Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

"What are you doing?! We're restaurant staff!" a tall, thin guy struggled to shout, but before he could finish, a dirty rag was stuffed into his mouth, leaving him only with muffled "oohs." The others were even more bewildered. They had come to lay a hand on him, but how did they suddenly become prisoners? They looked at each other, their eyes filled with panic and confusion. In the end, they could only be led away by Zhao Lei's men like chickens, their heads bowed, not even daring to glance at the second floor.

The faint sounds of struggle and thuds from the front hall drifted down the stairs into the kitchen. Zhang Jie's heart skipped a beat, as if struck by a heavy hammer, his spirits instantly sinking—damn it, he'd been exposed! He rushed to the greasy back window of the kitchen, shoving it open a crack. Two plainclothes officers were standing guard against the wall outside, peering warily in his direction, their waists bulging, clearly carrying weapons. Where had things gone wrong? Had Jiang Hu betrayed him? Or had his plan been discovered? He racked his brains but couldn't figure it out. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, but now was clearly not the time to dwell on that. He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, ripped off his greasy apron, revealing a short jacket underneath, and scrambled up the rusty ventilation duct in the kitchen—no matter what, he had to escape first. As long as he was alive, there was always hope!

In the private room on the second floor, He Feng could clearly hear the chaotic noises coming from outside, including brief exclamations, the clattering of tables and chairs, and suppressed reprimands. A barely perceptible smile curved his lips, like a hunter seeing his prey fall into a trap. He slowly put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a soft sound as it hit the table, and looked at Jiang Hu, who was staring in astonishment and pale-faced: "Looks like someone doesn't want us to have a proper meal."

Jiang Hu's face turned as white as paper in an instant. The wine glass in his hand clattered onto the mahogany table, spilling amber liquid that splashed all over his clothes, but he was oblivious. He just stared blankly at the door, his lips trembling, unable to speak. He finally realized that he had been nothing but a pawn from beginning to end. This seemingly apologetic dinner was actually a trap to lure the snake out of its hole, and he was the bait that had been pushed into the open.

Like a frightened mouse, Zhang Jie huddled behind a trash can deep in the alley. The metal trash can rattled softly in the night wind, and the spot against his back was icy cold, making him shiver. Yet, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, which trickled down his temples and soaked his collar.

The red and blue flashing lights at the alley entrance illuminated half the sky, casting flickering shadows. Uniformed police officers were knocking on doors, their flashlight beams sweeping across the weathered walls like venomous snakes searching for prey. The loudspeaker's announcement pounded in, making his eardrums ache: "Listen up, you're surrounded! Come out and surrender immediately!"

He clutched the crumpled piece of paper in his pocket tightly, the corners damp with sweat, his fingertips trembling violently. All he was doing was passing a message to "the higher-ups" for Jiang Hu; how had it attracted so many police officers? The intersection was blocked, flanked by high walls, with not even a tiny opening for a dog to pass through. Was he really going to be killed here?

Just as he was panicking and completely lost, his mind a jumbled mess, he suddenly heard extremely light footsteps behind him, as light as falling leaves brushing the ground. Zhang Jie turned around abruptly, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat—a man in black was standing there, his head covered by a black hoodie pulled low, revealing only a taut jawline. His skin appeared pale and cold in the dim light, and he was carrying a bulging black cloth bag that looked heavy.

"Zhang Jie." The man in black spoke, his voice sounding like it had been sanded, a deliberately low and hoarse tone, making it impossible to tell if he was male or female.

Zhang Jie stiffened, instinctively shrinking back, his back pressed tightly against the trash can. The coldness of the metal seeped through his clothes, making him more alert. "Who are you?" His voice trembled, but he forced a wary stance. "How do you know me?" He stared intently at the other person's hands hidden in their sleeves, feeling as if those hands might pull out a gun or a knife at any moment.

The man in black seemed impatient with his words. He glanced at the flashing police lights at the alley entrance, the beams of light almost reaching them. "If you don't leave now," his tone turned cold, as if chilled to the bone, "then stay here and wait to be caught." With that, he turned and walked deeper into the alley, his steps as light as a cat at night, his footsteps making no sound as he trod on the gravel.

Zhang Jie gritted his teeth. Staying meant he'd most likely be handcuffed and thrown in jail; going with him offered at least a glimmer of hope. The current situation didn't allow him time to think things through. He steeled himself, crouched low, and followed, trying to shrink himself into a ball, hiding in the shadows of the trash cans and walls.

The man in black led him into a narrow alleyway, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. The walls on both sides were peeling and crumbling, and one could easily touch the cracks between the bricks on the opposite side. Beyond the alleyway, a nearly three-meter-high courtyard wall appeared. Before Zhang Jie could react, the man in black had already bent his knees and leaped, like a bat scaling the top of the wall, flipping and bounding over with clean, swift movements.

"Hurry!" came a low urging voice from the top of the wall.

Zhang Jie finally came to his senses. Forgetting his fear, he copied the other man, clinging to the crack in the wall and climbing up with all his might. The man in black reached out and pulled him up from the top of the wall, and the two landed with a thud on the ground on the other side—it was an abandoned warehouse area, with rusty iron frames and tattered sacks piled up everywhere. The air was filled with the smell of rust and years of dust, making one's throat tighten.

After escaping the encirclement, Zhang Jie finally dared to gasp for breath, his chest heaving like a bellows. He watched as the man in black stopped ahead and couldn't help but ask again, "Who are you? Why did you save me?"

The man in black turned around, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled softly. The laughter was very light, like the wind blowing through an empty wine bottle, carrying an indescribable meaning. He didn't answer the question, but simply raised his gloved hand and pointed to the northwest.

Zhang Jie frowned, looking completely bewildered: "What do you mean?"

The man in black finally spoke, his voice softening almost imperceptibly, like water droplets melting on an icicle: "Remember, that's the direction of your home."

The words had barely left his lips when a gust of night wind swept through the warehouse, lifting a corner of the other person's hat. Zhang Jie glanced over unintentionally and caught sight of the exposed neck; the skin was so white and smooth, unlike that of someone who toiled outdoors year-round, as delicate as a piece of fine mutton-fat jade. Recalling the faint, slightly shrill ending of that voice, his heart skipped a beat—this person in black was actually a woman!