Chapter Fifty-One: The Target Appears

Zhou Yi looked into the box and then shook his head. He couldn’t quite explain it; the stone simply made him feel comfortable.
“I can’t say exactly why. It just feels good to touch—better than a hot bath. I want to take this stone with me.”
The Fatty’s jaw had dropped in astonishment. Taking the stone was no easy matter.
“Wait, boss, hold on. If we’re taking it, you should look at its size. It’s huge—heavier than I am. The two of us can’t carry it.”
Zhou Yi wasn’t interested in arguing.
He bent down to try lifting the stone, but it was too large—about sixty centimeters in diameter, nearly spherical, its weight obvious.
Fatty sighed, put down the mop handle, and joined Zhou Yi. They exerted all their strength, finally managing to stand the stone upright. Its underside was no different from the top: the same pitch-black, somewhat smooth surface.
There was nowhere to get a proper grip. Fatty glanced at the box.
“Unless we carry the box with us, there’s no way to move this stone out. But the box is so big, there’s no way it’ll fit through the window. Should we pry open the door?”
Zhou Yi was at a loss as well.
But he refused to give up. He took off his jacket and spread it underneath, tossing one side to Fatty, who sighed and helped Zhou Yi lift the stone onto the clothing.
With both of them holding the jacket, they could finally get a grip. Step by step, they moved toward the table by the window. Together, they prepared to lift the stone onto the table when the fabric suddenly tore.
There was a sharp ripping sound as the stone crashed from the table straight to the floor.
Zhou Yi reached out to catch it, but Fatty stopped him. With that weight, if it hit his hand, a fracture would be inevitable.
The crash reverberated through the floor, almost making it shake. The stone landed without rolling, and, like an egg dropped on the ground, it shattered instantly.
Zhou Yi was stunned. Fatty quickly perked his ears, listening for any sounds, and, finding none, hurriedly grabbed Zhou Yi’s arm.
“Boss, stop messing around. Let’s get out of here. That noise was huge—they’ll be coming for us if we stay.”
Zhou Yi shook off Fatty’s grip.
He crouched down for a closer look at the broken stone. The cracks seemed empty inside. He lifted the largest fragment, revealing a black stone about the size of a bar of soap, which rolled to Zhou Yi’s feet.
Fatty reached out to pick it up, but before he could touch it, the stone rolled away, leaving him wide-eyed.
“It dodged me! Did you see that?”
Zhou Yi didn’t reply.
He stuffed the egg-shell-like fragment into Fatty’s arms, then bent down and picked up the smooth stone. As he touched its surface, Zhou Yi shivered, overwhelmed by a sensation of comfort that nearly made him float. But it wasn’t the time for careful study.
He quickly slipped the stone into his pocket and bent to gather the shattered fragments from the floor.
“Hurry up and restore the room to its original state. We need to leave!”
Fatty muttered assent.
There was no time for further conversation—the commotion had been considerable.
They swiftly gathered all the fragments of stone and threw them back into the box. Just as they locked it, footsteps approached the door.
Zhou Yi paused, stopping Fatty’s movements and glancing at the mop handle. Fatty quickly picked it up, and the two of them squeezed into the corner between the rear door and the cabinet.
With a click, the lock opened. Two people entered, pacing around and checking various locks.
Fatty squeezed his eyes shut in fear, but his grip on the mop handle tightened. If they were discovered, they’d have to knock them out.
“Listen, the noise definitely came from here. But there’s nothing at all.”
The younger man laughed.
“Don’t worry, Professor Yang. It’s just a storage room—nothing particularly valuable. The geology department just keeps some rocks here. If there was anything precious, it would have been moved already or sent to the exhibition room. Let’s go downstairs.”
Professor Yang sighed.
“It’s fine, then. Probably just some mischievous student causing trouble in the hallway. The sound was unnerving. Let’s go.”
With that, they locked the door and left, descending the stairs while discussing the professional certification exams. As their voices faded, Zhou Yi finally relaxed and patted Fatty.
“Let’s go!”
He was the first to crawl out, climbing onto the table and peering out the window before opening it.
