The chicken farm owner, unsuspecting and too afraid to approach the giant rat, climbed the ladder with some difficulty, carrying a flashlight to the attic.
The moment he reached the top, a strong stench of decay assaulted his senses. He gagged, inhaling even more air, the putrid smell seemingly filling his entire lungs.
The person downstairs, belatedly remembering something, added, "It stinks up there, remember to hold your breath."
"..."
The chicken farm owner's lungs were already marinated in the stench; he was grateful for the belated reminder.
The flashlight beam swept across the attic. Although he slaughtered chickens regularly, this was the first time he'd seen such a scene. Piles of carcasses were crammed into the corner, some so high they were slowly sliding down. Following the instructions of the person below, he walked to the half-open window and looked down, seeing the ventilation openings on the chicken farm's roof.
Contrary to his initial assumption, the chickens' mysterious disappearance wasn't man-made, but rather the work of a non-human entity. This creature called the giant rat must have dragged the chickens here through the ventilation openings, completely outside the surveillance range; no wonder the cameras hadn't captured anything.
In a way, the chicken farmer was indeed carefree. He assumed the enormous, slightly distorted rat was just a strangely mutated giant mouse, disposed of it, and then, wearing a mask, cleaned and disinfected everything in the attic. That was it.
Jiang Yujin received his fee and saw the legendary DVD. It turned out the chicken farmer had a simple, honest face but was quite knowledgeable about soap operas. The two hit it off immediately and stayed to watch classic soap operas together.
After the chicken farmer finished cleaning the attic, it was nearly evening. Jiang Yujin texted his eldest son and his new boyfriend that he wouldn't be home for dinner, then hung up and sat down next to the chicken farmer.
The chicken farmer even brought out a bunch of beer, saying he felt restricted when his wife and kids were home, but today they weren't, so he could finally drink to his heart's content.
Jiang Yujin echoed the sentiment of similar restriction. The two kindred spirits inexplicably resonated, and both sighed.
As the two men watched TV while sipping their drinks, a neighbor came looking for the chicken farm owner. He went out for a while and returned with news that someone had tried to steal the large tree again that day, but failed and escaped. According to past experience, they should be caught within a day.
The chicken farm owner said, "It must be those remnants of anti-social organizations again."
Jiang Yujin nodded, "Indeed."
The two men sighed and then returned their attention to the TV screen.
The empty wine cans on the table piled up, and the TV program reached a crucial point. The two men on the sofa were engrossed in watching when there was a noise at the door.
Tonight was unusually lively; after the neighbor's visit, there was another knock at the door.
"Coming,"
the chicken farm owner said, putting down his wine can and walking to the entrance to open the door. Jiang Yujin continued watching TV intently.
The door opened, and the chicken farm owner, gripping the doorknob, looked at the person standing outside and asked, "Who are you…?"
His words were swallowed when he saw the sharp dagger in the other person's hand.
The man standing outside had dark circles under his eyes, a chilling gaze, and was covered in filth. He held a knife in one hand and clutched his side with the other, blood seeping from his hand—clearly injured. However, the injury didn't prevent him from holding the knife firmly.
The man didn't speak, advancing step by step with the knife. The chicken farmer retreated, the alcohol he'd drunk instantly sobering him up, his eyes fixed on the blade pointed at him.
...He remembered what his neighbor had told him, and the remnants of the antisocial organization he'd recently mentioned, still on the run.
The man didn't seem to intend to actually attack, constantly glancing back as if checking for anyone or anything. A delicate balance remained between them.
The television was still playing. The chicken farmer glanced slightly at the person in the living room, hoping they would notice what was happening, or at least run out to call the police. But the person remained engrossed in the television, completely unaware of anything amiss.
Then, the unexpected happened. While backing away, the chicken farmer had to keep an eye on the people in the living room and the knife in front of him. The result of this multitasking was that as the man with the knife turned to close the door, the chicken farmer tripped over a protruding tile. His hand instinctively reached forward to steady himself, but the man, who was closing the door, instantly turned, assuming he was about to fight back, and in the blink of an eye, the knife thrust forward without hesitation, giving him no chance to react or explain.
"Ah—"
"Ah!!!"
The chicken farmer's scream and the man's scream rang out simultaneously, the man's voice even more piercing. The knife, which he had been holding, spun around, now facing his pupil.
It physically rotated. His wrist was dislocated, and the man was slammed to the ground by the sudden appearance of the person's elbow. The tip of the knife was less than a centimeter from his pupil, as if the other person could pierce it with a flick of the wrist.
The scene was silent for a moment. The tripped chicken farmer sat on the ground, looking at the person who had somehow appeared in the living room, still panting heavily, his heart pounding.
The room was quiet, save for the television still playing, the male protagonist inside still crying out, "Don't go!" Lights appeared outside, rapidly approaching.
