The country entrusted me to buy an aircraft carrier, Hou Liangping, do you dare to investigate?

She walked quickly to the car, opened the door, and got in. She then placed her bag on her lap, clutching it tightly with both hands, her eyes filled with an unspeakable worry.

"Are you alright?" Huang Feipeng asked in a low voice. Although he tried to remain calm, one could still hear a hint of unease in his tone.

“I’m fine.” His wife’s answer was simple, but full of determination. “You don’t need to worry. The important thing is that you’re alright.”

Her gaze was fixed on Huang Feipeng, as if trying to read something in his eyes, but Huang Feipeng didn't let her see anything. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, took a deep breath, and slammed on the accelerator, the car roaring past on the dark street.

A hush fell over the car, broken only by the engine's roar echoing in the night. Huang Feipeng dared not think further; his only thought was to get away from this city as soon as possible, to go somewhere unknown, and start a new life. Then, he would regain his rhythm, rediscover the calm and fearless Huang Feipeng he once was.

His wife seemed to notice his silence and said softly, "Feipeng, are we doing the right thing? Can all of this really end?"

Huang Feipeng glanced sideways, his eyes calm as ever: "There's no right or wrong. We had no choice. Since we chose to escape, there's no turning back."

The wife nodded, her eyes filled with worry: "I know, but how far can we escape? The ghost won't let us go."

Huang Feipeng drove the car out of the city's borders. The surrounding night began to feel unfamiliar and deep. The car headlights pierced the darkness, and the outlines of the mountains were faintly visible in the distance. He didn't look back, his mind calmly considering his next plan. Although he knew he had fallen into a huge vortex, the only thing that could give him a moment of peace now was his home, the place that could temporarily shield him from everything.

“You know what,” the wife suddenly broke the silence in the car, her voice tinged with hesitation, “I’m suddenly a little scared. I don’t know what the future holds. If we leave here, can we really escape those people’s pursuit? It seems like they’re watching us all the time.”

Huang Feipeng's gaze remained fixed on the road ahead, but a subtle anxiety was creeping within him. His wife's voice was like a needle piercing the calm lake of his heart, stirring ripples in its depths. He knew she wasn't fearless, but as her husband, he felt powerless to offer her genuine comfort.

“They will keep looking for us until we disappear completely. Or, until we fight back.” Huang Feipeng uttered these words slowly, without a trace of hesitation in his voice. He knew that there was no turning back on this path; there was only moving forward, only breaking free of constraints, and reclaiming the freedom that truly belonged to him.

The wheels creaked on the asphalt, but Huang Feipeng's mind was in turmoil. He had never imagined he would experience such emotional turmoil. Even in this perilous escape, he still felt a hidden fear from time to time—not the threat of the ghost, but a recognition of some weakness deep within himself. He began to reflect on the true motives behind his and his wife's escape from the city: was it escapism? Or, ultimately, a genuine desire to change their fate?

Huang Feipeng shifted his gaze slightly from the road ahead to his wife in the passenger seat. Her expression still held a hint of tension, her eyes slightly red, clearly indicating the pressure this sudden change had placed on her. Huang Feipeng felt a soft spot in his heart stir for a moment, but this emotion did not lower his guard; instead, it strengthened his resolve—he could not allow this emotion to cloud his judgment and actions. In any case, the unknown ahead was his greatest enemy.

“Don’t worry.” Huang Feipeng turned around, his eyes as calm as ever. “We will keep hiding until they think we’ve disappeared. Then, we will find our own place and start a new life.”

A slight relaxation appeared on his wife's face, but she then asked with some doubt, "When can we really stop? When can we really settle down? You know, I'm not afraid of all of this, but I'm afraid of the endless escape." She added softly, "I... I really don't want to go on like this anymore."

Huang Feipeng remained silent for a moment, not answering immediately. The scenery outside the car window rushed past, and all that remained was the whistling of the wind; it felt as if the whole world had become distant at that moment. Yes, the escape was indeed exhausting. This endless avoidance seemed to be pushing the two of them further and further apart, even making him begin to doubt whether he had made the right choice.

“I know,” Huang Feipeng said in a low voice, “but we can’t stop now. Even a brief pause would be our fatal weakness.”

Silence fell again in the car. His wife didn't ask any more questions, and Huang Feipeng didn't say anything more either. His mind began to race. Although he repeatedly emphasized calmness and rationality, a voice inside him kept reminding him that this couldn't go on. The days on the run were destined to be short-lived. Perhaps, only a counterattack could pull them out of this vortex.

Thinking of this, his heart skipped a beat, and the road ahead seemed to blur for a moment. He slowly stepped on the brakes, and the car came to a smooth stop at the side of the road. Huang Feipeng's action of stopping the car was swift and decisive; at this moment, he felt a clarity he had never felt before.

"I need to go back and prepare some things." Huang Feipeng turned his head, a determined look flashing in his eyes.

His wife paused, seemingly not fully understanding Huang Feipeng's meaning. "You want to go back? But... wouldn't that be too dangerous? We just escaped."

Huang Feipeng looked at her calmly and said in a deep voice, "I need to prepare for a bigger operation. This escape is not an end, but a beginning."

His wife frowned, clearly not understanding Huang Feipeng's sudden decision: "What do you mean by 'action'? What are you going to do?"

Huang Feipeng didn't answer, but gazed intently into the distance, as if scrutinizing an almost unseen future. He knew that fleeing was not a long-term solution; the dark forces wouldn't let them go easily. To truly escape everything, he had to break free of these shackles, strike at the ghost and the forces behind it, and only then could he gain freedom.

"You stay here and wait for me," Huang Feipeng said in a clear and firm voice. "I'll be right back."

His wife remained silent for a moment, seemingly realizing Huang Feipeng's determination.