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

The darkness was like solidified asphalt, thick and heavy, carrying a suffocating heat.

The air in the cargo ship's hold seemed to have stopped flowing, leaving only a lingering stench of despair and decay.

The roar of the main engine, penetrating through layers of steel plates, became a muffled thunder that continuously tormented the eardrums. Every violent rocking and swaying of the hull caused the cold steel skeleton to groan under the strain.

Time loses its measure here, leaving only hunger, thirst, weariness, and a cold, burning anxiety that grows ever stronger as reserves dwindle.

Chen Feng stood like a stone sculpture, leaning against the cold, hard pile of goods, with Xiao Yu curled up in his arms, drowsy from discomfort and exhaustion.

His eyes were open in absolute darkness, his pupils seemingly accustomed to the lightless environment, barely able to capture the blurry outlines of the nearby pile of goods, and the silent, dangerous figures further away, like lurking wild beasts.

Their food and water supplies were running low.

The last half pack of compressed biscuits was eaten yesterday (or the day before?), and the water bottle was almost empty.

Xiaoyu's body was noticeably weaker, her breathing was shallow, and she would occasionally let out a suppressed groan due to the violent rocking of the ship.

Chen Feng's own physical strength was also being depleted. His wounds were throbbing in the hot and humid environment, and the gunshot wound on his left arm and the knife wound on his right leg seemed to be inflamed, sending waves of burning pain through him.

But he cannot let his guard down.

Not even the slightest bit.

He could clearly feel that the gazes cast from the darkness were becoming increasingly undisguised, filled with naked greed, hunger, and a kind of madness on the verge of collapse.

Especially the two tall men who seemed to be companions, they no longer concealed their covetousness of Chen Feng's bulging tool bag, nor their dissatisfaction and hostility towards him and Xiao Yu for always "keeping to themselves" and refusing to touch the food on the ship.

They spoke in hushed tones more frequently, and although the specific content was unclear, the malicious whispers echoed in the darkness like the hiss of venomous snakes.

The woman in the couple had almost stopped making a sound, only breathing very faintly. Her man had also become like a silent shell, occasionally letting out a heavy, trapped animal-like breath.

The middle-aged man who had been huddled alone in the corner remained as still as a stone, but Chen Feng could sense that his eyes, hidden in the darkness, would occasionally sweep over him and his toolbox like two eerie, ghostly flames.

The balance has become as fragile as a spider web stretched to its limit.

The slightest disturbance could tear it apart completely.

The crew members who were delivering food came down again.

It was still that tall, greasy, and taciturn guy, carrying that dirty, rancid-smelling iron bucket.

The flashlight beam was still faint, like a dying firefly, sweeping across the bottom of the cabin and illuminating several faces that appeared even more numb, distorted, or ferocious in the light.

The iron bucket was thrown next to the iron ladder with a "bang".

The crew member mumbled something, turned around, and trudged up the iron ladder. The clanging footsteps faded into the distance, the hatch closed, and darkness returned.

A brief silence.

Then came rustling and footsteps that were more urgent and violent than ever before!

The man in the couple lunged at the metal bucket first, but was immediately and roughly pushed away by the two tall men!

The woman let out a faint gasp and fell to the ground.

"Get out of here, you old bastard! It's our turn this time!" a tall man growled, his voice hoarse and full of rage.

"That's right! Damn it, you guys beat us to it the last few times!" another cursed.

Two tall men almost surrounded the iron bucket, scrambling for the meager amount of paste and water inside.

The man who had been pushed away lay panting on the ground, not getting up immediately. From the darkness came his suppressed whimpers, like those of a wounded beast.

The scramble ended quickly.

The two tall men seemed quite satisfied as they swallowed the food they had snatched, making loud smacking and swallowing noises.

One of them even deliberately let out a loud, provocative burp in the direction of Chen Feng and Xiao Yu.

"Hey, newbie?"

The tall man who had previously tested Chen Feng wiped his mouth, his voice carrying a cruel and mocking tone born of a hearty meal, "Still not starving to death? You've got some nerve."

Chen Feng didn't speak, but simply raised his eyes slightly.

"Tell me, what kind of treasure are you hiding in your bags...? Hmm?"

Another tall man joined them, and the two of them, one on the left and one on the right, subtly formed a pincer movement, slowly approaching Chen Feng and Xiao Yu.

"Why don't you take it out and let us see? Maybe... we can trade it for some food?"

Their intentions are no longer concealed.

Chen Feng could feel Xiao Yu's body tense up instantly, her little hands gripping his clothes tightly.

He could hear his own steady heartbeat and the sound of blood flowing through his veins.

He didn't move, but his index finger, resting on his waist, gently tapped the cold trigger guard.

The two tall men took another step closer, now less than two meters from Chen Feng.

In the darkness, their heavy breathing could be clearly heard, carrying with it the sour stench of fermenting food.

"I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"

The man who spoke first seemed to be angered by Chen Feng's silence. He suddenly reached out, as if trying to grab the tool bag at Chen Feng's feet!

Just as his hand was about to touch the edge of the canvas bag—

Chen Feng made his move!

It wasn't retreating, it wasn't dodging, but rather like a spring compressed to its limit, it suddenly sprang up from the spot!

The movement was so fast that it left only a blurry afterimage in the darkness!

With his left hand, he shoved Xiaoyu, who was in his arms, into a deeper corner of the pile of goods behind him, while at the same time turning his body to the side and raising his right arm with lightning speed!

boom!boom!

Two crisp, short, and almost consecutive gunshots rang out like thunderclaps from a clear sky, suddenly exploding in the confined steel space!

In absolute darkness, the muzzle of the Type 54 pistol spat out two brief but dazzling orange-red tongues of fire!

The firelight illuminated Chen Feng's cold, iron-like face and his unwavering, deep, and icy eyes!

The bullet, moving at a speed invisible to the naked eye, tore through the polluted air!

The first shot hit the tall man who reached for his tool bag right between the eyebrows!

The bullet entered his forehead and exploded into a fist-sized hole in the back of his head, spraying out a mixture of brain matter and bone fragments that splattered onto the face of his comrade behind him!

Before the man's sinister grin could even turn into shock, he was struck as if by an invisible hammer, falling backward with a thud onto the cold, damp ground. His limbs twitched a couple of times before he lay still.

The second shot followed immediately!

Almost simultaneously, it struck another tall man in the chest!

The bullet pierced through his thin clothes and flesh, shattered his sternum, and entered his heart!

He let out a short, piercing scream, instinctively clutching his chest with both hands, but blood was already gushing out from between his fingers like a fountain!

He staggered backward, bumping into the pile of goods behind him, then slid softly to the ground, making a hoarse, gurgling sound in his throat, his eyes quickly becoming unfocused.