The chilly moonlight splashed down, and shadows flickered in the small courtyard.
Lao Liu and the man with glasses easily climbed over the low wall and entered Li Changsheng's yard.
Carrying a rope, Lao Liu led the way toward the house; but as he approached the doorway, a sudden crackling noise erupted underfoot.
Startled, he shone his flashlight toward the ground and saw that he had stepped on a pile of glass shards.
These shards had been deliberately painted black, so they would not reflect light.
From his feet to the front of the house's entrance, the ground was littered with such glass shards.
"Damn!" cursed Lao Liu in a low voice.
"What's wrong?" The man with glasses was startled too and quickly asked.
Lao Liu pointed his flashlight at the ground, "Look."
The man with glasses swept his flashlight around and frowned, "A burglary deterrent?"
"Burglars in such a remote place? And what could an old man have that's worth stealing?" Lao Liu cursed.
