Chapter 135

Upon hearing this, the staff on stage were visibly stunned.

In this bizarre world, there is no law enforcement; all legal rules were erased by the system over twenty years ago. The monsters, awakened by the contamination, have their common sense distorted to varying degrees, and naturally, they lack the concept of calling the police.

So their first reaction wasn't panic, but confusion. They looked at each other, then lowered their voices and asked suspiciously:

"What alarm?"

"Never heard of it."

"It sounds like they're calling for help."

"Second Master Mo, what should we do now?"

What can we do? Just let it be!

The fat man and his group were confined to the stage, unable to break free or do anything, and could only stare blankly at Xie Xu.

Xie Kaile always obeyed Xie Xubai's orders without question. Without asking why, he made a phone call to the law enforcement team and briefly described the situation at the scene.

Less than five minutes later, everyone heard a loud and piercing police siren coming from outside the theater.

The voice vaguely awakened ominous memories, and the people on the stage panicked for no reason, looking out the window.

The spacious open space was suddenly filled with vehicles, their red and blue lights flashing incessantly. Law enforcement officers disembarked one after another, their actions disciplined, and within minutes the entire theater was completely surrounded.

Another loud bang was heard as the tightly sealed door was smashed open with a battering ram. The door slammed against the wall with a loud crash, and heavily armed law enforcement officers appeared in the doorway.

The entire theater fell into a deathly silence, and everyone looked terrified.

No matter how hard you try, you can't make out the faces of these law enforcement officers, because what's under their uniforms isn't flesh and blood, but rather blurry shadows. They have no facial features, but you can feel several sharp, cold gazes shooting out from the darkness.

They are not living people; like the theater staff, they are supernatural beings.

While ordinary monsters can only bring the fear of impending death, these creatures exude a solemn and chilling sense of oppression, like having a black gun barrel pointed at your head, or like an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron.

With the arrival of this group, a powerful external force began to erode this space. The obscured perceptions poured out like a flood, making the fat man and others dizzy and pale.

They suddenly remembered and exclaimed, "Damn it, they actually called the cops!"

Law enforcement officers stood at the door with their guns at the ready, motionless, as if waiting for someone's instructions.

They stood silently facing the direction Xie Xubai was facing.

Xie Xubai remained motionless, calmly gazing at Lü Jiu, then shifting his attention to carefully listen to the lingering cries and screams throughout the theater.

The significant improvement in his mental strength allows him to easily divide his thoughts into many parts, each of which can think independently and even converse with each other, and so far they get along quite harmoniously.

Xie Xubai wasn't sure if his condition constituted schizophrenia, or a side effect of his increased power. Once the world returned to normal, he planned to book an appointment with a specialist at the hospital next door.

Lu Jiu was clearly not expected Xie Xubai to call the police, and was stunned for a while.

As law enforcement officers broke down the door, he suddenly snapped back to reality, glanced at the faceless shadows, and met Xie Xubai's gaze. A conversation seemed to echo in his ears.

First came Lü Jiu's own voice, or rather, his undisguised original voice, which was a bit lazy and relaxed, as he complained with a sour tone: "What kind of junk did you pick up this time? Ghosts? Ha! So many! Did you dig up the entire mass grave? ...Why do you look so silly? Is your soul incomplete?"

"No, I had someone check it out. All three souls and seven spirits are still there. It's a stroke of luck amidst misfortune," another voice said.

The appearance of these ghosts dates back more than 20 years, when the law was maliciously erased by the system, and the existence of personnel within law enforcement agencies was also to be eliminated.

But Xie Xubai acted quickly enough to preserve their souls first.

Xie Xubai said, "I tried some methods to awaken their consciousness, but they were ineffective. It wasn't until recently, when the police station, riot control and other law enforcement agencies were completed and began to promote the concept of law to the public, that they began to show slight reactions to the outside world."

Lu Jiu remained silent for a moment, probably out of surprise.

He had read the laws written by Xie Xubai, revised them many times, and there were multiple versions.

According to Xie Xubai, he memorized the original version entirely from memory, but because he was not a law student and did not work in the field, it was very difficult for him to memorize, and he stumbled along the way.

Fortunately, some ordinary people still retain their original understanding.

Perhaps in the system's view, ordinary NPCs are as insignificant as ants, so numerous that even if you crush a bunch, there will be many more, and it's not worth the trouble to modify the character template. Xie Xubai was able to find professionals to fill the gaps in the regulations.

Then comes the modification.

Civilization is only built on land where people have enough to eat and wear. In the dark forest, only hunters advocate truth, goodness, and beauty, hoping that all their prey can remain innocent and pure like lambs.

Human laws do not apply to the supernatural world.

Xie Xubai consulted with several industry experts, holding meetings and making decisions continuously for more than ten days. He worked tirelessly, day and night, to find a balance point for the harmonious coexistence of humans and monsters.

As a result, new regulations were continuously improved, and discarded documents were printed out, filling the conference room desks. It seemed that the regulations were gradually maturing and becoming more reliable.

But in Lü Jiu's view, that was still a vision that only existed in fairy tales.

To establish order in the abyss, to believe in goodness amidst slaughter—it sounds ridiculous and illogical, like hoping that hyenas would defy their bloodthirsty nature and stay with rabbits.

It's hard to believe that Xie Xubai still made this incredible attempt.

If Xie Xubai were a naive and romantic little princess who had never stepped out of the ivory tower, a parrot who only knew how to follow the crowd and sing praises of a world of great harmony, Lü Jiu would probably give a mocking smile, superficially applaud, and say a few words of praise for how difficult it was.

But Xie Xubai was not.

Most importantly, the other side is about to succeed.

