That evening, someone suddenly jumped down from the high wall of the quarry, landing amidst the pile of rocks outside.

The wall was over four meters high. Normally, a jump from such a height would guarantee an injury, let alone landing on jagged rocks where each piece feels like a spike, capable of puncturing upon impact.

Yet, this person landed smoothly without a hint of injury and quickly sprang up, running purposefully in one direction.

The man seemed to be about thirty, with ordinary features. Though not bulky, he had a sturdy build and ran swiftly, traversing the uneven rocky terrain as if it were flat ground, soon disappearing into the mountainous recesses.

He sprinted wildly, evidently familiar with the surroundings.

He reached a road where a red Santana, its hue faded and unremarkable, was parked by the side.

By the car stood a benevolent-looking fat man who appeared tense, having waited here for a while, worried about any changes. If Lin Fan were here, he'd instantly recognize this fat man as Hong Jinmao.

Seeing the man running over, Hong Jinmao's tense face finally relaxed into a smile: "You're finally here, let's get in the car first."

Hong Jinmao opened the passenger door for the man, who climbed in without a word.

Then, Hong Jinmao got into the driver's seat, started the car, and drove away from the scene, soon disappearing into the dusk.

"Everything went smoothly, right? Is anyone tracking you?" Hong Jinmao glanced at the man in the passenger seat and asked.

This man was Ye Tianyu.

"Don't worry, I left no traces behind. They're probably still baffled, wondering how I escaped," Ye Tianyu laughed, a hint of pride in his voice, as if breaking out of prison was a mere trifle, not something to regard seriously.

Hong Jinmao said: "That's good. You've been in prison for nearly a year, and it's finally over. They'll never dream you were hiding in prison."

Ye Tianyu replied: "According to our agreement, I escaped three days after hearing they were coming. You didn't lie; they truly came, right?"

He confirmed cautiously with Hong Jinmao.

Hong Jinmao smiled: "See for yourself."

Ye Tianyu was taken aback, suddenly feeling chills as he turned to look at the back seat, shocked to see someone sitting there.

A young man.

This person sat quietly, as if he didn't exist, his presence unnoticeable until seen, leaving no trace of when he appeared.

Seeing Ye Tianyu look over, the young man nodded slightly.

After a brief shock, Ye Tianyu was visibly pleased. This person was very strong, and he seemed reassured.

Hong Jinmao said: "No need to worry now, although we must still evade the police, leaving Yun City before they're on to us." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Ye Tianyu said: "Considering police efficiency, even if they figure something out, it'll take days, by then we'll be long gone from Yun City."

Hong Jinmao laughed: "Exactly, with our meticulous planning, there's no way they'll track us down easily."

Nightfall arrived, and this unremarkable Santana avoided the main road, taking a rural path to a village, stopping in front of a farmhouse.

Hong Jinmao said: "With you escaping prison, the police will set up blockades everywhere. You'll need to stay here temporarily; they won't imagine you're already here. Tomorrow, I'll arrange for us to leave via water."

Ye Tianyu said: "Thank you, Brother Hong."

Ye Tianyu then got out of the car, followed by the young man from the back seat. Upon closer inspection, the young man seemed oddly dressed, as if he didn't belong to this era.

With them dropped off, Hong Jinmao drove away from the village, heading back to the city.

Without Ye Tianyu, Hong Jinmao confidently merged onto the main road, blending into the traffic heading to the city.

Soon, traffic jammed ahead due to police checkpoints with police dogs.

Hong Jinmao drove forward; suddenly, the police dogs barked aggressively at his car.

The police stopped Hong Jinmao's car, leaning in to peer inside, seeing it was only Hong Jinmao alone, without anyone else.

Hong Jinmao was aware these police were positioned to catch the fugitive, likely triggered by Ye Tianyu having been in his car, leaving traces to catch the dogs' attention.

Still, Hong Jinmao was at ease, proactively chatting with the police: "Officer, what's happening, car checks at night? What's up?"

The officer glanced at him, saying: "Routine check-ups, where are you coming from?"

Hong Jinmao smiled: "Heading back to the city after some business out of town, got delayed, so I'm pretty late."

The officer said: "Open the trunk, please."

Hong Jinmao cooperatively opened the trunk, the officer checked, finding nothing. It was merely an ordinary car driven by an ordinary middle-aged man.

Finding nothing, the officer waved Hong Jinmao forward, indicating he could leave.

"Alright!" Hong Jinmao said, pleased internally, and started the car, smoothly passing through the checkpoint.

After driving a while, Hong Jinmao glanced at the busy police through the rearview mirror, a smug look on his face.

"You're too late. Now you're just doing pointless work. By the time you're after me, if you even can, I'll be long gone!" Hong Jinmao muttered.

Afterward, Hong Jinmao returned to Yun City, arriving at the old district in front of a dilapidated courtyard, his residence.

Hong Jinmao, aged fifty, a Hongmen disciple, practiced martial arts, a detail known to few besides fellow practitioners.

In today's world, martial arts are no longer mainstream, most people don't train, preferring gyms instead. Martial arts still exist, but hold little presence.

Mention martial arts, and people think of traditional disciplines or old frauds, unaware of martial arts masters still existing.

Hong Jinmao lived low-profile, rarely revealing his identity, like during a subway conflict with a couple causing trouble, when he and his junior, Li Chenghu, showed restraint, not using true skills.

Only later, thinking Lin Fan was a fellow practitioner, did Hong Jinmao introduce his martial arts identity.

Returning home, Hong Jinmao was startled to see a police car parked outside his courtyard!

Hong Jinmao's expression changed, shocked at seeing police here so quickly — could they have already found him, how was that possible?

Undecided, Hong Jinmao instinctively considered escaping.

Click!

Someone appeared nearby, knocking on his window.

Hong Jinmao looked up, surprised, the person knocking was someone he recognized from the subway.

Lin Fan!