On the weekend, the downtown subway station was incredibly crowded, with nearly everyone discussing the advent of the new rule zone. A large contingent of social media content creators had already flocked to the vicinity of Taoli Community to start their livestreams. Even though they didn’t have access passes and could only point their cameras at the white fog from behind the cordon, it didn’t stop their streams from exploding in popularity.
This time, the rule zone that appeared was like a one-way door—you could only go in, not out. Anyone could choose to enter voluntarily. Of course, no normal person would have such an idea, but livestreamers aren’t normal people. A young man, taking advantage of a moment of police inattention, bolted towards the entrance, hoping to generate a massive amount of traffic. But he was taken down by a kung-fu granny with sharp eyes and an invincible leg sweep. He fell, grimacing in pain, but still shouted, “Why does he get to go in?”
Dozens, even hundreds, of media cameras followed his gaze, swiveling in unison to focus on the small white car currently stopped at the gatehouse. Zhuang Ningyu stuck half his head out of the car window and calmly flashed his access pass. “Dispute Resolution Department. On business.”
The onlookers were supportive but confused. At a time like this, what kind of neighborhood dispute could possibly need mediating?
Zhuang Ningyu drove through the white fog. His phone screen flickered, and the same Taoli Community Daily Life Guide slowly materialized on it. The community was empty and silent. A silken, delicate oppression seemed to have taken on a physical form here, creating an extremely uncomfortable sensation of being wrapped in cold. A few scattered staff members and volunteers hurried about. In most rule zones, night was usually linked with greater danger, so they had to ensure all residents were safely back in their homes before dark.
Zhuang Ningyu wasn’t in a hurry to report in. He parked the car on the side of the road, diagonally opposite the “Spring Breeze Supermarket” mentioned in the rules. He had heard the owners were a kind, retired couple. Since there was a children’s play area right in front of the store, it was usually a lively spot where community residents liked to gather after dinner to chat and watch their kids play.
“Thinking of going into the supermarket for a look?” Someone suddenly knocked on the car window.
Without looking, Zhuang Ningyu lightly tapped the accelerator. The car slid forward two meters. The handsome guy leaning against the car door was caught off guard and almost crashed awkwardly into a trash can. Several members of the Order Maintenance Department were standing guard at the supermarket entrance and all turned to look at the commotion. Yi Ke steadied himself and strode forward, slapping the window. “Get out of the car!”
A delivery pouch and a shopping bag flew out of the car window. The pouch contained the butterfly knife his grandma had sent, Yi Ke’s preferred cold weapon during training. The shopping bag held a new T-shirt. Today was Yi Ke’s twenty-fourth birthday.
Having completed his delivery mission, Zhuang Ningyu had no desire to get out of the car. But he had even less desire to have Yi Ke chasing after his bumper. Choosing the lesser of two evils, he finally pressed the button to unlock the side door, signaling with his eyes for the other man to get in the car if he wanted to make a fool of himself.
Yi Ke smiled, pulled open the passenger door, and sat down. The car shuddered slightly, a tremor that once again sparked the cowardly thought in Zhuang Ningyu’s mind of abandoning the car and running for it. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his beautiful, flower-like young nephew would harbor improper thoughts about him. He patiently began, “I am a friend of your father’s. By seniority, you should call me Uncle.”
Yi Ke, who was unwrapping his gift, wore a complicated expression. “Are you sick? You’re only four years older than me.”
Starting with a personal attack—it would be a miracle if he ever found a decent partner. But Zhuang Ningyu had no intention of delving into that topic; he didn’t have a shred of interest in Yi Ke’s love life or family matters. So he cut to the chase and told him to get out. “Take your gift and get out of my car!”
“It’s almost eight-thirty,” Yi Ke said, turning his head to look at him. “Before I entered the rule zone, did my dad ask you to take good care of me?”
Zhuang Ningyu: “…”
“The Order Maintenance Department’s office is in Building 3, 1st floor. If you would be so kind.” Yi Ke took off his old shirt, preparing to try on his gift right there. It had to be said, his physique was truly excellent—broad shoulders, narrow waist, lean muscles, pale skin. As he held up the new T-shirt with both hands to admire it, he looked like a late-night livestreamer hawking goods with suggestive undertones.
Zhuang Ningyu thought: So smarmy I could die.
Building 3 was just around the corner. As he got out of the car, Yi Ke was still chattering. “Why is this shirt so big?”
Big is right. That’s exactly the kind of glaringly inappropriate feeling I was going for. Wake up, young man who has gone astray! Zhuang Ningyu said as he walked up the steps, “It’s a traditional Chinese virtue. You have to buy clothes for kids two sizes too big, so they can still wear them next year.”
Yi Ke let out a soft “tch” and swiped his work ID to open the door.
