The Rose Squad, made up of Ghost Tamers from the Rose Security Company and specialists from the Research Department, cautiously entered Yuezhao City.
Countless passersby stared at them in surprise.
The squad members were on high alert. Some even drew their weapons, ready to fight at any moment.
"Let's scout the area first," the captain said in a lowered voice, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.
He looked around but detected no trace of the supernatural. There were no corpses, pools of blood, or rotting stench either. Everything in sight seemed perfectly normal.
"It's safe enough for now," he said softly. "Headquarters' information shouldn't be too far off."
That was good news.
The supernatural incident in Yuezhao City didn't harm people. Given the Rose Squad's overall strength, they at least didn't have to worry about survival.
"Don't let your guard down!" A dim light flashed across the lenses of the bespectacled man's glasses.
"What did you see?" someone asked nervously.
"Nothing," the bespectacled man replied, "but... the unknown itself is the most dangerous thing!"
"Stop jumping at shadows!"
The others ignored him. One squad member suggested, "Should we change our clothes?"
They were dressed rather conspicuously, like Gin from the Black Organization. In this perfectly ordinary little county town, they stood out a bit too much.
Passersby were sneaking glances at them, and some were even pointing at them. They also had weapons in their hands. Someone might call the police, which would likely bring unnecessary trouble.
The captain thought for a moment. "Suit yourselves."
Several of them immediately changed clothes on the spot without a care. They had originally disguised themselves, but later realized it was unnecessary. Wearing too much drew even more attention and had become a burden instead.
Nearby passersby couldn't help crying out in shock. What were they seeing? A person with bare white bone exposed at the neck, a person whose face was covered in corpse spots, a person with a grotesque human head growing out of their chest...
The Rose Squad paid no attention to the passersby's whispers. They were just a bunch of ordinary people. So what if they saw? Keeping supernatural incidents hidden from the public was the state's concern.
After changing, the group walked on for a while. Suddenly, a voice reached their ears. "What a bunch of ugly monsters~"
"Who said that?!" A Ghost Tamer turned around coldly. Seeing someone holding up a phone to take pictures, as if watching a clown, he couldn't contain his anger. His lips curled into a cruel smile.
A Ghost Tamer's reason and humanity were already unstable, and they couldn't stand being provoked. In his anger, he moved to attack. "I'll let you get a good look!"
"Calm down. Don't cause trouble!" The bespectacled man frowned and tried to stop him, but he was a little too late. The Ghost Tamer had already unleashed his supernatural power.
The passerby taking pictures fell to the ground with a thud, his face ashen and his breathing stopped. Strangely, the other passersby didn't scatter in panic or scream. Instead, they immediately tried to resuscitate him and called the police and an ambulance...
The Rose Squad was dumbfounded. The scene seemed to come straight out of a textbook. The exceptionally good public conduct gave them an unreal sense that something was off.
In this day and age, when no one dared help an old woman who had fallen, there were actually so many kindhearted people willing to help?
"Let's get out of here. Don't forget the rules here. The supernatural might be at work!" the bespectacled man warned.
Whoosh—
They had barely gone any distance when their vision suddenly blurred, and they inexplicably flashed back to where they had been!
"What's going on?!"
"What happened?"
Everyone was shocked, sweat pouring down their backs.
"Is it possible that everything we've seen since entering the city has been an illusion?" the captain suggested.
The bespectacled man's lenses flickered constantly. "It's probably not an illusion, but it could also be too terrifying for me to see through. Still, I think the most likely explanation is that we broke a rule!"
Someone objected, "But Headquarters' files clearly say that nothing happens if you break the rules!"
Don't break the law, and help people in trouble. To Ghost Tamers, those two rules were practically a joke, and hard to actually follow.
The bespectacled man shook his head. "I'm only guessing. The passerby taking pictures was killed just now, and the anomaly appeared shortly afterward. The supernatural can change. The incident in Yuezhao City might have gotten worse."
"What should we do now?" the captain asked.
"It's not what we should do. It's what he should do!" The bespectacled man pointed at the Ghost Tamer who had committed the murder. "He killed the person. Even if there's a punishment mechanism, most of it should be directed at him."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked at the Ghost Tamer he was pointing at.
An annoyed look appeared on the man's face. "What do you mean by that?"
The bespectacled man was about to speak when the sound of sirens suddenly approached from a distance.
The police arrived and immediately surrounded the Rose Squad. They intended to arrest them all on suspicion of intentional homicide and take them in for investigation.
