Chapter 02: Intruder

Normally, Xia Mi would have treated a message like this as a scam. Her standard procedure involved a one-stop service of blocking, tagging, and reporting, fulfilling her duties as a good citizen.

But at this moment, inside an apartment building that had inexplicably turned eerie, the promise from an Unknown Number became Xia Mi’s lifeline.

She knew perfectly well that the message could be fake, perhaps sent just to lure her out of her room.

But so what? She needed to get out.

With no way to jump out the window and escape, she was left with only two options: head out and take a gamble, or keep hiding in her room.

For now, it seemed whoever was knocking couldn’t enter, but she didn’t feel safe in the room either.

Xia Mi thought back to that dragonfly-sized mosquito. Initially, she had dismissed the oversized insect as a case of southern bugs being larger than northern ones. People who have lived in a peaceful society their whole lives find it difficult to associate a large mosquito with a supernatural event. In this day and age of rampant hormones and additives everywhere, the occasional appearance of a mutant mosquito didn’t seem that strange.

However, when combined with an apartment building that felt like a deserted island, the pitch-black darkness outside the window, and the suspicious gnawing sounds from next door, the appearance of that giant mosquito was no longer a normal phenomenon.

Xia Mi worried that if she stayed in the room, more and more strange things would happen. No one could guarantee the room was absolutely safe, and waiting for death wasn’t in her nature. Even without the message from the Unknown Number, she would have chosen to leave.

Now, the Unknown Number had given her a reason to step out.

If the other party was a scammer, it wouldn’t change Xia Mi’s decision.

If they weren’t, then Xia Mi would hit the jackpot. That was a Special Recruitment Slot!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

However, Xia Mi was not reckless. She didn’t just rush out. Instead, she cracked the door open slightly and hid behind it with her axe raised, ready to strike at any moment.

Regardless of who was at the door, anyone trying to enter a young woman’s apartment in the middle of the night deserved a face full of axe.

Soft footsteps echoed from outside again, sounding like the shuffling of slippers.

The sound stopped right in front of Xia Mi’s door.

Xia Mi was so tense that cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She tightened the muscles in her arm, waiting to deliver a full-force blow to the person outside.

Then, she heard a familiar voice: “Is anyone there? Xiao Xia, are you in?”

The voice belonged to the Mother from 704. Xia Mi only had a nodding acquaintance with her, but they lived so close that Xia Mi was very familiar with her voice from the woman’s frequent scolding of her child. She also knew Xia Mi’s surname from the occasional misdelivered package.

The Mother from 704 usually shouted loudly in a piercing tone, but now her voice was unnervingly gentle.

Xia Mi never thought she would one day hear such a soft, beautiful tone from her.

It has to be fake. Something is mimicking the Mother from 704 to trick me.

Xia Mi did not lower her guard just because the voice sounded familiar.

Then, she heard the Mother from 704 continue: “Xiao Xia, you must have noticed too. Something seems to have happened to our building. I don’t know when it started, but suddenly one day, I realized I wanted to sew Xiao Pi back into my stomach.”

Xiao Pi was the son from 704, just starting his second year of middle school. Xia Mi didn’t know his full name, only that his mother often called him Xiao Pi.

Hearing that gentle, love-filled tone, Xia Mi couldn’t help but swallow hard.

The Mother from 704 continued: “He studies so hard every day, he’s so tired. He has to be at school by 7:00 AM and doesn’t get back until 9:00 PM. He even has cram school on weekends, but even so, his grades still aren’t good.

“I know he’s tired, but I’m exhausted too.

“I borrowed money from every relative I have to buy a home in the city’s school district. But the truth is, our family couldn’t afford a house at all, and we couldn’t pay back the debt.

“We just wanted him to attend middle school in the city.

“We planned to sell the house as soon as he got in, but housing prices dropped. We had to sell it for cheap. After paying back the relatives, the house was gone, but we still have part of the mortgage left to pay.

“His father and I have to pay the mortgage, pay the rent, and cover our living expenses, all while saving up for his tutoring fees.

“His father’s factory set up a branch in Africa. The income for those going to Africa is high, so his father signed a contract with the factory to work there for two years.

“I’m so worried with his father being so far away. His father and I work so hard, yet his grades aren’t good at all. I feel like he’s such a disappointment.

“Every time I see his grades, I can’t help but scold him and hit him. But after I scream, seeing him cry like that makes me feel terrible too.”

As she listened, Xia Mi slowly began to lower her axe.

The Mother from 704 continued: “Sometimes I can’t help but think, if only I could stuff him back into my stomach. Just like when I was pregnant with him. I could protect him forever, and he would always be so obedient, so cute.”

A chill ran down Xia Mi’s spine. She couldn’t help but ask, “Did you… stuff him in?”

The Mother from 704’s voice grew even softer: “He ran away. I’m looking for him. He doesn’t realize the world outside is too dangerous. Without his parents’ protection, he won’t be able to survive.

“Xiao Xia, you’re a good girl who went to university. You wouldn’t lie. Have you seen my Xiao Pi?”

