Chapter 1 The Cat and the Sparrow

The day the police withdrew from Egret Island, in an inconspicuous old residential building, without security guards or access control, the dark, mottled cement stairs led directly to the basement. Beside the only small window in the basement room, a cat was cautiously watching the sparrows outside.

The windowsill was level with the ground, and the sparrows couldn't detect the pair of greedy green eyes staring at them from the darkness. In a cloud of dust, the cat was already outside, and the sparrow was in its mouth.

Brother Qian reached out and hooked his cat back, then scattered some rice on the ground outside the window.

Although this place was only a few blocks away from Egret Island, it was a village in the city, its dilapidated buildings a stark contrast to the bright and beautiful seaside residential area.

These days, Brother Qian had been hiding in this basement in the urban village, passing the time by watching the cat catch birds. Constantly evading the police, unable to eat or sleep well, he looked much more haggard, lacking the previous glamorous and domineering aura, replaced by a few hints of gloom and ruthlessness.

Brother Qian picked off the feathers around the cat's mouth, calmly sat back in his chair, and slowly stroked its back.

This place was absolutely safe. A cunning rabbit has three burrows, and this was one of Brother Qian's hideouts.

Although the basement window was low and flat, only a third the size of a normal window, this small, square basement had windows in two directions, each leading to different alleys.

If the police really came, Brother Qian could not only detect them immediately but also choose an escape route based on the situation.

He hadn't told anyone about this life-saving place, not even Brother Ji and Anna, who he'd been with for so many years. So he wasn't worried about the police finding him.

The phone rang. He waited for it to ring three times before answering.

"Brother Qian, the boys are pushing for the goods. How about we move this afternoon?"

Brother Qian pondered for a few seconds, "Let them starve for now."

The other end paused. "Then should we pick up the goods today?"

"Wait for my word."

The phone hung up. Brother Qian put his phone in his old pants pocket. It was still early. He stuck the fake beard from the table onto his chin in front of the mirror, put on a pair of cracked glasses, turned on the radio by the window, picked it up, and humming a little tune, he cut the image of a retired old man. Even Anna and the others might not recognize him in this disguise.

The Peking opera on the radio was "The Story of Qin Xianglian." Brother Qian hummed along, strolling leisurely out of the door and heading towards Egret Island.

At the entrance of Egret Island, Chen Hao, dragging a suitcase, had just gotten out of a taxi.

After his mother got off the ship safely, she kept saying she missed him. Chen Hao was busy with work and had to schedule his leave, so he could only come back now to see how she was.

As soon as he walked into the entrance of the residential area, the phone in Chen Hao's pocket rang.

He took out his phone and saw an unfamiliar landline number. He didn't want to answer it, but he was afraid it might be a patient wanting to ask about their condition, so he answered it anyway.

"Hello."

"Brother Chen, long time no see."

A strange yet familiar male voice sounded on the other end.

Chen Hao frowned. "Who is this?"

"You don't recognize me so quickly?" The man wasn't in a hurry to say. "Got on my car, took my money, and forgot about me?"

Chen Hao's mind buzzed. He remembered the scene that had given him nightmares for days, and the voice on the phone began to make his hair stand on end.

The last time, the other party had insisted on taking his business card. He thought the yacht incident was over and the other party wouldn't look for him again, but he didn't expect him to call so soon.

"You're Brother Qian." Chen Hao's voice was stiff.

"You remember? That's for the best, otherwise I'd have to find a way to make you remember."

Chen Hao stopped, his expression serious. "What do you want?"

"Why so nervous? We're old acquaintances, just chatting."

Chen Hao wanted to stay away from these people, so he could only make excuses. "Sorry, I don't have time. I have a meeting later."

"You're having a meeting at the entrance of your residential area? Who are you meeting with?"

Chen Hao paused, almost dropping his phone. The other party could see him.

"I, I'm leaving soon." He forced himself to lie.

"Is that so? Fine, I'll talk to you next time. This time, I'll go talk to your mom first. If I remember correctly, your mom lives in Building Nine, Unit Two, eighth floor, room 801, right?"

"You, don't go to her." Chen Hao panicked. "What do you want?"

The other end chuckled. "Nothing, just chatting with you."

Chen Hao would be a fool to believe him. He knew that this kind of person had no morals or bottom line, so he simply broke off the pretense. "I'm warning you, you're a wanted criminal. Don't force me to call the police."

Brother Qian laughed as if he had heard a joke. "Call the police? Go ahead. Don't forget, you took my money. That was money from selling drugs. If you took the money, you're an accomplice. If you don't want your job and reputation anymore, and want to go to jail with me, you can call the police at any time."

Chen Hao was trembling with anger, and he recklessly said, "What proof do you have that I took your money?"

"Want to listen to the recording from the car? Don't play these games with me, you're still too green."

"You!" Chen Hao felt the blood rushing to his head. His current position and status were all earned through hard work in the first half of his life. He couldn't let these people ruin his entire life like this.

He gritted his teeth. "What do you want from me?"

"Tomorrow at 5 p.m., wait for me at the waste recycling station at the east gate of your residential area. Help me move some things. If you dare to call the police, not only will you die, but your mom will also be buried with you. Think it over." After saying that, Brother Qian hung up the phone.

Chen Hao felt as if all the energy had been drained from his body. He stared blankly at the traffic and crowds on the roadside, not knowing where the other party was hiding. Thinking that his every move was being watched, he lowered his head and hurried towards home.

The next day at 5 p.m., Chen Hao stood next to the waste recycling station on time.

At the entrance of the waste recycling station, a middle-aged man was laboriously tying up corrugated cardboard packaging. After tying them up, he neatly stacked them into the back of the "Huolala" transport truck next to him. The trash cans of the Egret Island residential area were piled up next to the middle-aged man, and the watchdog warily stared at Chen Hao, making Chen Hao very uncomfortable.

Chen Hao carefully observed the middle-aged man, confirming that he was not Brother Qian. He glanced at his watch again. Three minutes had passed, but there was still no sign of anyone.

"Delivery! Delivery! The goods have arrived!" A shout came from behind Chen Hao.

The sound was very close. Chen Hao subconsciously turned his head, and a person wearing a "Huolala" express work uniform appeared behind him. The cart he was pulling was full of white plastic foam boxes. Without looking up, he leaned towards Chen Hao. Chen Hao didn't realize who this person was and dodged subconsciously. But no matter where he went, the plastic foam went there too, until he was forced between the truck and the plastic foam.