Up ahead was an intersection, with a large garbage bin placed right at the corner.The lid of the bin was open. A sanitation worker in a reflective vest was crouched on the ground, so terrified he was screaming uncontrollably—too stunned to even run.
Wang Yu quickly ran over and asked, "Hey man, what's going on?"
The sanitation worker pointed at the garbage bin, his voice trembling. "There's... there's a dead body in there!"
Without a second thought, Wang Yu rushed to the bin. As he approached, the thick scent of blood hit him, and his face turned grim.
"Wang Yu, what is it?" Liu Yunyun asked curiously as she walked over, but the moment she glanced inside the bin, she let out a piercing scream.
"Don't be scared, I'm here." Wang Yu turned and hugged the terrified Liu Yunyun tightly. "It's okay. Everything's fine."
But Liu Yunyun kept screaming, nearly breaking down from shock. This was something that could haunt her for a lifetime.
Wang Yu regretted letting her come over.
"Wang Yu, hold me tight… I'm scared. I'm really scared…" Liu Yunyun cried in his arms like a frightened little bunny. "Let's go. Let's get out of here. I don't want to stay here. Please, let's leave!"
"Okay, okay. We're leaving right now." Wang Yu, helpless, called the police and then carried Liu Yunyun away.
Inside the garbage bin was a plastic bag soaked in blood. The opening was slightly torn, revealing a gruesome, dismembered corpse.
On the bag were four large black characters scrawled in ink: "The Killer: Leopard."
Not long after Wang Yu left, the quiet night was shattered by the blare of sirens. A swarm of police cars roared past with flashing lights, alerting the neighborhood that something serious had happened.
Although people in Yunzhou City had heard sirens before, this time was different—there were so many police cars, and the urgency in the air was unmistakable.
Wang Yu, carrying Liu Yunyun on his back, walked along the roadside. As he watched the frantic police response, he felt a shift—Yunzhou's nights were no longer peaceful.
"Wang Yu, my dorm is just up ahead," Liu Yunyun said, her voice steadier now. She pointed forward.
Wang Yu turned his attention away from the police cars and looked in the direction she indicated.
Under the streetlight stood a large arched gate with bold letters that read: "Daqiong Group."
Opposite the Daqiong Group building was the staff dormitory area.
Following Liu Yunyun's directions, Wang Yu carried her to the bottom of the women's dormitory building.
Security at Daqiong Group was strict. A female guard was stationed at the entrance, and men were not allowed inside. Wang Yu had no choice but to stop there.
Just as he was about to set Liu Yunyun down, a shadow suddenly rushed toward them.
"Liu Yunyun, is that really you?" It was a man in his twenties, about 1.7 meters tall, wearing a brand-name Armani shirt—clearly a wealthy guy.
He had likely been waiting a long time. His face lit up when he saw Liu Yunyun, but quickly turned cold.
"Who is he?" the young man asked angrily, pointing at Wang Yu. His eyes blazed with jealousy—the kind of fury that erupts when a man thinks his woman's been taken.
His name was Yang Rui, also an employee at Daqiong Group, and the same man Liu Yunyun's aunt had mentioned over dinner earlier—the one rumored to be her boyfriend.
Yang Rui's anger was now boiling over. He had tried calling Liu Yunyun all night with no answer and ended up waiting here until she returned. When he finally saw her, she was on the back of another man, looking intimate and cozy. He felt humiliated.
Officially, he and Liu Yunyun were a couple, but he hadn't even held her hand yet. She claimed she was "testing" his sincerity, saying only when she felt sure about him would they take the next step.
He had accepted that reason—even endured it.
But now? She was hugging another man like it was nothing. Where was the test now?
"Who the hell are you? Put Liu Yunyun down! Bastard!" Yang Rui didn't wait for an explanation. He lunged at Wang Yu, fist flying directly toward his face with impressive speed and precision.
"Yang Rui, stop!" Liu Yunyun screamed.
A sharp yelp rang out—"Ah!"—and a shadow flew through the air.
It was Yang Rui. Wang Yu, lightning-quick, had dodged and kicked him away.
He was a little annoyed—how could someone just swing at another person without understanding the situation? And to aim for the face? That was too much. So he hadn't held back.
The scream immediately caught the attention of others nearby.
Lights turned on, windows opened upstairs, and heads began poking out to see what had happened.
From the guard station, the female security guard came charging out with a baton in hand.
Liu Yunyun quickly slid down from Wang Yu's back and rushed to Yang Rui, who was curled up on the ground holding his stomach in obvious pain.
"Wang Yu… did you… did you hurt him badly?" she asked anxiously. Yang Rui wasn't just some nobody. If Wang Yu hurt him too much, there would be trouble.
"He's fine. Won't die," Wang Yu said plainly.
Just then, the female security guard stormed over and bellowed, "Who's making a scene here!?"
Her voice was like a lion's roar. Wang Yu turned to look and immediately broke into a cold sweat.
She was huge—broad-shouldered, short-haired, wearing a security uniform. She looked more like a man than most men. If not for her chest, he might've mistaken her for one.
Their eyes met. Maybe it was the military aura she exuded—but Wang Yu instinctively felt this woman had been a soldier too.
"You dare hit me?" Yang Rui finally recovered a bit, clutching his belly as he stood and glared at Wang Yu. "You bastard. You're gonna regret this. Just wait."
Then he turned furiously to Liu Yunyun. "Liu Yunyun, what the hell's going on? You've been avoiding me for days. Now I know why—you've found someone else!"
"Yang Rui, what nonsense are you talking about?" Liu Yunyun snapped. "It's late, and you're acting crazy!"
"Yeah! I'm crazy—you drove me crazy!" Yang Rui roared. "If you'd picked someone better than me, I'd take it like a man. But look at him! He's so poor, probably doesn't even own socks as expensive as mine. He's a complete nobody! What could you possibly see in him?"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd spoke up, "Hey bro, that's not cool."
"So what if he's poor? Poor people don't deserve love now?"
"Love isn't measured in money, you know? No wonder she left you."
Yang Rui glared at the female security guard but didn't dare talk back—he knew how tough she was.
"She's right. Love isn't about money," Liu Yunyun said loudly. "Yang Rui, we're not compatible. Let's break up."
"Break up? Hah!" Yang Rui burst into laughter, pointing at Wang Yu with scorn. "You're leaving me for this guy? A broke nobody? You must be blind!"