Strictly speaking, there was a young man in his twenties standing outside the door, along with a boy who looked like he was in high school.
Fang Cheng's expression shifted slightly.
The two of them were equipped just like Kanzaki Rin, so their identities were obvious: they were members of the Disaster Countermeasure Department.
A flurry of thoughts flashed through Fang Cheng's mind.
Had my identity been exposed?
Had Kanzaki Rin sold me out?
Were they at the wrong door?
Fang Cheng didn't bother to control his expression. Anyone would feel nervous when two fully armed people showed up at their door.
Being too calm would only make him look suspicious, practically announcing that he had something to hide.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Fang Cheng asked, sounding a little nervous. He gripped the door with both hands, looking ready to shut it at any moment.
The older young man pulled out an ID and held it up for Fang Cheng to see. "Hello. We're special officers from the Disaster Countermeasure Department."
The ID looked just like Kanzaki Rin's, except this one belonged to a full member, not an intern.
The name on it was Maeda Kenichi.
Fang Cheng looked at the younger one. "Where's your ID?"
The two outside the door paused. This was the first time they'd met a citizen who insisted that everyone show their ID.
But the request was perfectly legal and reasonable. There was nothing to criticize.
The boy fumbled around before pulling out his own ID to show Fang Cheng. It was an intern's ID, and the name on it was Kujo Go.
"Don't be afraid, we—"
"Wait a second!"
Maeda Kenichi was about to explain why they were there when Fang Cheng cut him off and pulled out his phone. "I'll look up your badge numbers. You'd better not be impostors. There've been a lot of scammers lately pretending to be police officers and showing up at people's homes."
Maeda Kenichi and Kujo Go: ...
They felt a surge of frustration rise in their chests, but they couldn't vent it. It was maddening.
Were this guy's eyes broken? Couldn't he see how honest and righteous they looked? How could he suspect they were impostors? What a ridiculous accusation.
Still, Fang Cheng was well within his rights, so they had no grounds to complain.
And somehow, his antics had eased the tense atmosphere.
Fang Cheng did find Maeda Kenichi's profile on the Disaster Countermeasure Department's official website. He couldn't find Kujo Go's, but the confidentiality rules for interns meant his information wasn't public.
Fang Cheng put down his phone and gave them an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. I'm a bit of a coward. What can I do for you?"
Only then did Maeda Kenichi explain. "We received a report that there might be a monster in this apartment building."
"A monster?"
Fang Cheng looked frightened. "What kind of monster?"
Maeda Kenichi studied Fang Cheng's expression carefully. "We don't know yet. Have you seen anyone strange or heard any strange noises lately?"
"Let me think!"
Fang Cheng furrowed his brow in thought, then lowered his voice. "I have heard some strange noises at night."
Maeda Kenichi and Kujo Go exchanged a glance, their expressions immediately turning grave. "What kind of noises? Tell us in detail."
"Every night around midnight, they come from the apartment above mine. There are these weird cries, repeating the same few simple phrases over and over."
"What phrases?"
Kujo Go asked urgently. Maeda Kenichi glanced at him but said nothing.
Fang Cheng beckoned them closer. Maeda Kenichi and Kujo Go leaned in.
"It's 'Yamete, yamete,' 'Iku, iku,' and things like 'I can't take it anymore' and 'Please, have mercy.'"
Kujo Go's face turned bright red.
Maeda Kenichi glared at Fang Cheng in annoyance. "We're on official business. Please don't joke around."
Fang Cheng leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm not joking. You might think those sounds are pretty common, but what if I told you they were all being shouted by men?"
Kujo Go's mouth fell open, and he blurted out, "Could it be a 'rape' series?"
Fang Cheng and Maeda Kenichi both turned to look at him.
Maeda Kenichi snapped, "What are you talking about?"
Kujo Go hurriedly covered his mouth, then bowed to Maeda Kenichi. "I'm sorry, Senior Maeda."
Maeda Kenichi gave a cold snort, then looked sternly at Fang Cheng. "We need to inspect your home. Please cooperate."
"Wait a second."
Fang Cheng's phone suddenly rang. He answered and made a few vague sounds, then started recording them before pointing the camera their way. "Come on in."
The blatant distrust made Maeda Kenichi's head ache.
But he couldn't exactly pick a fight with a kid who looked like he was in high school. All he could do was say, "Excuse us," and lead Kujo Go into Fang Cheng's home.
As soon as they entered the foyer, Maeda Kenichi and Kujo Go became noticeably more alert. Their stances made it clear that they could cover each other at a moment's notice if anything went wrong, revealing their solid training.
Fang Cheng's home was very simple. From the living room, they could see practically everything.
Maeda Kenichi spotted the duck blood in the kitchen that Fang Cheng was planning to use for the Mao Xue Wang. A glint of suspicion flashed in his eyes, and his hand went to his gun.
Unlike Kanzaki Rin, Maeda Kenichi was a full member of the Countermeasure Department and was allowed to carry a firearm.
"Why is there blood in your kitchen?"
Maeda Kenichi's expression was grave, his gaze fixed on Fang Cheng.
Kujo Go had also moved out of Fang Cheng's line of sight and placed a hand on his communicator, ready to call for backup.
Fang Cheng tried to keep his voice casual. "I bought it at the market. What's the problem?"
Maeda Kenichi's voice rose. "Why did you buy blood?"
"I'm making Mao Xue Wang."
"Mao Xue Wang?"
Maeda Kenichi and Kujo Go both thought they'd misheard him.
"Don't joke around."
Maeda Kenichi quickly drew his gun and aimed it at Fang Cheng. He snapped, "Is that human blood you bought from a hospital?"
The gun was loaded with silver bullets. If Fang Cheng showed even the slightest sign of trouble, Maeda Kenichi could shoot him straight through the heart.
Fang Cheng sighed, put down his phone, and silently walked toward the kitchen.
Maeda Kenichi's gaze turned icy as he kept his gun trained on Fang Cheng.
The tires screeched as they tore across the pavement at high speed.
Kanzaki Rin drifted the car sideways into a parking spot.
Ignoring the wear on her new car's tires, she leaped out and raced into the apartment building at full speed.
She didn't even have time to take the elevator. Instead, she sprinted up the stairs.
Just moments earlier, Kanzaki Rin had heard news at the Countermeasure Department that had nearly stopped her heart: someone had anonymously reported a Vampire in an apartment building. The address was none other than Fang Cheng's home.
By the time Kanzaki Rin heard about it, the Countermeasure Department had already sent people to investigate.
There was no time to stop them. All she could do was leave the department and race to Fang Cheng's place.
On the way, Kanzaki Rin had called Fang Cheng to warn him. The only response she got was a few vague sounds of agreement.
Kanzaki Rin immediately understood: the people sent by the Countermeasure Department had already found him. They might even be standing right in front of him.
This left Kanzaki Rin frantic with worry. If Fang Cheng's identity was exposed, all her hopes would be dashed.
She ran several red lights and sped the whole way, finally arriving in record time.
She raced up the stairs to Fang Cheng's door. The door was already open, and she rushed inside.
The instant she crossed the threshold, Kanzaki Rin had braced herself for the worst. Whatever the situation, she would do everything she could to protect Fang Cheng. She absolutely couldn't let them take him away.
When she entered the living room, the fight she'd expected hadn't happened.
Instead, she saw something she couldn't make sense of—
Fang Cheng, Maeda Kenichi, and Kujo Go were sitting around the dining table with a pot of Mao Xue Wang, eating with red oil all over their mouths.
When Kanzaki Rin came rushing into the living room, all three looked up at her at the same time.
They stared at one another, dumbfounded.
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