Chapter Six: The Robbery

Yang Jiekai nodded. "That's right, I'm the master of this house. And who the hell are you, barging in here and making a scene?"

"What did you say!" One of the burly men standing behind the pale-faced man bellowed, ready to rush forward, but he was stopped by a raised hand from the pale man, who looked at Yang Jiekai with arrogant disdain.

"My name is Lin Wenjie. This house is now registered under my name. I'm here to claim the property. Is there a problem?"

"Wang Ma, is this true?"

Yang Jiekai turned to Wang Ma. Seeing her nod gently through her tears, he turned back to Lin Wenjie. "Listen, man, show a little mercy. Everything my wife owns has already been divided up by you people. What more do you want? Do you really mean to throw her out into the street to sleep under the open sky?"

Lin Wenjie snorted coldly. "Where she sleeps is none of my concern. I'm here to inform you—you have tonight to move out. Tomorrow morning I'll come to take possession. If you're still here, don't blame me for what happens next."

With that, he strode away, full of self-importance.

Wang Ma and Han Ning were both in tears. No matter how strong Han Ning might be, she was still a woman. Now, brought so low, her already fragile heart could bear no more.

"Miss, don't be sad. At worst, we'll just move out. If it comes to it, come back to the countryside with me. There's still the old house—it's not much, but at least it'll keep out the wind and rain." Wang Ma tried to comfort Han Ning, even as she wept herself.

Han Ning wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Don't worry, Wang Ma. I won't fall so far. Though all my assets have been transferred out, I still have another card, opened in my sister's name. There's some savings left; we can buy another apartment."

"What? You have another card?"

The moment Yang Jiekai heard Han Ning say she still had savings, his eyes lit up. He was about to ask how much, but then swallowed the words. Han Ning had just said it wasn't under her name—so even if they divorced, he wouldn't get a cent.

"Enough, no more crying. Just because someone tells you to move, you go?"

Yang Jiekai had grown up amidst war and found it hard to stomach such passive submission. To him, whose name was on the deed was irrelevant—a piece of worthless paper.

"Don't worry, honey." He said to Han Ning, whose eyes were red from crying. "You just stay here as you like. If that punk dares to come collect the house tomorrow, I'll break his legs."

With that, Yang Jiekai grabbed a banana from the coffee table and headed for his room, eating as he went.

"Miss, I think the young master is right." After Yang Jiekai went to his room, Wang Ma turned to Han Ning. "Tomorrow I'll sit right here. If Lin Wenjie tries to throw you out, I'll die right in front of him!"

"Wang Ma!" Han Ning looked at the woman who had raised her since birth, feeling as though her heart were bleeding. Her mother had died in childbirth, her father disappeared soon after, and it was Wang Ma who had raised her like her own daughter. Their bond was far deeper than that of ordinary mistress and servant.

Yang Jiekai, back in his room, cared little for the Han family's affairs. His immediate concern was finding a large sum of money to solve his urgent problem. As he pondered how much Han Ning might have on that card, the television suddenly broadcast a news report.

"Now for a breaking announcement: according to experts, this year's total lunar eclipse will occur earlier than expected—tonight, between ten and eleven o'clock..."

At these words, Yang Jiekai leapt off the bed, swearing loudly, and slammed his fist against the wall. "Damn these experts! Where the hell have they been!"

If one of those so-called "experts" stood before him now, Yang Jiekai would have torn him limb from limb. The lunar eclipse had been moved forward so much, yet they only now announced it!

After his outburst, sweat broke out on his brow, and his already pale face turned ashen. He fumbled for his phone with trembling hands and quickly dialed a number.

The call connected immediately.

"This is Yang Jiekai. Prepare a pill for me—immediately!"

A cold male voice answered, "Mr. Yang, I was just about to call you. I just learned that the lunar eclipse will occur earlier, but don't worry. Our pill will see you safely through tonight..."

"Cut the crap. Time and place!"

A chuckle from the other end. "Don't be anxious, Mr. Yang. There are two hours until the 'heavenly dog devours the moon.' In that time, if you transfer five million to me, I'll tell you where the pill is."

At the mention of money, Yang Jiekai's heart sank. This was why he had been so desperate to get his hands on a large sum since returning to China.

