The Republic of China: I, Xiangzi, a Hero in a Chaotic Era

Sea Dog was silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on Tiger Girl's face, which was a mixture of fear, hope, and a hint of luck.

Then, the sea lion moved.

His movements were as swift as a venomous snake striking, without the slightest warning.

A gleaming dagger had appeared in his right hand, which had been hanging by his side, and the blade traced a cold arc in the dim light.

There was no roar, no ferocious expression, and even his eyes didn't change much; they remained as cold as a deep pool.

Tiger Girl felt a chill on her neck.

The coolness was initially very slight, like being brushed by a shard of ice.

Immediately, a warm liquid gushed out, quickly staining her thin clothes red.

Intense pain and a feeling of suffocation swept over her like a tsunami, instantly overwhelming all her senses and thoughts.

She opened her mouth wide, but no sound came out; only a hissing sound escaped from the opening in her throat.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, her pupils reflecting the sea lion's face, so close yet blurred and distorted.

There was no anger or smugness in his eyes, only a sense of indifference as if he had completed a task, like stepping on an ant.

How could this be...?

Her dream... a bright shop in the Tianjin Concession, a stable and prosperous life, a future where she wouldn't have to depend on anyone else... She took all of her father's savings, believing it was a ticket to a new life...

It turned out to be just a one-way ticket to hell.

All the scheming, all the struggles, all the fear, and that pitiful glimmer of hope all seemed so laughable, so careless, under this one cut.

She was like an old, worthless tool, casually discarded, not even deserving a second glance.

Darkness engulfed her vision like a tidal wave, and in her final moments, all that remained was boundless coldness and an overwhelming, absurd disbelief.

All her dreams, before they could even begin to unfold, were utterly destroyed with the splattered blood, seeping into the filthy soil of this dilapidated house, leaving no trace.

The sea dog withdrew its dagger, a drop of blood rolling off the tip and making a small dark red dot in the dust.

His face was expressionless, as if he had just done something completely ordinary.

Sea Dog took out a piece of coarse gray cloth and slowly wiped the bloodstains off the dagger until the blade was smooth and shiny again.

"Clean it up."

He didn't even turn his head, giving the order in a flat voice.

The two burly men who had been like shadows behind him immediately sprang into action.

One of them stepped forward and quickly checked Tiger Girl's pulse and breathing. After confirming that she was completely dead, he grabbed her ankle and dragged her towards the door leading to the backyard, as if she were a sack of grain.

The other person quickly took out a bucket, rag, and shovel that had been prepared in advance from the corner and began to clean up the splattered blood on the ground.

Sea Dog walked to the table, picked up Tiger Girl's rummaged-through bundle, and carefully searched it again to confirm that there was nothing else besides the silver notes, loose silver coins, and five small yellow croakers.

He took out the silver notes and the small yellow croaker separately, wrapped them in a clean piece of oil paper, and put them in his pocket.

He weighed the loose silver coins in his hand, then casually tossed them to one of his men who was cleaning.

A shallow pit had already been dug in the backyard, right under the withered old locust tree.

Tiger Girl's body was thrown in directly, without a coffin, without a mat, and her disheveled clothes were not even straightened.

The soil was shoveled up and covered, quickly burying the still-warm body completely.

The new soil was slightly compacted, and some old soil and fallen leaves were sprinkled on top, making it look no different from its surroundings, as if it had always been just an ordinary, desolate corner.

After doing all this, the sea lion blew out the oil lamp.

The dilapidated house was plunged into darkness, with only the pale moonlight outside the window outlining a few blurry figures.

They left the courtyard silently, just as they had come, disappearing into the deep night without leaving any trace.

The cold wind whistled through the dilapidated doors and windows, carrying away the last trace of blood, leaving only the smell of dust and decay that lingered for a long time.

The following morning, sunlight streamed through the windowpanes of the Xisi North Police Station chief's office, which were covered with Korean paper, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the gleaming mahogany table. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed tea and the crisp scent of freshly ground ink.

Liu Jiaxiang sat upright in the large chair, his straight black police uniform making his shoulders and back appear even more upright.

He was looking down at a file, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the edge of the pages, making a rhythmic tapping sound.

Knock knock.

Two knocks sounded on the door, clear and restrained.

"Come in."

Liu Jiaxiang didn't even raise his head, his voice steady.

The door was gently pushed open, and Zhang Kui slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

His police uniform looked exceptionally crisp today, and his face carried a deliberately restrained respect and a hint of barely perceptible excitement, as if he had just completed an important mission.

He walked quickly to the desk and stood about three steps away, straightening his back.

"Chief, we have received news from the sea lions."

Zhang Kui's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough.

Liu Jiaxiang lifted his gaze from the case file and landed on Zhang Kui's face. Those eyes were calm and deep, revealing no emotion, as he quietly awaited what was to come.

Zhang Kui leaned forward slightly and reported in a steady voice.

"Last night, as you instructed, Hai Gouzi brought Liu Siye's daughter, Hu Niu, in for questioning."

He paused, observing Liu Jiaxiang's reaction, and only continued when he saw that the director's expression remained unchanged.

"The process went smoothly. Tiger Girl revealed everything she knew. It was pretty much as we had estimated; Master Liu does indeed have a substantial amount of wealth, not just what's visible at the car factory."

"Tiger Girl confessed that Master Liu may have converted most of his money into trading cards issued by foreign firms, which he hid in a hard box with foreign writing on it. She didn't know which firm it was, and the key was only in Master Liu's possession."

Liu Jiaxiang nodded slightly and tapped his finger lightly on the table, signaling him to continue.

Zhang Kui took out a small package carefully wrapped in dark blue coarse cloth from his pocket, held it with both hands, and respectfully placed it on the table in front of Liu Jiaxiang.

"This is what Hai Gouzi found on Hu Niu. She ran away with all the cash that Master Liu had hidden."

As Zhang Kui spoke, he carefully untied the cloth bundle. Inside was a neat stack of silver notes, the top one bearing a face value of one thousand silver dollars.

Next to the banknote were five small, heavy, golden bars, their alluring luster shimmering in the soft light filtering through the window paper.

"The count has been completed. There are five banknotes in total, each with a face value of one thousand, totaling five thousand silver dollars."

"Five small yellow croakers, all in excellent condition."

Zhang Kui's voice carried a hint of solemnity as he completed the transaction.