Courtyard House: First, kill the hypocrites, leave none alive.

Another mourning tent was erected in the courtyard.

White curtains fluttered in the cold wind, and in the middle lay a thin coffin containing Xu Damao's body. An eternal lamp burned before the coffin, its flame flickering in the wind, casting a ghastly white light throughout the mourning hall. Xu Fugui—Xu Damao's father—sat beside the coffin, weeping uncontrollably.

"Da Mao—how could you leave like this—how will your father live alone—"

The piercing cries echoed through the courtyard. But everyone else in the courtyard was numb. How many was this? Qin Huairu, Jia Dongxu, and now Xu Damao. There was also the crippled Yi Zhonghai, and the dead Director Wang. Everyone felt that they might be next.

Liu Haizhong stood by the mourning tent, a trace of grief on his face, but his eyes were glancing towards the courtyard gate. There were two policemen standing guard there, in uniform, with pistols at their waists, their expressions serious.

Since Xu Damao's death, the police have been stationed in the courtyard house. There are guards at the gate, the alleyway, and even on the walls. It's supposed to be protection, but it's more like surveillance. Everyone entering or leaving has to register and be questioned.

"Old Liu," Yan Bugui leaned closer and lowered his voice, "how long do you think we'll have to keep guarding this?"

"Who knows?" Liu Haizhong sighed. "As long as Chen Feng isn't caught, this post can't be lifted."

"But we still have to go to work, we still have to go out to buy food," Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses, "We can't just stay locked up in the yard forever, can we?"

Just then, Sha Zhu came out of the house. He was on his way to work at the steel mill today, but he was stopped by the police at the gate of the compound.

"Comrade, please show your work ID."

Sha Zhu pulled out his work ID and handed it over. The police officer looked at it carefully, then looked at his face, before letting him go.

"Come home early after get off work," the police officer instructed. "After 7 p.m., no one is allowed to enter or leave the compound."

"Got it," Sha Zhu mumbled in response, and quickly left.

As he walked past the alley entrance, he saw two more policemen. One was smoking, and the other was taking notes. They both looked at him warily when they saw him, only looking away after he had walked away.

Sha Zhu felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn't protection; it was practically imprisonment. But he dared not complain. Chen Feng was lurking outside, and having the police watching over him was better than nothing.

But this can't go on. He can't stay home forever, can he?

When he arrived at the steel rolling mill, the situation was even worse. Guards at the factory gate had been increased, and everyone entering and leaving had to have their ID checked and be searched. Two more security guards were also added to the canteen, ostensibly to assist him, but in reality, they were keeping an eye on him.

"Zhu Zi, what dishes are we making today?" a security guard asked.

"Cabbage stew with tofu, and cornbread," Sha Zhu said irritably.

"Okay."

The man didn't leave; he just stood there watching. He watched Sha Zhu chop vegetables; he watched Sha Zhu stir-fry vegetables; he watched Sha Zhu knead dough.

"Hey comrade," Sha Zhu finally couldn't hold back any longer, "could you please go somewhere else to keep watch? I feel really uncomfortable with you here."

"This is an order," the man said expressionlessly. "Section Chief Zhang said you are to be given special protection."

"Protection?" Sha Zhu sneered. "I think it's surveillance."

The man stopped talking, but he didn't leave.

Sha Zhu had no choice but to grit his teeth and get to work. But a fire burned within him, growing ever stronger. Chen Feng, it was all because of Chen Feng. That bastard had made him a prisoner under surveillance, depriving him of his freedom.

"Chen Feng, you better not fall into my hands," Sha Zhu gritted his teeth, slamming the cleaver he held down hard on the cutting board, "or I'll chop you up!"

The noise was loud enough for everyone else in the cafeteria to hear, but no one responded. Everyone was afraid—afraid of Chen Feng, and also afraid of the current atmosphere.

At the same time, Chen Feng was in an abandoned air-raid shelter in the east of the city.

This air-raid shelter was dug during the War of Resistance against Japan, but it was later abandoned. The entrance is covered by weeds, and few people know about it. Chen Feng and his friends used to play here when he was a child, and he remembers the structure inside.

He settled down in the deepest room in the cave. The room wasn't big, but it had ventilation and wasn't stuffy. There were some tattered straw mats on the floor, probably left behind by previous homeless people.

He took out the watch he had snatched from Xu Damao and checked the time: nine o'clock in the morning. It should be bustling outside by now, but he couldn't go out.

The search is getting more and more intense. He almost got caught yesterday, but luckily he knew the terrain well and managed to shake off his pursuers through a maze of twists and turns. But this can't go on; he needs food, he needs water, and he needs to find out what's going on outside.

Chen Feng pulled the last half of a steamed bun from his pocket and ate it slowly with water. The bun was as hard as a rock, but he had to eat it. After finishing, he leaned against the wall, thinking about his next move.

We can't go to the courtyard houses anymore; the police are too strict. We can't go to the steel rolling mill either; they check our IDs to get in and out.

That leaves only one goal—to take action on the way to and from get off work.