They were headlights, and more than one car. Jiang Yujin pinned the man to the ground, glanced at the door, and his expression changed upon seeing something. He then used the hilt of his knife to knock the man unconscious. Turning to the chicken farm owner, he said, "If anyone asks, just say he fainted from pain, tripped over his own feet, and fell. I have things to do; I'll talk to you another time."
He spoke quickly, as if being chased. After finishing, he added, "Can I use your back door?"
The man fled, while another car pulled up at the door.
The people inside immediately saw the situation through the not-yet-fully-closed door, grabbed their weapons, and quickly got out.
They were from the special investigation team, tracking the remnants of Zero who had attempted to destroy the Luosuo Tree. The enemy was injured and couldn't go far, but they were adept at hiding. The chase dragged on intermittently until evening. Perhaps feeling their actions were too slow, the bureau dispatched the captain, who happened to be on a mission nearby. Upon arrival, the captain quickly located a small grove of trees by the roadside. They spotted the fleeing person briefly and pursued them to this location.
They expected further searching upon arrival, but unexpectedly found the person almost immediately, and it seemed an accident had occurred.
The others got out of the car, but Xu Tonggui didn't. He withdrew his gaze from the house, his brow furrowing slightly, and continued driving forward.
When the group arrived at the house, the person they had been chasing was completely unconscious, his wrist twisted, a gleaming dagger lying nearby, and a middle-aged man slumped nearby, his body soaked in sweat.
Someone inside must have been drinking a lot, as the whole room reeked of alcohol. Someone first checked the breathing of the person lying on the ground; after confirming that their breathing was steady, they quickly handcuffed them and searched their person, taking all their belongings and anything that could be used as a weapon.
The others spoke with the chicken farm owner to understand the situation, asking what had happened and how the person got the injury on their wrist.
The chicken farm owner, still reeling from the shock, blurted out Jiang Yujin's earlier words without thinking: "He was injured and passed out. He tripped over his right foot when he fell ." The special
investigation team members: "...?" One team member tried to persuade the chicken farm owner not to tell a lame joke at this moment, while another team member secured the unconscious suspect. Someone looked around and asked, "Where's Captain Xu?" The person next to him closed the car door tightly, pointed in a direction, and said, "He seems to have driven that way." Jiang Yujin, who hadn't expected to see Xu Tonggui here—who was supposed to be returning home after completing his mission—knew without even smelling him that he reeked of alcohol. He quietly left through the back door, trying to avoid the limelight. He politely closed the back door gently, and as he turned, two car headlights illuminated. The person standing by the car asked him, "Where are you going?" Jiang Yujin: "..." Jiang Yujin closed his eyes and slowly approached the vehicle, his figure exuding a strange resoluteness, as if heading to his execution. —But not entirely resolute. Citizen Jiang stopped some distance from the car. Xu Tonggui waved slightly at him, his voice sounding as usual: "Come closer, let's not be strangers." Jiang Yujin took two more steps forward, standing just beside the car's hood. A strong smell of alcohol wafted towards him. Xu Tonggui asked, "How much did you drink?" Jiang Yujin glanced at him: "No, the client drank it, I just got a little taste." There was a kind of beauty in his attempt to deny it even when facing death. Citizen Jiang was pulled forward. Feeling the cool fingers digging into his hair, and then feeling the contrasting heat on his lips, Jiang Yujin looked up and met a pair of deep, iron-gray eyes. He was pulled backward involuntarily, pressed against the hood. A large, calloused hand brushed the stray hairs that were obscuring his eyes back, Xu Tonggui slightly stood up, giving the other man a moment to catch his breath, and said through gritted teeth in a low voice, "Drinking again." Watching someone drink, the smell of alcohol couldn't possibly have gotten into his mouth. A flashlight flickered in the distance, and footsteps sounded. Jiang Yujin glanced over. The special search team members, who had come looking for Xu Tonggui thinking something was wrong, stood frozen in place, flashlights in hand. "Wow!" "What are you yelling about...wow!!" The flashlight illuminated light-colored pupils; the person pinned to the car had disheveled hair, and their eyes held no emotion. One glance was enough to be captivating, strikingly handsome. The man's shirt was wrinkled; he was the owner of a gossipy agency that frequented the area. The person pinned to the car was their stern-faced Captain Xu. That night, the special search team members present understood two things: never underestimate anyone who is unkempt. The captain's judgment was damn good. Author's Note: A patch: Not everyone in the bureau knew that Old Jiang was a high-risk player. On the way back to shore from Atsha, Old Jiang had been squatting in a corner getting some fresh air. After getting ashore, most people went straight back to headquarters and didn't get a close look. Those who knew the t
ruth didn't dare to speak out (nods).