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

"Tonight!"

Without hesitation, Chen Feng stated firmly, "Two people: me, and my... younger brother."

He changed his question at the last minute, asking, "How much?"

Old Ghost stretched out three withered fingers and waved them in front of Chen Feng without saying a word.

Three hundred? Three thousand?

Chen Feng understood that it couldn't be three hundred.

Such a life-or-death situation, a crime committed against the wind, requires an absolutely exorbitant price for a ticket.

"Three hundred... grams?" he asked tentatively, referring to the gold.

Old Ghost slowly shook his head, his lips twitching slightly, as if he were smiling, or perhaps mocking the other person's "naivety."

"Three roots," Old Ghost finally spoke, his voice dry and clear, "Little Yellow Croaker. One person."

Three small yellow croakers per person!

Two people make six roots!

This is utterly ruthless!

Chen Feng's eye twitched slightly.

He had ten small yellow croakers in his arms, which he had risked his life for in Beijing and were the foundation for his future life overseas.

This will remove most of it!

But he did not bargain.

He knew that in this situation, when the other party had complete control, haggling would only appear weak and might even arouse suspicion or lead to a last-minute price increase.

"make a deal!"

Chen Feng practically spat out those two words through gritted teeth, "Two people, six roots. But I can only pay the deposit right now."

"The rule is, full payment."

Old Ghost wouldn't budge an inch, his murky eyes fixed on Chen Feng.

"Once the boat is spotted, passengers board; payment is due in full before departure."

Chen Feng's voice turned cold, carrying an undeniable firmness: "The deposit can be paid now."

He has to keep something in reserve.

If the other party takes the full payment but then denies everything, or if it's a scam, he won't even have a chance to recover.

Old Ghost stared at Chen Feng for a few seconds, seemingly weighing his options.

The person in front of me, though anxious, had a wolf-like ruthlessness and vigilance deep in his eyes; he was not the kind of soft persimmon that could be easily manipulated.

"What percentage of the deposit is required?" Old Ghost asked.

"Fifty percent."

Chen Feng said, "Here are three small yellow croakers for you. The rest will be given before you board the boat. If you don't see the boat, or if there's a problem with the boat..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the coldness in his eyes said it all.

Old Ghost remained silent for a moment.

The deposit for three small yellow croakers is already a huge sum of money.

Moreover, judging from their demeanor, they're probably not someone to be trifled with.

Having been in this line of work for a long time, he knows who he can mess with and who he can't.

"Can."

Old Ghost finally nodded.

"Pay the deposit now. Tonight at 11:30 PM, at the westernmost end of berth 9 at the dock, behind the abandoned 'Bohai' vessel, someone will meet you. Money is the only thing that matters. No waiting after that."

"Okay." Chen Feng said no more.

He glanced warily outside the shed to make sure no one was watching, then quickly untied a well-hidden compartment on the innermost side of his toolbox and pulled out three small yellow croakers wrapped in red silk cloth.

Even in the dim light of the shed, the gold bars still gleamed with an alluring yet cold luster.

The old man's cloudy eyes lit up for a moment when he saw the gold bars, but quickly returned to their stagnant calm.

He stretched out his withered hand, took the red silk bundle, weighed it in his hand, then pulled out a piece of silk, brought it close to his eyes to examine its quality, and even gently scratched it with his fingernail.

After confirming that everything was correct, he quickly put the gold bars into the greasy inner pocket of his cotton-padded jacket.

"Remember, 11:30, berth number 9, west end, behind the 'Bohai' ship," Old Ghost repeated, lowering his voice even further. "Only bring essentials, nothing conspicuous. The person who will meet you is called 'Water Ghost.' Give him my name, and he'll take you aboard."

Chen Feng nodded, giving Old Ghost a deep look, as if trying to etch that gaunt and mean face into his mind.

Then, without lingering, he turned around, slung his tool bag over his shoulder, and quickly left the small shed, rejoining the noisy crowd at the dock.

Old Ghost watched his retreating figure disappear, his withered fingers stroking the three cold gold bars in his pocket, his cloudy eyes flickering with uncertain light, as if he were lost in thought.

Even after leaving the dock warehouse area, Chen Feng's heart was still racing, but his mind was incredibly clear.

The first step was to secure the ticket (or rather, the opportunity to board the ship), although at a great cost.

The second step is to immediately return to the guesthouse, pick up Xiaoyu, and make all the necessary preparations for departure.

Instead of going straight back, he took a detour and stopped at a semi-open-air market near the dock.

They sell everything here, from fresh fish to inexpensive daily necessities.

His gaze swept quickly over the stalls displaying ready-made clothing.

He quickly found a stall selling used clothes.

The stall owner was a disheveled middle-aged man, squatting on the ground smoking. Chen Feng walked over, his gaze falling on a few pieces of boys' clothes that were neither new nor old, suitable for teenagers—a dark blue jacket, gray pants, and a baseball cap of the same color.

He picked out a set of clothes that looked relatively clean and well-fitting, and also took two pairs of socks.

"How much?" Chen Feng asked, his voice hoarse.

The stall owner glanced at the clothes in his hand and held up two fingers.

Chen Feng didn't haggle, and took out two yuan to hand over.

He then went to the food stall next door and bought several packs of durable compressed biscuits, two jugs of water, some pickled vegetables, and a few boiled eggs. He wrapped them in old newspapers and stuffed them into his tool bag.

After doing all this, he finally strode quickly toward the guesthouse.

He became even more vigilant along the way.

The police checks were noticeably more stringent, with checkpoints set up at major intersections and pedestrians being scrutinized more closely.

He tried to choose side streets and avoid main roads with dense crowds and potential checkpoints.

Every time I see someone in uniform, I instinctively avoid them.

Twenty minutes later, he returned to the dilapidated three-story red brick building.

The receptionist at the guesthouse was now a sleepy-eyed young man, dozing off at the counter.

Chen Feng walked lightly up to the third floor.

The corridor was quiet.

He walked to the door of the innermost room, but instead of knocking immediately, he listened carefully to what was happening inside—it was very quiet, with only very faint and even breathing sounds.

He took out his key, gently opened the door, slipped inside, and quickly locked it again.

The curtains were drawn, and the room was dimly lit. Xiaoyu was curled up in bed, covered with a blanket, fast asleep.

Hearing the door open, she woke up almost instantly, sat up abruptly, and reached under her pillow. Only when she saw that it was Chen Feng did her tense body relax, but the fear in her eyes had not completely subsided.

"elder brother……"

She called out softly, her voice hoarse and dependent, as if she had just woken up.

"Xiaoyu, get up and get dressed, we're leaving." Chen Feng didn't waste any words, quickly walked to the bedside, and placed the set of boys' clothes in front of her. "Change into these, quickly."