But the Ghost Tamers present clearly didn't take the police seriously. The captain showed his credentials. "We're from a special operations department, carrying out a classified mission. Please don't interfere with our work, or you'll bear the consequences!"
The Yuezhao City police weren't having it. "Everyone is equal before the law. No matter who you are, if you break the law, you will face its punishment!"
The Ghost Tamers exchanged looks. A trick that had always worked before had failed this time?
"We're Ghost Tamers," the captain said gravely. "If you don't know what that means, you can ask your superiors. We have special administrative powers while on a mission. I'm ordering you to leave immediately!"
But the police seemed not to care about what he said at all. Upright and uncompromising, they repeated themselves: "Everyone is equal before the law. No matter who you are, if you break the law, you will face its punishment!"
"There's something wrong with these police officers!" the bespectacled man suddenly shouted. "Don't come into contact with them, or it could be dangerous. Just force your way out!"
The others had also noticed, to one degree or another, that something was wrong with the police before them. In that case, there was no need to hold back.
For a moment, supernatural power surged.
The police were pushed aside, but no one was hurt. The Rose Squad was wary of the rules.
Whoosh—
The anomaly appeared again.
Everyone returned to where they had started.
Meanwhile, after Ye Songlan's repeated attempts, Hu Jiu and Yue Renchun seemed to have discovered the heart of the problem as well.
An old woman was lying in the road not far away, groaning in pain.
"According to the rules, when we encounter someone in trouble, we should take the initiative to help. How could we pass up such a great deed as helping an elderly person, so noble and full of thrills and challenges?" Hu Jiu's words sounded good, but he stood rooted to the spot.
Yue Renchun snorted, and Ye Songlan walked gracefully over to the old woman and helped her up. "Ma'am, let me take you to the hospital."
The old woman's lips twitched, and her face went pale. She wanted to speak.
"No need to thank me. It's what I should do!" Ye Songlan dragged the old woman forward.
Whoosh—
Ye Songlan and the old woman returned to their respective starting points.
"Why did that happen?"
Hu Jiu looked at the old woman's pained expression and understood immediately. "She was already hurt. Most likely, Xiaolan used too much force and made her feel worse."
Ye Songlan set off again and gently picked up the old woman. "Ma'am, I'll take you to the hospital!"
Whoosh—
Back they went.
Hu Jiu was dumbfounded. Yue Renchun pondered. "Try another position. A princess carry is too embarrassing for an elderly person. We need to consider her dignity."
Ye Songlan silently picked up the old woman on her back.
Whoosh—
Back they went.
This time, Hu Jiu guessed, "Could it be that the old lady can't bear to spend the money and doesn't want to go to the hospital at all?"
Yue Renchun nodded. He had noticed that the old woman seemed to have wanted to say something earlier. Maybe it really was that kind of melodramatic situation.
"Ma'am, do you need to go to the hospital?" Ye Songlan walked over and asked.
The old woman glanced at her. "I need to go to the hospital."
Huh? They'd guessed wrong again?
Hu Jiu's expression turned serious, and Yue Renchun narrowed his eyes. Ye Songlan continued asking, "Do you have an illness that makes your whole body uncomfortable when someone touches you?"
The old woman shook her head. "No."
Ye Songlan held out her arm. "Ma'am, hold on to my arm. How about I take you to the hospital?"
To be safe, Ye Songlan became a human walking stick this time.
The old woman nodded in agreement and put her hand on Ye Songlan's arm.
The scene resembled Li Lianying supporting Cixi. Ye Songlan was being extremely careful. Surely nothing would go wrong this time?
Wait!
Where was the hospital?
Whoosh—
Back they went.
The old woman was still lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
A lively look of impatience appeared on Yue Renchun's face. "Could it be because we don't know where the hospital is? Just call an ambulance!"
Ye Songlan took out her phone and called emergency services, but all she heard was, "All operators are currently busy. Please stay on the line..."
Yue Renchun frowned deeply. "I'll use my Ghost Domain to take you away. There's no need to waste time here."
"No, this is an important question concerning the mechanism behind the supernatural incident in Yuezhao City. We have to get to the bottom of it!" Hu Jiu's attitude was grave and serious.
Yue Renchun nodded. This was a fucking matter of intelligence!
Hu Jiu recalled everything he had seen and heard since entering the city, as well as the two rules. Could the truth be...
"Come on, let's all go!"
Hu Jiu motioned for Yue Renchun to follow, and the three of them went to help the old woman together.
