Zhou Huan and Dongzi, having descended the mountain, ran straight to the Upper Island Coffee House the old beggar had mentioned. They found an alleyway near the café and endured the night there, waiting until the appointed time the beggar had specified. Then, they made their way to the front of the coffee house. Leaning against the base of the wall, they sat down, using bricks as cushions beneath them.

Dongzi was usually talkative, but the quiet made him uneasy. "Brother, do you really think what the old beggar said is true? How much is this 'Noble Person' he mentioned worth? Is it really expensive?"

"I don't know how much a Noble Person is worth, but I know I'm waiting right here today. I'm not willing to beg my whole life," Zhou Huan replied, gazing blankly through the large glass windows of the coffee house at the four or five tables of patrons, each enjoying their coffee and desserts in varied postures.

Separated only by a pane of glass, two worlds of poverty and wealth.

"Hey, what are you two doing? Don't just sit there. If you're going to beg, go somewhere else." Looking towards the voice, a security guard emerged from the coffee house and marched toward Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan placed absolute faith in the old beggar’s words, so no matter how loudly the guard shouted, he refused to move, instead closing his eyes to conserve his energy.

Dongzi was starting to panic. "Brother, they want us to leave! They won't let us stay here!"

"It's fine, just let the security brother tire himself out a bit. We aren't causing trouble. We'll leave when our Noble Person arrives!" Zhou Huan spoke lightly, not taking the guard seriously at all.

The guard, tall and with a haughty expression and darting eyes, swaggered up to Zhou Huan and cursed, "You two stinking beggars! Do you know you're ruining the street view by squatting here? I'm calling the assistance station if you don't clear out right now!"

"We aren't leaving until the person we're waiting for arrives!" Zhou Huan's refusal was firm.

"You're waiting for someone? Listen, I’m being polite right now telling you to go. If our manager comes out, things might not be so pleasant. It might even be questionable if you leave here in one piece," the guard said arrogantly, openly displaying his contempt for beggars.

Zhou Huan and Dongzi had already been beaten up by Wang Qiang's men on the mountain, so they were determined not to take another beating. With that in mind, Zhou Huan pulled the brick from under his rear, held it horizontally in his hand, stared fixedly at the speaking guard, and remained silent.

Seeing this, the guard dared not advance. He spun around and bolted back inside, soon returning with six or seven other security guards. They rushed toward the pair noisily, brandishing rubber batons.

When they reached Zhou Huan, the first guard grinned triumphantly. "Well, you beggars! Causing trouble here, are we? We'll teach you a lesson today. You were waiting for someone? Looks like you were waiting for death! Boys, rough them up!"

At this moment, the patrons inside the café crowded by the windows to watch the spectacle. Some were already reaching for their phones, preparing to dial 110.

The group raised their sticks and swung down at Zhou Huan...

"Swish!" "Thud!" "Ah!" A sudden clamor erupted inside the coffee house, and a smear of vivid red splattered across the large glass pane. Plates slipped from a server's hands, scattering across the floor, while several patrons instinctively slid to the ground, their eyes wide with shock and fear, fixed on the sidewalk beside Zhou Huan. Their pupils constricted to pinpoints, and their bodies shook uncontrollably.

Outside the coffee house, the security guards dropped their batons and backed away, frozen to the side, utterly drained of strength. Sweat traced paths down their cheeks as they stared rigidly ahead. The cloying, sweet scent of *—mingled with the warm smell of fresh blood, creating a confusing, utterly terrifying aroma.

Dongzi also stumbled back several steps, leaning heavily against the glass of the coffee house, slowly shrinking away, his eyes locked on the unfolding scene.

The upper floor of the Upper Island Coffee House housed a ten-story apartment building. Just as the guards were about to strike, a figure leaped from the roof of the Upper Island Coffee House, landing precisely in front of them. The impact resulted in a horrifying spray of pulverized flesh and splattering blood, leaving everyone paralyzed with shock.

At this moment, only Zhou Huan remained standing, his expression unchanged, though his demeanor had grown intensely serious. His eyes revealed he was frantically processing an issue. Thinking as he moved, he walked toward the corpse before him.

Zhou Huan stepped behind the body, tossed aside the brick in his hand, and began to observe the remains closely, though he did not touch the corpse.

The body was female. Her long, disheveled hair was matted with brain matter. Due to the force of the fall from the building, both eyes were forced outward, appearing to stare fixedly at Zhou Huan. Blood trickled from her nostrils and mouth, and half of her face, where it met the ground, was sunken in. Below, she wore long red stockings and a pair of red canvas shoes.

What drew Zhou Huan's attention most was the heavy, garish makeup on the woman's face: thick, powdery white foundation, slick, vivid red lipstick, complemented by heavy blush on both cheekbones.

What sent Zhou Huan into deep contemplation was the corpse's knee-length red coat—a searing, vibrant red. The long, antiquated sleeves were a startling, almost glowing green. The combination of the red coat, green sleeves, and the heavily made-up suicide victim was enough to terrify any normal person half to death.

"Suicide! Someone jumped! Call for help!" Just as Zhou Huan’s gaze fixed on the woman in the red coat, a middle-aged woman burst out of the coffee house, screaming, "She jumped!" as she fled.

Soon, a crowd gathered around the body, chattering and speculating. The security guards gradually snapped out of their stupor and called the police.

Zhou Huan continued to stare at the corpse, overtaken by an intense, unprecedented interest. He examined her meticulously from head to toe but couldn't fathom why this body held such significance for him.

Dongzi slowly recovered from his panic and shuffled cautiously toward Zhou Huan. "Brother, what are you looking at? Is this your Noble Person? We certainly can't afford one like this."

That single sentence jolted Zhou Huan. He remained silent, recalling the old beggar's words and the concept of his Noble Person—could this be it? But why was she dead? And the strange feeling this sight evoked in him—a distinct sense of excitement...

A siren wailed, and several police cars screeched to a halt in front of the café. Officers quickly disembarked, and the forensic team immediately approached the body to begin standard procedures.

Zhou Huan stood up and moved forward, interposing himself. "Don't touch her. The consequences will be severe!" As he finished speaking, he felt utterly bewildered, unsure why he had said that.

A police officer, seeing Zhou Huan attempt to stop the autopsy, immediately suspected a connection between him and the deceased. He stepped forward to question Zhou Huan: "Who are you? Why are you trying to stop the medical examiner?"

"Don't touch her, the consequences will be severe!" Zhou Huan repeated his earlier words, then immediately slapped his own forehead in confusion.

"What severe consequences? Who are you? Speak clearly, or we’ll move this conversation elsewhere!" The officer's tone was sharp. At that moment, a female officer, appearing to be in charge, emerged from one of the police cars and walked briskly to the corpse.

The female officer looked at Zhou Huan without blinking and said in a level tone, "Proceed with the autopsy!"

The two forensic examiners prepared their tools, marking a white perimeter around the body.

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