Chapter 1 When I committed the home invasion and robbery, I had just stabbed the man when police cars arrived downstairs. Running away would be the best option now. I had checked the laws; armed robbery and home invasion could carry a life sentence. It didn't matter. I knew the price I had to pay from the beginning, and I accepted it. I texted my wife, saying the police were here and I was probably going to prison. My wife quickly replied with a voice message. She cried and said, "I'm proud of you." I glanced at the animal on the floor. He clutched his stomach where I had stabbed him, looking at me in terror. Hearing the sirens downstairs, he said anxiously, "The police are here." I said, "I see them." I lifted my foot and kicked him hard in the face! I asked, "Where is the money?" Just then, the police banged on the door outside: "Open up! Police!" A flicker of joy flashed across his face. He hurriedly tried to shout for help, but I covered his mouth and said coldly, "Don't shout. I'm asking you, where is the money hidden?" He gritted his teeth and said, "I don't have money. The police are right outside. Kill me in front of them if you have the guts!" I said seriously, "Okay, then I'll kill you." I gripped the knife and stabbed down hard! One stab, two stabs, three stabs. He spat blood in pain, seemingly surprised that I actually dared to stab him. He pointed weakly at the sofa. Only then did I let go. He lay on the floor, breathing out more than in; he probably wouldn't make it. I glanced at him, not caring about him. I once knelt before him, begging him to pay me back. My wife will never know that I knelt right here that day. I said, Mr. CEO, please settle the final payment. My capital chain is broken; my family is about to be ruined. Clearly, he owed me money. I just wanted to collect my debt, but in the end, I was the one kneeling and begging. And him? He looked at me roguishly and said, "I have no money to pay you back. If you want money, I have none; if you want a life, I have one. At worst, you can kill me to settle the debt." Now, I have fulfilled his wish. Chapter 2 I stabbed the knife into the sofa. As the sofa was cut open, it was full of cash. Estimated to be at least three million dollars. I turned my head and looked at him in the pool of blood. He clutched his wound, painfully spitting blood. Regret was written all over his face now, but it was too late. I don't understand. Paying debts is a matter of course. When he urgently needed help, I did my best. But when my family was about to be ruined, he sent his children to private schools, indulged in luxury, and cried poverty to me. I can't figure out why there are so many heartless people in this world. The police banged impatiently on the door outside. I took a bag, counted the money, and took 1.2 million for myself. Yes, there were about three million in front of me, but I took less than half. I knew I might be executed, but I was unwilling to take a penny more of someone else's money. I just wanted to take back the money that belonged to me. I have been honest and dutiful all my life. I don't know why I ended up like this. In the beginning, I went to court to file a lawsuit. When I sued, I found out his accounts had long been frozen and emptied because besides me, he had other major creditors. The major creditors sued much earlier than I did and had reached the enforcement stage, enjoying priority rights. But at this stage, he was completely bankrupt. I once asked a lawyer if I could sue together and divide his property proportionately. The lawyer told me no because the other party was already in the execution stage. I really broke down. The debtor pretended to be rich as usual to do business with me while being sued by major creditors. How could I keep up? I also went to the major creditor. I begged them to pity me. My family's capital chain was broken and really about to collapse. Various penalties would ruin my family. I just wanted to get my money back, but I humbly said to the major creditor: "Boss, I've asked around, I know you are very rich. He owes me 1.2 million. I beg you to give me this money first. When my factory survives this difficulty, I will pay you back two million in installments, letting you earn 800,000 for nothing. We can sign a contract. As long as you are willing, my family will work like oxen and horses for you." Unfortunately, the major creditor rejected me. He said he was not related to me and didn't trust me. The lawyer told me it was inevitable for them to reject me. In such cases where a deadbeat owes many parties, whoever gets the money depends on their ability. Because everyone is innocent, only ruthless people can get the money back. Yes, I know the major creditor is innocent, but I am innocent too. Everything I did was just to let my family survive. Those who have been in manufacturing know very well that for small factories like ours, once the capital chain breaks, the debts will pile up crazily with no end. The cost of machine downtime, penalties from Party A, final payments and penalties to Party B. He owes me one million, but it will make me bear at least five million in debt for no reason. This is forcing my whole family to death! I know what not paying back the money means for the disaster it will bring to my family. Last night, I humbly begged him to pay back the money because I got news that although he was debt-ridden, his son's tuition for the private aristocratic school was paid. I knew as soon as I heard it that he definitely still had money. Sadly, when I called, he still told me with that arrogant attitude: no money, only a life. I hung up the phone. My wife was already crying beside me with red eyes. My young daughter didn't know disaster was imminent for her parents and was still