The bowl hit the floor louder than expected.

Porcelain shards flew — one to the corner, one under the shoe cabinet.

Rice scattered white across the floor. A few grains stuck to the edge of Chen Feng's slippers.

He looked down at the broken pieces.

On the bottom of the bowl was a small fish.

He'd picked it out three years ago, shopping with Su Wan at the supermarket. A set of eight. He chose the one with the fish.

Back then, Su Wan had laughed and said — "You picked the fish, so you're the fish, and I'm the water that keeps you alive."

The water hadn't kept the fish alive.

The water was drowning it.

"Eat, eat, eat — you still want to eat?!"

Liu Cuilan's voice cut through the living room.

"Chen Feng, I'm telling you — today, you sign the divorce papers!"

"Three years. Three years you've been freeloading in my house, and you still have the nerve to pick up that bowl?!"

Chen Feng didn't move.

His chopsticks were still in his hand. Food halfway to his mouth. Hovering in mid-air.

Oil dripped onto the table.

"Mom — keep your voice down."

Su Wan's voice drifted over from the living room sofa.

She didn't look up.

Her phone screen lit up her face. She was scrolling through short videos.

Didn't even glance his way.

"Why should I keep my voice down?!"

Liu Cuilan's voice got louder.

"You give me an answer today! Divorce or not?!"

"Divorce, and everyone's happy. Young Master Zhao has been waiting for half a year!"

"He drives a Porsche. Lives in Shenzhen Bay No. 1. Ask your son-in-law — what does he have? What does he have?!"

She walked to the table and grabbed Chen Feng's bowl.

Empty. He hadn't even filled it with rice yet.

She didn't throw it.

She held it up, then smashed it on the floor.

Crack.

Another one broken.

"You don't deserve this bowl either."

Chen Feng looked at the second pile of shards.

The first bowl had a fish on the bottom.

This one had a plum blossom.

Four words came out of his mouth. Quietly.

"Are you done?"

Liu Cuilan froze.

In three years, Chen Feng had never used that tone with her.

Before this, he'd always lower his head — "Mom, please calm down." "Mom, I'll wash the dishes." "Mom, I'll leave right now."

Not today.

"You — what attitude is that?!"

She pointed a finger at him.

"You think I don't dare kick you out?!"

"You think I won't have the security guard throw your stuff out?!"

"You're a delivery driver. What do you have to be proud of?!"

Chen Feng put down his chopsticks.

Slowly.

The chopsticks touched the table with a soft click.

"Su Chengzhi's situation. Do you know about it?"

Liu Cuilan's face changed.

"What's wrong with my son?!"

"Nothing's wrong with him."

Chen Feng leaned back in his chair.

"Last month, he played a game at Dingsheng's parlor. He lost the Su Group's South District warehouse mortgage documents."

"You're lying!"

"Lying?"

Chen Feng pulled out his phone. Swiped twice.

Turned the screen toward Liu Cuilan.

On the screen was a photo —

Su Chengzhi sitting at a gambling table. A pile of chips in front of him.

Next to him sat a bald man, hand on his shoulder, smiling wide.

The photo was clear.

Timestamp: the 18th of last month.

Liu Cuilan's face went white.

"Where — where did you get this —"

"Don't worry about where."

Chen Feng put away his phone.

"Just tell me — did you know about this or not?"

From the living room, the short video sound stopped.

Su Wan put down her phone and walked over.

"Chen Feng, explain — what happened to my brother?"

"Ask him yourself."

Chen Feng stood up.

He was 1.8 meters tall. In this living room, he looked almost too tall.

For three years, every time he was in this room, he was bent over mopping the floor, crouching to wipe the coffee table.

Today was the first time he stood up straight.

"But I can tell you one thing —"

He walked to the door. Opened the shoe cabinet.

From the very bottom, he pulled out a kraft paper envelope.

Old.

The edges were worn and fuzzy.

He opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper.

A4 paper.

The header read —

"Longyuan Special Operations Unit — Deployment Order"

The date was four years ago.

Transferee: Chen Feng.

Position: Overseas Operations Group — Commander.

Su Wan took the paper.

Read it.

Her hand started shaking.

"You — you're not a delivery driver —"

"Delivering food is real."

Chen Feng folded the paper and put it back in the envelope.

"After I retired, I didn't find a real job. Delivered food for half a year."

"Why —"

"Because there are people who don't want me to walk away alive."

He said it flatly.

Like he was talking about someone else.

"They hunted me for two years. I hid in Shenzhen for two years. Changed districts four times. Eight different places."

"I married into your family to change my ID —"

"— to get a household registration no one could trace."

He pulled open the door.

Outside, the sunlight was strong.

Su Wan squinted.

A black Audi A8 was parked at the door.

No one knew when it got there.

In the driver's seat sat a middle-aged man in a black suit. When he saw Chen Feng come out, he got out of the car and stood straight.

"Master."

"Found it?"

"Found it. Dingsheng — someone sent word. They named the Su family specifically."

"Who sent the word."

"The survivor from three years ago. Overseas."

Chen Feng paused.

Then he smiled.

Not a happy smile.

It was the smile of someone who'd been waiting three years for something, and it had finally come knocking on its own.

"Alright."

He turned back. Looked at Su Wan and Liu Cuilan in the house.

Liu Cuilan was already sitting on the floor.

The paper in Su Wan's hand had fallen to the entryway.

"Su Wan."

"That bowl with the fish. I'm keeping it."

He turned.

Got in the car.

In the rearview mirror, the Su family's front door was still open.

Liu Cuilan sat on the floor. Hadn't gotten up.

Su Wan stood at the door, holding the Deployment Order. The wind made the paper rustle.

Her mouth opened.

Like she wanted to say something.

But no sound came out.

Chen Feng looked away.

"Drive."

The black Audi merged into traffic. Gone in three seconds.

Su Wan stood alone at the door.

Her phone rang.

It was Su Chengzhi, his voice in tears:

"Sis! Sis... those people came to the company... they've got Dad trapped in his office..."

"Sis, you have to save me..."

Su Wan stood at the door, listening to her brother cry through the phone.

The wind blew. The Deployment Order in her hand rattled.

She looked down — "Longyuan Special Operations Unit — Deployment Order."

Longyuan.

She'd never heard that name before.

But she knew — someone who could produce a paper like this was not the Chen Feng she'd known for three years.

She folded the paper and put it in her pocket.

"I'll be right there."

She hung up. Looked down the road.

The black Audi was gone.

She stood there. For a long time.

Until the streetlights came on.

End of Chapter 1: Three Years Is Enough