Ever since the biochemical attack, his body had changed. Whenever the seasons shifted or there was a lunar eclipse, he would go mad. Without that pill, the consequences were unimaginable.

He had no idea who the man on the phone was, only that the pill in his possession was his only hope of survival.

"Can I owe you? I'll pay as soon as I have the money..."

"Sorry, Mr. Yang." The mysterious voice was firm. "You know my rules. The pill is ready. You have two and a half hours. If you manage to raise the money, call me. If not, you're on your own."

The line went dead.

On the TV, a bald "expert" was rambling on about the early eclipse. Yang Jiekai longed to drag him out of the screen and give him a beating!

Five million. Two and a half hours. Where on earth was he supposed to find five million?

Yang Jiekai paced the room like an ant on a hot stove, unable to think of a way to scrape together such a sum in so short a time.

Back when he was a mercenary overseas, five million was nothing—he'd earn and spend it freely, knowing any day could be his last. As a result, he had no savings at all.

Five million—he couldn't even rob that much in one go!

Wait. Rob?

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind just as a crack of thunder split the night outside, and the moon began to grow hazy.

At the same moment, his body reacted. He felt his blood surging and boiling, a wild thirst for blood rising within him.

He couldn't last much longer—who knew what might happen if this continued?

Yang Jiekai knew his transformation was imminent. Without another thought, he yanked open the door and rushed upstairs, running into Wang Ma coming down.

"Young master, where are you going in such a hurry?" Wang Ma was startled to see him racing up the stairs.

But the next instant, her heart lurched as she grabbed at his sleeve. "Young master, don't!"

Every cell in Yang Jiekai's body was writhing as if alive, unspeakable agony wracking him. He shoved Wang Ma to the floor and pounded on Han Ning's door.

Han Ning had been reading through some documents. Hearing the commotion, she opened the door—and recoiled in shock.

Yang Jiekai's eyes were wide and bloodshot, veins snaking across them like worms. He stared at Han Ning and said, enunciating each word, "Lend me five million. Now."

Before she could react, he seized her shoulder in a grip like a vise, his face twisted with desperation. "Lend me five million or I'll kill you!"

Han Ning felt as if her shoulder were caught in a mechanical clamp, tears springing from the pain. Staring into Yang Jiekai's crazed eyes, she was seized by a primal terror.

"Young master, please, let Miss go..." Wang Ma threw herself at Yang Jiekai, pulling at him, but he grabbed her by the throat with his other hand, his grip so strong she couldn't breathe.

"Wang Ma!"

Snapping out of her shock, Han Ning summoned all her strength and shouted, "I'll give it to you! Just let her go!"

Yang Jiekai released Han Ning and she quickly rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a bank card in her cousin's name and tossing it to him, sobbing, "The password is the last six digits of the card number. Let Wang Ma go!"

Panting, Yang Jiekai snatched up the card and bolted down the stairs.

"Wang Ma, are you alright?"

Seeing Wang Ma's face turn a livid purple, Han Ning was terrified. Only after several deep breaths did Wang Ma's color gradually return.

The two women, as close as mother and daughter, hugged each other and wept.

"Miss, why must your life be so hard?" Wang Ma sobbed. Others only saw Han Ning's brilliance; only she knew how much the girl had endured. Orphaned from birth, she had fought alone against both her family and the world, only to end up with such a husband.

Meanwhile, on a platform halfway up the hill outside Anhai City, a group of amateur astronomers had gathered, setting up telescopes to observe the lunar eclipse.

"I heard there are zombies up here," a well-dressed man teased the young woman beside him as he adjusted his telescope.

The woman, busy setting up her new high-powered scope, didn't even look up. "I don't believe in that nonsense—ghosts, gods, it's all superstition."

The man said seriously, "Maybe not ghosts and gods, but I believe in zombies. There are documented cases overseas—get infected by a corpse virus and you turn into a zombie: savage, fast, and fond of drinking blood."

"You're thinking of Resident Evil," the young woman said, finishing her adjustments. "That's just a movie. I don't buy it."

"Believe what you want." The man lit a cigarette and waited for the eclipse, glancing idly over his shoulder—just in time to see a shadow dart past at an inhuman speed.

His cigarette fell to the ground, and his voice trembled. "I... I think I just saw one..."