happily playing Elsa with a magic wand outside. At that second, I said blankly, "I really want to kill him." My wife paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, you go kill him, you go rob the money. I won't remarry. I will take care of your parents and raise our daughter well." I said, "Aren't you afraid I'll be shot?" My wife cried and said, "I'm not afraid of your death, nor am I afraid of death, but I'm afraid our daughter will die. Are you going to kill him? If you don't go, I will." We are honest and dutiful people who haven't done anything illegal all our lives until we were forced to a dead end. Last night my wife and I didn't sleep all night. I hugged her, constantly kissing her cheek, constantly saying I love her. She didn't respond to me, just cried and kissed me. I smoked two packs of cigarettes. For the first time, she didn't dislike the smell of my smoke but lit cigarettes for me again and again. As if we both sensed it, that was the final parting. Listening to the police knocking on the door, I walked to the window and sighed deeply. This is the sixth floor. I originally broke in through the front door while he was taking out the trash. Now the police are at the door; what should I do? I'm not afraid of prison, I'm not afraid of the death penalty, I'm not even afraid of jumping off the building. I'm just afraid this money won't reach my wife's hands. She is at the coffee shop at the entrance of the community, waiting for me to give her the money. I will turn myself in, and she will pay the debts. Just then, the police outside suddenly shouted angrily: "If you don't open the door, we will force it open and take coercive measures against you! This is my first warning!" The animal on the ground was still spitting blood, not dead yet. He crawled towards the door with difficulty, as if begging the police to open the door quickly and save him. Unfortunately, he didn't even have the strength to crawl. He just moved slightly and stopped in place, unable to move. The police outside shouted angrily: "Second warning!" I hurriedly messaged my wife, asking her to come under the window quickly. I would throw the money down from the sixth floor. It wouldn't matter if I got caught by the police then; there would still be time. My wife quickly replied, saying she was coming immediately. I breathed a sigh of relief. But immediately after, I was dumbfounded. When the police finished the third warning, the door suddenly opened! I thought opening the lock would take time, at least a few minutes. But what I never expected was that the locksmith brought by the police opened the door in one second! The moment the door opened, I saw a group of police officers standing at the door. And I was holding a bloody knife in my left hand and a bag of cash in my right. The bailiffs were extremely fast. Seeing the situation, they quickly blocked in front of the judge, drew their guns, and aimed at me! A bailiff shouted at me: "Drop the weapon, squat down! Hands on your head! Or I'll shoot!" Looking at the dark muzzles, my heart jumped violently. Too fast. Chapter 3 The speed of opening the door far exceeded my expectations. I thought I would be scared, but I wasn't. My mind was full of: if I die here, what will happen to my wife and child? They are still waiting for this money to save their lives. The judge saw me clearly, and his face instantly turned very pale. He knew me, and I knew him. A few days ago, I went to his office and said, Your Honor, my family is being driven to death, can you allocate some to me first? He said no, everything follows procedures. I told him in breakdown that if my family's debts were not collected, people would die. At that time, the judge was looking at documents. He pushed up his glasses and told me very seriously that the world doesn't work by whoever makes the most noise is right. He understood my suffering but had to follow procedures. I forced a smile and said to that judge: "It's not your fault, don't blame yourself." I subconsciously backed away. The bailiffs were nervous at first, but seeing me backing away, they didn't shoot, instead shouting at me: "Don't move!" At this moment, every room was too far from me. The closest room to me was a storage room. I had nowhere to go, so I could only rush into the storage room carrying the knife and money, and quickly closed the door. Thank goodness, the door of this storage room could be locked from the inside. Anxious voices sounded outside immediately: "Call an ambulance quickly! And call the police!" I stood panting in the storage room, moved a big box to block the door. After all, their locksmith was really good. I was nervous. Hearing them say call the police, I knew they were probably calling SWAT, CID, or some police department I didn't know. Ideally, bailiffs don't have rich handling experience like these police departments; maybe I have a chance to throw the money down. But pessimistically, lack of experience means they are more nervous and more likely to shoot me than other police departments. While I was wondering what to do, the judge's voice sounded outside: "Put down the knife and come out. You broke the law. Now you can't escape. The only way out is to surrender." I smiled bitterly, ignoring the judge's words. Because I never intended to escape. If you do something wrong, you have to pay the price. I know this principle. So pathetic. I have been upright all my life. I haven't done anything against conscience. Now I have become a sinner. Seeing I didn't speak, the judge continued: "Think about your wife and child." His words reminded me. Yes. It was for my wife and child that I came to this step. I opened a small factory and originally had a happy life. Small factories like ours have large turnovers and low