A Hospital Visit and a Voyage
Afternoon sunlight streamed gently through the clean windows, warming the ward and dispelling the chill of the disinfectant. The air was filled with the faint scent of lilies—which Monkey had specially bought and placed in a vase yesterday.
Hou Xiaoya leaned against the rocking hospital bed, her face still pale from recovering from a serious illness, her lips bloodless, but her big eyes had regained their sparkle, no longer the empty, panicked look she had in Ankang Hospital. She was wearing a clean hospital gown, and her brother had carefully braided her hair into two loose braids, which draped over her shoulders.
The door was gently pushed open, and Lin Feng walked in carrying a fruit basket and a box of premium nutritional supplements.
"Brother Feng!" Hou Xiaoya's eyes lit up. Although her voice was still a little weak, it was filled with clear joy as she greeted him obediently.
Monkey (Hou Jun), who was peeling an orange for his sister on the edge of the bed, looked up when he heard the sound. When he saw Lin Feng, his face immediately lit up with a smile, a genuine smile without any gloom. "Madman! You're here! Come on, sit down!" He quickly got up, pulled over a chair, and casually wiped the chair surface with his sleeve.
Lin Feng smiled gently and nodded to Hou Xiaoya: "Xiaoya, are you feeling better?" He placed his things on the bedside table.
"I feel much better, thank you, Brother Feng." Hou Xiaoya replied earnestly, her eyes filled with gratitude. She knew that the fact that she could lie in the clean ward of this reputable hospital, instead of in that terrible place, Ankang Hospital, was largely due to the help of this always calm brother.
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Lin Feng smiled, naturally picked up an Apple from the fruit basket and a fruit knife, sat down in the chair, and began to carefully peel the apple. His fingers were long and steady, and the Apple fell down evenly without breaking.
The Monkey sat back down beside his sister's bed, handing Xiaoya the peeled orange segments, but couldn't help starting to complain. His brows furrowed, and his tone was full of resentment and indignation:
"Ugh, it's infuriating just thinking about it! Madman, did you see the news? The internet is in an uproar! The evidence was so solid, we even had the recordings, and what happened? Those two bastards, Wei Guangyuan and Qian Zhiming, got away! The police searched the whole city for days and didn't catch a single hair! I bet they got wind of it beforehand! Those scumbags, they're incredibly powerful! Just thinking about them living it up somewhere, making me feel like I have a stone stuck in my chest!"
He grew angrier as he spoke, his fists clenching involuntarily. The suffering his sister endured, the tears his parents shed, the pressure and fear his family bore—all stemmed from those two heartless, rotten-hearted people. Now the main culprit had fled, and although Ankang Hospital had been shut down and some of his henchmen had been arrested, the biggest villain was still at large. He simply couldn't swallow this insult.
Lin Feng was intently peeling the Apple, the long peel swirling between his fingers. Hearing the Monkey's complaint, his hands didn't pause; only the corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards. He glanced at the Monkey, his tone calm yet pointed, and said:
"Running away... isn't necessarily a good thing."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear in the quiet hospital room.
The Monkey was peeling an orange when he heard this and paused, his movements halting. He turned to look at Lin Feng and saw the calm, even enigmatic smile on the other's face, which didn't seem like he was simply trying to comfort him.
The Monkey's mind is simple and direct, without many twists and turns. He trusts Lin Feng not only because Lin Feng is his brother, but also because when his family faced annihilation, it was this brother who unhesitatingly lent a helping hand, brought Lawyer Zhou, found crucial evidence, and ultimately rescued his sister from the abyss. In his heart, Lin Feng is a benefactor, an absolutely trustworthy confidant.
Therefore, he understood and accepted Lin Feng's words almost instinctively. After his initial shock, he didn't delve into the deeper meaning of Lin Feng's words, nor did he speculate whether Lin Feng knew anything inside or had done anything. He simply followed Lin Feng's words and came up with an explanation in his mind that best suited his simple values.
The resentment on his face gradually gave way to a sense of relief and anticipation. The Monkey nodded heavily, grinned, and said:
"Yes! You're right, you Madman! Running away isn't necessarily a good thing! Heaven is watching over wicked people like them, who have lost all conscience! They've done so many evil deeds, they'll get their retribution sooner or later! It's not that they won't be punished, it's just that their time hasn't come yet! Maybe they're already suffering somewhere, or maybe they'll die an even more horrible death in the future! That's what they call 'the wicked will be punished by Heaven!'"
The more he talked, the more sense it made, and the anger that had been building up inside him seemed to ease a bit. He stuffed the peeled orange into his mouth and chewed it hard, as if he were chewing the flesh of his two enemies.
Lin Feng smiled at his expression and didn't say anything more. At this moment, the Apple was peeled, round and smooth, without a trace of peel left. He carefully cut the Apple into small pieces, stuck toothpicks in them, placed them on a small plate, and handed them to Hou Xiaoya.
"Thank you, Brother Feng." Hou Xiaoya obediently took the food and ate it in small bites. A faint blush appeared on her pale face from eating and the sunlight.
Seeing his younger sister eating so heartily, the Monkey felt even better and started chattering to Lin Feng about her recovery plan, how to get leave from school, and how their parents planned to come and take turns caring for her. Lin Feng listened quietly, occasionally nodding or offering a suggestion or two. The atmosphere in the ward was warm and peaceful, as if the turbulent waves and bloody conspiracies outside had nothing to do with this small space.
