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

Yau Ma Tei, Golden Princess Ballroom.

At nine o'clock in the morning, sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a bright patch of light on the dark wooden floor.

The noise downstairs hadn't even started yet; the whole building was as quiet as an empty house.

Uncle Quan sat behind his desk, holding a newspaper in his hand, slowly flipping through it.

A pot of freshly brewed Longjing tea sits on the coffee table, steam rising gently.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Ah Qiang pushed the door open and came in.

"Uncle Quan, he's here."

Uncle Quan put down his newspaper and looked up.

"Let him in."

Ah Qiang stepped aside.

Chen Feng walked in.

Today he was wearing a clean white short-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and he had changed his canvas shoes for ordinary black cloth shoes.

He had no gun on him, no trace of any weapon, and looked just like an ordinary worker.

But Uncle Quan knew that this man had killed more than a dozen people last night.

Including Fat Wave.

Including seven or eight of his close confidants.

Uncle Quan stood up.

He walked around the desk, stood in front of Chen Feng, and put on a smile.

"Master Chen," he said, extending his hand.

Chen Feng looked at the hand but didn't shake it.

He just stood there, looking at Uncle Quan.

Uncle Quan wasn't embarrassed. He withdrew his hand and gestured for him to proceed.

"Please sit down."

Chen Feng did not sit down.

He stood in the center of the room and spoke.

"I'm here to collect the money."

Uncle Quan was stunned for a moment.

Then he laughed.

The smile was brief, carrying an ambiguous meaning—perhaps surprise, perhaps admiration, or perhaps simply amusement.

"Ah Qiang".

Ah Qiang stepped forward.

"Give me the rest of the money."

A-Qiang nodded, walked to a safe in the corner, squatted down, and turned the combination lock.

Click.

The safe door opened.

Ah Qiang took out a brown paper envelope, which was much thicker than the last one.

He walked back and handed the envelope to Uncle Quan with both hands.

Uncle Quan took it, turned around, and handed it to Chen Feng.

"150,000."

He said, "You count."

Chen Feng took the envelope.

In front of Uncle Quan, he opened the envelope and took out the wad of banknotes inside.

Counting by ten thousand.

The room was extremely quiet, except for the sound of banknotes turning over.

Uncle Quan stood beside him, watching him count the numbers one by one.

Ah-Qiang stood at the door, watching this scene, unable to describe his feelings.

This person just killed more than a dozen people.

Now I'm standing here, counting money by the tens of thousands.

Acting as if nothing had happened.

I've finished counting.

Chen Feng stuffed the banknotes back into the envelope and put them in his pocket.

He looked at Uncle Quan and spoke.

"OK."

Uncle Quan, wait.

Let him say something.

Wait for him to say "It's a pleasure doing business with you," or "Remember to contact me next time you have business," or something else.

But Chen Feng only said that one word.

Then he turned around and left.

Uncle Quan was stunned for a moment.

"Master Chen."

Chen Feng stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

Uncle Quan watched his retreating figure and remained silent for a second.

Then he spoke.

"If there's any more business in the future..."

Chen Feng didn't wait for him to finish speaking.

"You can contact me."

A slight smile appeared on Uncle Quan's lips.

He looked at that back view, at that clean white shirt, at that pocket containing HK$150,000.

"Okay," he said.

Chen Feng pushed open the door and went out.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away in the corridor.

Uncle Quan stood in his office, staring at the closed door for a long time.

Ah Qiang walked over and stood beside him.

"Uncle Quan,"

He said softly, "This person..."

Uncle Quan didn't let him finish speaking.

"Don't mess with him," he said. "Never mess with him."

Ah Qiang nodded.

"clear."

Uncle Quan walked back to his desk and sat down again.

He picked up the cup of Longjing tea, which had gone cold, and took a sip.

Looking at the increasingly bright sunlight outside the window.

He remembered what Chen Feng had just said.

"You can contact me."

A ruthless Northwesterner.

A person who will do anything as long as they are paid.

A person whose only concern is his younger sister and who only wants her to go to school properly.

Uncle Quan smiled slowly.

The smile was brief, fleeting in the morning light.

Such a person, if used properly, is the best knife.

Just make sure it doesn't cut you.

-

Sham Shui Po, Fuk Wing Street.

It was almost ten o'clock when Chen Feng returned to his residence.

He pushed open the peeling wooden door and went inside.

Xiaoyu sat at the table, facing the old textbook, muttering to herself.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and a smile bloomed on her face.

"Brother! You're back!"

Chen Feng looked at her, his gaze softening for a moment.

"Um."

He walked to the table and sat down.

Xiaoyu leaned closer, her eyes sparkling.

"Brother, where did you go last night? You weren't here when I woke up this morning."

Chen Feng was silent for a second.

"I'm going out to take care of some errands," he said.

Xiaoyu didn't ask any more questions.

She had gotten used to her brother sometimes "going out to take care of some things".

Although she didn't know what those things were.

But she knew that her brother would always bring something when he came back.

This time too.

Chen Feng took the brown paper envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

Xiaoyu stared wide-eyed at the bulging envelope.

"Brother, what is this?"

"Money," Chen Feng said.

Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment.

"That much money?"

Chen Feng nodded.

"That's enough for you to go to school."

Xiaoyu's eyes widened even more.

"go to school?"

Chen Feng looked at her.

"Didn't you want to go to school?"

Xiaoyu opened her mouth as if to say something, but didn't say anything.

Then her eyes reddened.

It's not sadness.

I'm happy.

It's the kind of surprise that comes when something you've longed for for a very long time, something you thought you'd never get, suddenly appears before your eyes.

"elder brother……"

Chen Feng reached out and gently patted her head.

"Let's go," he said.

Xiaoyu sniffed.

"Where to?"

"School."

-

Sham Shui Po, Fuk Tak School.

This is a small private primary school, hidden in a quiet alley.

A few rows of bungalows, a playground, a few old banyan trees, and a few stone benches under the shade of the trees.

When Chen Feng led Xiao Yu inside, it was during the break between classes.

The children ran and played on the playground, their laughter and shouts blending together.

Xiaoyu stood at the door, staring at the children with wide eyes.

She had never seen so many children playing together before.

When we lived in the courtyard house, we also had children, but they all worked at home and rarely got together.

Later, when he fled with his brother, he saw even fewer children.

Now, so many children, dressed in clean clothes, carrying schoolbags, laughing, running, and shouting—

She suddenly felt a little scared.

I'm afraid I won't fit in.

She was afraid those children would look down on her.

I'm afraid I don't know anything and will be laughed at.

She shrank back behind Chen Feng.

Chen Feng sensed it.

He glanced down at her.

"Afraid?"

Xiaoyu shook her head.

But her hand was tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.

Chen Feng didn't say anything.

He led her into the principal's office.

The principal was a woman in her fifties, surnamed Fang, who wore glasses and spoke very kindly.

She looked at Xiaoyu's household registration information—which Chen Feng had arranged through someone else and had spent a lot of money—and asked a few simple questions.

Xiaoyu's palms were sweating with nervousness, but she answered all the questions correctly.