Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

A whisper, almost a groan, escaped Yan Bugui's lips. He knew all too well what this meant: someone had touched his diary!

Not only did they move it, but they also painstakingly replaced it with a high-quality replica that was indistinguishable from the real thing!

To be able to do this, one is definitely not an ordinary petty thief, but... but someone who is organized, planned, and possesses professional skills!

Who? When?

He leaned against the cold earthen wall, forcing himself to calm down, his mind replaying the events at an unprecedented speed:

Countless fragmented clues and doubts were now seemingly strung together by an invisible thread:

Duan Chengyi's inexplicable training courses, which were ostensibly ideological education but were actually torture.

The hospital staff were unusually enthusiastic, using the best medicines and equipment.

Xie Weihong's terrifying physical abilities, which have advanced by leaps and bounds and completely surpassed human comprehension.

There were also Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, He Yuzhu, and others who were repeatedly beaten half to death and sent to the hospital, only to "quickly recover" and return to the hospital time and time again, in a never-ending cycle.

A chilling, bone-deep conclusion gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake:

The diary has been discovered.

All the dirty deeds they've done over the years—scheming against neighbors, taking advantage of public resources, and especially…especially that biggest, head-losing secret from over a decade ago—may all be exposed!

Why?

Why haven't they arrested them even though they know? Why haven't they tried them? Why haven't they executed them?

Instead, they're doing these weird "training" exercises? Using them like punching bags to beat around?

Yan Bugui neither knew nor wanted to know.

"No... I can't stay here... I absolutely can't stay here any longer..."

Yan Bugui suddenly stood up straight, his eyes flashing with a mad light that was a mixture of extreme fear and desperate gamble.

run!

Must run!

Before they completely close in, while I still have a little bit of value to them, or... while they're still playing "cat and mouse"!

At the same time, in the main house in the backyard.

Xie Weihong sat cross-legged on the hard bed, her eyes slightly closed, her breathing so long it was almost imperceptible.

After breaking through to the fourth rank, his life form underwent a qualitative change, and everything within a fifty-meter radius was covered by his divine sense.

At this moment, in his perceived world, the entire courtyard was displayed in perfect detail.

Of course, this also includes Yan Bugui's complete mental journey from discovering the anomaly in the diary to panicking, and finally deciding to escape.

The waves of fear and the resolute will were as clear in Xie Weihong's perception as a torch in the dark.

He slowly opened his eyes, a barely perceptible golden glint flashing within them.

"Uncle Duan," he said, his voice calm and even.

Duan Chengyi, who was sitting at the octagonal table reviewing documents under the lamplight, looked up and adjusted his glasses: "What's wrong, Wei Hong?"

"Yan Bugui discovered that his diary had been tampered with." Xie Weihong said calmly, as if she were talking about something trivial that had nothing to do with her. "He's terrified right now, probably wondering if his hidden money is still safe."

Upon hearing this, Duan Chengyi's expression instantly turned serious, and he put down the document in his hand: "How did he find out? That high-quality replica was made with the best experts; even the age of the paper, the direction of the fibers, and even every natural wear and tear was almost perfectly reproduced."

"Smell," Xie Weihong said. "Yan Bugui has a very secretive habit: he would tuck banknotes between the pages of his diary. Over the years, the pages would become stained with a unique 'money scent' that was a mixture of ink and old banknotes. You have imitated the form, but you have failed to replicate its 'spirit' by ignoring this most crucial olfactory marker."

Duan Chengyi was taken aback at first, then rubbed his temples with a wry smile: "This detail... we really overlooked something. Yan Bugui is indeed as shrewd as his nickname 'Iron Abacus,' calculating in every way, even keeping this trick up his sleeve when hiding things."

"Does he remember the details about money in his original diary?"

Duan Chengyi's expression immediately turned extremely serious. He lowered his voice to make sure only the two of them could hear: "It's very detailed, practically a chronicle of corruption. Besides recording how they embezzled your parents' pensions and misappropriated collective property, more importantly, it uses coded language and symbols that only he can understand to record the locations, amounts, and methods of his personal hidden money."

He pulled out his notebook and turned to a page: "Based on the clues in the diary, and combined with our peripheral investigations over this period, we have preliminarily identified several possible locations where the stolen money and goods might be hidden. However, Yan Bugui is very cunning and has used many deceptions and a mix of true and false information. Some entries in the diary may be false, or only partial truths. We cannot determine which are true and which are false. Taking rash action may alert him, or we may not find anything at all."

Xie Weihong pondered for a moment, then asked, "So when do you plan to close the net? Will you arrest them as soon as you find the money?"

Duan Chengyi shook his head: "Not entirely. Finding the money is an important goal, but securing evidence is even more important. We need a solid chain of evidence to prove that this money was illegally obtained. Yan Bugui himself handling the money is the best evidence. So, our plan is to apprehend him once we confirm that he has withdrawn or transferred the stolen money, and then immediately search the hiding place to collect evidence."

"There are hidden surveillance points both inside and outside the compound, including near the several possible hiding places we've identified. As long as Yan Bugui makes any unusual moves, it won't escape our notice. Now, we're just waiting for him to make his move."

"No, don't arrest Yan Bugui when he goes to withdraw the money. Let him bring the money back." Xie Weihong shook her head.

Duan Chengyi sensed something was off: "What do you want to do?"

"I have my own plans."

"Alright," Duan Chengyi said helplessly, "You're the boss, you make the decisions."

Xie Weihong closed her eyes again, and her consciousness once again spread out like a tide.

In the east wing of the front yard, Yan Bugui was indeed getting restless. He paced around the small room like an ant on a hot pan, his face a mixture of fear, hesitation, and greed.

He hasn't yet made up his mind whether to take immediate action. After all, it's the "family fortune" he's painstakingly accumulated over half his life, the last source of security deep in his heart.

"He's about to lose his temper," Xie Weihong said calmly. "He'll definitely make a move by the middle of the night at the latest. Tell the brothers who are keeping watch to be alert. Although Yan Bugui is timid, he might be extra cautious when money is involved, and might even resort to some tricks."

Duan Chengyi's expression hardened, and he immediately stood up: "I'll go and inform them right away to strengthen surveillance and ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Silence returned to the room. Xie Weihong sat alone in the darkness, her divine sense locked onto the soul struggling between fear and greed in the front yard.

Run, Yan Bugui.

Go after your money with your fears.