But Sha Zhu is now chauffeured to and from get off work by the police, making it difficult to make a move. Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiecheng are in the same situation; they either travel together or are accompanied by the police.

What should I do?

Chen Feng closed his eyes, his mind racing. A direct assault was out of the question; that would be suicide. He needed to outsmart the situation and wait for an opportunity.

There will always be an opportunity. The police can't guard the streets forever, and those people can't stay indoors forever. As long as we wait patiently, we'll eventually see a moment when they relax their guard.

But the problem is, can he afford to wait? Food is running low, and water is scarce. And while the air-raid shelter is secluded, it's not absolutely safe. If someone comes to investigate, he'll have nowhere to escape.

Chen Feng stood up and paced around the cave. He needed to get some food, some money, and also find out what was happening outside.

How do I do it?

He thought of the black market. It was in an alley in the west of the city; you could buy anything there and ask about anything. But going to the black market was risky; it was crowded and noisy, and there might be police informants there.

But he had no choice but to go. He needed to know the situation outside and he needed to replenish supplies.

Chen Feng made up his mind to go to the black market after dark. There would be fewer people at night, making it relatively safer.

He sat down again, closed his eyes to rest. He needed to conserve his energy; there was still work to be done that night.

In the afternoon, several strangers came to the courtyard.

He's a new cadre from the subdistrict office, surnamed Sun, in his thirties, and looks very capable. He's here to take over from Director Wang and is here today to get a feel for things.

Officer Sun walked around the courtyard, visited Xu Damao's mourning tent, and then went to the Jia and Yi families. Finally, he called the three old men together.

"I have a general understanding of the situation," said Officer Sun. "Chen Feng is a vicious and ruthless man, and we must arrest him as soon as possible. But the police alone cannot do it; our neighborhood committee also needs to contribute."

"Officer Sun, how would you like to contribute?" Liu Haizhong asked.

"Mobilize the masses," said Officer Sun. "Each household in the courtyard should send someone to form a joint defense team to cooperate with the police patrols. Also, everyone in the courtyard should be vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately."

Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses: "Officer Sun, everyone in the compound is living in fear. Who would dare to go out on patrol?"

"It's precisely because we're afraid that we need to unite," said Officer Sun. "No matter how powerful Chen Feng is, he's just one person. We have dozens of households and hundreds of people in our compound; are we afraid of just one guy?"

That's what they said, but no one responded. Although Chen Feng was alone, he was too ruthless, and no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Officer Sun's face darkened: "This is a political task that must be completed. Starting tonight, each household in the compound will send one man to take turns patrolling. I will make the list, and no one is allowed to ask for leave."

The three old men exchanged glances, but dared not object. Officer Sun was new and needed to establish his authority; anyone who crossed him would be in trouble.

The list was quickly finalized. Sha Zhu, Liu Guangtian, Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiefang, and several other young and strong men were all assigned to the patrol team.

"Why should I be on patrol?" Sha Zhu protested. "I have to work during the day and patrol at night, is that any way to live?"

"This is for everyone's safety," Officer Sun said. "If you don't want to, you can move out."

Sha Zhu choked. Move out? Where could he move to? It's more dangerous outside.

"Fine, I'll patrol," Sha Zhu agreed through gritted teeth.

Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiecheng dared not object and could only accept their fate.

Officer Sun nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, it's settled then. From 10 PM to 6 AM, two people per group, two-hour shifts. If you spot anything, call for help immediately; the police are outside."

After making the arrangements, Secretary Sun left. The people in the courtyard looked at each other, and the atmosphere became even more oppressive.

"What kind of mess is this?" Yan Jiecheng said with a bitter face. "Working during the day and patrolling at night, are they not letting people get any sleep?"

"It's better than being killed by Chen Feng," Liu Guangtian said. "Let's patrol, at least it's safer."

But is it really safe? Nobody knows.

After dark, Chen Feng came out of the air-raid shelter.

He changed his clothes—a tattered cotton-padded jacket he'd picked up from a garbage dump—and smeared coal dust on his face, making him look like a homeless man. He walked along the alleyway toward the black market in the west of the city.

There were few pedestrians on the road, with only the occasional bicycle passing by. Chen Feng walked very carefully, observing each intersection before crossing. He saw that there were members of the joint defense team standing guard at several intersections, holding wooden sticks and scanning the area warily.

The entire city is under martial law.

Chen Feng's heart sank. If things continued like this, he would find it impossible to move an inch.

But he continued walking. When he reached the alley where the black market was located, he found that there were people guarding the entrance—not the police, but the black market's own "security guards."

"What are you doing?" A burly man with a fierce face stopped him.

"I want to buy something," Chen Feng said in a hoarse voice.

The man sized him up a few times, then waved his hand: "Go in."

Chen Feng walked into the alley. It was quieter than usual; half the number of stalls were gone, and there were fewer people buying things. Everyone was watching, afraid the police would come to investigate.

He walked up to a grain stall, where the owner, an old man, was dozing off.