profits. Those who have done manufacturing know that one million can crush you to death. My family's is the smallest of the small. In my home, two machines, one couple. The house always smells of machine oil. My wife operates the machine. She likes to endure hardship with me, but she also has her girlish demeanor. Her pink bunny sleeve covers were stained with machine oil as she helped me assemble small parts. I operated the lathe, occasionally telling a joke to make her laugh. After laughing, she always kept a straight face and seriously told me not to be distracted again, careful of the machine hurting my hands. We had a very happy life. When we first took this order, she made me a big bowl of noodles. I slurped the noodles while she sat beside me, saying happily how great it was. When the final payment for this order was settled, we could get a loan from the bank to buy you a new lathe with safety guards, so I wouldn't have to worry about you anymore. I sat on the floor. The first luxurious thing in my life was wiping my tears with banknotes. It hurts so much, this heart. We were dutiful, with only a few simple little dreams. I never thought life would bid farewell to her like this. I said: "Let the police go out. I only talk to you alone." Thinking he had a chance, the judge hurriedly said: "Okay, I'll let them all go out. Calm down." I heard footsteps outside, fading away at first, but later, although the sound became smaller, it remained in place. I knew that was the police pretending to leave but actually marching in place. There were probably people hiding behind the door. Once I unlocked it, the door would be pulled open, and I wouldn't be able to fly away. The judge tried to make his voice gentle. He said: "I know your family has difficulties too. Doing this is not worth it." I said: "I'll just ask you one legal question. Tell me honestly." He paused and said: "Ask." I asked: "If I succeed today and return this money to my creditors. I didn't take a penny more, only took back the money he owed me. Will the court require my creditors to return the payment?" He hurriedly said: "Of course they will. So don't do stupid things. What you are doing now is meaningless and will only harm yourself!" Chapter 4 I said: "You're lying to me. It's all meaningful. When there's a dispute over this money, although you can demand its return, given that I've already committed a crime, and my wife is desperate, she might do the same thing as me. The premise of the rule of law is to maintain stability. You will choose to treat my debt as settled and let the richer major creditors wait until you find the deadbeat's new assets." The judge was silent. After a while, he said: "Did some unethical lawyer give you bad advice? What you said is possible, but is it worth risking your own life for?" I said nothing because at this moment, my phone screen lit up. I saw a message from my wife. She said she was downstairs. I looked at the screen, then opened the photo album, looking at my ordinary life. Our wedding, I knelt on one knee and put the ring on her. I also sang a love song. She tried hard to hold back laughter, causing me to hold back laughter too. Our daughter's first steps, walking unsteadily on the road, calling me daddy, and finally throwing herself into my arms. And when we accompanied our daughter to kindergarten for the first time, to leave a good impression on the teachers, we scrubbed our hands hard with laundry brushes, enduring the pain, trying to wash away the perennial machine oil on our hands. The photos recorded my simple life. I cried and laughed, finally taking a deep breath. Is it worth risking my life for this? I think it's worth it, very worth it. Have I ever risked my life for anyone in this lifetime? Today is the time for me to risk my life. There were clothes in the storage room. I put them on one by one, hoping the thick layers would stop bullets. Of course, I knew the situation outside. But the people I love are still waiting for me. Though thousands oppose me, I will go. Even if I die nine times, I will not regret it. Besides clothes, I found something good in the storage room: a book, a thick dictionary. I looked at this book; it could only protect one part of my body. Finally, I made a bold decision. Didn't protect my chest, didn't protect my stomach, but instead unzipped my pants and placed it on my thigh. I once heard that although police abroad empty their clips to ensure the suspect has no ability to fight back. But domestically, when police have to shoot, they choose to shoot the legs first, also to ensure the suspect cannot fight back. I didn't know the bailiffs' experience, only hoping I bet right. Bullets hitting my chest or stomach, I didn't care. Compared to death, I feared more not being able to escape to the window to throw the money down. I messaged my wife to come under the kitchen window. I checked just now; I was closest to the kitchen. Seeing me silent for a long time, the judge hurriedly said: "I don't know what other lawyers told you, but trust me, I'm a judge, I'm considering everything for you." I said: "I can put down the knife and surrender. Do you guarantee they are not there?" The judge replied: "I guarantee you, you can come out boldly. No one will shoot you. Put down the knife, come out with hands on your head." While talking to the judge, I checked my body protection. Yes, all ready. I said: "I'm coming out." After getting the judge's permission, I moved the big box away. I had it all planned. Once I opened the door, I would risk getting shot and rush to the kitchen with the money. As long as this money is thrown downstairs, my mission is over. But when I tried to unlock it, I froze. The door wouldn't open.
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