Nie Jiuluo rented a pickup truck from the plate factory owner and inquired if the workers had any extra coats or shoes for sale. While the new items were not available, someone, tempted by her good offer, removed their coat and gave it to her on the spot. Xing Shen only took the coat, opting not to ask for shoes and preferring to remain barefoot.
As they drove away, Nie Jiuluo stopped just outside the factory gate. Xing Shen whistled to lure the grasshopper into the truck. Nie Jiuluo noticed a slight sinking in the back of the vehicle and felt disgusted but chose not to comment.
On the road, Xing Shen asked, “What are you planning to do with the gasoline?”
“You haven’t said how many people are there, and the other side has guns. If they haven’t left, we can start a fire to create chaos and maybe rescue Uncle Jiang in the confusion.”
The destination was at least forty or fifty minutes away by car, so Nie Jiuluo focused on driving. Xing Shen sat calmly in the passenger seat but seemed to be trying to remember something. Nie Jiuluo overheard him muttering numbers: 139xxxx4695, 139xxxx4696.
Curious, she asked, “Is that a phone number?”
Xing Shen, slightly interrupted and momentarily disoriented, responded, “It’s Yu Rong’s internal number. I don’t remember it very clearly. I’m just trying to recall the right sequence. It’s best to dial the number and check the name, as I can’t remember the details exactly.”
Nie Jiuluo remained silent, understanding that she also struggled with recalling contacts.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Xing Shen asked, “Have you seen Yu Rong?”
Nie Jiuluo came back to reality and answered, “No, I know of her but haven’t met her.”
“She is about your age. Uncle Jiang introduced Yu Rong to us. Contact her; she can prepare in advance to help save the villa.”
As he spoke, Xing Shen continued sifting through the numbers he had remembered.
By 10 o’clock, they approached the northwest corner of the village, where there were no lights visible. Nie Jiuluo parked the truck at a distance from the village and turned off the headlights.
Unable to see well at night and lacking professional equipment, she asked Xing Shen, “Is that the tall, three-story building with a walled yard?”
The small building stood apart from the village houses, like an isolated island.
Xing Shen nodded, “I heard it was deliberately chosen to avoid too much interaction with the villagers. More than a dozen people live here, and it’s easier for country folk to find out about disturbances. But there are pros and cons: if something happens, no one would know.”
Nie Jiuluo observed the building from the truck and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, “Do you smell anything?”
Xing Shen looked embarrassed, “I can’t smell anything. So, I don’t know if it’s occupied by the landlord, a human, or something else.”
“The lights were on when you left?” Nie Jiuluo asked.
Xing Shen confirmed, “Yes.”
Now that the lights were off, several scenarios were possible: they might have all left—if so, she could still approach and assist while it was hot. If they hadn’t left, she could create a distraction with the fire. The third possibility was that most had departed, leaving one or two people behind to monitor the situation.
She whispered to Xing Shen, “Check for any people around here.”
Xing Shen opened the car door and climbed onto the roof to scout the area. He returned, saying, “No people around. I’ll let the grasshopper scout ahead. If it’s safe, it won’t approach, and we’ll get a sense of the situation.”
Nie Jiuluo, though anxious about the grasshopper, knew the urgency was too great to worry about it now.
Xing Shen whistled softly, summoning the grasshopper, which quickly approached the car. Xing Shen leaned out of the half-open door, touched the grasshopper’s neck, and soon the grasshopper was heading towards the small building.
Nie Jiuluo watched intently as the grasshopper reached the courtyard gate, scaled the wall, and began climbing.
Excited, Xing Shen jumped out of the car, “No sign of an owl, A Luo. There must be no owl inside!”
Nie Jiuluo, masking her apprehension, said, “If there are no owls, there will be people inside. Keep the grasshopper under control; don’t let it catch anyone. Close the gate after entering, and cooperate with me.”
Xing Shen, though initially resistant to the idea of showing mercy, was reminded of past cooperative experiences. He nodded softly, “Okay.”
The two moved stealthily towards the courtyard gate. Due to the recent snow, a thin layer covered the ground, leaving footprints, but fortunately, the snow had started to increase, which might help cover their tracks if it continued for a few more hours.
Nie Jiuluo unlocked the lock with the end of her bracelet as usual, then opened both the courtyard door and the door on the first floor. Inside, the house was pitch black. Although she considered using a flashlight, she decided against it to avoid revealing their presence if anyone was hiding on the upper floors.
Xing Shen scanned the area and whispered, “Ah Luo, here.” He crouched down in front of the wall on the right side of the door and instructed, “Step on my shoulder.” Nie Jiuluo placed her hand on the wall for support and stepped onto Xing Shen’s right shoulder. He stabilized her calf as he slowly stood up. Nie Jiuluo then reached up, found the electric switch box, and pulled the main switch.
When they were back on the ground, they both breathed a sigh of relief. With the power off, the building was empty, and Xing Shen’s ability to “see” gave them an advantage.
Xing Shen quickly and quietly checked the first-floor bedroom and confirmed it was empty. They then proceeded to the second floor. Nie Jiuluo, unable to see clearly, grasped the handrail and climbed slowly. Xing Shen wanted to help but held back his offer.
Upon reaching the second floor, Xing Shen was startled. A bedroom door in front of him was slightly ajar, and he could hear faint, heavy snoring from inside. He approached the door, pushed it gently, but unexpectedly, it creaked open, causing a loud crash as various items fell to the ground behind it.
Xing Shen, excited by the development, pushed the door fully open. The person on the bed, startled, sat up and called out, “Who?” He reached for the bedside switch. Xing Shen quickly moved to the side and directed, “Straight ahead, on the bed, 1.5 meters, head height 1.3 meters!”
