Strange Noises Every Night (Seeking Recommendations)

Strictly speaking, standing outside the door were a young man in his twenties and a teenager of high school age.

Fang Cheng's expression shifted slightly.

Because the equipment worn by these two was identical to Kanzaki Rin's, their identities were obvious—members of the Disaster Countermeasure Department.

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Fang Cheng's mind in an instant.

Has my identity been exposed?

Did Kanzaki Rin betray me?

Did these two come to the wrong door?

Fang Cheng did not deliberately control his expression; anyone would feel nervous seeing two fully armed individuals show up at their doorstep.

Being too calm would be like hanging a sign saying "there is no treasure buried here," clearly telling others that he had something to hide.

"Who are you? Is something the matter?"

Fang Cheng asked with a hint of nervousness, gripping the door with both hands as if ready to slam it shut at any moment.

The older youth pulled an ID card from his person and unfolded it in front of Fang Cheng: "Hello, we are special police officers from the Disaster Countermeasure Department."

The ID was identical to Kanzaki Rin's, the only difference being that this was a full member's credential, not an intern's.

The name on it read: Maeda Kenichi.

Fang Cheng looked at the younger one: "Where is your ID?"

The two men outside were slightly taken aback; it was the first time they had encountered a citizen who demanded that everyone present their credentials.

However, the request was legal and reasonable, leaving no room for complaint.

The teenager fumbled a bit as he took out his ID to show Fang Cheng. It was an intern's badge, and the name was Kujo Go.

"Don't be afraid, we—"

"Wait a second!"

Just as Maeda Kenichi was about to explain their purpose, Fang Cheng interrupted him and pulled out his phone: "Let me check your badge numbers. I don't want to be scammed; there have been a lot of people pretending to be police officers lately."

Maeda Kenichi & Kujo Go: ...

The two felt a surge of frustration rise in their chests, unable to spit it out, feeling utterly stifled.

Are you blind? Can't you see our thick brows and big eyes, our aura of justice? To actually suspect we're imposters—it's truly unreasonable.

But Fang Cheng's actions were perfectly legal and compliant, leaving them no room to pick a fight.

However, after being handled this way, the originally tense atmosphere had relaxed significantly.

Fang Cheng did indeed find Maeda Kenichi's information on the Disaster Countermeasure Department's official website. He couldn't find Kujo Go, but according to the intern confidentiality regulations, his information would not be public.

Fang Cheng put his phone away and offered a shy smile: "Sorry, I'm a bit timid. May I ask what you need?"

Maeda Kenichi then said: "We received a report that there might be a monster lurking in this apartment building."

"A monster?"

Fang Cheng put on a fearful expression: "What kind of monster?"

Maeda Kenichi carefully scrutinized Fang Cheng's expression and said: "It's unclear for now. Have you seen any strange people or heard any strange noises lately?"

"Let me think!"

Fang Cheng frowned in deep thought, then whispered: "I do hear 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 twelve, right above my place, there are always some strange cries, repeating a few simple phrases."

"What phrases?"

Kujo Go asked eagerly. Maeda Kenichi shot him a glance but said nothing.

Fang Cheng beckoned them over, and Maeda Kenichi and Kujo Go leaned their ears in.

"Just 'yamete, yamete,' 'iku, iku,' and things like 'I can't take it anymore' or 'please, spare me.'"

Kujo Go's face turned red instantly.

Maeda Kenichi glared at Fang Cheng in annoyance: "We are on official business. Please do not joke around."

Fang Cheng said mysteriously: "I'm not joking. You might think these sounds are common, but what if I told you these voices were all made by men?"

Kujo Go's mouth fell open, and he blurted out: "Could it be... a humiliation-themed act?"

Fang Cheng and Maeda Kenichi turned to look at him in unison.

Maeda Kenichi said irritably: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Kujo Go quickly covered his mouth and immediately bowed his head to apologize to Maeda Kenichi: "I'm sorry, Senior Maeda."

