This is my territory
1400 Words
“Boss, could you kindly copy this video for us?”
Inside a Blue State noodle shop on West Lake Street, Li Yanqiu handed a USB drive to the shopkeeper.
“Sure, no problem,” the shopkeeper replied readily, taking the USB drive and copying the video she needed.
“Thank you. If we need anything else next time, we might return, so I’d appreciate your cooperation then.”
“Of course, I can help!”
“Thanks in advance. Please refrain from mentioning our request for the surveillance footage to anyone.”
“Absolutely, rest assured.”
“Hmm!”
Satisfied with the response, Li Yanqiu bid farewell to the young police officer and departed.
The young officer, Han Li, had just transferred from the public security team this year. As he stepped out of the shop onto the street, he exclaimed excitedly, “On the day of Yufu's disappearance, this fellow left with a suitcase but returned empty-handed. There's definitely something suspicious!”
Li Yanqiu clutched the USB drive, gazing across the street at the wooden house cloaked in night, looking less pleased than anticipated.
Noticing her silence, Han Li inquired, “Sister Qiu, are you pondering the residents' claims about the sudden disappearance of mice in the wooden house?”
In the past few days of interviews, although Li Yanqiu had not uncovered any useful clues, she had noted several oddities, one being that the large wooden house was devoid of even a single mouse.
After questioning numerous residents, she learned that the rodent problem, once rampant in the wooden house, had significantly diminished since the beginning of the year, and lately, they had vanished entirely; it had been quite some time since anyone had seen one.
“I’m wondering how so many mice could disappear in such a short time without leaving any bodies behind!”
“That is indeed peculiar, but it shouldn’t be related to the missing pet case, should it? Currently, Mr. Yan does seem to be a prime suspect; we could use him as our focal point.”
Li Yanqiu nodded and replied, “Yes, but having just the video isn’t enough; unless we find that suitcase.”
“What shall we do now?”
“Let’s continue searching to see where he took the suitcase, and also keep an eye on his movements over the next few days.”
“Understood!”
“……”
……
Yan Feng’s act of killing Yufu was not a premeditated scheme but rather an unintentional act; therefore, should the police investigate, they would easily uncover clues.
He likely never anticipated how quickly they would zero in on him.
After a workout, Yan Feng took a shower, turned on the air conditioning, and comfortably lay on his bed, browsing various fitness equipment on his phone.
Since he needed to exercise to combat his restlessness, he decided to engage in a well-rounded workout routine. Thus, he planned to order some fitness gear, including an ab roller, hydraulic arm strengthener, and spring resistance bands.
After placing the order, he scrolled through Weibo for a while, then turned off his phone and prepared for sleep—even a true wolf needs rest.
However, as he lay in bed, he found himself unable to sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, a voice seemed to compel him to go outside to relieve himself.
After some time, he grabbed an empty bottle and urinated a little on the bed, but it was hardly effective.
As the urgency grew, he could no longer bear it, feeling a nearly unbearable restlessness. He thought to himself: At this hour, with so few people around, stepping out for a quick relief should go unnoticed.
Once this notion crossed his mind, he quickly dressed, listened for any nearby sounds, and then stepped outside.
At this hour, aside from a few young people working in nightlife or out enjoying themselves, there were hardly any signs of life.
Yan Feng stealthily followed his instincts to a corner not far from his rental, ensuring no one was around before unzipping his pants to relieve himself.
As the urine hit the corner of the wall, every cell in his body seemed to rejoice, a soul-deep pleasure making him tremble with delight.
“Ah, that feels so good!”
Unlike his usual relief, he barely urinated a little before shivering, as if a voice within urged him to find another spot.
Following this instinct, he moved along his usual path to work, stopping intermittently to unzip and relieve himself. By the time he reached a large banyan tree near the office, he squeezed out the last few drops and let out a long sigh.
In that moment, the profound sense of relief felt almost transcendent.
Now it was past one, and the streets were nearly deserted.
Yan Feng zipped up his pants and instinctively glanced around, catching sight of an elderly man in pajamas across the street, staring at him with wide eyes while holding a cigarette, which startled him into a hasty retreat.
“Damn, I hope he didn’t get a good look at my face!”
Once out of the old man’s sight, Yan Feng jogged back, but as he reached West Lake Street, he abruptly halted, a wave of inexplicable unease washing over him—an inexplicable feeling akin to a muddy child preparing to climb onto his bed, ready to stomp on his pillow.
“What’s this?”
Focusing his attention, Yan Feng quickly identified the source of his unease.
He retraced his steps, and as soon as he entered the wooden house, he spotted a yellow-haired stray dog standing where he had just urinated.
The dog sniffed around for a moment, adjusted its stance, and lifted its leg to urinate.
Witnessing this, an unnameable anger surged within Yan Feng, prompting him to approach and teach the mutt a lesson, chasing it away.
The stray dog sensed the threat and turned its head to see a strange human approaching with bared teeth. As it noticed the human’s eyes flicker to a cold amber hue, it quickly dropped its leg and scampered off.
Seeing the dog retreat in a panic filled Yan Feng with a sense of pride.
Once the dog's silhouette disappeared completely, he relaxed.
At that moment, he felt an intense itch in his gums and fingers, reminiscent of his previous nocturnal episodes.
“What’s happening? Am I going to sprout fangs and claws?”
Both alarmed and fearful, Yan Feng was relieved to find that after the dog’s departure, the itching gradually subsided, returning to normal.
With a sigh of relief, he hurried back.
……
……
In the wooden house, a small eatery called Guilin Rice Noodles is run by a middle-aged couple from G Province.
They own a stray dog without a name, which they brought from their hometown last year.
Many houses in the wooden area have yards, and locals generally keep their pets in these spaces. They often leave a small hole beside the gate, known as a feng shui door (now commonly referred to as a dog door), allowing pets to come and go.
The yellow-haired stray dog that Yan Feng chased away belonged to this middle-aged couple.
The older generation—especially those from rural areas—doesn’t have strict rules about dog ownership; besides one meal a day, they seldom pay much attention to them.
Thus, the yellow-haired dog lives a carefree life, though it may not always be well-fed, it enjoys a joyful existence without much constraint from its owners.
After being chased away by Yan Feng, it wandered about until suddenly catching a whiff of an enticing aroma. It sniffed the air and soon spotted a half sausage lying on the ground beneath a nearby tree.
Looking around cautiously, it licked its lips and, confirming the coast was clear, cautiously approached.
Just as it picked up the sausage, ready to find a hidden spot to enjoy its treat, a shadowy figure suddenly swooped down from the tree, landing heavily on its back.
Startled, the yellow-haired dog turned to flee but felt a sharp pain in its neck, followed by overwhelming weakness, rendering it unable to even bark as it collapsed stiffly to the ground.
Before completely losing consciousness, it had no idea what had attacked it, only that it was a long-haired shadow with glowing red eyes…
- Writer
