DROPPED333

Ren Haoyu and Su Xiu sat side by side at their desks, their eyes drooping and their bodies slumped in exhaustion. Professor Tian was still rambling on about some obscure topic that none of them could follow. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered incessantly, casting a glow on their weary faces. Ren Haoyu's eyelids felt heavy, and he struggled to keep them open, but every time he heard Professor Tian's voice, it was like a sedative that lulled him into a deep sleep.

Su Xiu was the first to break the silence, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Man, I swear, Professor Tian's voice is like a lullaby. I can't help but doze off every time I'm in his class."

Ren Haoyu let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms and legs as he tried to ease the stiffness that had settled in his muscles. "I know, right? It's like he's hypnotizing us or something."

"By the way, Su Xiu, let's be honest here. Is Professor Tian's voice really soothing, or is it just that his class is so boring that it puts you to sleep?" Ren Haoyu raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"What do you mean? I'm just saying that his voice is calming," Su Xiu protested, but even he knew that his excuse sounded weak.

Ren Haoyu let out a snort of laughter, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm sometimes fascinated by your hypocrisy."

Just then, a shadow loomed over them, and they both looked up to see their roommate, Zheng Tian, approaching. He towered over them, his tanned face stern and his muscular build intimidating. "Haoyu, Xiuxiu, want to hit up the internet cafe later?" he asked eagerly.

Zheng Tian, nicknamed Old Tian, was a stark contrast to his city-bred roommates. Hailing from a rural countryside, he had a certain charm and innocence that captured the attention of his peers. He was a gentle giant with a towering height of 1.90 meters, a tanned complexion, and a muscular build that spoke of hard labor. Although initially not interested in gaming, he quickly fell under the spell of Su Xiu's addiction and became his devoted follower. Now, he never missed a day of playing online games and followed Su Xiu like a loyal puppy, oblivious to the rest of the world. Ren Haoyu found himself torn between encouraging or discouraging this new development, wondering what path his gentle giant of a roommate would take in the bustling city.

Ren Haoyu, Su Xiu, and Zheng Tian were all in the same faculty and course. They had been roommates and classmates for a semester and had grown close due to their similar interests in gaming, novels and anime. Despite their different personalities and backgrounds, they shared a common love for leisure and entertainment, which often led them to the internet cafe.

"Damn it, Old Tian! I've told you a million times, stop calling me 'Xiuxiu'!" Su Xiu groaned, his expression souring at the sound of the nickname. "It's so girly and gross. Just call me Su Xiu like a normal person."

Su Xiu was a peculiar figure amongst his peers. Despite being male, he possessed delicate and refined features that resembled that of a porcelain doll. Standing at only 1.56 meters tall, he was almost elf-like, with big, round eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief. His graceful name added to the confusion surrounding his gender, as many people mistook him for a woman at first glance. Ren Haoyu couldn't help but feel a bit flustered whenever they had close physical contact.

Despite his delicate features and graceful name, Su Xiu's demeanor is anything but refined and poised. He's more like a troublemaker who enjoys stirring up trouble and offending others. He's not afraid to speak his mind, even if it means getting into confrontations. In many ways, he's like an untamed wild dog that barks at anything that annoys him. Ren Haoyu often found himself caught in the middle of Su Xiu's confrontations and wondered how he managed to maintain their friendship.

"Yeah, you stop calling him Xiuxiu, Old Tian. That doesn't match his temperament."

"Then what should I call him?"

"Chihuahua, of course."

Fiery temperament, short height, and big round eyes, aren't those the qualities of a Chihuahua?

"Do you wish to die?!"

"Fuck! Why are you biting for real?! Do you want to become a dog so bad?"

…

It was already evening, and the sun had set, leaving the night sky to be adorned by the moon. Its serene aura was mixed with the cold night wind, which offered a refreshing break for the exhausted Ren Haoyu.

However, he was far from pleased and grumbled in dissatisfaction about the younger generation's lack of respect for him.

"What's wrong with these kids nowadays? Can't they show a little respect to an old user like me?" Ren muttered under his breath, his irritation palpable. He was particularly incensed by the vicious insults hurled at his family. Ren Haoyu was a devoted family man, and any slight against his loved ones was an unforgivable offense in his eyes.

Zheng Tian, who rarely spoke, couldn't help but comment on Ren Haoyu's poor gaming performance, saying, "Well, with a KDA of 0/10/3, it's no wonder everyone is mad at you, especially when you're supposed to be the carry."

"I couldn't help it. My mom was calling, and I couldn't ignore her," Ren Haoyu replied with a sigh. "It's tough to play a game when your attention is divided."

"By the way, what's wrong with him? He's been lifeless like an undead ever since we came out of the cafe." Ren Haoyu nudged Zheng Tian and pointed his chin in Su Xiu's direction.

"Don't you know?" Zheng Tian was puzzled.

"Know what?"

"His rank has dropped to Ancient once again after the last match." Zheng Tian whispered as if scared of getting caught.

"Oh..." Ren Haoyu felt awkward. He knew how difficult Su Xiu was trying to climb the Divine Rank before. His grade dropped, and his big round eyes were covered with dark circles, making him no less like a panda.

