together, pleading, "Please, help me hold the car!"
But no one stepped forward. Everyone understood the danger—if they tried to stop the car and failed, they could be dragged into the river and killed.
Some even watched with gleeful expressions, waiting to see the car plunge into the river.
One man shoved his way to the front, pulled out his phone, and started recording. "This is gold! A car crash livestream—excellent content!"
Jiang Chen saw this and immediately slapped the man to the ground. "Scumbag! Get lost!"
He then strode to the back of the sedan, bent down, and planted both hands firmly under the chassis.
The crowd was stunned.
"One person? He thinks he can lift a car?"
"Is this some kind of performance?" someone muttered.
"He's probably hoping the driver will pay him a fat reward," another said.
A scrawny man with a crooked smile rasped, "What a show-off! Nobody help him—let's see if the car drags him down with it."
Jiang Chen's eyes blazed. Glaring at the man, he growled, "You wait! As soon as I'm done here, I'll throw you into the river to feed the turtles—mark my words!"
The skinny man saw the look in Jiang Chen's eyes and knew he'd messed with the wrong person. He was just a cowardly street punk with a big mouth. Legs trembling, he turned and ran.
A few steps away, he spotted Jiang Chen's bicycle, casually parked by the roadside. With a wicked grin, he leapt on it and shouted back:
"Hey kid! You focus on your rescue mission—I'm borrowing your bike! I'll come back later to fish out your body!"
With that, he hunched down and pedaled off at full speed.
Jiang Chen watched helplessly as Wen-xian's bicycle was stolen. He wanted to give chase, but the car was still sliding. He couldn't let go.
He braced himself and silently called out to the system.
As expected, the system responded.
A surge of divine strength flowed through him.
Jiang Chen let out a low growl: "Lift!"
He pushed down with his legs, burying his feet deep into the soft mud, while lifting the rear of the car upward.
The car rose.
With a final heave, he shoved the car back onto the road.
Thud! All four wheels hit the ground solidly.
The car was safe.
A wave of thunderous applause broke out.
Without a word, Jiang Chen took a hammer someone handed him and quickly smashed open a large hole in the window. He reached in and pulled all three passengers out.
The driver gripped Jiang Chen's hand tightly, his voice trembling with emotion. "Young man… thank you… thank you so much…"
He then introduced himself: Zhao Liang, CEO of Yangguang Real Estate Development Group in Jiang City.
His wife, Li Xiuxian, though middle-aged, still radiated a mature, graceful charm.
Their daughter, Zhao Yafeng, around twenty years old, had the body of a runway model—long, slender legs, an hourglass figure, and curves that could make anyone dizzy.
Zhao Yafeng was still terrified. She clung to her mother, sobbing, "Mom… I was so scared…"
Jiang Chen couldn't help but glance at her.
And what he saw nearly made him cry out in shock.