"Ma'am, let's take you to the hospital."
The old woman nodded. "All right, but do you know where the hospital is?"
Hu Jiu said politely, "You can give us directions, or we can just hail a taxi."
The old woman sighed. "A taxi costs money. Young people shouldn't be wasteful. It's only a few extra steps, so why waste the money?"
Hu Jiu smiled without speaking.
On the empty street, three young people supported an old woman as they slowly made their way toward the hospital.
The sunlight was bright and heartwarming.
Every vehicle they encountered on the way stopped and quietly gave way to them. Some passing pedestrians stopped to watch, while others joined in. By the time they reached the hospital, the people accompanying the old woman had become a rather large group.
This was Hu Jiu's interpretation of the rule this time: when encountering someone in trouble, every witness present had to help or take part in helping. Otherwise, they could only remain where they were, never able to leave.
When they walked out of the hospital, Hu Jiu and Yue Renchun both felt rather as though they had narrowly survived a disaster.
There were many people in the hospital who needed help as well. Fortunately, every medical worker was diligent, like the angels in white reported on the evening news, always wearing smiles as they saved lives and tended the wounded without complaint.
A woman passing by was in a hurry when her handbag suddenly fell to the ground, scattering its contents everywhere.
Ye Songlan hurried over and helped pick them up.
"Thank you," the stranger said politely. After looking them over a few times, she showed a sympathetic expression. "You're new here, aren't you?"
Hu Jiu glanced at her.
The stranger continued on her own. "People often end up in Yuezhao City by accident, but almost none of them can get out. The local residents really want to leave too. But for some honest, law-abiding people, it's actually quite nice here. The dark side of society hardly exists."
"My husband won't abuse me anymore, and my child won't be bullied at school either. I love this city!"
Hu Jiu and the others remained silent.
The woman smiled and pointed into the distance. "Follow this direction and you'll see a green road. There's an exit at the end of it. As long as you can get there, you can leave Yuezhao City without trouble."
"Thank you," Hu Jiu said.
"You're welcome. I'm enjoying helping someone too."
After the stranger left, Yue Renchun stared at her retreating figure. "It's that easy to leave? That doesn't make sense. And how did she know we were new here?"
"When we took the old lady to the hospital, all three of us had to participate. But just now, only Xiaolan helped that woman pick up her things, and no anomaly was triggered. What's the difference between the two incidents?"
"None of that is the point!" Hu Jiu's expression was grave. "Something like this has happened in Yuezhao City, so why does Headquarters know nothing about it? The communications signal hasn't been cut off. Headquarters' files should be updated in real time!"
Yue Renchun was stunned. "Oh, right. I almost forgot about that."
Hu Jiu said, "I have a bad feeling about this."
Yue Renchun said, "Funny, I have a bad feeling too."
The Rose Squad, surrounded by police, was still trying to break out. Unfortunately, whenever they got a short distance away, a mysterious force would reset them to their original positions.
More and more onlookers gathered.
One Ghost Tamer's patience ran out. "This isn't getting us anywhere. Why don't we kill them all?!"
"No!" the bespectacled man sharply objected. "Killing just one person got us into this situation. If we kill a few more, I'm afraid things will get worse."
"Everyone is equal before the law. No matter who you are, if you break the law and commit a crime, you must face its punishment!" The police continued to repeat the words, their expressions stern and upright. Even their tone didn't change in the slightest, as if they were a heartless recording on repeat.
"What if we go with the police? We can just explain everything," someone suggested timidly.
The bespectacled man rejected the idea outright. "There's no communicating with the police here! We're suspected of intentional homicide, and we're carrying guns and knives. Once we're arrested and detained, will we have any chance of getting out?"
Wasn't that exactly why he had chosen to run the moment he noticed something wrong with the police?
Rule 1: Don't break the law. They had attracted the police. If they followed the rule, they would be arrested and imprisoned. If they didn't, they would keep bouncing back to the same spot.
Finding a way to break out and get out of the police's sight was the best solution for now!
No matter how absurd and bizarre a rules horror story was, it ultimately stemmed from supernatural power. The Rose Squad had several Ghost Tamers, so they had to be able to suppress that supernatural power in turn. The bespectacled man was reasonably confident of that.
"I think the police are right. Anyone who commits a crime should be punished. Let's turn ourselves in." A Ghost Tamer suddenly gave up resisting and said those words.
The bespectacled man was shocked. "Do you even hear what you're saying?!"