Courtyard House: Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) Traded for an Aircraft Carrier, the Whole Count

In the early hours of the morning in Beijing, the sky seemed to have a gaping hole, and icy winter rain mixed with snowflakes pelted the ground. In such terrible weather, even the most dedicated night watchmen retreated to their blankets, and the entire city was eerily silent, as if it had died.

A dark figure, like a ghost, moved through the rain.

Jiang Chen didn't ride a bicycle. Relying on his amazing physical strength and speed after being genetically enhanced, he only took twenty minutes to travel from Nanluoguxiang to a small villa area in the west of the city.

This used to be an affluent area, with detached houses and a tranquil environment. Lou Bancheng's home was located at the very heart of this area.

Jiang Chen stopped under a huge sycamore tree, his body completely blending into the shadows.

Fifty meters ahead was the Lou family's two-story villa. Although it was late at night, a faint light still shone from the second-floor window, appearing particularly lonely and fearful in the rainy night.

"System, retrieve the miniature military drone."

Jiang Chen flipped his hand, and a small, matte black quadcopter drone appeared in his palm. This was a low-tech product he had redeemed from the system shop. Although it would only be considered a toy in later generations, in the 60s, it was an absolute game-changer.

"Activate silent mode and turn on infrared night vision."

As the command was given, the drone's rotors began to spin silently, like a black bat, rising silently from the ground and disappearing into the dark night sky, flying towards the window on the second floor of the Lou family's house.

Jiang Chen pulled out a display screen resembling a personal tactical terminal from his pocket. The screen lit up, and a clear green night vision image was displayed.

The image was projected into the room through the rain-soaked glass.

That was the study on the second floor.

The once exquisitely decorated study was now a mess. Half of the expensive mahogany bookshelves were empty, and various newspapers and documents were scattered on the floor. Lou Zhenhua, the once powerful "Lou Half-City," was now wearing an old nightgown, his hair gray and disheveled, pacing anxiously back and forth in the room.

He had a cigarette between his fingers, completely oblivious to the ash falling onto the expensive carpet.

At his feet were seven or eight heavy leather trunks.

"It's still there."

Jiang Chen stared at the screen, his pupils slightly contracting. Through the drone's thermal imaging capabilities, he could clearly see the dense, high-density metallic residue inside the suitcases—gold bars, piles and piles of them. There were also some irregularly shaped objects; those were antiques and jewelry.

Lou Bancheng hadn't had time to move yet!

The scene shifts, and the drone flies to the other side of the bedroom window.

The atmosphere here is even more oppressive.

Lou's mother sat on the edge of the bed, sobbing softly. She held a handkerchief in her hand and kept wiping away her tears. She seemed to be muttering something, her face full of fear and reluctance.

The camera's focus eventually fell on a young woman in front of the dressing table.

Lou Xiao'e.

She was wearing a plain-colored nightgown, and the usually somewhat naive and spoiled girl looked unusually haggard. Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying for a long time.

In front of her lay a black-and-white wedding photo. In the photo, she smiled sweetly, and Xu Damao next to her also looked smug.

Lou Xiao'e stared intently at the photo, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

Suddenly, as if provoked by something, she grabbed the photo and slammed it hard on the table.

"Snapped!"

Even through the screen and the sound of rain, Jiang Chen could almost hear that crisp sound.

Lou Xiao'e covered her face, her shoulders heaving violently as she wept silently. Though naive, she wasn't stupid. Xu Damao's unusual behavior these past few days, her parents' panic, and the atmosphere of impending doom in her home had made her keenly aware of something.

The husband who once doted on her and swore to take care of her for the rest of his life is now pushing her whole family into the abyss.

despair.

The entire Lou family was shrouded in a despair akin to lambs to the slaughter.

Jiang Chen watched this scene with a cold and rational gaze. He felt no sympathy; in this dog-eat-dog world, weakness was the original sin. The Lou family possessed enormous wealth but lacked the power to protect it, which was itself a sin.

"Confirmation complete. Assets have not been transferred, personnel are in a state of extreme panic, and their vigilance is extremely low."

Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze, his finger gently sliding across the screen to control the drone to return to base.

He had initially worried that Lou Bancheng, that old fox, might have some kind of cunning tricks up his sleeve. But now it seems that in the face of the absolute tide of the times, even a so-called business tycoon is nothing more than a frightened bird, losing his composure.

All the wealth was packed up, as if it had been prepared especially for him.

A perfect "double-cross" plan quickly took shape in his mind.

He wanted to seize this immense wealth as the foundation of his future capital empire; he also wanted to manipulate Xu Damao and those eyeing the Lou family; and finally, he wanted to leave Lou Xiao'e a glimmer of hope in despair, making her grateful and willing to become his agent in Hong Kong.

This is how to maximize profits.

The drone slowly descended and was stored in Jiang Chen's system space.

The rain was getting heavier, and the cold rain dripped down the brim of his hat, wetting his cheeks.

Jiang Chen raised his head and took a deep look at the lone lamp swaying in the wind and rain in the small villa. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Don't cry."

He stood facing the window, muttering to himself, his voice fading into the wind and rain:

"Tonight, I am your nightmare; and your only savior."

With that, he pulled up his collar, turned around, and strode into the darkness. His black trench coat fluttered in the wind, like a night owl spreading its wings, and he disappeared into the vast rainy night in an instant.

The hunters are in position; the feast is about to begin.