Kill the beasts in the courtyard, I fled to Hong Kong, surrounded by beauties on both sides.

"Yi Zhonghai has received the whistleblower's letter and is going to get you."

Then fold the note and place it on Liu Haizhong's windowsill, weighing it down with a stone.

This way, when Liu Haizhong returns and sees the note, he will definitely panic. At that point, his conflict with Yi Zhonghai will deepen even further.

After finishing these tasks, Chen Fei continued to investigate other locations.

At Xu Damao's house, Lou Xiao'e hadn't returned yet, and Xu Damao was drinking alone in the house, feeling sullen. On the table were several photos of women, scantily clad—likely his hidden "contraband."

Chen Fei thought for a moment, then took one of the photos from a distance and placed it inside a book on Yi Zhonghai's bookshelf.

Isn't Yi Zhonghai a "moral exemplar"? Let's see how he explains having these kinds of photos in his home.

Next up is the Jia family.

Jia Zhangshi was sleeping inside, Qin Huairu was mending clothes, and Bang Geng hadn't come home from school yet. Chen Fei searched the Jia family's house, hoping to find any belongings from the Chen family.

Soon, he found a cloth bag in the corner of the kang cabinet. When he opened it, he found some odds and ends: a few buttons, a few needles, and... a photograph.

Chen Fei was startled.

That was a family photo of the Chen family, but not the large one hanging on the wall; it was a small photo, probably the one the original owner had kept in her wallet.

The photo is a bit wrinkled and has stains, but you can clearly see the happy smiles of the family of four.

Chen Fei's eyes reddened.

This photo was probably something the original owner always carried with her. After her father passed away, she looked at the photo and cried every day. Later, the photo disappeared, and she searched for it for a long time but couldn't find it.

It turns out it was stolen by a stick-shaped thief.

Chen Fei clenched his fist.

That little beast Banggeng steals money, food, and other things; he even steals the belongings of the dead!

With a thought, he retrieved the photo and carefully placed it into the system space.

Then, he placed another note under the mat on the kang (heated brick bed) in the Jia family's house, written with his left hand:

"Thieves will never have a good death."

It was unsigned, but it was enough to terrify Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu.

After doing all that, Chen Fei felt extremely dizzy.

Today's exertion was too great. He quickly practiced breathing techniques to regulate his breathing and recover.

Evening: New riots

In the evening, people gradually returned to the courtyard.

Liu Haizhong was the first to cause trouble.

When he came home from get off work and saw the note on the windowsill, his face instantly changed. He picked up the note and read it over and over, his hands trembling.

"Yi Zhonghai... Yi Zhonghai got my whistleblower letter?" Liu Haizhong muttered to himself, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He knew exactly what he wrote in the whistleblower letter. Although it wasn't signed, the handwriting was his. If Yi Zhonghai got his hands on the letter, he would definitely recognize it.

Moreover, the letter was a report against Deputy Factory Director Li. Everyone in the hospital knew about the relationship between Yi Zhonghai and Deputy Factory Director Li.

This is it.

Liu Haizhong paced back and forth in the room, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He recalled the way Yi Zhonghai had looked at him recently—cold and icy, as if looking at an enemy.

So that's why!

"No, I have to think of something..." Liu Haizhong muttered to himself, "Yi Zhonghai is definitely going to get me... I have to strike first..."

But how to make a move? The whistleblower letter is in Yi Zhonghai's hands. If Yi Zhonghai hands it over to Deputy Factory Director Li, Deputy Factory Director Li will target him first.

Liu Haizhong became increasingly frightened as he thought about it, and finally decided to go to Yi Zhonghai first thing tomorrow morning, take the initiative to admit his mistake, and beg him to be lenient.

At the same time, Yi Zhonghai also returned.

He went to the factory today and showed the letter of complaint to Deputy Factory Director Li. Deputy Factory Director Li read the letter, his face turned ashen, and he tore it up on the spot.

"Old Yi, thank you for this," Deputy Factory Director Li patted Yi Zhonghai on the shoulder. "That ingrate Liu Haizhong, I've always treated him well, and he actually tried to mess with me!"

"Factory manager, what do you think we should do about this?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

"What are we going to do?" Deputy Factory Director Li sneered. "Doesn't he want to be an official? I'll make sure he doesn't! He was originally a contender for workshop director next month, but now... humph, get the hell out of here!"

Yi Zhonghai was secretly delighted. By bringing down Liu Haizhong, his position in the institute would be even more secure.

But when he got home, an older woman gave him bad news: "Old Yi, I was tidying up the bookshelf today and found this tucked inside one of the books."

She took out a photo and handed it to Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai took it and his expression changed drastically.

The photo shows a half-naked woman in an ambiguous pose, clearly indicating that it is a contraband item.

"Where...where did this come from?" Yi Zhonghai's voice changed.

"I don't know," the older woman panicked, "It's tucked inside your copy of 'How the Steel Was Tempered.' Old Yi, if someone finds it, it'll be a disaster!"

Yi Zhonghai certainly knew this. If such photos were reported, the consequences ranged from criticism and education to dismissal from public office or even imprisonment.

"Quick, burn it!" Yi Zhonghai said.

"But...but who put this here?" an older woman asked. "No one usually comes to our house."

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

Yes, who put it there? Who could put a photo in his house without anyone noticing?

His first thought was Liu Haizhong. He'd just dealt with Liu Haizhong today, and then tonight he discovered those inappropriate photos—what a coincidence!

