Chapter 112: What an Incredible Coincidence

"Fire? This... how is this possible?"

The sudden chaos left Cheng Peng completely bewildered. He could not fathom how a fire could break out in the KTV out of nowhere. Looking at the billowing black smoke, the situation seemed dire indeed. How could such a massive blaze ignite without any prior warning?

Amidst the fleeing crowd, Cheng Peng spotted a KTV staff member. He rushed over, grabbed the man, and demanded, "Stop right there! Tell me, what’s happening upstairs? Why did it suddenly catch fire?"

"I... I don't know what's going on either," the staff member replied, his face covered in panic and soot, gasping for air. "It just suddenly started burning, and the fire is spreading fast. I tried to use a fire extinguisher, but I checked several, and they were all expired and unusable. Manager Cheng, you should run too. Looking at how big the fire is getting, it’ll reach the lobby soon. If we don’t run now, it’ll be too late..."

Cheng Peng had been responsible for purchasing the fire extinguishers for the KTV. Although he had claimed expenses every year, the extinguishers had never actually been replaced. All those funds for fire safety had gone straight into his own pocket.

Panic rising in his heart, Cheng Peng asked, "Do you know where the fire started?"

The staff member shook his head. "I'm not sure. But I heard someone say the fire started in your office, Manager Cheng."

"What? My office?" Cheng Peng was stunned.

He suddenly recalled that he had been enjoying a premium cigar gifted to him in his office earlier. When he received the news that Young Master Lei, Young Master Liang, and Young Master Lu had been beaten up, his hand shook, and the half-smoked cigar fell onto the floor. In his haste to leave, he hadn't bothered to pick it up.

"Could it be that this fire was caused by the cigar falling onto the carpet and setting it ablaze?"

Cheng Peng was astonished, unable to believe his own hypothesis. "How much time has even passed? Even if a cigar could ignite a carpet, it shouldn't be able to cause such a massive inferno in such a short time, right?"

Just as Cheng Peng was grappling with this confusion, Li Sichen walked up to him, grinned, and said softly, "Well? Do you believe now that I wasn't just bragging? After this fire, this KTV won't be opening again. As for you, there won't be any good days ahead. Misfortune will accompany you for the rest of your life."

"You... you caused this fire?" Cheng Peng’s mouth hung open in shock.

Li Sichen smiled without answering. He turned and walked toward the bewildered students of Class 1-3, calling out loudly, "Don't just stand there! Get out of here! Keep order, and don't run around blindly!"

Nanshan High School regularly conducted fire escape drills. Although the students of Class 1-3 were frightened, they remained calm and did not panic like the others. Led by Gao Zixi, Tan Xiaoxiao, and Lin Siyu, the teachers and class cadres, they formed lines and headed toward the exit in an orderly fashion.

The students' performance influenced the other fleeing crowd. More and more people mimicked their behavior, forming lines and leaving in an orderly manner. The initial chaos became much more structured.

Seeing Li Sichen about to leave, Cheng Peng grew desperate. He shouted, "Don't go! You arsonist, don't think you can run away!" He lunged toward Li Sichen, intending to grab him.

Unfortunately, he did not get his way. Before he could take more than a few steps, he was knocked to the ground by a group of people rushing down from upstairs.

These people did not stop after knocking Cheng Peng down; they didn't even attempt to avoid him, simply trampling over him as they ran. In just a few minutes, countless footprints covered Cheng Peng’s body. His face, in particular, was so swollen from being stepped on that he was unrecognizable.

"Who? Who the hell is stepping on me?" Cheng Peng struggled to lift his body, looking at the group that had knocked him down. He wanted to remember their faces so he could seek justice later.

He quickly recognized several familiar figures in the crowd. "Young Master Lei, Young Master Liang, and Young Master Lu?"

Even though they were covered in blood, Cheng Peng recognized them instantly. This discovery nearly drove him to despair. "I was knocked down and trampled by them... how the hell am I supposed to seek justice now?"

Cheng Peng knew all too well that with the vile nature of Young Master Lei’s crowd, if he went to them, he wouldn't get justice—he would only be humiliated and bullied further.

"Why am I so unlucky..." Cheng Peng felt aggrieved to the point of breaking down, sobbing uncontrollably.

At that moment, he recalled Li Sichen’s earlier words: "You will be plagued by misfortune and never have a good day again..."

"No way, did that brat's curse actually come true?" Cheng Peng shivered, a sudden wave of fear washing over him. People are always fearful of the unknown, and Cheng Peng was no exception.

Watching the thick smoke rolling in from behind, Cheng Peng grew terrified. He struggled to crawl up, but the trampling had left him injured, and any movement brought waves of intense pain. Unable to stand, he could only beg the people running past him for help: "Help... help me! Please, drag me out of here..."

Meanwhile, after rushing out of the KTV, the students of Class 1-3 did not go far. Like everyone else who had escaped, they gathered nearby to watch.

Although they were outside, they could still see the raging fire through the windows. The students didn't gossip like the others; they watched the inferno, then looked at Li Sichen. Though they said nothing, their eyes were filled with astonishment.

After a long while, Zeng Yi spoke up, asking quietly, "Brother Chen... this fire, you didn't start it, did you?"

The students all pricked up their ears, as this question was what they were all curious about.

"Guess," Li Sichen replied.

He neither confirmed nor denied the fire at the KTV. But this reply left everyone speechless. Guess? If we could guess, would we need to ask you?