"There's an unfinished building nearby—it's been abandoned for years. Except for the occasional vagrant, it's almost always deserted," the gaunt young man said, enlarging the map on his phone and pointing to a specific spot. "I'm pretty sure there are no surveillance cameras there."
"Is it far from here?" Wen Yiqian asked urgently.
"Not at all. On an electric bike, we'll be there in three or four minutes, tops."
"Can you still ride?" Wen glanced at the other's injured leg with concern.
"Don't worry, it's just an e-bike—I could ride it with one hand if I had to!"
…
A skeletal high-rise stood solemnly in the dark, like a slumbering beast lurking in silence.
The electric bike skidded to a stop in the empty lot before the building. Wen Yiqian dismounted from the backseat, his eyes locking on a familiar vehicle parked nearby.
"It's here, just as I thought!"
The tension that had gripped his nerves eased slightly.
He approached, confirming it was indeed the same taxi. But its headlights were off—and it was empty.
He turned slowly, eyes rising to the towering, half-constructed shell beside him.
"Holy crap, don't tell me that psycho's hiding in there! This is straight out of a movie. Crazy!" the gaunt youth exclaimed, visibly thrilled.
"Stay out here. Call the police. Give them this exact location," Wen instructed as he stepped toward the building.
"Wait—Officer! Let me help. I can go with you and take the guy down!" The young man slapped his chest with bravado. "More hands, more power. I've got guts, I swear I won't slow you down."
"You don't understand what's happening here, do you?" Wen took a deep breath, suddenly spun around, and grabbed the young man by the collar. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "This isn't a game. This isn't a movie."
He locked eyes with him, gaze sharp as blades. "If that man stabs you, you'll hurt. You'll bleed. You'll die."
"This world doesn't need heroes."
"You stay hidden. Even if you see him run out—don't stop him."
"All I need from you is to lie low, memorize the direction he escapes, and tell the police. Got it?"
His scathing words hit like a thunderclap. The youth stood there, stunned, as if finally awakened from a dream.
Wen clapped him lightly on the shoulder, then turned and sprinted toward the shadowed husk of concrete and rebar.
"You say the world doesn't need heroes—so what are you doing right now?"
The young man's voice called out from behind him.
Wen Yiqian smiled bitterly, but didn't turn around. He plunged into the darkness without a word.
Of course he knew strength in numbers—but the youth had done enough. Wen couldn't bear to drag him any deeper into this nightmare.
He had never wanted to play the hero. He didn't even have the courage for it.
In truth, he was terrified. His whole body trembled.
But more than the fear of death—or the fear of the killer—what terrified him most was finding the corpses of that elderly man and little girl.
Good people. If they died at the hands of a monster he himself had created, Wen Yiqian would never forgive himself.
…
Top floor of the building.
"Jump."
Tian Buyi stood at the edge of the balcony, a red mask covering his face. In one hand, a flashlight; in the other, a gleaming chef's knife. His eyes glittered with a twisted ecstasy as he watched the trembling elderly man and the crying child.
He stomped with glee, laughing.
"Jump! Now! Don't make me do it myself."
"What did we ever do to you? Why are you doing this to us?" the old man sobbed, clutching the girl to his chest in desperation.
"Do to you?" Tian sneered and shook his head. "Let me ask you—have you ever seen a hunter in the forest?"
The question stunned the old man into silence.
"Tell me then—what grudge lies between a hunter and his prey?"
Tian tugged the red mask down to his chin, revealing a grotesque face twisted by madness.
"There is no hatred. No vendetta. The prey is simply born to be hunted. That's the order of nature."
"I am the hunter. You—are the prey."
He raised the flashlight, casting a ghoulish glow over his face, baring a mouthful of crooked, yellowed teeth.
The scene was pure horror. The old man and child screamed in terror, cowering against the edge.
Bang!
A sudden crash echoed through the building. Tian flinched and turned, flashing his light toward the sound.
A young man lay sprawled in a pile of rubble—soaked, scraped, and stunned.
Tian narrowed his eyes, confused. Who the hell was this?
It was Wen Yiqian.
The moment he'd reached this floor, he saw Tian forcing the pair toward the edge.
The killer's back had been turned, savoring his twisted performance, utterly unguarded—a perfect opportunity.
If he could creep up and strike the man's skull with a brick—happy ending.
Wen had picked up a stone and moved forward silently.
But the darkness was thick as pitch. He tripped over debris and went down hard, face-first into shattered bricks.
Not only had he botched the ambush—he'd startled the killer.
"Would you believe me if I said I was drunk and took a wrong turn?" Wen looked up, grinning sheepishly, eyeing the flash of steel in Tian's hand.
"I believe you," Tian grinned, revealing those rotten teeth again.
Then he charged, knife raised.
No witnesses.
Wen scrambled back and ran for his life.
The heroic adrenaline, the lone-warrior fantasy—shattered in an instant.
Only now did he truly realize: he was nothing but a bumbling idiot.
If this were online, maybe he could battle the killer with sharp words and clever arguments.
But in real life, chased by a madman with a knife, all he wished for was a couple more legs.
He was the poster child for a model student—he'd never even been in a proper fight, let alone a knife battle.
Even if someone handed him a blade, he wouldn't have the guts to swing it.
In that moment, Wen felt like a rabbit fleeing from a tiger—miraculously agile.
He dashed down several floors, gaining a half-floor lead.
But then, in the darkness, he missed a step and fell hard onto a mid-landing between two levels.
Tian paused above him, lips curling into a sneer. Seeing the boy momentarily stunned, he took his time.
His blade scraped slowly along the wall, the shrill screech echoing like a death knell.
"The hunt," Tian whispered, voice dripping with malice, "is about to begin again."
"This time… the prey is a foolish little rabbit."