The watcher moved like a shadow, slipping from the edge of the dorm building into the dark service corridor between blocks. His footsteps were light but uneven, quick but not trained. The kind of movement learned from avoiding attention, not seeking it.
He ducked under a low pipe and turned into a narrow alley between the maintenance shed and the perimeter wall.
Someone was waiting.
Zhihao stood in the gloom, hands raised slightly. Not threatening. Not surprised.
"I'm not here to fight," he said, voice soft.
The figure froze.
"But you're going to talk."
The watcher hesitated. His face was partially in shadow, maybe early twenties, maybe a little older. Not a student, not exactly. He wore a jacket with a school crest stitched in old thread, the colors slightly faded.
Zhihao stepped closer, studying him.
"You're not who I thought you were."
The man blinked. "Who did you think I was?"
Zhihao didn't answer. "Why are you watching him?"
The man looked away. "It's not like that. I wasn't trying to hurt him. Just... observing."
"For who?"
"I don't know."
Zhihao's eyes narrowed.
The man raised his hands quickly. "I swear. I get messages. On an old phone. Directions. Payments in digital vouchers. No names. Just times, places."
"And you follow them blindly?"
"I needed the money. And it didn't seem illegal. Just... weird."
Zhihao exhaled slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper, his number, scrawled in tight handwriting.
He held it out.
"Next time they contact you, tell me. I want to meet them."
The man stared at the paper like it might burn.
"You want me to betray them?"
"They never gave you their name," Zhihao said. "Doesn't sound like trust."
The man hesitated, then took the note.
Zhihao lowered his hands. "If I find out you're still sneaking around students, I have evidence of your little stalking; beware."
"What if I get another job?"
"Arrange a meeting instead. Make an excuse. Say you want clarification. Anything. I'll handle the rest."
Silence stretched between them.
Then the man gave a small nod and turned away, disappearing into the maze of alleyways.
Zhihao waited until the footsteps faded.
He didn't move for a long time. Just stared at the empty space the watcher had left behind.
Then, slowly, he turned back toward the dorms.
The light above the alley buzzed faintly. His shadow stretched across the wall behind him, long, thin, and quiet.