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

That's incredibly malicious.

The courtyard erupted in uproar.

Even Yi Zhonghai couldn't stand it anymore: "Aunt Jia! Watch your words!"

Madam Jia knew she had said the wrong thing, but she stubbornly insisted, "Did I say something wrong? His whole family is dead, he's the only one left. What else could it be but a lucky fate? He brought death to his entire family!"

Chen Fei's eyes instantly turned cold.

He stared at Jia Zhangshi with eyes as sharp as knives, causing her to involuntarily take a step back.

"What did you say?" Chen Fei's voice was very soft, but everyone heard it.

"I...I said you're a jinx to your family!" Jia Zhangshi said, mustering her courage.

Chen Fei laughed, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

"Mrs. Jia," he said slowly, "you say I'm a jinx to your family? Then how did your son, Jia Dongxu, die? He died in a work accident. How did your husband die? He died of illness. How did your parents die? They died of poverty. So many people in your family have died, why don't you say you're a jinx to your family?"

"You...you..." Madam Jia was so angry that she trembled all over.

"What do you mean, 'what about me'?" Chen Fei stepped forward. "My family's misfortune is my family's problem. Your family's difficulties are your family's problem. Why should I sacrifice myself to benefit you? Just because you're poor? Just because you're pitiful? Then who in this courtyard isn't poor? Who isn't pitiful?"

He scanned the crowd: "Second Uncle's family has three sons, two of whom are unemployed and crammed into three rooms. Third Uncle's family has four children in school, but they can't even afford the tuition. The Wang family in the backyard has an elderly mother who is bedridden and they can't even afford her medical expenses. Everyone is struggling, so why is the Jia family the only exception? Why is the Jia family entitled to occupy someone else's house?"

These words resonated with many people.

Yes, whose family isn't struggling? Why should the Jia family receive special treatment?

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Yi Zhonghai slammed his fist on the table: "Chen Fei! What kind of attitude is this? Everyone's trying to help you!"

"Help me?" Chen Fei turned to look at him. "Uncle, I don't need your help. I can manage my own things. No need for you to trouble yourself."

"What right do you have to tell me what to do?" Yi Zhonghai roared. "You're just a kid who doesn't know anything! We're helping you, and you're not even grateful!"

"Grateful?" Chen Fei laughed. "Grandpa, let me ask you, if it weren't my family today, but someone else's family was in trouble, would you 'help' like this? Would you take their compensation, their food stamps, let them live in their house, or let them fill in their workspace?"

Yi Zhonghai was speechless.

"You wouldn't," Chen Fei said for him. "Because other families have relatives and powerful backers, you wouldn't dare. But because I'm the only one left in my family, with no relatives or powerful backers, you dare to bully me like this. Is that right?"

That was so blunt, so blunt that everyone understood it.

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Yi Zhonghai's face turned ashen, and Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were also restless.

Chen Fei completely tore away their fig leaf.

"Chen Fei!" Yi Zhonghai suddenly stood up. "You're going too far! We tried to be kind, but you've treated us like dirt! Since that's the case, let's handle this officially!"

He looked at everyone and said, "Let's vote! Those who agree with our plan, raise your hands!"

He was the first to raise his hand.

Liu Haizhong raised his hand.

Yan Bugui hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand as well.

Then, Sha Zhu raised his hand—he was siding with Qin Huairu.

Xu Damao was watching the commotion, but when he saw Yi Zhonghai glaring at him, he slowly raised his hand as well.

The Jia family all raised their hands.

One by one, several more people raised their hands—all of them had good relations with Yi Zhonghai or had received benefits from him.

Chen Fei counted; eighteen people had raised their hands. There were over thirty people in the courtyard, more than half of them.

Yi Zhonghai looked at Chen Fei, a victorious expression on his face: "See? This is everyone's opinion! The minority must submit to the majority!"

Chen Fei looked at those who had raised their hands, and then at those who hadn't.

Some of those who didn't raise their hands lowered their heads, some looked away, and some hesitated to speak.

He knew that these people might not sympathize with him, but they were afraid to offend Yi Zhonghai, or they felt that this matter was dishonorable.

But in any case, they didn't stand up.

this is the truth.

"Chen Fei," Yi Zhonghai said, "you've seen it yourself, this is everyone's decision. You have to accept it whether you like it or not."

Chen Fei was silent for a while, then suddenly laughed.

"Uncle," he said, "you know what? Before my father passed away, he said something to me."

Yi Zhonghai frowned: "What did you say?"

"He said," Chen Fei said slowly, "that a person lives on a breath. If that breath is gone, a person is finished."

Yi Zhonghai didn't understand what he meant.

Chen Fei didn't explain. He took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was a rock, about the size of a fist, with sharp edges.

Everyone was stunned.

"Chen Fei, what are you doing?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

Chen Fei ignored him and pulled out a small knife from his pocket—it was a pencil sharpener left by the original owner's father.

He placed the knife on the table, next to the stone.

Then, he raised his head, looked at Yi Zhonghai, looked at everyone, and said, word by word:

"I'm making this clear today. No one is allowed to touch anything belonging to the Chen family. The pension, food stamps, house, and job are all mine. Anyone who wants them will have to step over my dead body first."

He picked up the knife and held it to his neck.

