Translator: CinderTL
"Now, listen to this story," the man in the tracksuit began, his voice thin and grating.
"Let's call it... 'The Ring'," he said after a pause.
"There was a man named A'Qiang, an unlicensed taxi driver. He usually spent his days playing cards with friends, only coming out to pick up fares at night."
"One rainy evening, business was slow, so he decided to head home early, hoping to get a card game going."
"But as he drove down a deserted road, he spotted a figure standing by the roadside, waving for a ride."
"Few taxis ventured into this area, especially in the rain. A'Qiang figured he'd hit the jackpot. After confirming the passenger's destination, he doubled his usual fare, expecting some haggling."
"To his surprise, the man didn't argue at all. He simply agreed but asked A'Qiang to wait a moment before disappearing back into the downpour."
"About a minute later, the man returned, now carrying a heavy-looking suitcase."
"The suitcase looked incredibly heavy; the man was struggling to lift it with both hands. A'Qiang, feeling guilty about the inflated fare, considered getting out to help, but the passenger firmly refused."
"The man asked A'Qiang to open the trunk, then placed his suitcase inside himself."
"Afterward, he walked to the back of the car, opened the rear door, and got in."
"He was dressed entirely in black, with a baseball cap pulled low over his face, the brim dripping continuously."
"A'Qiang glanced at him in the rearview mirror but couldn't make out his face at all."
"The drive was long, heading toward an urban village on the outskirts of the city. A'Qiang stopped halfway to use the restroom, but when he returned, the passenger was gone."
"He got out and looked around, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the fare the passenger had left on the back seat."
"'Must have had an emergency,' A'Qiang muttered. He counted the money—it was all there. Pleased, he pocketed it and hurried home."
"Midway there, a friend called about a drinking session. A'Qiang joined the party and drank until after 2 a.m. before staggering home."
"He grabbed his phone and keys from the car, ready to head upstairs, when he suddenly heard a strange sound, as if something unseen were guiding him. His gaze drifted uncertainly until it settled on the trunk."
The person who left it must have taken the suitcase by now, A'Qiang thought. Still, he walked over and opened the trunk. A suitcase lay silently inside.
A'Qiang lifted the suitcase, his eyes narrowing slightly. Just as he'd suspected, it was surprisingly heavy. There must be something valuable inside, he thought.
My luck at cards has been terrible lately. I've lost a lot. If there's something worth money in here...
Without hesitation, fueled by alcohol, he grabbed a few tools from the trunk—the ones he used for car repairs. Now they would serve a different purpose.
But the moment he pried open the suitcase, a putrid stench assaulted his nostrils. At the same time, the mangled corpse of a woman materialized before him.
Her limbs were twisted into unnatural angles, her face obscured by tangled hair. Only one lifeless eye, wide with eternal horror, stared coldly up at A'Qiang.
Startled by this gruesome sight in the dead of night, A'Qiang nearly died of fright.
Then his gaze froze. On the woman's pallid finger glinted a spark of light—a ring.
The ring featured an enormous ruby that looked incredibly valuable.
As the suitcase fell open, a red leather handbag tumbled out. After a moment's hesitation, A'Qiang steeled his nerve and snatched it.
Inside the handbag, A'Qiang found some receipts, a few keys, and a wad of cash.
The sight of the money sparked a new idea in his mind. At this late hour, there was no one around, and no one would ever know he'd found the suitcase.
As for the passenger reporting it, A'Qiang was certain he wouldn't. After all, he was the one who had killed the woman!
So, as long as he disposed of the body properly and kept it hidden, everything would vanish without a trace, and he'd even get a windfall.
Fueled by the alcohol, A'Qiang slammed the trunk shut. He drove the car down a dark path to the shore of a secluded lake.
Just as he was about to dump the suitcase into the water, he remembered the ring on the woman's finger.
Might as well go all the way, he thought. He reopened the suitcase, his hands trembling as he reached for the ring.
But the ring was stubbornly tight. He tore the skin from her finger, but it wouldn't budge.
Then, he spotted a sharp-edged rock on the ground. Steeling himself, he ruthlessly smashed the woman's finger with the stone until it broke, finally prying the ring free.
Then he stuffed several large stones into the suitcase to ensure it wouldn't float and tossed the suitcase containing the woman's body into the lake.
When he sobered up, he was genuinely worried for days, constantly checking the news for any developments.
But thankfully, everything remained normal, as if the whole incident had been nothing more than a dream.
Yet when he stared at the ring on his finger, he knew it was no dream at all.
"The strange things started a few days later," the man in the tracksuit said, taking a deep breath. "To be precise, on the seventh day."
Since A'Qiang had some extra cash, he stopped driving and spent his days drinking and playing cards with friends.
One night, after drinking too much again, he felt unbearably sleepy after a few card games. Around 2 a.m., he decided to head home to bed.
Staggering along the road alone, he didn't notice anything amiss at first. But after walking for a while, A'Qiang began to feel uneasy.
His friend's place wasn't far—usually a ten-minute walk. But tonight, he felt like he'd been walking forever, and the road ahead stretched endlessly into the darkness.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, A'Qiang slowly turned around. Without any streetlights, he could only make out a vague silhouette.
About thirty meters behind him, something was moving.
Glug...
Glug...
Accompanied by a terrifying rumbling sound, A'Qiang finally made out what was following him.
It was a suitcase!
The very suitcase he had thrown into the lake!
In that instant, A'Qiang's head swam, his drunken stupor vanishing completely. He spun around and sprinted toward home, shouting for help as he ran.
(End of the Chapter)
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