Su Xiaoxi rubbed her sore shoulders and glanced up at the office wall clock—1:15 a.m.** Most of the lights in the advertising agency had long been turned off, leaving only a few lonely desk lamps still glowing in the creative department.
*"Finally done!"* She stretched with a big yawn, saved the last design draft, and shut down her computer. The entire floor was eerily quiet, the only sound the echo of her footsteps down the hallway.
Stepping out of the office building, the night breeze carried the first chill of early autumn. Su Xiaoxi tightened her thin jacket, regretting not bringing something warmer. With the subway already closed for the night and a taxi being too expensive, she decided to take a shortcut home.
After turning down two blocks, she entered an alley she didn't usually walk through. The flickering streetlights cast mottled shadows across the concrete. As she moved forward, low voices suddenly drifted from ahead. Instinctively, she slowed her steps and peered cautiously around the corner from the cover of the shadows.
Deep in the alley, three figures in black stood huddled together. One of them was handing a silver briefcase to another. In the dim light, she could just make out what looked like small bags inside.
*"The goods are all here. Count them."* A hoarse male voice spoke up.
Su Xiaoxi's heart skipped a beat—this looked exactly like some kind of illegal deal straight out of a movie. Without thinking, she pulled out her phone, opened the camera, and aimed the lens at the group. Her fingers trembled slightly as she tapped the shutter several times in quick succession.
*"Who's there?"* One of the men suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze locking onto her direction.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. Su Xiaoxi spun around and ran. Behind her, hurried footsteps and curses erupted, but she didn't dare look back, sprinting desperately toward the mouth of the alley. After a few turns, the sounds of pursuit gradually faded, but she didn't stop until she reached her apartment.
Slamming the door shut, she collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. After a long moment, she shakily opened her phone's gallery—the photos were blurry, barely showing three shadowy figures and the silver briefcase, with no clear details.
*"Maybe I was just overthinking it..."* she reassured herself, saving the photos to her cloud drive before heading to wash up. That night, she slept fitfully, her dreams filled with chases and silver briefcases.