Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

Sha Zhu's body, like a puppet pulled by invisible threads, bent down stiffly and uncontrollably.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest, the dull and violent "thump, thump" sound seeming not to come from his own body, but from a giant drum being vigorously struck in his ears, making his eardrums buzz and almost drowning out all other sounds in the world.

The diamond, shimmering with a devilish allure in the dim light, acted like a giant magnet, drawing away all his reason and fear with an irresistible and tyrannical force.

The rules of the courtyard, the bottom line of being a decent human being, and even the deep-seated fear of He Yuanchao that they had felt moments before, were all crushed at this moment by the illusion of wealth that might exist in that oil-paper package, a wealth that could change their lives.

Only one thought remained in his mind, a wildly growing thought: just one look, just one look... If he could take one... no, half a one... without anyone noticing, that would be enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life!

Greed is the weed of original sin; once it takes root, it will spread like wildfire and devour the entire heart.

His hand trembled, like a spasming chicken claw, as he reached out with difficulty and determination towards the oil paper package that was so close at hand.

The air seemed to solidify, becoming thick and heavy, with each breath carrying scorching heat.

His fingertips, brimming with desire and sin, were about to touch the rough, slightly cold oiled paper.

Just then—

"Silly Zhu, what are you doing?"

He Yuanchao's calm, unwavering voice, like ice from the deepest hell, suddenly rang out behind him without any warning!

The sound was not loud, and could even be described as understated, but it was like a thunderclap that exploded deep within Sha Zhu's soul!

"what!"

Sha Zhu let out a short, shrill scream, like a wildcat caught in a hunter's pincers by its tail, and recoiled as if electrocuted. His body jerked backward, the force of the movement nearly sending him crashing into the corner of a nearby table. Luckily, his wildly flailing arms caught him, allowing him to regain his balance in a sorry state.

He whirled around, his face deathly pale in the dim light, as if all the blood had been drained from him in an instant, leaving him utterly devoid of color. Large beads of cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead and nose, trickling down his cheeks. His eyes were darting around in panic, like a startled rabbit caught in a trap, his pupils contracting sharply, yet he dared not meet the gaze of the person behind him.

"I...I...I didn't do anything..."

His throat felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, his voice dry and hoarse, accompanied by a violent tremor that he could hear himself. He frantically tried to concoct an excuse, even one that was barely plausible, by working his almost completely blank mind.

"I just... saw something fall on the ground... yes, something fell! I wanted to... wanted to help you pick it up..."

He stammered his excuse, his hands fidgeting awkwardly in front of him. Even he himself felt that his excuse was so weak and feeble, like a window paper riddled with holes, unable to cover anything at all.

He Yuanchao slowly straightened up, his previously slightly hunched back now ramrod straight, like a cheetah poised to pounce. He turned his head, his deep, cold eyes, calm and still, simply gazing at him.

There was no anger, no questioning, not even the slightest surprise.

Yes, but only a cold, all-seeing indifference.

It was the look of looking down on ants, the look of looking at inanimate objects. It was as if all of Sha Zhu's panic and inner turmoil were nothing more than a poorly written one-man show being performed.

That look terrified Sha Zhu more than any harsh rebuke or any violent beating.

He felt like a clown stripped naked in broad daylight, all his filthy and despicable thoughts laid bare before those eyes, leaving him nowhere to hide. He was completely exposed, from head to toe, inside and out, with not a single secret left.

"Yeah?"

After a long silence, a faint, ambiguous smile appeared on He Yuanchao's lips. The smile was devoid of warmth, instead carrying a chilling sarcasm.

He stopped looking at Sha Zhu and gracefully bent down, slowly and methodically picking up the oil paper package with two fingers. He weighed the package in his palm, as if assessing its weight, and then, to Sha Zhu's utter astonishment, he made a gesture that nearly made Sha Zhu's eyes pop out of their sockets.

He casually tossed the diamond bag, which he considered priceless and capable of causing a bloodbath, to Sha Zhu as lightly as if it were a stone!

"Since you enjoy 'picking things up' so much," He Yuanchao said in a casual tone, as if he were talking about something trivial, or as if he were instructing a servant to pour a glass of water, "this is for you to keep safe."

Sha Zhu instinctively reached out his hands and clumsily caught the heavy oil paper package.

It was icy cold to the touch, the sensation clearly penetrating the oiled paper, as if one could feel the hard edges of diamonds inside. However, this coolness quickly transformed into scalding hot lava, burning his palms until they went numb, almost causing him to lose his grip.

He was completely stunned!

My mind went blank; all my thinking abilities were completely destroyed in that instant, leaving only a chaotic buzzing sound.

He Yuanchao... what does he mean by that?

He clearly saw it! He definitely saw my shifty, cowardly look just now!

Why didn't he expose me? Why didn't he beat me up or take me directly to the police station?

On the contrary... on the contrary, they handed over such a valuable item to me for safekeeping so easily?

Was he testing me? Or... setting a trap for me?

Immense shock, boundless doubt, bone-deep fear, and a hint of... the absurdity of being "trusted" intertwined wildly, turning Sha Zhu's mind into a complete mess. He felt as if he were falling into a bottomless abyss, surrounded by an impenetrable fog.

