Courtyard House: Home Alone

He would not give anyone the opportunity to harm himself or those around him, especially in this turbulent era where human life is cheap. Only with a strong fist and a ruthless heart can one survive and protect those one wants to protect.

He Yuzhu saw the fleeting fierce glint in Lin Yifan's eyes and felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that Brother Fan was serious this time. Xu Fugui had probably bitten off more than he could chew.

Before long, the people in the courtyard returned one after another, and Xu Fugui, carrying a cloth bag, also walked in from outside.

Sure enough, he was accompanied by someone. This person had a pointed face and was about thirty years old, not very tall, probably around 165cm. The two arrived at the central courtyard, saw Lin Yifan, and exchanged a subtle glance.

Their little actions naturally did not escape Lin Yifan's eyes. Lin Yifan sneered inwardly, but remained expressionless on the surface. He merely glanced at them indifferently before looking away, as if he had only seen two insignificant passersby.

Xu Fugui shivered inexplicably when Lin Yifan glanced at him, and instinctively shrank his neck, but then he remembered that the Lou family was with him, and his back straightened up again.

He cleared his throat and deliberately raised his voice, saying, "Hey, Xiao Fan, you're home today! Didn't you go to your master's house?"

Lin Yifan slowly took out his cigarette case, shook out a cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and then slowly said, "Just got back. What's up? Uncle Xu, is something wrong?" He deliberately emphasized the words "Uncle Xu," with a hint of sarcasm.

The man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like face next to Xu Fugui was silently sizing up Lin Yifan, his eyes like those of a venomous snake, scanning him up and down, as if trying to find some flaw in him.

Seeing that Lin Yifan was young and dressed in ordinary coarse cloth, looking unremarkable, he couldn't help but look down on him.

He thought to himself: Is this little brat really worth the steward personally sending someone to "take care" of? Xu Fugui is such a good-for-nothing, he's getting more and more useless.

Xu Fugui's face flushed red and then turned pale when Lin Yifan called him "Uncle Xu". He suppressed his displeasure and forced a dry laugh, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just asked because you didn't come back yesterday."

"This is... a distant cousin of mine. He came from the countryside and wants to find some work in the city. I'm showing him around so he can get acquainted with the place." As he spoke, he winked at the weasel-faced man.

The man immediately put on a slightly obsequious smile, cupped his hands to Lin Yifan, and said, "This young man looks unfamiliar. My surname is Li, and my given name is Kui. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me." As he spoke, his eyes were still scrutinizing Lin Yifan with a scrutinizing look.

Lin Yifan flicked the dust off his clothes, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Li Kui? Nice name, even making it sound like a 'Hero of Liangshan.' But our courtyard is too small; I'm afraid it can't accommodate a 'great god' like you looking for work." His words were loaded with meaning, directly pointing out that the other party wasn't really there to find work.

Li Kui's smile froze. He hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary young man to be so eloquent, and even seemed to have seen through their intentions.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and chuckled dryly, "Brother, you're joking. I'm just a rough man, I'm lucky to have enough to eat, how dare I call myself a 'god'?"

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Xu Fugui quickly tried to smooth things over: "Oh dear, it's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Cousin, we have things to do, we'll go back inside first. Brother Xiao Fan, you're busy, you're busy."

As she spoke, she pulled Li Kui and hurriedly walked towards their house in the backyard, as if staying even a second longer would be dangerous.

Lin Yifan watched their disheveled figures, his cold smile deepening. Xu Fugui, Li Kui, and Lou Zhenhua hiding in the back... Since you're so eager to die, then I'll grant your wish! He took a deep breath, his eyes turning cold and resolute.

Before they knew it, it was the evening of the second day. Tonight at 10 p.m. was the time Lin Yifan had arranged to meet with the Red Party's "Fisherman," at an abandoned brick kiln in the south of the city.

Lin Yifan set off an hour early. He didn't drive, but chose to walk. He deliberately took several long detours to make sure no one was following him before heading towards the brick kiln.

The abandoned brick kiln is located in a remote corner of the south of the city, surrounded by weeds and broken walls, clearly indicating that no one has been there for a long time.

From afar, Lin Yifan saw three bonfires at the entrance of the brick kiln. He used his mind to warily observe the situation within a 800-meter radius, and only walked towards the bonfires after confirming that there was only one person in the kiln behind the fires.

The man in the cave slowly came out. He was in his thirties, of medium build, wearing a faded long gown, with a few shallow scars on his face, but his eyes were unusually sharp, as if they could see through people's hearts.

As Lin Yifan approached, he narrowed his eyes slightly and looked Lin Yifan up and down.

At this moment, Lin Yifan spoke first, saying, "It's dark and the road is slippery, watch your step."

Upon hearing this, the other person visibly relaxed, a faint smile appearing on their face, and replied, "Thank you for the reminder, there are lights ahead." Their voice was deep and steady, carrying a calmness born of experience.

Lin Yifan knew that this was the "fisherman".

He nodded, glanced at the other person to make sure he wasn't carrying any weapons, then took two more steps forward and stood by the campfire, feeling the warmth from the flickering flames.

The "fisherman" approached, and the two stood facing each other across the campfire. The firelight illuminated their faces, clearly outlining their subtle expressions.

"Are you Lin Yifan? Xiao Fan?" the "fisherman" asked.

Lin Yifan remained noncommittal, merely raising his chin slightly and asking in return, "'Fisherman'?"

His voice was calm, revealing little emotion, but his gaze never left the other person's eyes, as if he were searching for something through those sharp eyes.

In the darkness, the campfire crackled, sparks occasionally flying, briefly illuminating the space between the two men.

The fisherman nodded frankly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "It's me. Younger than I imagined, and more... composed than I imagined."

He paused, then changed the subject, "The reason I asked you out today is to talk to you about the collaboration you proposed earlier."

Lin Yifan listened quietly without interrupting.

"The weapons, ammunition, medicines, and medical equipment you mentioned are what we urgently need right now."

The fisherman's tone was filled with sincere gratitude. "As for sharing our intelligence in Beiping with you, our superiors have agreed in principle after discussion."

But this doesn't mean there are no conditions. Our intelligence network was built with the blood and lives of countless comrades; every piece of information is a matter of life and death.

Therefore, we need that the supplies you provide are genuine and valid, and that the quantity and quality meet your previous promises.

At the same time, we hope you can guarantee that these supplies will only be used for our revolutionary cause and will not fall into the hands of any other forces.