Chapter Two Kill! Dead Eye! (Part One)

Ye Ling slammed a heavy stack of books in front of the unkempt man, disdain clear in her eyes.

“Hey, here’s what you wanted.” With her hands on her hips, she spoke in a queenly tone, then muttered under her breath, “Really, why am I helping you ‘Five Losers’ anyway?” She couldn’t even be bothered to look at the man before her.

“It was the counselor’s idea. If you have a problem, go talk to him.” The slovenly man smiled calmly, but to Ye Ling, he looked utterly sleazy. To be honest, the man wasn’t exactly ugly—he was just so plain you’d never pick him out of a crowd. And yet, this so-called male creature before her had zero self-awareness: his hair was a mess, his face unshaven, his figure awkward, and the hideous, outdated glasses only made him look like a forty-year-old uncle stuck in a twenty-year-old’s body.

“Xie Liu! Don’t you dare take my kindness for granted!” Ye Ling wanted nothing more than to spit in his face.

“Oh? Do I even have any dignity left?” Xie Liu rubbed his forehead and began organizing the materials before him, revealing himself as a true optimist. “I’m going to sort through these now. Out you go—left at the door, and close it behind you. Not seeing you out.”

“You—” Ye Ling nearly choked on her words, her face flushing bright red with anger as she stormed toward the door.

“Oh, right.” Xie Liu’s voice came from behind her. Veins bulging with irritation, she snapped, “What now?”

“Thank you.” Xie Liu smiled gently, waving the books in his hand, and for some reason, Ye Ling felt a chill. Disgusted to the point of intolerance, she hurried to escape.

Watching her rush away, Xie Liu shrugged. Having long since lost hope in three-dimensional women, he hardly cared about their class beauty’s attitude. Staring at the thick stack of books, he sighed helplessly. “So many again.”

He was the class’s arts representative and wrote all the articles needed for class activities. Though he wasn’t much to look at, he could certainly write.

“Well, there’s time. I’ll take it slow… Maybe I should nap first?” Xie Liu mused contentedly, glancing out the window at Ye Ling crossing the track.

“Big chest, no brains—diagnosis complete.” He laced his fingers behind his head, ready to daydream, when his expression suddenly shifted.

“Hm? What is it?” Xie Liu straightened, adjusting his glasses.

“The organization has assigned a new mission. Dead Eyes, you’re to handle this one.” The eerie voice in the room didn’t faze Xie Liu.

“Just me? Understood.” He agreed without hesitation.

“Remember, this time your target is—”

...

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” Ye Ling furiously crunched on her chips. “Those five are absolutely disgusting! Especially that Xie—ugh, disgusting!”

“Hey, Ling’er, who are you mad at now?” A girl swooped in, snatching away Ye Ling’s chips. Waggling her finger, she scolded, “Tsk, tsk, you can’t eat high-fat snacks like this! What if you gain weight? You’re our class’s icon!”

“I am not,” Ye Ling grumbled, reaching for the chips. “Jiang Ting, give them back!”

Jiang Ting tossed the chips into the trash, showing her little tiger tooth and wriggling her hands. “They’re gone—what are you going to do about it? Come on, let me see if your waist’s any thicker!” She pounced.

“Ahhh, stop it—!”

...

“According to reports, the perpetrator of the city’s serial killings is still at large. Police are currently sealing all entry and exit routes. The suspect’s face is as shown—citizens are urged to…”

In the school’s upscale cafeteria, the news played on a large LCD screen.

“They still haven’t caught him?” Jiang Ting stirred her juice. “The police really are useless.”

“That’s the guy targeting female college students, right?” Ye Ling swirled her strawberry drink, glancing around. Countless boys’ eyes were drawn to their table, and a hint of pride flashed in her gaze. But then, the image of those five “scumbags” crept into her mind—five boys who’d never paid her any attention. “Those bastards.” She gripped her cup tighter, grinding her teeth. All her life, she’d been the center of attention, except to those five.

“Huh? What did you say?” Jiang Ting asked in surprise.

“Ah? Nothing, nothing.” Ye Ling waved her hands hastily. “About the killer from the news, what’s the story there?”