He felt exceptionally awkward because he was the reason for their loss.

Realizing Su Xiu wasn't going to recover from his blow in the near time, Ren Haoyu patted Zheng Tian's shoulder. "You go first to the dormitory. I had something to do."

Zheng Tian gasped and looked on the verge of crying. "Brother, what about our motto 'together we stand, divided we fall?' you once declared?"

They both knew that Su Xiu had a tendency to lose track of time and overindulge himself when he started ranting about something. And the current mood Su Xiu was in now was exactly the type that preceded an endless tirade. That's why Zheng Tian's complexion became unsightly

"That's just a bunch of nonsense I found on the internet. Next time, you mustn't trust wise words that come out from any people's mouth." Ren Haoyu shook his head. "Anyway, I got a real business. Didn't you realize my phone call lasted longer than usual?"

Before Zheng Tian could respond, Ren Haoyu cut him off and began to run in the opposite direction of their dormitory. "Goodluck, Old Tian. I bless you with a pleasant night."

As their silhouettes zoomed out, Ren Haoyu let out a relieved chuckle. "God knows what happened when Su Xiu exploded. I'll just return a bit later than usual then."

Ren Haoyu knew that Su Xiu was likely to be in a foul mood, and he hoped he could avoid his friend's ranting when he returned to the dormitory. Su Xiu's outbursts were usually harmless, but they could be exhausting to listen to for hours on end.

Nevertheless, Ren Haoyu wasn't lying to Zheng Tian. He did have some real business to attend to, and it involved money. To his surprise, his mother had given him an additional 600 yuan, which made him feel a bit uneasy. He wanted to refuse her generous gesture but realized that it would be impolite. Instead, he promised himself that he would study harder to ensure that her money wouldn't go to waste.

Ten minutes later…

"Crap, now that I think about it, where should I go now?" Ren Haoyu muttered to himself, feeling lost and disoriented. He had initially planned to withdraw some cash from an ATM but decided against it when he realized he still had some money left in his wallet. With rising robbery and pickpocketing cases, carrying too much cash wasn't a smart move.

"By the way, where the heck am I?" Due to his conflicting thoughts, he wasn't aware of where his legs were taking him. The area around him was dark and eerie, with malfunctioning street lamps providing the only light source. Ren Haoyu couldn't help but feel like he was in a thriller movie, where a maniac or cold-blooded killer could pop up at any moment.

He hastily fished out his phone out of his pocket and opened a map navigator to check his current location.

"Lexing Street? Isn't this the same street where people have reported seeing a creepy man in a black mask and cap?" Ren Haoyu wondered aloud. Despite not being interested in rumors, he had heard about this particular one from his classmates who often discussed it on campus forums.

Tap!

Tap!

The sound echoed ominously in the silent night, causing Ren Haoyu's heart to race with fear. The dripping sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, making him feel as if he was being watched.

Tap!

Tap!

The sound grew louder, like a persistent knocking on his mind, and he couldn't help but imagine something sinister behind every dark corner. His eyes darted around nervously, taking in the dimly lit street and the shadows that seemed to move with every gust of wind.

"Why is this place so eerie?" he muttered to himself, shivering despite the warm summer air. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease that crept up his spine, whispering to him that he was not alone.

Tap!

Tap!

The sound of dripping water echoed through the still night air, growing louder and more insistent with each passing moment. Ren Haoyu tried to shake off his unease and tell himself it was just a leaky pipe or some other mundane explanation. But deep down, he knew something was wrong.

Tap!

Tap!

As he walked, the sound of his own footsteps became muffled by the dripping, and he couldn't help but wonder what was causing it. Was it really just a leaky faucet? Or was it something more sinister, lurking in the shadows?

Then, he finally came upon the source of the sound - a street lamp with a thick, dark stain running down its side. At first, he thought it was just dirt or grime, but as he drew closer, he realized it was something much worse. The stain was a deep crimson red, and it looked wet, as if it had been painted on just moments ago.

Ren Haoyu's heart thudded in his chest as he realized what he was looking at. Blood. It was blood that stained the street lamp, blood that dripped steadily onto the pavement below. He felt his stomach twist with disgust and horror.

He tried to look away, to turn and run in the opposite direction, but his feet seemed rooted to the ground. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the gruesome sight before him. The blood looked fresh, as if it had been spilled just moments ago. But where had it come from? And why was it here, in the middle of the street?

As Ren Haoyu stood frozen in place, a cold, clammy feeling crept over him. He suddenly felt very small and vulnerable, as if he was being watched by something malevolent and unseen. He looked around frantically, searching for any sign of danger, but the street was deserted.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure standing under another street lamp further down the road. The figure was cloaked in shadow, but Ren Haoyu could make out a broad-brimmed hat and a long coat. He couldn't see the person's face, but he had a sense of dread that whoever it was, they were responsible for the blood-stained lamp.

Ren Haoyu's blood turned to ice as the figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light. He saw a flash of pale skin and dark eyes.

At that moment, he realized that the rumors of a creepy man wandering these streets were not just idle gossip. There was something truly terrifying about this place, something that made him wish he had never come.