Maeda Kenichi snorted coldly, kept a straight face, and said to Fang Cheng: "We need to check your apartment. Please cooperate."

"Wait a moment."

Fang Cheng's phone suddenly rang. After saying a few "uh-huhs" into the receiver, he turned on his camera and pointed it at the two of them: "Please, come in."

This blatant lack of trust made Kenichi Maeda feel incredibly frustrated.

However, he couldn't exactly bicker with a high school kid, so he simply muttered an apology and entered Fang Cheng's home with Kujo Go in tow.

The moment they stepped into the entryway, both Kenichi Maeda and Kujo Go's vigilance spiked significantly; their stances revealed their elite training, as they were positioned to cover each other at a moment's notice should anything go wrong.

Fang Cheng's home was quite simple, and one could take in the entire layout from the living room.

When Kenichi Maeda spotted the duck blood in the kitchen that Fang Cheng had prepared for his spicy blood curd stew, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and his hand immediately went to his sidearm.

Unlike Kanzaki Rin, Kenichi Maeda was a formal member of the Countermeasure Department and was authorized to carry a firearm.

"Why... is there blood in your kitchen?"

Kenichi Maeda's expression was grave, his gaze locked firmly on Fang Cheng.

Kujo Go had already moved to a blind spot, his hand hovering over his communicator, ready to call for reinforcements at any second.

Fang Cheng tried his best to keep his tone normal: "I bought it at the market, obviously. What's the problem?"

Kenichi Maeda's voice rose in pitch: "Why would you buy blood?"

"To make spicy blood curd stew."

"Spicy blood curd stew?"

Both Kenichi Maeda and Kujo Go thought they had misheard him.

"Don't joke around."

Kenichi Maeda whipped out his pistol, aimed it at Fang Cheng, and barked: "Is that human blood bought from a hospital?"

The pistol was loaded with silver bullets; if Fang Cheng showed even the slightest sign of abnormality, Kenichi Maeda would fire straight into his heart without hesitation.

Fang Cheng sighed, put down his phone, and walked silently toward the kitchen.

Kenichi Maeda's gaze remained icy, his muzzle tracking Fang Cheng's every movement.

Tires screeched as they tore across the pavement.

Kanzaki Rin drifted the car into the parking space, sliding it sideways.

Ignoring the wear on her new tires, she bolted from the car and sprinted into the apartment building at top speed.

She didn't even wait for the elevator, choosing instead to race up the stairs.

Just moments ago at the Countermeasure Department, Kanzaki Rin had heard news that nearly stopped her heart: an anonymous tip had been filed claiming a vampire was lurking in an apartment building, and the address was exactly where Fang Cheng lived.

By the time she heard the report, the Countermeasure Department had already dispatched a team to investigate.

It was too late to stop them, so she had left the department and driven as fast as she could toward Fang Cheng's home.

On the way, Kanzaki Rin had called to warn him, but the guy had only offered vague, distracted grunts in response.

Kanzaki Rin realized immediately that the team from the Countermeasure Department must have already found him, or were perhaps even standing right in front of him.

She was frantic; if Fang Cheng's identity were exposed, all her hopes would be dashed.

Running several red lights and speeding the entire way, Kanzaki Rin finally arrived in record time.

She sprinted up the stairs to Fang Cheng's door, saw it was already open, and rushed inside.

The moment she burst through the door, she had braced herself for the worst, determined to do whatever it took to protect Fang Cheng and ensure he wasn't taken away, no matter the circumstances.

Upon entering the living room, however, the battle she had expected was nowhere to be found.

Instead, she was met with a scene she couldn't possibly comprehend—

Fang Cheng, Kenichi Maeda, and Kujo Go were all sitting at the dining table, huddled around a pot of spicy blood curd stew, their mouths smeared with red chili oil.

As Kanzaki Rin stormed into the living room, all three of them looked up at her in unison.

They stared at each other, completely bewildered.