This had originally been the property management office, temporarily requisitioned by the Order Maintenance Department. Ye Jiaoyue was holding a meeting with the others. She had already spoken with Zhuang Ningyu on the phone, so she just gave him a slight nod in greeting.
Taoli Community wasn’t large, with a total of five buildings and about three hundred regular residents, most of whom were retired teachers and young professionals. They had a high level of education and were relatively easy to manage.
At 8:10 PM, the meeting ended. Zhuang Ningyu was assigned to apartment 1601 in Unit 1. The owners were a family of three. The wife had already coaxed their child to sleep in the second bedroom. The husband introduced himself as Zhang Hui, a primary school math teacher. This was his first time encountering a rule zone, so he seemed a bit nervous.
“Is there anything I need to do?” he asked.
“No,” Zhuang Ningyu reassured him. “Normally, as long as you don’t violate the rules, you’re perfectly safe. And the rules this time aren’t particularly harsh.”
Zhang Hui nodded and brought him a cup of tea. The two men sat on the living room sofa, listening to the second hand of the wall clock tick in circles amidst the thick, oppressive atmosphere—
Click!
Finally, the minute hand pointed steadily at the number “6.”
Perhaps it was psychological, but Zhang Hui felt as if the surrounding environment had suddenly become eerie. He steadied his breathing and was about to go check on his wife and child in the bedroom when a “ding” came from outside the door.
“Attention, monster has appeared!” a colleague’s voice crackled in Zhuang Ningyu’s earpiece. “Quantity one, attack power unknown. Brother Zhuang, the elevator has stopped on your floor, Unit 1, 16th floor. All units be advised, Unit 1, 16th floor.”
The building had two elevators and six apartments per floor. Sweat beaded on Zhang Hui’s back as he prayed desperately that it wouldn’t choose his home.
The elevator doors slowly opened. Heavy footsteps, thump, thump, sounded from far to near, relentlessly pounding on the man’s eardrums. After what seemed like a very long time, the footsteps finally stopped. But before Zhang Hui could let out a sigh of relief—
Ding-dong ding-dong ding-dong!
The sudden, piercing ringing of the doorbell was sharp and urgent. In the second bedroom, his wife hugged her sleeping son tightly in her arms, pressing her hands over his ears. Several swift black figures vaulted onto the balcony. The action team members quickly dispersed to various parts of the room. Yi Ke gestured for Zhang Hui to be quiet as he strode forward and pulled open the security door.
“Please, come in.” He looked at the monster standing outside the door, raised an eyebrow slightly, and politely stepped aside.
Zhang Hui sat frozen on the sofa. Only the rule-based education he had received his entire life kept him from screaming.
This uninvited guest was exceptionally ugly, with a swollen body about two meters tall. Its facial features resembled some kind of distorted deep-sea fish. It had slick, greasy hair, wore an ill-fitting suit, and carried a briefcase under its arm and a hammer in its hand. At this moment, it stood at the doorway with a grim expression.
After confirming it had no accomplices, Yi Ke closed the door behind him. The monster’s yellowed eyeballs rolled in their sockets. It extended an arm, shoved the briefcase straight into Yi Ke’s hands, then shuffled forward. Its dirty leather shoes left a trail of muddy prints on the floor, from the living room entrance all the way to the dining room.
During the day, Ye Jiaoyue had already distributed an emergency response guide to all residents, which heavily emphasized the need to clean the house and prepare meals before 8:30 PM. Just as expected, the monster pulled out a chair and began to eat with practiced ease. Its eating posture was as wild as its appearance. In less than half an hour, bones, soup, and other food scraps were strewn everywhere.
“Are you kidding me?” At the same time, Qian Yue was watching this mukbang through a camera. The rules had stressed cleanliness and tidiness so much, he thought it would be a neat-freak monster. How could it be so filthy? Ugh, so gross.
Zhuang Ningyu signaled a colleague with his eyes to mop up the footprints on the floor, while he himself put on gloves and stood by the dining table, quietly clearing the plates and bowls. The monster made no eye contact with him; or to be more precise, it completely ignored everyone in the room. After finishing its meal, it headed toward the master bedroom, whose door was wide open.
Zhang Hui sent a text to his wife, telling her about the situation outside and that although the monster looked terrifying, it didn’t seem to pose any other danger. He told her to stay in the second bedroom and not come out. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Dirty clothes were tossed carelessly beside the double bed, emitting the damp, earthy smell of a garbage heap.
The rules had specifically mentioned “clean clothes.” The team members, wearing double-layered gloves, shook out the clothes and tossed them all into the washing machine. Yi Ke casually fished a wallet out of the monster’s jacket pocket. Opening it, he found a thick wad of cash.
Rule Coins were the only currency that could be used within a rule zone. The human government could neither issue nor hold them. Since the Taoli Community daily guide mentioned bus fares and daily purchases, residents needed to have a certain amount of Rule Coins. Yi Ke looked at Zhuang Ningyu with his eyes, asking, Want some?
