Chapter 7: Lunatic

The few men stared at Lu Fan, who stood before them, completely bewildered. Was this guy some kind of lunatic? Who just walks up to strangers and asks if they dare to kill someone?

"You little brat, where did you crawl out from? Do you think you have the guts to kill?"

"I don't, but I used to watch it all the time. My father was a police officer. When I was a kid, I was timid, so he came up with a way to toughen me up. Every time there was an execution by firing squad, he’d use his connections to take me to the scene to watch."

"Do you know what they used? Type 56 semi-automatic rifles, firing 7.62x39mm rounds—bullets about the size of a pinky finger. At close range, they’d fire right into the back of the skull."

"When the bullet enters the brain and spins at high speed, boom—it blows the top of the skull right off. The brains inside spill out like soft tofu. Sometimes, even the eyeballs get blasted out and bounce a few times on the ground."

"The people being executed died horribly. Most of them ended up missing half their heads."

Lu Fan’s description wasn't particularly vivid, but these men were butchers who were well-accustomed to the sight of blood, and it was easy for them to visualize the scene.

"Are you a fucking lunatic? Why are you telling us this?"

"I think killing a pig is about the same as killing a person, just a cold weapon versus a hot one. Here, take your knife. You have your enemy inside, don't you? Go on, try killing someone."

The eldest of the Zhang brothers looked at the ox-ear pointed knife but didn't reach for it. Instead, he took a step back and cursed, "Get lost! I’m living a perfectly good life; why would I kill anyone?"

"Then I’ll go inside and see for myself."

Lu Fan pocketed the knife and stepped into the Bai family’s house, leaving the group outside staring at each other in confusion.

Bai Shuang’s crying was loud, and Lu Fan had been feeling anxious for a while, desperate to rush in and comfort her. But he knew that if he didn't intimidate the men outside, he wouldn't stand a chance in a physical confrontation. These men were burly and thick-set. While he had learned a few basic self-defense moves from Lu Dawei, he couldn't handle so many at once, especially with the knives they carried.

Having lived two lives, he had plenty of experience and knew there were certain people you didn't provoke—and pig butchers carrying knives were at the top of that list. But for now, he didn't have to worry; the men outside were so rattled by his words they couldn't even process what was happening.

The house was small, and with seven or eight people inside, it felt cramped. The cries of Liu Yue’e and Bai Shuang echoed from the inner room. Lu Fan flexed his wrists and pushed through the crowd. He saw Liu Yue’e, her clothes disheveled, hair matted, and two bloody scratches across her face. Bai Shuang was clutched in her arms, one sleeve torn away, her small arm covered in angry red welts from being pinched.

Lu Fan’s temper flared instantly. It was one thing to bully an adult, but to lay hands on a child?

He lunged forward and kicked the woman who was still pinching Liu Yue’e, sending her flying. She let out a shriek as she slammed into the wall, clutching her stomach, unable to get up.

"You little beast, where did you come from?" the Zhang family matriarch cursed. She raised her cane to strike him, but Lu Fan snatched it away and kicked it—and her—into the middle of the living room, though he kept her from hitting the floor.

A middle-aged woman in her forties stood in the inner room, stammering, "Brother, listen to me, I’m not part of the Zhang family, I’m just a matchmaker..."

Lu Fan loathed that type of person. He slapped her across the face, sending her sprawling onto the bed. She was undoubtedly responsible for the Zhang family coming here to cause trouble.

"He's killing someone! He's killing someone! Where are the Zhang men? Get in here and beat this little beast to death!"

Outside, the three brothers heard their mother’s voice and froze.

"Is he really going to kill someone?"

"Who is he killing?"

They tossed their cigarettes aside and rushed into the courtyard. Meanwhile, Lu Fan had used the cane to drive the people out of the house. He grabbed the slowest woman, kicked her behind the knee, and she collapsed to the ground. He held the cane like a rifle, pointed it at her head, and shouted to the three brothers, "See this? This is how it’s done at the execution ground. Bang! One shot is all it takes. No waste. A bullet costs five yuan, and the prisoner has to pay for that themselves!"

"Eldest, Second, Third, get him! He kicked me, my guts feel like they’re about to snap!"

The three brothers looked at each other. The eldest said, "Second, you go."

"I’m not going. The guy’s a total nutjob. I heard crazy people don't get punished for murder."

"Whoever is getting the bride should be the one to go," the third brother said.

"Third, screw your mother! It’s your wife being held down on the ground—if you don't go, who will?"

"What did we raise you for? Your own mother is being beaten and you’re just standing there watching?" the Zhang matriarch shrieked.

"Mom, this guy isn't right in the head, let's not stoop to his level."

"Being crazy doesn't mean he can just hit people! What are you afraid of? The three of you can't pin down one man? That gun of his is fake!"

"No, Mom, you don't understand, he’s got a knife too."

The group of women had been gaining courage, ready to strike back, but at the mention of the knife, they all wisely stopped and backed away from Lu Fan.

Lu Fan dropped the cane, pulled out the ox-ear knife, and grinned. "You almost made me forget—I do have a knife."

He crouched beside the woman on the ground, touched her neck, and asked, "When you slaughter pigs, you look for the carotid artery, right? People are just like pigs; the artery is right there in the neck."

"What are you doing?"

"Let go of my wife!"

Lu Fan remained unmoved, musing, "I’ve watched pig slaughters. After the kill, you need a basin to catch the blood, right? You can fill half a basin. I wonder how much blood is in a person?"

Lu Fan squatted there in deep thought. Everyone in the circle stared with wide eyes, terrified to speak, fearing that the slightest provocation would make him plunge the blade in. The third brother’s wife was limp with terror, her eyes rolling back; if Lu Fan hadn't been supporting her, she would have collapsed to the floor.

After a moment, Lu Fan said, "Wait here. I’m going to find a basin, and I’ll be right back."

The moment he stepped into the house, the third brother lunged forward, scooped up his wife, and bolted. The others didn't dare hesitate, scrambling out of the yard, not even stopping to retrieve their lost shoes.

Inside, Lu Fan clanged a stainless steel basin loudly and shouted, "Don't run! Aren't you curious?"

The Zhang family came like a storm and left like a storm, leaving behind a scene of utter chaos.

Lu Fan sighed with resignation. What bad luck, running into this right after being reborn. He had used this act of playing the madman for over two years in his past life; if he hadn't, he would have been driven insane by the loan sharks when his business went bankrupt. Compared to those days, today’s scene was merely a light drizzle.

In the face of certain people and circumstances, one had to show a total, cold indifference to survive in a desperate situation. He hadn't expected life to slap him in the face the moment he came back, dragging up those painful memories. He stood in the hall, dazed for a moment, before stitching shut the wound that had been torn open by the familiar misery.

Thinking of the tragic state of Liu Yue’e and Bai Shuang, he lowered his head and ducked into the inner room.

And there, life forced a drop of sweetness down his throat.