Mu Zi ran back from the alley to the shadow of the courtyard gate, peering inside through the crack in the door.
The bag of persimmons was placed on the round table, already open. The bright red persimmons silently emitted an enticing sheen. The third man, unable to wait, had already grabbed two, offering one to the boss and stuffing the other into his mouth. "So sweet," he mumbled appreciatively while chewing. The red juice dribbled from the corner of his mouth, making the scene rather disgusting.
The boss, still reading his newspaper, didn't show much enthusiasm for the unexpected persimmons. He hesitated but then took one.
Eat, eat... Mu Zi, anxiously watching from behind the door, silently prayed.
Crabs, rich in protein, combined with the tannins from persimmons, can easily precipitate and coagulate into indigestible substances. Since tannins have an astringent effect, they can also inhibit the secretion of digestive fluids, causing the coagulated substances to ferment in the intestines. Eating them together can lead to vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, and even severe poisoning... If they died directly from poisoning, it would be ideal. If they only got diarrhea, they would certainly rush to use the toilet, where Mu Zi had already prepared a "gift" in a hole in the wall...
This was a plan Mu Zi had meticulously devised after two hours in an internet café. Even the crab vendor was specifically directed by him to the courtyard. Ma Liu, who had been resting in the yard, heard the vendor and immediately ran out to buy the crabs... From the start of the plan to now, everything had gone smoothly. Now, the most critical part was – they must eat the persimmons with the crabs...
The boss looked at the persimmon in his hand and frowned, "You shouldn't eat crabs and persimmons together. Don't you know this simple fact?"
"Eh? Why?" The third man, still munching, asked curiously.
"Eat them if you want to get diarrhea and die," Ma Liu walked out from the kitchen, wiping his hands with a towel, and scoffed.
"Really? Damn, I almost got killed by Fatty's trick," the third man muttered, throwing the half-eaten persimmon away.
Meanwhile, Mu Zi, outside the door, felt as if his heart had been thrown out as well.
Did they all know this? Was this really common knowledge?
Was the plan ruined just like that?
Mu Zi suddenly felt dizzy...
"Go get the booze already. The crabs are almost ready. Why are you sticking around?" Ma Liu tossed the towel on a seat, fanning himself with the palm-leaf fan, urging the third man.
"Alright, I'm going!" This time, the third man didn't argue and headed towards the door.
Mu Zi snapped out of his despair and quickly retreated back into the alley.
"Wait!" Ma Liu suddenly called out to the third man, "We're out of vinegar. Remember to bring back a bottle of red vinegar. Eating crabs without vinegar is no fun!"
"Got it!" the third man replied cheerfully, exiting the door. This time, he didn't take the car but ran towards the corner leading to a small supermarket.
His carefully crafted plan and the persimmons he had bought with his last resources... was it all over just like that?
Mu Zi leaned despondently against the wall in the alley, helplessly staring at the dim light in the courtyard.
Soon, after the vinegar and alcohol were bought, they would feast... Mu Zi imagined them eating heartily and felt a sudden sense of desolation.
"Luxury in the houses of the rich, while bones of the frozen lie on the road..." Just like the out-of-place idiom "broad daylight" he thought of last time, Mu Zi inexplicably thought of this phrase.
Why did he think of such random phrases whenever he hit a dead end in his thinking? Mu Zi couldn't help feeling bored with himself.
No, I can't give up like this, I can't fail halfway, I mustn't!
In the dark, he straightened his slender waist, twirling his hair at his forehead with force, trying to clear his thoughts.
Looking straight, rotating, looking down, looking up... just like when he saw that electric wire the last time...
The courtyard was located in a remote flat house area of Phoenix City, with most residents already moved away, leaving abandoned houses and trash everywhere.
After a long search, Mu Zi reluctantly deflated: besides the walls that appeared black in the night and emitted heat, there was nothing of value to use.
What to do... truly at a dead end...
He sighed helplessly, his legs numb from standing for so long. He had to change his posture, sinking down, supporting his waist with his hands against the wall.
The moment his hand touched the wall, he felt a chill. It wasn't the brick wall, but something cold and soft. Nearly screaming in surprise, he quickly withdrew his hand and looked closely at the wall.
A snake? Using the dim light, he squinted and finally saw the little creature scurrying up the wall.
It was just a small gecko.
You scared me to death... Mu Zi watched it, murmuring to himself.
A gecko?
Again, that sudden flash of inspiration!
His stalled thoughts were suddenly reactivated, flowing smoothly once more! Yes, a gecko! That was the final ace to send them to their demise!
Little guy, sorry about this... Mu Zi quickly grabbed the small gecko and hurried around the right side of the courtyard.
With his exploration over the past few days, Mu Zi had become very familiar with the terrain around the courtyard. On the right side of the courtyard was a low brick wall, and beyond the wall was a dump. To make disposing of trash convenient, someone had broken a large hole in the already low wall, allowing easy passage of trash from the yard. Now, this shortcut for disposing of trash would become their path to death!
Mu Zi stood at the corner in front of the courtyard and to the right, estimating the distance from there to the car in front of the door and the large hole in the right wall.
It would take about twenty seconds for them to run from the table to check the car after hearing a noise, and about fifteen seconds to return. It would take him about ten seconds to throw a brick at the car window, then rush to the hole and into the yard. It would take at least five seconds to tamper with the vinegar, and over ten seconds to retreat through the hole to hide in the dump. He had to speed up, shorten every possible action...
After precise calculations and repeated rehearsals, Mu Zi finally determined: the plan was feasible!
So, everything is up to you now, little buddy!
Mu Zi looked affectionately at the struggling gecko in his hand, silently thinking.