He raised his head and stared blankly at He Yuanchao's terrifyingly calm face, feeling for the first time a chill that came from the depths of his soul.

He couldn't see through this man at all!

He is like a bottomless, icy pool; you can never tell from the calm surface whether it is a gentle, warm current or a terrifying whirlpool capable of tearing a person to pieces.

"Remember," He Yuanchao's voice rang out again, each word like a cold nail driven into Shazhu's mind, "this is a 'gift' that Mr. Lin asked me to give to Xiao'e, a token of his goodwill. If one is missing, or if something goes wrong on the way..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but instead gave Sha Zhu a deep look with his cold eyes.

"...You know the consequences."

Those unspoken words were more terrifying than any explicit threat, giving the fool endless room for imagination about his tragic end.

"What? You don't dare?" He Yuanchao raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

This rhetorical question was like a needle, piercing Sha Zhu's pitiful and laughable pride.

"I dare...I dare!"

Sha Zhu roared out with all his might, almost as if by reflex.

He didn't know why he agreed, nor did he know where he got the "daring" from. But under He Yuanchao's nonchalant tone and the fleeting, indifferent gaze in his eyes, as if looking at a dead man, he simply didn't dare to utter the "no" that represented cowardice and guilt.

He knew that saying "no" would be tantamount to admitting his ulterior motives. But agreeing now, at least superficially, would maintain that ridiculous, false "innocence."

He used all his strength to clutch the oil paper package, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, tightly in his hand. Carefully, as if holding a bomb that could explode at any moment, he opened his cotton-padded coat and stuffed it into the innermost pocket, close to his chest.

The cold, hard touch, even through the fabric, still clearly chafed against his skin, like an indelible brand.

……

On the train home, Sha Zhu felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

The distinctive "clack-clack" sound of the green train was monotonous yet rhythmic, but to him it sounded like a death knell, each swing striking his taut nerves.

He clutched the priceless diamond bag in his arms, feeling as if he were carrying a raging fire, burning him with anxiety. He dared not lean back in his chair, remaining stiffly upright, afraid of accidentally shattering the diamond. He also dared not make any sudden movements; every tiny shift in his body was accompanied by a heart-pounding fear.

He hadn't slept a wink since boarding the train, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at He Yuanchao sitting opposite him. Like a wary wild beast, he observed his opponent's every move, fearing that he might suddenly launch an attack or, in some unexpected moment, carry out his unknown and terrifying conspiracy.

However, He Yuanchao acted as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring Sha Zhu's fiery gaze.

As soon as he boarded the train, he calmly put his luggage away, then closed his eyes to rest, his breathing steady as if he had fallen into a deep sleep. Occasionally, he would open his eyes, leisurely gazing at the scenery rushing past the window, a faint smile even appearing on his lips. When it was time to eat, he was still in the crowded dining car, calmly ordering two steaming hot boxed meals, and naturally pushing one of them towards Sha Zhu.

"Eat up, there's still a long way to go."

That extreme composure and calmness formed a stark contrast with Sha Zhu's restlessness, making Sha Zhu even more terrified, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

What exactly does he want to do?

It was like a game of cat and mouse, but he, the mouse, had been released by the cat, with a golden bell still tied around his neck. The cat was dozing nearby, neither pouncing nor leaving, just quietly watching him, enjoying every second of his torment.

This fear of the unknown and being controlled is far more tormenting than direct punishment.

The train chugged along, passing through vast fields and sleeping villages, its whistle carrying far in the quiet night.

Just as the train was traveling through a desolate area on the border of Anhui and Henan, it was pitch black outside the window, with only a few scattered lights flickering in the distance, like will-o'-the-wisps.

An accident occurred without warning.

"Splash—"

After a few ear-piercing metallic scraping sounds, a group of men wearing tattered cotton-padded coats and with fierce expressions suddenly surged out from both ends of the previously quiet carriage!

In their hands were gleaming daggers that shone coldly under the carriage lights, and heavy construction crowbars used to pry open the rails!

"Don't fucking move! This is a robbery!"

The leader, a scarred man with a face full of scars and a fierce look in his eyes, used a crowbar to pound hard against the metal of the carriage, producing a deafening "bang! bang!" that instantly shattered the dull silence inside.

"Hand over all your money and valuables! I'll count to three. Anyone who resists, anyone who calls the police, I'll have him disemboweled and fed to wild dogs right here in this desolate wilderness!"

After a brief but utter silence, the entire carriage erupted into chaos like a landslide and a tsunami!

The screams of women and children, the shouts and curses of men, and the crashing sounds of objects falling all blended together into an apocalyptic symphony!

Sha Zhu was terrified!

He'd been fighting all his life, but this was the first time he'd ever seen real, deadly thugs!

Instinctively, he tightly clutched the inner pocket containing the diamonds in his arms with both hands. His body became incredibly stiff with extreme fear, and he even stopped breathing, not daring to utter a single breath.