Before he could finish, Nie Jiuluo darted forward. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to make out the shadowy figure. Xing Shen’s precise directions made it even clearer. The man turned on the switch but was met with Nie Jiuluo’s swift attack. Her knee struck his jaw, leaving him disoriented.
Nie Jiuluo released the man’s head and whispered, “There are earthquake stacks behind the door. Don’t push it.”
Xing Shen, annoyed by the unexpected obstacle, explained that these stacks were used as earthquake alarms and later adapted to prevent theft. They consisted of precariously stacked objects that would fall and make noise if disturbed.
The noise from the fallen items might have alerted others in the house. They hoped for a minimal response, as dealing with multiple people would be more challenging.
Both held their breath. Soon, a rough voice called out from upstairs, “Gangzi? Is there a power outage? Gangzi?”
To deal with the situation, Xing Shen took Gangzi’s mobile phone from the pillow, handed it to Nie Jiuluo, and instructed her to adjust the flashlight to its brightest setting. Nie Jiuluo made the adjustments, and Xing Shen used the phone’s screen to illuminate Gangzi’s pants hanging by the bed.
As footsteps approached, occasionally illuminated by the phone’s flickering light, the caller’s voice grew more cautious. Xing Shen waited until the light reached the corridor before he coughed loudly and stepped out, saying, “Uh-huh.”
He revealed the phone’s light, blinding the man who had come to investigate. The man, stunned by the bright light, instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes. At that moment, Nie Jiuluo took swift action from behind Xing Shen. Noting that the man was holding a gun, she wasted no time and struck him with a belt.
Her strike was forceful and precise, hitting the man’s head and face. He cried out in pain as the gun and phone fell. Seizing the opportunity, Nie Jiuluo advanced quickly, supported herself on the corridor’s handrail, and used her legs to hook the man’s neck. She then executed a mid-air twist, slamming him to the ground.
After landing on the ground, Nie Jiuluo didn’t release her hold on the man’s neck until she was certain he had fainted. Only then did she carefully get up. Due to her lack of strength, she often relied on using her legs in such situations. Having used this technique before to subdue dogs and deal with Yan Tuo, it proved effective again. In less than ten seconds, the situation was under control.
Xing Shen extended his hand to help her up. Nie Jiuluo hesitated but then grasped his arm and used his strength to rise. Xing Shen complimented their teamwork: “Ah Luo, we worked together very well. The combination of the ‘knife’ and the ‘dog’ is ideal for these situations. In ancient times, with limited light from torches, the coordination between the ‘mad knife’ and the ‘rabid dog’ was crucial. They needed to navigate with high mutual understanding.”
Although they hadn’t worked together in a real situation for a while, the feeling of using a real gun and experiencing the actual danger was different from the simulated environments they were used to. Nie Jiuluo responded curtly, “General.”
—
Elsewhere, the two unconscious individuals were awakened by cold water. When they came to, their hands and feet were tightly bound with cloth strips, their mouths gagged, and their eyes covered with thick strips.
Nie Jiuluo approached Gangzi first, holding a knife. She pressed his head down and made a precise cut at the back of his neck. Identifying whether these people were truly human or something else was critical, but she had to be cautious. Gangzi, terrified, twisted desperately, making muffled noises as blood poured out quickly. It was not sticky, confirming that Gangzi was human.
She then moved to the other person and made a similar cut, concluding that both were indeed human. Gangzi’s cloth gag was removed first. Coughing violently, he spoke towards a random direction, “Big brother, uncle, oh no, big sister, boss, boss, we surrender! Surrender!”
Gangzi’s unexpected plea for surrender puzzled Nie Jiuluo, but she decided to stay silent and let Xing Shen handle the situation. Gangzi continued to speak rapidly, revealing their operations: “We do this for money. Let us live and keep quiet… If someone comes looking for Jiang, just try to take it. Surrender if you can’t. Really, really.”
Nie Jiuluo felt a chill. It was clear that they had planned to spread word even if captured, indicating confidence that they could remain silent under duress. Xing Shen questioned Gangzi further, asking what they were doing.
Gangzi, realizing his mistake, quickly corrected himself, “We’re just thugs. I’ve committed crimes in Jiangxi and am on the run, taking on odd jobs. If you don’t believe me, check my ID card or look me up online.”
Xing Shen inquired about their employer. Gangzi replied, “I don’t know the boss, just take the money and don’t ask questions.”
When asked about the people in the house and their intended message, Gangzi was confused and said, “I don’t know. When we were called, there was no one in the house. The quilts were still warm, so there might have been someone before.”
Gangzi explained their instructions: “First, we were paid a settling-in allowance. You can knock us out, call the police anonymously, and we’ll go to jail for burglary. When asked, we’ll say we were knocked out while robbing.”
Nie Jiuluo was impressed by their elaborate plan. Xing Shen pressed for more information, asking for any additional instructions.
Gangzi said, “Second, if it’s cold, get your friends home quickly, and I’ll tell you where to pick them up.”
Nie Jiuluo was stunned. Before she could react, Gangzi continued, “Third, with Big Eyes, the one next to me.”
Big Eyes, acknowledging his turn, nodded vigorously. Nie Jiuluo removed the gag from Big Eyes and was given cryptic instructions: “When it’s cold and the fruit is frozen, bury it under the tree and wait for the new fruit to grow. I drew a picture of it; it’s in my jacket pocket. I live on the third floor, by the door.”
Confused, Nie Jiuluo went to the third floor, retrieved the coat, and found a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it in the corridor light, she saw a crudely drawn fruit tree with fruit hanging from dotted lines. There were four fruits in total. She made a mental note of the drawing.