"Grandpa, do you have any cornbread?" Chen Feng asked.

The old man opened his eyes, looked at him, and said, "Yes, two for a dime."

"Give me four." Chen Feng took out two cents.

The old man took the money and took four steamed buns from his basket, handing them to Chen Feng. Chen Feng took them and was about to leave when the old man suddenly spoke up: "Young man, things are getting tense lately, don't go out unless it's absolutely necessary."

Chen Feng paused, "What's wrong?"

"I heard several people were killed, and the police are arresting people everywhere," the old man said in a low voice. "This alley was raided last night, and they arrested several people who were reselling tickets. Be careful."

"Thank you, sir." Chen Feng nodded and quickly left.

He went to a secondhand stall and wanted to buy a knife. Although his old dagger was still usable, it was always good to have an extra one.

"Do you have a knife?" he asked the stall owner.

The stall owner, a middle-aged woman, looked at him warily: "What kind of knife?"

"Anything for chopping vegetables will do."

The woman pulled a cleaver from under the stall; it was rusty, but the blade was still quite sharp.

"One dollar."

Chen Feng paid, wrapped the knife up, and stuffed it into his pocket. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a commotion at the entrance of the alley.

"The police are here!"

Someone shouted, and the entire alleyway instantly erupted into chaos. The stall owners scrambled to pack up their goods, while shoppers scattered and fled.

Chen Feng's heart tightened, and he turned and ran deeper into the alley. There was a fork in the road there that led to another street.

But he had only run halfway when he saw police officers rushing in from the front. Surrounded from both sides, he had nowhere to escape!

Chen Feng looked around and saw a low wall nearby. He rushed over, leaped, grabbed the top of the wall, and climbed over.

As he landed, he heard shouts behind him: "Stop! Don't run!"

He didn't look back and kept running. It was a dead end, but at the end there was a broken door. He rushed over, kicked the door open, and ran inside.

Inside was an abandoned courtyard, piled high with clutter. He found a corner to hide in and held his breath.

Footsteps and shouts came from outside; the police had caught up. They searched the yard, their flashlight beams sweeping around.

Chen Feng gripped the knife in his arms, ready to fight to the death. But the police searched the area, found no trace of him, and then moved on to another location.

Only after the footsteps faded into the distance did Chen Feng breathe a sigh of relief. He leaned against the wall, his chest heaving violently.

That was close. I almost got caught.

He didn't dare linger, and only left quietly after it was completely quiet outside. He didn't return to the air-raid shelter; it probably wasn't safe there anymore. Since the police had investigated the black market, they would definitely expand the search area.

He needs a new hiding place.

Chen Feng wandered aimlessly through the city, deliberately choosing the darkest and most secluded paths. Finally, he arrived at the moat.

There was a row of willow trees along the riverbank, and under the trees were some abandoned shacks, built by homeless people in the past, but now no one lived there. He found one that was relatively intact and crawled inside.

The shack was small, only big enough for one person to huddle together. But at least it provided shelter from the wind and rain.

Chen Feng huddled in the corner, pulled out the cornbread he had just bought from his pocket, and took a bite. The cornbread was hard and unpalatable, but he had to eat it.

After finishing his meal, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

Tired. So tired.

It's been over twenty days since the prison break. Hiding here and there, living in constant fear, struggling on the edge of life and death every day. I've killed so many people, but the hatred hasn't lessened; it's only deepened.

How many more people need to be killed? Sha Zhu, Liu Guangtian, Yan Jiecheng, Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiefang, Jia Zhangshi, Yi Zhonghai (though crippled, he's not dead yet), and those accomplices…

Not a single one can be spared.

But how to kill them? The whole city is under martial law, the police are searching everywhere, and those people are being protected. He's like a caged beast, trapped in a net, unable to move.

Chen Feng opened his eyes and looked at the hole in the roof of the shack. Moonlight shone through the hole, casting a patch of light on the ground.

He remembered watching the moon with his younger sister when they were little. Little Yu would always ask, "Brother, what's on the moon?"

"There is Chang'e, and there is the Jade Rabbit," he replied at the time.

I want to see Chang'e.

"When your brother grows up, I'll take you there."

Now, he's grown up, but he couldn't take Xiaoyu to see Chang'e. Xiaoyu has disappeared; she may be dead.

Chen Feng's eyes reddened. Not from wanting to cry, but from hatred. Hatred for those who had harmed his entire family, hatred for this unjust world.

"Xiaoyu," he whispered, "wait a little longer. I'll come find you after I've killed all those beasts."

The moonlight flowed silently, offering no reply.

A night breeze blew by, carrying the dampness and chill of the river. Chen Feng wrapped his tattered cotton-padded coat tighter and closed his eyes.

It's almost dawn.

A new day, new predicaments, new struggles.

But he will not give up.

Blood debts must be repaid in blood.

Not a single one will be left.

Even if it costs me my life, I will send those people to hell.

Chen Feng gripped the knife in his arms tightly. The blade was cold, but holding it gave him a bit of strength.

live.

Kill them.

Until the last person falls.