Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

The man in black glanced at Liu Li, his eyelids twitching slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery. His tone was as cold and hard as ice: "Are you stupid? You're still pretending to be confused at a time like this? You're being watched now, don't you realize? There's practically a knife to the back of your neck, and you're still being stubborn."

Liu Li stiffened his neck, like a tomcat whose tail had been stepped on. His face instantly showed disbelief, and his voice rose several decibels, carrying a hint of bravado mixed with impatience: "Aren't you talking nonsense? These past few days, I've been on the go, barely touching the ground, being extremely careful with every step. Every contact, every message exchange, every single thing I've done has been done with the utmost secrecy, like a mouse digging a hole. How could anyone possibly know my background? Stop spreading these alarmist rumors!" He felt that the other party was deliberately trying to scare him and control him, and he couldn't help but feel a little irritated, gripping the keys even tighter.

The man in black didn't argue with him. He just smirked, as if he was too lazy to talk nonsense. He simply raised his chin and gestured towards the window behind him, lowering his voice even further: "Take a look out the window yourself. Look east along the alley entrance. Under the old locust tree, aren't there a few more people with nothing better to do? Their eyes are practically glued to your window."

Liu Li's heart skipped a beat, as if struck by a heavy hammer; his earlier glimmer of hope shattered instantly. Suppressing the panic in his chest, he tiptoed to the window, his fingers trembling as he lifted a corner of the curtain, daring only to peek through a narrow crack—and there, under the crooked old locust tree at the alley entrance, stood two men in grey Zhongshan suits, their trousers tucked into their shoes. They carried neither vegetable baskets nor newspapers, simply standing there, their eyes like hawks, constantly glancing in his direction. Their wariness was so palpable that anyone with eyes could tell they weren't ordinary passersby.

His heart sank, as if weighed down by lead. Cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, trickling down his spine and soaking his shirt. He whirled around to look at the men in black, his voice trembling and his teeth chattering: "This... what am I going to do now... I didn't expect to actually be followed! Are they... are they from the Public Security Bureau? And you still dared to come looking for me? Aren't you afraid of being seen by them? Isn't this just walking into a trap!"

The man in black chuckled, his laughter filled with disdain, yet his tone carried an undeniable certainty: "I'm here to save you. Otherwise, do you think I risked crawling through the wall to find you just to listen to your nonsense?" He took two steps forward, his tall figure casting a shadow that almost completely enveloped Liu Li, making it hard for him to breathe. "There's only one way out now. Come with me, and I'll take you to a safe place. After tonight, I guarantee you'll be able to catch your breath."

Liu Li stared into the unfathomable eyes beneath the brim of his hat, dark and murky like a dry well, devoid of any light. He suddenly recalled the "cleanup" rule Jiang Hu had mentioned in his drunken state—once a pawn was exposed, there was never a "transfer," only "disposal." Alarm bells rang in his mind—the other man claimed to be there to rescue him, but the coldness in his eyes made him seem less like a savior and more like a deadly figure.

He instinctively shrank back, his back almost pressed against the door, his hand stealthily reaching for the latch behind him, his fingertips trembling: "You...who exactly are you? Were you sent by 'Old Silver'? Or...or is there someone else? Why should I trust you? Who knows if you're trying to lure me out to silence me!"

The man in black's patience vanished completely, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, like a wolf that had been provoked. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Liu Li's arm, his hand moving with lightning speed and a ruthless edge: "Enough with the nonsense! You're asking for trouble! Come with me!"

Liu Li was prepared. Seeing the other man's hand reach out, he suddenly dodged to the side like a startled rabbit. He grabbed a stool leaning against the wall behind the door and hurled it at the man in black with all his might, his voice rasping, "Don't come any closer! I know what you're up to! You want me to end up like Zhang Jie and Jiang Hu? No way!"

The man in black snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding, but instead raised his hand to block the stool with his arm. A crisp "crack" rang out as the hardwood stool leg snapped in two, sending splinters flying. Using the momentum, he lunged forward, his fist whistling as it aimed straight for Liu Li's face, the force enough to break his nose.

Liu Li was already no match for his opponent's strength, and now he was being beaten so badly that he saw stars. His fingers, gripping the edge of the table, turned white from the force, and his knuckles cracked. Seizing an opening, his opponent kicked him hard in the chest. Liu Li felt a sharp pain, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer. He instantly lost all strength, involuntarily let go of his grip, and staggered backward.

He slammed his head hard against the threshold with a dull thud, and everything went black for a moment. Before he could even recover, the other person pounced on him, pressing his knee firmly against his chest and grabbing his neck with one hand.

"You...you can't..." Liu Li's throat was choked, his breath coming in gasps, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat, only able to make hoarse gasps. He waved his arms in vain, his fingernails scratching shallow bloody marks on the other's arm, but it was like scratching an itch, having no effect whatsoever.

The other person's eyes were cold, and without the slightest hesitation, the force in their hand increased. Liu Li's face quickly turned purplish-red, his eyes bulged outwards, and his legs kicked wildly on the ground, kicking up shards of glass, but he couldn't break free. Gradually, his movements slowed down, his arms fell limply to his sides, and finally, he became completely still, with only a couple of faint rises and falls of his chest before he remained motionless.

The room finally quieted down, with only the steam from the exploded thermos still slowly rising. The other person released his grip, took a breath, looked down at the lifeless Liu Li on the ground, checked his breath to make sure he was no longer breathing, and then stood up.

He glanced around the chaotic room; tables and chairs were overturned, shards of a thermos and water stains were scattered everywhere, and the air was thick with steam and a faint smell of blood. Without a second thought, he straightened his clothes, strode to the window, pushed it open a crack to peek outside, and, making sure no one was watching, leaped out and quickly disappeared into the night.

Inside the house, Liu Li lay on the cold floor, his eyes still wide open, as if lingering with the fear of his impending death. The bloodstains on the threshold slowly congealed, mixing with the water stains on the floor, becoming the most glaring color in this scene of devastation.

The people below stood guard at the top of the stairs, the lanterns at their feet swaying back and forth in the wind, casting shadows that stretched long and short. The longer they waited, the more uneasy they felt—Liu Li should have only been up there for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and even if he had given some important instructions to the people at the stronghold, he should have come down by now, but the upstairs was as quiet as if no one was there, not even the slightest sound of footsteps.