Chapter 14: Damn it! Li Feng Escaped Again

Because I was injured protecting my three roommates that day, I ended up in the hospital. Yet I couldn’t afford to worry about my wounds; the pressing matter was finding Li Feng. My three roommates, however, were overwhelmed with guilt and kept watch at my bedside day and night, making it impossible for me to act. At last, one day, as if Providence favored this college student, Wang Qing and Zhou Jie left to buy food, leaving only Feng Danyan by my side.

When Feng Danyan stepped out to use the restroom, I seized the opportunity. I quickly swung off the bed, dressed, and grabbed my “tools of the trade”—in truth, just a black hat, black mask, black sunglasses, and my old friend, a pair of black rubber gloves.

Enduring the pain, I staggered toward the window. Moonlight slanted into the ward, lending a gentle softness to the cold, empty room. I carefully drew back the curtain and glanced at the deserted corridor outside, my heart pounding faster.

One hand braced against the wall, I quietly opened the hospital room door. Outside was silence, broken only by the occasional distant footstep. I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and shuffled toward the stairwell, each step feeling as if I walked on knife edges, but my determination pushed the pain aside.

The corridor lights stretched my shadow behind me, making me seem like a ghost of the night, driven by the need to track down Li Feng.

I moved through the silent hospital corridors, each step echoing with unwavering resolve. Just in case, I had previously dug a network of tunnels with the basement at its center, extending a kilometer in every direction, allowing me access to the basement from anywhere.

Just as I was about to enter the stairwell leading to the basement, hurried footsteps and anxious calls sounded behind me.

I knew then that Feng Danyan and the others had discovered my absence and were searching in a panic. But at that moment, I was like a hero swallowed by darkness, descending without hesitation.

The basement was cold and damp, the air thick with mold. Dim yellow lights barely lit the way ahead. I made my way with practiced ease to a hidden corner, where I had stashed some “tools” for emergencies. I took a deep breath, fingers tracing the cold iron door, which opened silently as if welcoming its uninvited guest.

This was my domain. I picked up a pistol from a nearby table, and before leaving, grabbed a triangular stiletto—the kind that, once plunged in and withdrawn, would cause profuse bleeding.

At another corner, I opened a box containing rows of bottles filled with various liquids. I selected a few at random, tucking them into my coat. At the door, I changed out of my previous clothes and draped myself in my most familiar black cloak. The sensation was like coming home.

Using a tracker, I quickly pinpointed Li Feng’s location. He was heading for the customs checkpoint. With no time to lose, I took the elevator to another basement, fired up a sports car, and sped toward the harbor.

To get to the harbor, I had to pass by the hospital. It was just then that Wang Qing, Zhou Jie, and Feng Danyan, having searched the hospital in vain, rushed to the front entrance. By chance, as I drove past, they spotted me behind the wheel.

Panic-stricken, they jumped into a nearby taxi, urging the driver to follow me. But the driver refused, so the three had to get out. Zhou Jie dashed off to retrieve the small car she’d bought last week, calling the other two to hop in.

As I raced down the highway, I quickly noticed the little white car tailing me.

After a moment’s thought, I realized it was the three of them. I pressed the accelerator; they did the same.

Soon I reached the harbor, drifted the car into a parking spot, and got out. I loaded my pistol and tucked it into my waistband, covering it with my cloak. Unless you looked closely, you’d never notice. I palmed the stiletto, hiding it in my sleeve.

Step by step, I approached Li Feng. When the distance and moment were right, I lunged, brandishing the blade.

I pinned him to the ground, his face twisted with struggle, eyes wide, desperately trying to escape. Sweat from our foreheads dripped onto the cold pavement, each drop sounding faintly in the silence.

The triangular stiletto pressed to his throat, its glint chilling.

My roommates arrived, leaping from their car. Feng Danyan, frantic, pried Li Feng’s arms from my hold. Wang Qing and Zhou Jie each grabbed one of his shoulders, trying to pull him from my grasp.

Li Feng took advantage of the chaos to break free, gasping for breath and glaring at me with venom. At some point, he too had produced a gleaming knife. His gaze flicked to the nearby harbor, where a ship bound for Japan was slowly starting its engines, rumbling low.

I spotted the cruise ship’s emblem and realized it was a Japanese vessel, packed with Japanese passengers. Suddenly, I remembered seeing a Japanese name in his WeChat contacts a few weeks ago.

Fury surged in me. I drove the blade forward in a direct thrust, catching him in the side. But he was immensely strong and broke free from Wang Qing and Zhou Jie in an instant, turning to dodge my attack. Still, I managed to cut his side, drawing blood.

Japanese customs officials saw the commotion and sent two security guards to intervene.

The guards hurriedly stepped between us. One addressed me in Japanese, asking what we were doing and requesting we leave immediately.

Though my Japanese was limited, I’d picked up enough from working abroad. In front of my stunned roommates, I replied in Japanese, apologizing and explaining that we had a personal dispute and would leave right away.

Feigning compliance, I started to walk away, but kept my eyes on Li Feng. Realizing he couldn’t board the ship to Japan, he muttered to himself that he’d try again next time. Shooting me a sidelong look, he suddenly took off running.

Without hesitation, I chased after him, my three roommates, with no other choice, following behind.

But at a corner, Li Feng ducked out of sight. When I got there, he had vanished. Night was falling, and it was time to head home. I glanced back at my three roommates, all of them breathless and exhausted.

No matter; I had planted a tracker on him. There would be time to find him tomorrow. For now, he wouldn’t be leaving the country.