However, the moment the group of robbers appeared, He Yuanchao, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

His eyes showed no trace of panic or fear that an ordinary person would have; instead, they flashed with a cold, knowing light.

coming.

He didn't look at the fierce-looking robbers, but instead, without leaving a trace, he silently activated the "lucky coin" in his mind and tossed it gently into the air.

[Ding! Lucky Coin activated. Your luck will slightly improve over the next hour.]

The system notification sounded in his mind, and He Yuanchao calmly turned his gaze to the scarred man who was swaggering around. He watched as the scarred man, along with several of his men, pounced on the passengers like hungry wolves, starting to plunder their belongings one by one. Their actions were extremely brutal; any hesitation or resistance was met with merciless punches and kicks, and cries and pleas for mercy rose and fell.

Soon, their greedy footsteps stopped in front of He Yuanchao and Sha Zhu's seats.

One of the robbers' sharp eyes fell on the several ordinary-looking but unusually heavy suitcases at He Yuanchao's feet. He tried kicking them, but the suitcases didn't budge.

"What's in this box? It's so heavy!" The robber pointed at the box with a crowbar, his eyes filled with greed and suspicion.

The other robber, with a mole on his face, immediately fixed his gaze on Sha Zhu's bulging chest, which he was tightly covering with his hands. In that position, Sha Zhu's intentions were utterly obvious.

"You!" The mole-wielding robber pointed the tip of his dagger at Sha Zhu's chest through his cotton-padded coat, and said viciously, "What precious thing are you hiding in your arms? Take it out!"

Sha Zhu's face turned deathly pale instantly, even more so than when He Yuanchao caught him in the act.

He could clearly feel the cold, sharp tip of the knife, the chill of death emanating from through his thick clothing. He could smell the heavy stench of sweat and the lingering ferocity emanating from the robber. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and his teeth chattered.

To pay or not to pay?

A conflicting thought exploded in his mind.

If he handed them over, those priceless diamonds would be gone! What would He Yuanchao do to him? He dared not think about it!

If I don't hand it over, my life could very well end right here in the next second!

At that critical moment, just as Shazhu felt himself about to be torn apart!

"Besides—clang!"

With a deafening roar, the train suddenly jolted violently and braked abruptly!

The powerful inertia instantly swept through the entire carriage, and everyone was thrown around like gourds into a rolling drum, staggering and falling over!

The robbers who had been standing and committing the crime lost their balance, screamed, and fell to the ground unexpectedly. The daggers and crowbars in their hands clattered out of their hands and slid far away!

"What happened?!" Scarface fell face-first into the dirt, roaring in shock and anger.

Before they could even struggle to their feet, the door connecting the carriages was violently slammed open with tremendous force!

"Bang!"

A group of railway police officers, dressed in dark blue uniforms, carrying gleaming batons and wearing peaked caps, stormed in like divine warriors descending from the heavens!

"Don't move! We are railway police! Everyone put your hands up, hands behind your heads, and squat down!"

The head of the train police officers let out a loud shout, and his authoritative voice instantly drowned out all the chaos.

It turned out that the experienced train driver, after noticing the unusual commotion in the rear carriage through his rearview mirror, remained calm and quietly alerted the police via radio. Simultaneously, he precisely chose this remote and isolated section of the railway, where the robbers would have the greatest difficulty escaping, and coordinated with the railway police who were already waiting ahead, successfully executing this perfect emergency stop!

A thrilling train robbery was thus swiftly and completely quelled without incident, thanks to the slight boost in "luck" brought about by He Yuanchao's "lucky coin."

……

When the train slowly started moving again after a brief pause, a thunderous cheer and applause erupted from the carriages, a sound of relief and triumph.

Sha Zhu slumped in his seat, his entire body soaked in cold sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water. He felt that every bone and every muscle in his body had lost its strength, as if he had just walked through the gates of hell and had lost half of his soul.

His hands trembled as he touched the intact, still-hard diamond bag in his arms, his heart filled with lingering fear and... a trace of inexplicable relief.

He raised his head and looked at He Yuanchao across from him with a completely new and incredibly complex gaze.

He Yuanchao was taking a clean white handkerchief out of his pocket and slowly wiping away the few drops of tea that had splashed onto the back of his hand due to the violent jolt. His face remained calm and composed.

It was as if the life-or-death ordeal that had just taken him was as simple, casual, and insignificant as drinking a sip of tea that had been accidentally spilled.

Shazhu looked at him, at the elegant way he wiped his fingers, and at his deep eyes that seemed to see into the future.

The last vestiges of greed in his heart, the last bit of wishful thinking, the last foolish idea that he could get away with it all were utterly crushed by an invisible and immense force at this moment, leaving not even a trace of ashes.

He finally understood completely.

From the moment he bent down to steal it, no, perhaps from the moment He Yuanchao decided to let him keep the diamond, he had already fallen into the trap set by the other party.

This journey home, this robbery—perhaps they are all part of a larger scheme.

He Yuanchao used this priceless diamond and a sudden life-or-death crisis to teach him the most profound, bloodiest, and most despairing lesson.

She and the man in front of her were from completely different worlds.

He can't beat him.

I could never beat them in this lifetime.