Chapter 5

Before you knew it, a morning had passed.

The lunch break, including mealtime, is only twenty minutes long. These are just some of the rules that treat employees like dirt.

Many employees felt depressed and were unwilling to return to their workstations even when there were only a few minutes left, instead running around to get some fresh air.

Xie Xubai was among them.

He went downstairs to buy a loaf of bread, ate it in a couple of bites, and then hid away in the stairwell for some peace and quiet. Separated by a metal security door, no one knew he was inside.

Most importantly, Xie Xubai simply couldn't accept the idea that "there are no laws in the world," a concept that shattered his worldview and the values ​​of nine years of compulsory education.

He suspected he had a problem with his brain, that his eyes were blurry from looking at the phone screen, and that he was subjectively distorting what Lü Xiangcai said. He never questioned the inevitability of the existence of the law.

Search on Baidu: What is the probability that a person will experience several hallucinations over two consecutive days?

Best answer: Hospitalization is recommended.

Xie Xubai: "..."

Suddenly, someone came in from outside the door. Judging from the footsteps, it was two adult men. One of them, with a gruff voice, started cursing as soon as he opened his mouth: "Damn it, that fat bastard thinks too highly of himself. He says he'll work overtime, so he'll just do it?"

Another person replied, "When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king. Now the whole company is under his absolute control."

A gruff voice sneered disdainfully: "His one-man rule? Bah! Just a lousy manager, who does he think he is? If it weren't for President Yan being in hibernation..."

Hibernation?

This was the first time Xie Xubai had heard someone use this word to describe a person.

Speaking of which, he knew that the company's president was named Yan Shuo. When he was young, he took over a small company that was about to go bankrupt from his family. This was the predecessor of the current Fortune 500 company. He personally played the role of building a load-bearing wall from mud, and was hailed as a legend in the industry.

It is said that he is not yet thirty years old, and is incomparably handsome. The ladies of high society have always wanted to marry him into their wealthy families, but they regret that they never see him.

This is not surprising. Xie Xubai has been interning here for two months and doesn't even know what people look like.

He thought President Yan was away on business and not in the area, but according to the descriptions of the two people outside, the president seemed to have been on the top floor of this commercial building all along... in hibernation?

This is a very strange statement, full of flaws and doubts.

But the thought that even the law has disappeared...

Xie Xubai couldn't help but rub his throbbing temples.

Perhaps because they were finally able to relax, the two outside the door chatted endlessly, gradually losing all inhibitions.

They were so enthusiastic about the legendary Emperor Yan that they practically burned incense and kowtowed to him, treating him as a deity.

Even if, like Xie Xubai, they had never actually met him in person.

"The supervisor changed company rules without Mr. Yan's permission. Why don't we go wake him up and teach him a lesson..."

At that moment, the two loud voices suddenly changed, as if someone had grabbed their necks, filled with panic.

"...Manager?! You, what are you doing here? No, we were just talking, we didn't really intend to go to see President Yan, please let us explain!"

Xie Xubai suddenly came to his senses.

Unexpectedly, the next second...

*Pfft*

Suddenly, a dull thud came from outside the door as sharp claws pierced flesh.

The sound was soft and muffled, and Xie Xubai didn't know why he was able to accurately identify what it was.

A chill ran down my spine and into my brain, and cold sweat poured out of my pores.

He froze in place, momentarily hoping he had misheard.

Things didn't go as planned.

"Mmm—"

Xie Xubai recognized the suppressed scream as coming from the rough-voiced man from earlier.

Thump! Bang! Bang! ...

Two adult men kicked and slammed their fists against the wall, but the reverberations gradually subsided under the irresistible force.

Crunch, crunch...

Like an insect's mouthparts cutting into bones, sharp teeth chiseling through the outer layer, a sticky tongue drilling into the holes to suck out the marrow, chewing slowly and methodically.

"Aaaaaahh ...

Despite such torture, the two were still alive!

The supervisor seemed to have gagged them with something, preventing them from shouting for help. From Xie Xubai's position, all he could hear were a few heart-wrenching groans.

What does it feel like to witness two living people being devoured?

A chill ran through my body.

He was able to reflexively support his body and breathe lightly, having already used up all of Xie Xubai's strength.

It was at this moment that he caught a glimpse of a shadow appearing at the top of the stairs out of the corner of his eye, and his unfocused and trembling gaze suddenly sharpened.

There were other people in the hallway?

We can't let that person go downstairs; what if it alerts the supervisor?

In the face of life and death, Xie Xubai's trembling hands and feet suddenly burst forth with astonishing speed. He raised his hand to take off his shoes, avoiding making a sound on the tiles with the heavy, hard soles, and then, still wearing cloth socks, took three steps at a time, striding to the person in front of him.

