The dark-skinned man was hoisted back into the patrol car, its siren screaming as it sped toward the Central Hospital. With his departure, a piece of Xiao Shu’s heart went with him. He longed to follow, to uncover whether the person who gouged out the dark-skinned man’s eyes was the same one who had mutilated Hua Gu, and to discover the role that Li Xiaohao played in this horrifying human tragedy. Yet, Xiao Yu’s disappearance was a constant weight; until his companion was found, his heart remained suspended in limbo. If anything terrible had happened to Xiao Yu, how could he possibly face his sister, or his own conscience?

Thinking this over, Xiao Shu resolved to search again. However, just as he lifted the tent flap, ready to step out, Old He’s hand shot out and stopped him. “Where are you sneaking off to now, kid?”

Xiao Shu glanced briefly at Xiao Yu’s sister and said calmly, “None of us will rest easy until Xiao Yu is found. I’m going out to look once more.” Seeing his determination, and knowing Xiao Yu’s sister was deeply anxious for her brother’s safety, she reluctantly pulled another dagger from her waist and handed it to Xiao Shu. “Don’t get caught this time,” Old He warned, “or I don’t know what the consequences might be.”

This new dagger was different from the last. Its handle bore a button; pressing it caused the blade to instantly spring out of its groove—a switchblade, as people called them. It could serve as a hidden weapon; when an enemy closed in, one could press the button unexpectedly while gripping the handle, deploying the blade. At extremely close range, its lethality was immense. In peacetime, it had been listed as contraband on public transport, banned from trains or planes. Xiao Shu tested it twice; he felt it was even better than the previous one. Tucking it into his trouser pocket, he followed Old He out the door.

Old He led him to a deserted exit, beside which the refuse discarded daily by the shelter residents had piled up into a mountain, teeming with flies and gnats. Normally, sanitation departments would clear and haul this away daily, but with the city paralyzed, the sanitation workers were now living in the shelters, and no one was left to do the work, allowing the garbage to grow higher and stenchier. Precisely because of this, this corner was easily avoided; even the patrolling police rarely checked it, making it a blind spot for free passage.

“Once you get out here, it’s Qinxin Park,” Old He pointed toward the exit beside the garbage heap. “That area has also been converted into a shelter. If you exit near Qinxin Park, tell the police you came from our side. When you return, use this same entrance; don’t let any police officer who knows your history see you, or you’ll end up in the dark room.” Xiao Shu nodded, took a deep breath, balanced on his toes, and navigated the alley littered with refuse. He waved to Old He, and once he saw Old He walk away with a look of reassurance, Xiao Shu himself began to stride forward purposefully.

Following Old He’s directions, he circled Qinxin Park and eventually wound his way back to the exact spot where he had fought the dark-skinned man. The dark-skinned man and the patrol car had only been separated by a few minutes, meaning the location where the eyes were gouged out couldn't be far from the fight site. He needed to see exactly what had transpired after he left, and only then could he begin searching for Xiao Yu.

The fractured block of street was now deathly silent. The people who had been scavenging for valuables among the rubble were gone; not even a rat could be seen now. On the stone slab near the goldsmith shop where the old woman had fallen, a vivid crimson stain still shimmered—likely the blood from a head wound when she fell backward. Walking another few hundred meters forward, to the area where the crowd had surrounded Xiao Shu during the fight, the ground was startlingly white and clean. Xiao Shu systematically walked the four street corners in the direction they had scattered, finding a shadowy nook at each corner capable of hiding one or two people. But now, every single corner was splattered with gore, as if it had been washed in blood.