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

She lowered her hands from above her head, letting them hang down, clenched her fists at her sides, and then relaxed them.

She is not afraid.

From Beijing to Hong Kong Island, from that winter when she was huddled in her brother's arms in the hold to now, she has been afraid.

I was never afraid on the boat, nor on land. In that dilapidated repair shop in Sham Shui Po, I would huddle under the covers and hold my breath every night when I heard any noise outside, but I was never afraid.

Her brother taught her how to use a gun, took her to the shooting range, and told her that a gun should never be separated from a person at any time.

She knew that as long as she had a gun, she had nothing to fear from anyone.

Chen Feng's gaze fell on her face. She was looking at him, her eyes bright, like two stars washed clean.

Fifteen.

When she left Beijing, she was skin and bones, with dry, yellow hair, chapped lips, and an expression that always seemed to be somewhere between fear and stubbornness on her face, like a small animal cornered against a wall, its fur standing on end, but its eyes refusing to close.

Now she's grown taller, her face is fuller, her hair is black and shiny, her lips are rosy, and she looks like a young girl who hasn't fully grown up yet, standing in the sunlight wearing a light pink dress.

But that something that emanates from the very core hasn't changed—that light that hasn't given up even in dire straits.

"Brother, I hit her. In the shoulder. Can she still shoot?"

Chen Feng looked at her, his deep, calm eyes curving slightly, like something flowing beneath the frozen surface of a river.

"The injury is quite serious; it will affect his ability to handle a gun in the future."

Chen Xiaoyu's lips curled up, but the smile was short, like a crack in the ice on a river in spring, letting in a sliver of water.

Chen Feng leaned back in his chair and tapped his knees lightly with his fingers.

He was silent for a moment, then said, "Xiaoyu, don't go to school for now. I'll have someone protect you."

Without hesitation, Chen Xiaoyu nodded: "Brother, I'll listen to you."

She knew her brother would protect her.

Chen Feng stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

……

Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong Island.

On the third and a half floor of No. 132 Fu Rong Street, the wooden door with peeling paint was locked from the inside.

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, letting in no light. Only a table lamp was lit in the room, its dim light illuminating the crippled wooden table and the homework books spread out on it.

Xiaoyu sat at the table, holding a pencil in her hand, but didn't write anything.

The unsolved math problem lay spread out on the notebook; the equation was only half written, and the rest was blank.

She had been staring at that question for a long time, her eyes unmoving, the tip of her pencil pressed against the paper, leaving a small ink dot.

She was thinking about what happened this afternoon.

That blonde woman, that map, that gun, that gunshot that bounced back and forth in the narrow alley.

She hit the woman in the shoulder.

Blood gushed from the woman's shoulder, trickling down her dark green trench coat.

Her brother said she was seriously injured and that it would affect her ability to handle a gun in the future.

But her brother also told her not to go to school yet.

Xiaoyu put down the pencil and pulled the revolver from the elastic band of her skirt.

The gun was jet black, gleaming with a dark metallic sheen under the lamp.

The chamber contained six bullets, their yellow casings gleaming dimly under the light.

She ejected the revolver, ejected the bullets one by one, and then pushed them back in one by one.

The movements were slow and careful, just like her brother taught her—don't rush, take it one shot at a time, press it all the way down, and press the next shot only when the reel is in place.

The sound of a lock being opened came from the doorway.

The key was inserted into the lock, turned twice, and the door opened.

Chen Feng walked in, wearing a dark short-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and cloth shoes.

He was carrying a bulging black canvas bag that looked quite heavy.

A person followed behind her—A-Lian.

Ah Lian was wearing a faded floral short-sleeved shirt, dark trousers, and cloth shoes. Her hair was tied into a braid at the back of her head. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were bright, and when she looked at people, she had a kind of vigilance that one would only have after years of navigating the world of gangsters.

She stood at the doorway, her gaze sweeping around the room before settling on Xiaoyu.

Chen Feng placed the canvas bag on the table and unzipped it.

Inside were two bulletproof vests.

It's not the heavy bulletproof vest used by the police; it's lightweight, soft, and can stop most handgun bullets.

They were black and neatly folded, like two folded vests.

There were also two bulletproof helmets, also black, with foam padding inside, so they weren't too uncomfortable to wear.

Chen Feng pushed a bulletproof vest and helmet in front of Xiao Yu, and another vest and helmet in front of A Lian.

"Put them on."

Xiaoyu didn't hesitate and picked it up to put on.

The bulletproof vest is close-fitting, lightweight, and does not restrict movement.

The helmet was a little too big, so she padded it with foam padding and put it on again, and it fit perfectly.

Ah Lian also put it on.

Her movements were even faster than Xiaoyu's; it was clear she had already passed through.

Chen Feng looked at them, his gaze lingering on Xiaoyu's face for a moment.

"From today onwards, A-Lian will be with you."

Xiaoyu nodded, looking at Alian—a woman more than ten years older than her, whom she had met several times.

He was quiet and didn't talk much next to the gap-toothed girl, but he would smile at her every time he saw her.

"Sister A-Lian."

Ah Lian's lips curled up slightly, which could be considered a smile.

Chen Feng turned around, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Ah Lian stayed.

The door on the third and a half floor of No. 132 Furong Street was locked from the inside.

Xiaoyu returned to her desk, sat down, picked up her pencil, and continued doing her homework.

A-Lian stood by the window, pulled the curtains open a crack, and looked down at the alley below.

The alley was quiet, the streetlights were not yet on, and dusk poured in from the alley entrance, turning the whole alley gray-blue.

A fish ball vendor pushed his cart past the alley entrance, the wheels making a rumbling sound as they rolled over the potholes.

She used to work in the black market in Beijing.

She drew the curtains and walked over to Xiaoyu.

The man with the gap-toothed tooth squatted in the alley behind the Golden Princess gate, a cigarette between his fingers, slowly smoking.

The smoke rose into the twilight and quickly dissipated.

He looked up, staring blankly at the gray sky. The scar on his face stretched from the corner of his mouth to his ear, standing out starkly in the dim light.

He already knew about what happened during the day.

Someone was waiting for Xiaoyu at the school gate. A blonde woman was shot in the shoulder by Xiaoyu in the narrow alley on Gascoigne Road.

The corner of his gap-toothed mouth slowly turned up.

That little girl who used to follow him around with snot running down her face now dares to shoot people.

Brother Da Gang taught well.

Chen Feng walked out of the back door, wearing a dark short jacket, black trousers, and cloth shoes. His face was expressionless, and his eyes were deep and calm. He stood in front of the man with the gap-toothed man.

The man with the gap-toothed man stood up, stubbed out his cigarette, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it.

"Gap-toothed, go and find out who that foreign woman who's looking for Xiaoyu is."

He nodded with the gap-toothed man, then turned and left.