It must be Liu Haizhong's revenge!

"You bastard Liu Haizhong!" Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth. "Not only did you try to get rid of my backer, but you dared to use such despicable methods! I'm not finished with you!"

He held the photo, wanting to burn it, but hesitated. It was evidence; he had to keep it, in case it came in handy in the future.

He hid the photos in a more secluded place, and his hatred for Liu Haizhong deepened.

At this time, the Jia family also started making trouble.

When Jia Zhangshi woke up, she found a note under the mat on the kang (a heated brick bed), which terrified her.

"Thieves will die a horrible death...thieves will die a horrible death..." she muttered repeatedly, her face deathly pale.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Qin Huairu asked.

Madam Jia showed her the note. Qin Huairu was also quite frightened after reading it.

"Who...who wrote this?"

"How would I know!" Madam Jia's voice trembled. "Huai Ru, do you think... the ghosts of the Chen family have returned? I've heard that the spirits of those who died violent deaths never rest..."

"Mom, don't talk nonsense!" Qin Huairu interrupted her, "There are no ghosts in this world!"

"Then where did this note come from?" Madam Jia pointed to the note. "Our doors and windows are all closed, who could have gotten in? Unless... unless it's a ghost!"

Qin Huairu fell silent. She also found it strange. The handwriting on the note was crooked and messy, like that of a child just learning to write. But which child in the neighborhood would write something like that?

Moreover, the note was placed under the kang mat. No one touched the kang mat during the day; it was only spread out at night when people slept.

Could it be... that someone came in tonight?

Qin Huairu felt a chill run down her spine when she thought of this.

She looked out the window; it was already dark. The courtyard was quiet, with only a few dim lights.

Suddenly, she heard a light footstep, as if someone had walked past the window.

"Who?" Qin Huairu suddenly stood up.

No one answered.

Madam Jia heard it too, and shrank to the corner of the kang (heated brick bed) in fright: "A ghost...a ghost..."

Qin Huairu mustered her courage and walked to the window, looking outside. The courtyard was empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

The only sound was the wind whistling through the treetops, a mournful sound, like someone was crying.

She shivered, quickly closed the window, and drew the curtains.

That night, no one in the Jia family could sleep.

Late at night: Chen Fei's eavesdropping and preparation

Late at night, Chen Fei lay in bed, listening to the sounds coming from the courtyard.

Inside Yi Zhonghai's house, an older woman was complaining in a low voice, "Old Yi, this is too strange. Who put the photos there?"

"Who else could it be? Liu Haizhong!" Yi Zhonghai's voice was icy. "He's warning me not to mess with him. Hmph, dream on!"

"But what if he has a backup plan?"

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Yi Zhonghai said. "Tomorrow I'll go to the factory and discuss with Deputy Factory Director Li how to completely bring down Liu Haizhong."

Inside Liu Haizhong's house, his second aunt was also asking, "Old Liu, what's wrong with you today? You seem absent-minded."

"It's nothing," Liu Haizhong said wearily. "Go to sleep."

"Has something happened at the factory?"

"Just go to sleep when I tell you to!" Liu Haizhong said impatiently.

Inside the Jia family's house, neither Jia Zhangshi nor Qin Huairu were asleep. The two of them squeezed together on the kang (a heated brick bed), and they didn't dare turn off the light.

"Huai Ru, do you think... Chen Jianguo has returned?" Jia Zhangshi's voice trembled. "He died unjustly, and he's come back to seek revenge?"

"Mom, don't scare yourself," Qin Huairu said. "There are no ghosts in the world."

"How do we explain that note? How do we explain the money? How do we explain the ransom?" Jia Zhangshi became more and more frightened as she spoke. "Huai Ru, how about... how about we return the Chen family's things? We don't need the house, but we'll return the grain coupons..."

"Mom, what's the point of talking about this now?" Qin Huairu smiled bitterly. "The stuff is all gone. The food coupons are used up, the money is spent, and the house... we haven't even gotten the house yet."

"What should I do?" Jia Zhangshi was almost in tears. "I'm scared... I'm scared Chen Jianguo will come looking for me tonight..."

"Stop talking!" Qin Huairu interrupted her. "Go to sleep!"

But neither of them could sleep.

Chen Fei listened to these words and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Scared? This is just the beginning.

He closed his eyes and began practicing breathing exercises to restore his mental energy.

There are more important things to do tomorrow.

According to the outline, tomorrow is the seventh day, the day when the resentment will first backfire.

The original owner's resentment would backfire every seven days. If the first enemy wasn't killed within seven days, the backlash would become increasingly severe.

He must begin tomorrow.

First target: stick dwarf.

Chen Fei silently recited the plan in his mind. Tomorrow is Thursday, and Bang Geng has no classes in the afternoon, so he'll probably go ice skating at Shichahai. Then…

He fell asleep while thinking about it.

In his dream, he saw his younger sister, Chen Xiaoyu, again.

Xiaoyu stood in the water, soaking wet and pale, reaching out her hand to him: "Brother...it's so cold in the water...save me..."

Chen Fei tried to swim over to save her, but the water was too deep and he couldn't swim across.

"Brother... avenge me... avenge me..."

The sound of light rain grew fainter and fainter until it finally disappeared into the darkness.

Chen Fei suddenly woke up, covered in cold sweat.

Outside the window, it was still dark.

He sat up, staring into the darkness with a cold gaze.

"Xiaoyu, I promise you," he whispered, "I will avenge you tomorrow."