“No!” Xia Mi said without a hint of guilt.

“Auntie believes you, but Auntie still wants to come in and take a look. What if Xiao Pi slipped in while you weren’t paying attention?” the Mother from 704 said.

This question immediately reminded Xia Mi of the plot from Hani¹ Apartments that she had just played.

In the game, even after Xiao Mi put on the scarf, she still hadn’t found the cause of her first death, but the scarf had allowed her to escape that fate.

Xia Mi knew that if she looked carefully, she would definitely find the cause of death. However, her habit was to finish a game first and then go back to find details. So, she hadn’t delved into the reason for the first death and had simply continued playing.

The second stage Xiao Mi encountered was helping a poor neighbor auntie find her missing son.

The neighbor auntie said she wanted to look for her son in Xiao Mi’s room. Xiao Mi agreed. The neighbor auntie entered, the screen went black, and the Xiao Mi in the game died.

Xia Mi reloaded her save to try again. This time, she refused the neighbor’s request to enter and look for her son. The screen cut to black, and “Xiao Mi” died in the game once more.

Facing this level for the third time, Xia Mi simply restarted the game from the beginning. She quickly threw on a scarf and rushed out the door. This way, she neither died of poisoning nor encountered the auntie trying to force her way in to find her son.

The plot of “Hani Apartments” was far too similar to her current situation. It was the same apartment building setting, the same goal of escaping a supernatural complex, and the needle mark on Xiao Mi’s neck during the first death looked like an enlarged version of a mosquito bite. Even the first NPC Xiao Mi encountered was a neighbor looking for her son.

If she let her mind wander further, the apartment she lived in was called “Xingfuli Apartments.” The Chinese word for happiness, “Xingfu,” translated to “happiness” in English, which could be transliterated as “Hapiness,” or “Hani” for short.

No way. Just because I gave the game character my own name, did my apartment turn into a horror game? Xia Mi wondered.

She didn’t want to make such a connection, but the timing of her gaming session and the occurrence of these anomalies were too close. The existing elements were so similar that she couldn’t help but link them together.

She didn’t know if the game she just played had turned reality into a horror game, or if the game was actually some kind of early warning system.

Regardless of which it was, it didn’t solve the crisis at hand.

If things were truly as she suspected, then according to the game’s plot, Xia Mi would face a certain-death ending whether she agreed to let the Mother from 704 in or refused her.

A game could be reloaded, but reality could not.

Xia Mi began to regret that she hadn’t faced the crisis seriously within the game, choosing instead to bypass the neighbor entirely. If she had searched for a way to break the deadlock in the game, she might not be having such a headache right now.

Fortunately, Xia Mi wasn’t the type to wallow in self-pity. Her regret lasted only a moment before she pulled herself together to face reality.

At the very least, the game had warned her about two guaranteed death scenarios.

Furthermore, the game wasn’t as detailed as reality. In the game, the neighbor hadn’t explained why her son was missing, but in real life, the Mother from 704 had rambled on, explaining the entire situation clearly.

If the Mother from 704 hadn’t been so detailed, Xia Mi wouldn’t have known that her husband had gone to Africa for work, nor would she have known the heavy pressure the woman was under.

After a moment’s thought, Xia Mi said, “Xiao Pi’s mom, why do you think Xiao Pi might be hiding in my house?”

The Mother from 704 replied, “I know you’re a university graduate. Xiao Pi has always admired you. He often told me he wanted to get into a university just like the big sister next door. He doesn’t have many friends in this complex. Aside from me, you’re the person he’s most familiar with. You’re his role model; it’s very likely he’s hiding with you.”

Xia Mi said, “Xiao Pi’s mom, it’s late at night, and I’m a bit nervous about letting people in. How about this? You wait outside for a moment, and I’ll help you check if Xiao Pi is in my house.”

“Alright,” the Mother from 704 said, her emotions seemingly stable.

Xia Mi’s door was clearly open a crack; a gentle push would have swung it wide, yet the Mother from 704 did not enter.

It was as if she couldn’t step inside without explicit permission.

Just then, Xia Mi’s phone vibrated. The Unknown Number had sent another message.

Unknown Number: [Don’t be too impulsive. Before you rescue others, you must ensure your own safety.

The apartment building you live in has been shrouded by “Zhuo.” Many people have likely become a part of the “Zhuo.” Your consciousness remains normal, which means you and the space you recognize as yours have not yet been assimilated. You remain distinct, like “Qing²” separated from “Zhuo.”

In this state, your home is currently safe; it belongs to “Qing.”

Please remember the first rule: Do not respond to anyone knocking on the door, and do not invite anyone into your home. If there is an “Intruder” in your house, find the “Intruder” and clear them out immediately.]

Xia Mi stared at the message and thought of the mosquito she had slapped to death. She realized that the mosquito was the “Intruder” mentioned in the rules, and she had already dealt with it.

So, was it possible that another “Intruder” still existed within her room right now?

Translator’s Notes