He didn’t forget the mop handle, grabbing it as he slipped through. Zhou Yi followed him out.
Fatty closed the window tightly with the mop handle, and the two hurried down the stairs. At the landing, Fatty discarded the mop handle, and Zhou Yi folded his jacket over his arm.
Footsteps echoed from downstairs. The two exchanged glances and slowed their pace. Fatty held his phone in front of Zhou Yi, pretending to talk.
A man approached from below, wearing a baseball cap, black padded jacket, and jeans, his collar hiding half his face. As their paths crossed, the man paused, looking at Zhou Yi and Fatty.
At that moment, Zhou Yi’s wrist burned with a scorching heat. He glanced at Fatty, then at his left wrist.
Fatty instantly understood, but forced a smile and grabbed Zhou Yi’s wrist.
“Come on, don’t try to wriggle out of it. You lost the bet—you owe me a meal. Skipping class isn’t easy. Let’s go, hurry up!”
With that, they quickened their pace. The man glanced back, then suddenly rushed upstairs.
Zhou Yi and Fatty reached the first floor. Zhou Yi raised a finger to his lips, signaling Fatty to be silent, and listened. The man seemed to have gone to the fourth floor; then his footsteps faded.
“My wrist started burning again. You don’t think that guy is…”
Fatty’s eyes sparkled, pointing to Zhou Yi’s pocket and whispering:
“You said the stone feels good to touch. Maybe he noticed it too—that’s why he stopped when passing us. He’s well-covered, but when he turned his head, I’m pretty sure it was Cheng Zhi.”
Zhou Yi nodded.
Fatty’s analysis made sense—Cheng Zhi’s presence here was explained. Perhaps he simply hadn’t found the right moment to take the stone.
But when he passed by, he sensed it. Not everyone could feel the stone’s effect; Fatty had touched it and felt nothing.
A unique stone and a long-sought target—Zhou Yi was troubled.
“Let’s go. We’ll get to the car and observe his movements. If we can follow him, we might find his hideout and know what to do next.”
Fatty nodded, excitement on his face. The stone didn’t interest him; catching Cheng Zhi was his greatest joy, after days of fruitless effort.
They left the classroom building and got into the car, avoiding the front seats to stay out of sight, crouching in the back and watching the doors.
The building, insulated for winter, had its main entrances sealed, with only the east and west passages covered by heavy curtains—positions they could monitor.
The bell rang again and again, dusk settling in, but Cheng Zhi hadn’t appeared. Fatty grew restless.
“Did he escape through a window? He’s been in there forever.”
Zhou Yi checked his watch. It was five thirty-five; five more minutes until school ended, by the last bell’s count.
“Two possibilities: first, he’ll leave with the crowd after class to avoid suspicion, blending in; second, he’s waiting for everyone to leave, so he can act, perhaps to steal the stone.”
Fatty looked at the stone in Zhou Yi’s hand, picking it up to weigh and feel it. It seemed nothing more than a stone, just heavier, so he tossed it back with a grimace.
“I can’t tell what it is. Maybe it’s a meteorite or something, full of energy. Keep it away from me—I don’t want radiation.”
Truthfully, Zhou Yi had no idea what the stone was made of.
Before it was extracted from the stone egg, touching it felt like soaking in a bath; now the sensation was fading. He even considered stealing the shell fragments.
He tucked the stone into the battered jacket pocket, folded it, and hid it behind the passenger seat. Zhou Yi put on an old coat and a hat, then slid into the driver’s seat sideways.
“I’ll watch the east exit, you take the west. Even if Cheng Zhi changes clothes, his height will give him away—that can’t be disguised.”
Fatty nodded. He’d noticed when passing Cheng Zhi that he was a head taller than Fatty, about Zhou Yi’s height.
At that moment, the bell rang again, and students began pouring out in small groups, laughing and chasing each other, full of joy.
Zhou Yi and Fatty focused their attention, but as the crowd grew, it became difficult to keep track.
Suddenly, Fatty froze, pointing at the west corner.
“There! He’s coming out! Look, right there!”