"Come on," he said, "you want to rob me? Come on, rob me. Let's see if I die first, or if you get your hands on me first."

Everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale: "Chen Fei! Are you crazy! Put the knife down!"

"I'm not crazy." Chen Fei's hand was steady, the blade pressed tightly against his skin. "I just want to see just how greedy you are. Are you so willing to take lives just to steal from someone else?"

Jia Zhangshi screamed, "Murder! Chen Fei is going to kill someone!"

"Shut up!" Chen Fei glared at her. "If you shout again, I'll stab myself to death first, then become a vengeful ghost and haunt you every day!"

Jia Zhangshi was so frightened that she covered her mouth and dared not make a sound.

Chen Fei looked at Yi Zhonghai: "Grandpa, didn't you say you were going to help me? Come on, help me. If you drive me to my death, you can take my things legitimately. Isn't that great?"

Yi Zhonghai broke out in a cold sweat.

He didn't expect Chen Fei to use this tactic.

He threatened to kill himself.

If someone really dies, Yi Zhonghai will be the first to get away with it. The neighborhood committee will investigate, the police station will look into it, and his reputation will be completely ruined.

"Chen Fei, calm down." Yi Zhonghai's voice changed. "Put down the knife and let's talk this out."

"There's nothing to say," Chen Fei said. "I only have one thing to say: No one is allowed to touch my things. If you agree, I'll put down my knife. If you don't, I'll die right here."

His eyes were resolute, not like he was joking.

The people in the courtyard panicked.

"Chen Fei, don't be impulsive!"

"Put the knife down right now!"

"Let's talk this out!"

Yi Zhonghai looked at Chen Fei, then at the others, and knew that things wouldn't work out today.

Chen Fei was risking his life; they dared not accept the challenge.

"Okay...okay..." Yi Zhonghai said with difficulty, "We...we'll discuss it again."

"There's nothing to discuss," Chen Fei said. "Say your piece now: my things are mine again. Raise your hand if you agree."

No one raised their hands.

Chen Fei's hand tightened, the blade digging into his skin, drawing out a trace of blood.

"I'll count to three," he said. "Three..."

"I agree!" a voice suddenly rang out.

It was the old lady from the backyard, a deaf old lady. She stood up, leaning on her cane, and said shakily, "What belongs to the Chen family should belong to Chen Fei. No one should take it from me."

Chen Fei glanced at her and nodded.

Once there's a first one, there's bound to be a second.

"I...I agree too." It was the daughter-in-law of the Ma family in the front yard. Her husband had a good relationship with Chen Jianguo at the steel rolling mill.

"agree."

"agree."

One by one, people raised their hands.

Although not all of them, there were still more than a dozen.

Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen; he knew he had lost completely today.

Chen Fei broke the deadlock using this extreme method.

"Uncle, what about you?" Chen Fei asked, looking at him.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, and after a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "I...agree."

Chen Fei smiled.

He put down the knife, revealing a shallow bloodstain on his neck.

"Fine," he said, "from today onwards, I'll take care of my own things. If anyone tries to take them again, don't blame me for fighting back."

He picked up the stone on the table and weighed it in his hand.

"I, Chen Fei, am just a worthless life. Anyone who wants to take my things should think twice before deciding whether it's worth it."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards his room.

Behind me, there was only deathly silence.

No one dared to stop him, and no one dared to speak.

Everyone stared at his back as if he were a madman.

A reckless madman.

Chen Fei returned to the house and closed the door.

Only when he leaned against the door did he realize that his hands were trembling.

He forced himself to endure what he just witnessed.

Threatening suicide is a last resort. If it works, he can temporarily keep what he owns. If it doesn't, he's truly finished.

Fortunately, it worked.

Those beasts, in the end, were still afraid of causing human death.

Chen Fei walked to the table, sat down, poured himself a glass of water, his hands still trembling.

He took a sip of water, the cool water sliding down his throat, which calmed him down a little.

Outside, the meeting had ended. He could hear Yi Zhonghai's angry voice, Jia Zhangshi's cursing, and other people's whispers.

But he doesn't care.

He won the first game today.

Although it was only temporary, at least he bought some time.

Time is what he needs most right now.

Only with time could he devise a plan and seek revenge.

Chen Fei touched the wound on his neck; it wasn't deep, just a slight break in the skin.

worth it.

He walked to the bedside and lay down.

I'm so tired today. I was under a lot of mental stress from morning till night.

But he can't relax.

He knew those beasts wouldn't give up so easily. If they lost today, they'd find another way tomorrow.

He needs to hurry up, recover, and make a plan.

Lost in thought, Chen Fei fell asleep.

In his dream, he saw his parents and sister.

They were laughing and waving at him.

"Xiaofei, be strong," the father said.

"Xiaofei, you must live on," the mother said.

"Brother, I'll wait for you," the younger sister said.

Chen Fei reached out, trying to grab them, but they gradually drifted away.

"Dad, Mom, Xiaoyu..." he murmured, "I will. I will live, I will take revenge, and I will make those people pay the price."

Outside the window, the moon has risen.

The courtyard was bathed in moonlight, a scene of tranquility.

But beneath this calm, undercurrents are surging.

An even bigger storm is brewing.

Chen Fei, however, was already prepared.