Zhuang Ningyu held up one finger.
Yi Ke was slightly confused, frowning as he asked, “What do you mean, ten thousand?”
Zhuang Ningyu was deeply impressed by this rich man’s unit of measurement. “One hundred!”
Yi Ke said “Oh,” pulled a single bill from the thick wad, and had just pocketed it when the child in the second bedroom suddenly started crying! Zhuang Ningyu’s back tensed. Before he could hide the wallet, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped abruptly.
“What are you doing?” The furious question exploded like thunder in the darkness. The monster, dripping with water, stood in the bathroom doorway, its eyes bloodshot. The huge hammer had reappeared in its hand at some point. The action team members immediately went into a combat stance but were stopped by a look from Zhuang Ningyu.
Another short, sharp cry came from the second bedroom, followed by a muffled “Mmmph”—the mother must have covered the mouth of her frightened, awakened child. This “noise” evidently enraged the monster even more. It turned, its gaze cold as it stared at the closed wooden door.
Zhang Hui scrambled to the second bedroom door, his back pressed tightly against it, trying to protect his wife and child. The hammer dragged across the ceramic tiles, making a grating sound. The child in the room, as if sensing the approaching danger, began to cry with increasing urgency.
“DO—NOT—MAKE—NOISE—” A frustrated growl rumbled from the monster’s throat as it raised the hammer high above its head with both hands!
Zhang Hui’s face turned pale. One trembling hand reached for the electric baton placed by the bedroom door. But before he could risk his life, Zhuang Ningyu had already diverted the monster’s attention.
“Want something to eat?” he asked, holding a bowl of steaming, fragrant braised beef instant noodles.
—The instant noodles will have a certain probability of bringing you good luck.
Fortunately, the rule took effect this time. The monster lowered its hammer. Smelling the familiar aroma, its expression changed slightly, as if a memory had been stirred. It gave a cold snort and dragged its heavy feet back to the master bedroom to rest. Before leaving, it didn’t forget to grab the wallet from the table, while also glaring at Yi Ke. “You. Don’t let it happen again.”
The master bedroom door was slammed shut and locked. Yi Ke gestured for Zhang Hui to go check on his family in the other room. The team members let out a collective, short-lived sigh of relief. Zhuang Ningyu placed the instant noodles on the dining table. “Were you planning to just kill the monster?”
“Within the rules, the safety of the public is the top priority,” Yi Ke said, twirling the knife in his hand. “Killing it is a compliant action.”
“Until a better solution is found, killing should not be the first option,” Zhuang Ningyu reminded him. “There’s a chance the monster will regenerate. And after regeneration, they often have a stronger counter-attack. You don’t need to make trouble for yourself.”
Yi Ke responded with a noncommittal hum, and it was unclear if he had taken the words to heart. A moment later, Zhang Hui came out of the second bedroom and quietly thanked everyone.
“Let’s clean up the room first,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “Be careful not to wake him.”
In the master bedroom, the monster’s snores were thunderous. Zhuang Ningyu continued to tidy the dining room, taking the opportunity to open the fridge and take stock of the ingredients for tomorrow’s breakfast. Yi Ke brandished a mop.
Although there was a sweeping-mopping robot in the corner, he couldn’t use it, because they had to “avoid making unpleasant noises.” Zhang Hui took the clothes out of the dryer and folded them, then, forcing down his disgust, cleaned the dirty leather shoes.
The other team members also rolled up their sleeves and found work to do. By the time they finished everything, it was late at night.
After confirming the monster was fast asleep, Zhuang Ningyu arranged for team members to escort Zhang Hui’s wife and child quietly out of 1601. Ye Jiaoyue would arrange a new, safe place for the mother and son to stay.
A message flashed in the small group chat. It was Qian Yue, lamenting to Wu Tao, I can’t play this monster housekeeping game for another second.
Wu Tao comforted him. It’s gross, but it’s better than killing someone.
“There’s a small bed in the study and an air mattress in the game room.” With his wife and child gone, Zhang Hui was visibly more relaxed. He placed a quilt on the sofa and whispered, “Sorry to make you all squeeze in like this.”
“It’s fine,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “You should get some rest too.”
The night returned to silence. Everything seemed relatively stable.
Zhuang Ningyu told the team members to find places to rest. He logged into his work account and opened the management backend for this operation. The data had just finished updating, showing that only this one monster had appeared in Taoli Community so far.
“Want one?” Yi Ke suddenly offered him a piece of chocolate.
Zhuang Ningyu was typing on his laptop and refused without looking up. “No.”
Yi Ke draped an arm over the back of the sofa, leaning his body slightly closer. The warm breath he exhaled almost brushed against Zhuang Ningyu’s earlobe. “Why?”
Zhuang Ningyu: “…”
I want to kill myself.
