"He had killed four people. Wang Nuli originally intended to turn himself in."
"But at that critical moment, as he looked at the four corpses of varying sizes lying in pools of blood, inspiration suddenly struck him."
"He skinned all four victims and began making kites."
"From that moment onward, Wang Nuli transformed from an honest kite craftsman into a deranged criminal."
Xiao Peng noticed Xiao Q had been reading something on his phone aloud. He took the phone and discovered Xiao Q had been reciting an article about Wang Nuli written by a self-media account.
He continued reading the article detailing Wang Nuli's subsequent crimes.
Wang Nuli's later story was equally straightforward.
He committed multiple skinning murders, plunging the entire city into panic. Everyone lived in fear of encountering this psychopath.
Ultimately, during his final crime, Wang Nuli was caught and arrested on the spot.
The blogger concluded with personal reflections on Wang Nuli's case:
"A man should marry for virtue. Had it not been for his wife's betrayal and infidelity, would Wang Nuli have embarked on this path of no return?"
Returning the phone to Xiao Q, Xiao Peng searched for Wang Nuli's information on his own device, particularly photos.
He mentally compared these images with the simple, honest-looking middle-aged man he'd met earlier.
The more he compared, the paler his face became.
Then he remembered - he'd held that yellow Pikachu kite and marveled at its incredibly smooth texture.
Now he realized - that texture had felt exactly like a young girl's skin!!!
His complexion turned deathly white as he stammered: "Xiao Q... don't tell me this Wang Nuli, like that Lin Shengli, only served a paper sentence?"
Xiao Q lit another cigarette, exhaling smoke: "What else? Why would someone sentenced to death be living here? Judging by his appearance, he must be another resident of Alice Apartment."
"Damn it! I'm calling the police!" Xiao Peng declared, pulling out his phone.
Xiao Q immediately grabbed his hand, chuckling: "Buddy, do you really think reporting someone who got out via paper sentence will accomplish anything?"
Xiao Peng grew agitated: "We have to try! We can't let this psycho roam free! What if he kills again? And my girlfriend lives here! It's too dangerous!!!"
Xiao Q sighed: "Why do you have stronger justice instincts than me, a criminal investigation student? As your friend, my advice is stay out of it. Just have your girlfriend move away from this area."
After careful consideration, Xiao Peng found Xiao Q's reasoning sound. He turned to return to the apartment.
Xiao Q followed behind, smoking while frowning deeply. He muttered to himself:
"Strange... why do I feel like countless eyes are watching us?"
...
The "Distant Kin Are No Match for Nearby Neighbors" organizers' most impressive feat was their surveillance system.
High-end cameras covered not just the apartment, but the surrounding areas too, capturing crystal-clear video and audio.
Thus, Xiao Peng and Xiao Q's entire conversation was broadcast live to viewers.
Domineering Female CEO: [This college student is impressive! I'm certain he wasn't part of Xiao Nuo's group two days ago!!! He actually identified the apartment resident's background and advised against reporting Wang Nuli while suggesting relocation. With this intelligence and courage, the organizers should recruit him for the next round! The drama would be incredible!!!]
Little Aunt: [I second CEO's suggestion! Throwing this promising candidate into the mix to outwit the residents would be fantastic!!!]
Little Dragon Girl: [Exciting idea, but hard to execute. Previous participants all joined due to financial desperation. Unless this student has money problems too...]
Middle-aged Uncle: [Forget next round, focus on the current situation.]
[Xiao Peng's about to convince Xiao Nuo to leave Alice Apartment.]
[If she leaves, wouldn't Jiang Ran's bettors automatically win?]
Fairy Sister: [Not that simple.]
[Each game round lasts seven days.]
[Only by surviving the full week can participants terminate the agreement to leave or continue.]
[She can't leave now, and might not want to.]
...
Xiao Peng returned to the apartment.
He pulled Xiao Nuo into a bedroom alone, explaining Wang Nuli's situation and urging her to move out immediately.
At first Xiao Nuo thought it was a joke, but soon realized he was serious.
Fear gripped her - living alongside a serial killer? She vividly remembered what happened to Wang Ju recently.
Yet she couldn't leave.
She'd signed a contract requiring her to stay seven full days, otherwise facing massive penalties.
Moreover, she didn't want to leave.
Where else could she find such luxurious housing plus 10,000 yuan daily?
Now that she and Xiao Peng were officially dating,
She knew perfectly well - lose this apartment and income,
And her handsome, caring boyfriend would vanish instantly.
Despite Xiao Peng's desperate pleas, Xiao Nuo refused to move out,
Only promising to be extra cautious.
While initially terrified by the killer neighbor, she reasoned -
With so many residents, what were the odds he'd target her?
That evening, the college group remained at Xiao Nuo's place.
Though Wang Ju's incident dampened spirits,
They still needed dinner.
To celebrate her relationship with Xiao Peng, Xiao Nuo ordered lavish takeout for everyone.
The students cheerfully called her "Sister Nuo" between bites and board games.
All enjoyed themselves except Xiao Hua - gloomy after her breakup with Xiao Peng.
Her ex had ultimately chosen money over beauty.
Xiao Peng had actually wanted to date both, but pressure from the girls forced him to choose.
After much deliberation, he'd picked Xiao Nuo.