Lu Jiu's mind was in turmoil, and many deeply resented past events surfaced in his mind.

He always believed that people can be alienated by their environment, become desperate, and retreat.

But when you look up, you can see Xie Xubai's calm eyes.

This calmness is not a lack of emotion, but an unwavering commitment.

In that instant, Lü Jiu had never been so clearly aware of the gap between Xie Xubai and many other people, including himself.

Lu Jiu spoke again, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke, her emotions unclear: "...What are you planning to do next?"

"If implementing the law can raise their awareness, I am prepared to increase publicity efforts in the coming period to further expand its influence."

The newly established law enforcement agency will need to screen and urgently train its recruits, which will take at least several months.

If these ghosts could regain their senses, there would be no one more suitable for law enforcement.

"Biodivers acquire knowledge of the external world through psychological processes such as perception, thinking, understanding, and memory. Therefore, to correct distorted cognition, we need to start with perception."

Xie Xubai's voice is very distinctive, not only in its gentle and peaceful tone, but also in its unshakeable quality.

“Law is something that is put into practice,” Xie Xubai said. “Instead of just promoting regulations on paper, we should let them see, hear, and experience them firsthand.”

Upon closer examination, it seems that it was after this conversation that Lü Jiu found herself becoming absent-minded.

He used to long for Xie Xubai to become stronger quickly, to punch the board of directors, kick the tyrant Yan, and wipe out the Shengtian Group, so that he could escape his misery and regain his freedom. But recently, he has been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding this topic.

Even when Xie Xubai explicitly offered to help him, he subconsciously refused.

What is he afraid of?

Lü Jiu didn't understand.

Until one night, it was unusually quiet. Outside the window, the shadows of the trees swayed, their slender branches spreading out like five fingers, like a silent invitation.

Lu Jiu sensed the loosening of the rules, feeling both surprised and bewildered. Ultimately, unable to resist the temptation, he lifted his leg and rushed out of the gate of Shengtian Group.

The asphalt road was wide, the moon and stars were few, the wind was howling, and freedom seemed so close.

He quickened his pace absentmindedly, as if possessed, and casually unbuttoned the tightly zipped-up collar of his suit jacket. A smirk played on his lips as he stepped out of the gate.

When she looked up, she didn't see a wide street, but a tightly closed sandalwood window. The wind blew in through the crack, making the thin costume sway, and the narrow dressing room was cool.

Outside the window, the ancient town was bustling with activity late at night. Something that seemed to be either human or ghostly made laughter in the distance, and clusters of orange-red lights huddled together like fireworks.

Lu Jiu fell silent amidst the commotion.

He lowered his head slightly and noticed that his attire had changed; the suit had disappeared and been replaced by a gorgeous gown, with ribbons wrapped around him in circles, like shackles and chains, trying to bind him to this small space.

After a while, Lü Jiu covered his face with his hands, grinned, and let out a low laugh.

The tourists' laughter faded into the distance, but his laughter grew louder and louder, until tears welled up in his eyes.

He sat in front of the dressing mirror, the brass mirror reflecting his trembling body, which gradually distorted into a ghostly shadow.

Lu Jiu recalled Xie Xubai's face, his eyes, and his persistence.

How can the difference be so big?

His closest friend was upright and honest, pure and untainted, untouched by the mud. But when he tore off the mask of Lü Xiangcai, he could only see the rotten and foul interior.

It turns out that his retreat and avoidance stemmed from his fear of seeing his own unbearable self in Xie Xubai's eyes.

...

In the theater lobby, the group of fat men dared not utter a sound, trembling under the gaze of law enforcement officers.

Like a prisoner on an execution platform finally hearing the verdict of beheading, Lü Jiu slumped down, pressing his mask against his face, his fingers clenching and turning white: "Sir, you are the only audience. Whether these people on the judgment platform want it or not, it's all the same result. What's the point of this formalism?"

Xie Kaile is still young and not yet capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of an executive officer. Many of the law enforcement officers present appeared to be acting freely, but in reality, they were confused and not fully conscious.

Ultimately, it was Xie Xubai who made the final decision on the sentencing.

What's the difference between that and Xie Xubai deciding the fat man's life or death based on audience votes?

Xie Xubai shook his head: "I can't guarantee that I can make the right judgment."

People's emotions are easily influenced, and Xie Xubai doesn't consider himself an exception.

Lu Jiu didn't understand such conservatism. He scoffed and gave a mocking smile: "What do you need to judge when dealing with such disgusting scum? Do you want to exonerate them?"

Those who know Xie Xubai do indeed have this concern: that kind people are easily soft-hearted and unable to bear suffering.

“No.” Xie Xubai shook his head. “I’m afraid I’ll get a too lenient sentence.”

His tone was quite cold, yet not heartless.

The vengeful spirits of the unjustly killed were still crying and wailing in his ears. Xie Xubai closed his eyes and said, "The things they did deserve to be punished with death ten thousand times over. That's why we need to list them out one by one and make sure we understand them clearly."

This case will be made public and reported by CCTV.

The police will continue to follow up and do everything in their power to rescue the victims who may still be suffering, and to follow the clues to apprehend any remaining suspects and the criminal gangs that may be involved.

Those petty scoundrels will hesitate to act rashly, and the people will know that there is a place where justice can be served and where they can voice their grievances.

The strictness and caution of the law are never meant to exonerate criminals, but to give justice to victims, onlookers, and all those who stand firm and hold onto hope.

Lu Jiu was taken aback, then met Xie Xubai's gaze: "That includes you too."

Author's Note:

I'm kneeling down in a 360-degree spiral to apologize OTZ. Sorry I'm late again. I'll send 100 small red envelopes to the comments section as compensation.