“That killer?” Jiang Ting didn’t press further, setting down her juice and propping her chin on her hands. “You know he only targets lone female college students, right? And rumor has it he… you know, assaults them before killing them.” Jiang Ting grinned wickedly, sending a shiver down Ye Ling’s spine as she buried herself in her noodles.

“Well, well, isn’t it the young lady herself?” The last voice Ye Ling wanted to hear sounded behind her. She immediately recognized it as the ever-irritating Xie Liu.

“What are you doing here? Can you even afford to eat in a place like this?” Ye Ling shot him a look of disdain. Though he’d shaved and trimmed his hair, he was still a zero—in fact, maybe a one at best.

“Come on, didn’t I say? I’m tall, rich, and not handsome.” Xie Liu spoke shamelessly. Jiang Ting burst out laughing, but Ye Ling didn’t crack a smile. She retorted coldly, “More like tall, rich, and ugly.”

“Ah, you saw through me. That stings.” Xie Liu feigned heartbreak before scratching his head and muttering, “I’m actually a little confident about my looks—not ugly, at least. Oh well, who cares about looks? Life’s good anyway.” With that, he turned to leave.

“How boring,” Ye Ling muttered sourly, watching as Xie Liu paused.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” He tossed her a small package. “I think today’s your birthday. Happy birthday.”

“Hmph!” Ye Ling caught the exquisitely wrapped package, momentarily stunned. At his birthday wishes, she turned her face away. Xie Liu said nothing more and left.

“He may be average-looking, but he’s so gentle,” Jiang Ting whispered with a smile. “Actually, his features aren’t bad—just a bit chubby, which makes him look awkward. Still, compared to the guys who only flatter you, he’s definitely more reliable.”

“Gentle and reliable—what’s the use? Guys like him aren’t good at studying, have no special talents. People only call him gentle because he’s useless,” Ye Ling replied, annoyed.

“Not good at studying? He got into this university, didn’t he? And as for talent, you’ve seen his writing—at least you’re satisfied with him as the class literary rep, right?”

“Tch—” Ye Ling didn’t argue, just snorted unhappily. Jiang Ting laughed, “Why do you have it out for Xie Liu and the other four? I admit, they’re a bit hopeless, but—”

“Ugh, can we not talk about them? It’s annoying.” Ye Ling sounded exasperated.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. But he gave you a birthday present—aren’t you curious what it is?” Jiang Ting urged. Only then did Ye Ling look at the gift in her hand. Though she received countless presents every year, this time, she actually felt a spark of interest.

“What kind of gift would that loser give?” she wondered, tearing open the packaging. Inside was a delicate little box. Curious, Ye Ling opened it, and both girls leaned in—

“Hahahahahahaha! That’s so him! I knew it—hahaha, I can’t breathe!” Jiang Ting nearly doubled over with laughter.

Ye Ling’s brow twitched—she was on the verge of losing it.

Inside the box was a little rubber pig, cute in its clumsy way, with a note stuck to its side: “Does this look like you?”

“Xie Liu! This isn’t over between us—!”

...

At dusk, Xie Liu returned to the dormitory. Once inside, he locked the door behind him; his roommates were already there.

“The mission’s been assigned—right here in the city. Since we have plenty of time, there’s no need to use the ‘Reverse Flow Device’; we’ll take care of him tonight.” In the darkness, a young man lounged in the corner. “It’s a simple job. Dead Fish Eyes, your skills are best suited for this mission—you’ll go alone.”

“How many times do I have to say, don’t call me Dead Fish Eyes.” Xie Liu took off his glasses, fished out a small bottle from his pocket, and swallowed a pill. An astonishing transformation began: his once bulky body slimmed to a perfect build, his previously broad, awkward face refined itself. In moments, he’d become a handsome young man. Though his features hadn’t changed, it was almost impossible to recognize him as the former Xie Liu.

“Nothing beats being myself.” Xie Liu clenched his fists. “Alright, I’m off.” He reached for a jet-black guitar case from the wardrobe, slung it over his back, then donned a dark overcoat. From his pocket, he withdrew a lollipop, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. “Wish me luck, everyone.”

“Stay alive,” someone murmured.

“I’m not collecting your corpse,” a roommate said flatly from the darkness, eyes glued to his computer. Xie Liu’s lips twitched in resignation. “You guys…”