The sunlight moved silently, stretching the shadows of the three people and making them intertwine.
In stark contrast to the bright and warm atmosphere of the hospital, a small private harbor on a desolate coastline on the edge of the city is shrouded in the heavy darkness of night and the salty, icy sea breeze.
There are no bright lights here, only a few dim, yellowish old streetlights that barely illuminate the small patch of ground beneath our feet, and the faint reflections of scattered fishing lights on the distant sea. The decaying wooden pier stretches out into the dark sea, creaking under its own weight, and the waves crash against the rocks and abandoned ship hulls, the sound monotonous and oppressive.
An inconspicuous black sedan slid into the port area like Ghost, turned off its lights, and silently stopped behind a pile of abandoned fishing nets and buoys.
The car door opened, and K got out. He had changed into a dark tracksuit, carrying a slightly worn dark backpack, and nothing else in his hands. He closed the car door, leaving it unlocked—the car, and any traces that might be left inside, would soon "disappear naturally" in some way.
He stood there, his gaze sweeping across the dark dock like night vision goggles. The salty, cold sea breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, but he remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious to the chill.
Soon, a short, stocky man with dark skin, wearing a waterproof jacket, emerged from the shadows of a pile of shipping containers, a cigarette dangling from his lips, sparks flickering in the darkness. He stopped a few steps away from K, squinting as he scrutinized K from head to toe, his eyes filled with scrutiny, vigilance, and a hint of cunning honed from years of operating in lawless areas.
"Just you?" The man's voice was rough and hoarse, with a heavy local accent.
K nodded without saying anything.
"Where's the money?" the man asked bluntly.
K pulled a thick paper package wrapped in plastic from the side pocket of his sweatpants and handed it over. The man took it, and in the extremely dim light of the distant streetlamp, skillfully twisted open a corner of the plastic with his fingers, quickly measured the thickness, felt the edge of the banknotes, then gave a satisfied "hmm" and stuffed the package into the inside pocket of his jacket.
"You all know the rules, right?" The man spat out his cigarette butt and stomped it out. "Once you're on the boat, shut up, don't look around, and don't ask any questions. Someone will pick you up when we get there. If you encounter any 'storms' on the way, be careful. We're 'fishing' this time, understand?"
K nodded again, indicating that he understood. The so-called "wind and waves" naturally referred to possible maritime patrols or inspections.
The man said no more, turned around, and walked towards a darker corner at the end of the pier, waving to K to follow.
K followed silently behind. The wooden planks beneath their feet were slippery, and the howling of the sea wind grew louder.
At the end of the pier, a dilapidated medium-sized fishing boat was moored, its paint peeling and its number illegible. Dim light shone from the cabin, and the shadowy figures of people could be vaguely seen. The motor at the stern had already started, emitting a deep and powerful "putt-putt" sound that masked many subtle movements.
The man walked to the side of the boat, jumped on first, then turned and reached out his hand to K. K didn't use any leverage; he easily leaped on by himself, his movements clean and swift.
"Go inside and find a place to sit. We'll leave once everyone's here." The man pointed to the dark entrance to the cabin.
K bent down and crawled into the cabin. The air inside was foul, a mixture of fishy, diesel, sweat, and tobacco smells. A dim waterproof lamp hung from the ceiling, swaying gently with the ship's movement.
The cabin was cramped, and five or six people were already sitting or squatting inside. There were men and women, most of them with their heads down, their faces hidden by hat brims or scarves, so their expressions were not visible. They kept their distance from each other, and no one spoke; the atmosphere was heavy and tense. The only sounds were heavy breathing and the creaking of the ship as it rocked.
K's gaze swept quickly over the people, not lingering on any of them. He found a corner near the bulkhead, placed his backpack behind him, sat down, and closed his eyes, as if in deep meditation. His presence instantly diminished to a minimum, almost blending into the shadows of the cabin.
The others merely glanced at the silent newcomer before quickly averting their gaze. Here, curiosity was superfluous, even dangerous.
About ten minutes later, the short, stocky snakeskin man led in two or three more people. The cabin became even more crowded, and the air felt even more suffocating.
"Everyone's here, let's set sail!" the smuggler shouted towards the cockpit.
Soon, the fishing boat's engine roared even louder, the hull visibly shook, and it began to move slowly, leaving the dilapidated pier, turning its bow, and heading towards the dark, boundless depths of the sea.
The people in the cabin all breathed a sigh of relief, but this was quickly replaced by uncertainty and anxiety about the unknown road ahead. Some began to cough softly, while others shifted their bodies slightly.
K remained with his eyes closed, leaning against the bulkhead, seemingly asleep. Only he knew that he was silently calculating the course, time, and potential risk windows in his mind.
The fishing boat cut through the black waves, leaving a white trail behind it, gradually moving away from the dimly lit but already perilous land behind it, heading towards the southern seas known for their chaos, blurred boundaries, and countless possibilities.
The night was as dark as ink, swallowing the outlines of the ships, leaving only the faint sound of motors fading into the distance, eventually disappearing completely into the chorus of the sea breeze and the waves.