The newcomer was suddenly covered in the mouth by Xie Xubai with one hand, and his eyes widened immediately. He then tried to twist Xie Xubai's wrist.

'Wait a minute, Xie Xubai?'

From the man's surprised look, Xie Xubai could see the question in his mind.

At the same time, he didn't expect that the person who came would be Lü Xiangcai.

But isn't the upstairs area the domain of the company's senior executives?

Lu Xiangcai pressed down on Xie Xubai's hand covering his mouth, wondering what kind of act this was.

Until he gradually heard the chilling chewing sound and saw the blood flowing in through the crack in the door and spreading outwards along the gaps in the floor tiles.

Lü Xiangcai: Holy crap!

Looking at Lü Xiangcai's wide-eyed stare, Xie Xubai guessed that the other party must be cursing in his heart.

...But why was there no fear or surprise?

Before Xie Xubai could get a good look, the chewing sound outside the door suddenly stopped without warning.

In the deathly silence, the heavy soles of the shoes scraped against the ground, treading on the pool of blood, making a sticky, crisp sound as they approached their location.

Xie Xubai knew he was in trouble and grabbed Lü Xiangcai, trying to run downstairs.

Lu Xiangcai reacted a beat slower, but he was strong and tried to pull Xie Xubai up with his other hand.

Pulling him up and down would definitely waste time, so Xie Xubai decisively loosened his grip and let Lü Xiangcai lead him upstairs.

The two went straight up to the fifth floor, took out a red access card in front of the sensor on the security door, and swiped it.

Thud, the door opened.

The moment they stepped inside, the security door on the third floor was kicked open with a loud "bang!"

A blood-stained "mountain of flesh" squeezed in from behind the door. Layers of fat rippled across its bloated body, undulating with each step. Claws hooked at tattered intestines, which fell off piece by piece. Bloodthirsty, greedy eyes suddenly appeared in the crack of the security door, darting around like a monstrous wolf from a fairy tale that could terrify a child.

The hallway was empty at this moment; there was not a single person in it.

However, the monster is not stupid.

It walked in, its nose twitched, and it caught the lingering scent of humans in the air. Suddenly, it let out a piercing, sharp roar!

Hearing the roar, Xie Xubai's heart sank to the bottom.

In broad daylight, the monster not only dares to eat people, but also dares to roar out loud in a blatant manner. What else could it be but fearlessness?

He almost instantly connected the events of the previous night with the disappearance of the law.

Although they are completely unrelated, they share the same nature: they are bizarre and beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

If this is the true nature of the world, then is it really true that his family is safe and sound...?

Xie Xubai was deeply shocked. He clenched his fingers tightly and suddenly dared not think any further.

Seeing Xie Xubai remain silent, Lü Xiangcai assumed he was afraid and comforted him, "It's alright, Supervisor Zhao isn't qualified to enter the fifth floor, we're safe."

Xie Xubai looked up, and Lü Xiangcai grinned at him again, giving him a reassuring smile: "No matter what, I owe you one."

Lu Xiangcai suddenly realized that Xie Xubai was near the stairwell. If the other party didn't care about his life or death, or was ruthless enough to use him as bait, he could easily escape in advance.

The young man was willing to risk being discovered in order to save him.

Thinking of this, Lü Xiangcai felt a subtle sense of joy.

Xie Xubai, confirming that he was in the know, asked, "You know the supervisor...?"

"Stop." Lu Xiangcai pressed his finger to his lips and said meaningfully, "Don't ask. That's not something you should know if you want to go back to the normal world."

Xie Xubai frowned.

He recalled his colleagues' evaluations of Lü Xiangcai, which were always: stubborn, reckless, and insubordinate. Even though he was very ambitious, he still had all the bad habits of a young person.

But now, judging from Lü Xiangcai's enigmatic and profound face, he suspected that everything before was a disguise and illusion used by the other party to confuse others.

Xie Xubai calmed down a bit.

Lu Xiangcai made it clear he wouldn't tell him the truth, so he didn't waste his time. Even though he was full of questions, he didn't press further and simply stated the facts: "We can't go back now. It was just a few minutes ago, the lunch break ended. When the supervisor comes back downstairs and finds out we didn't get back to our workstations on time, he'll definitely suspect us."

Lu Xiangcai grinned and said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I promised to owe you one, so I'll definitely take responsibility for your safety."

After saying that, he stepped into the elevator next to him and said to Xie Xubai, "There are sofas over there where you can sit, as well as drinks, snacks and WiFi. Wait for me here for a bit, it won't be long."

His tone was gentle, like coaxing a child who was home alone.

Xie Xubai glanced at him and responded.

After Lü Xiangcai left, he looked back at the layout of the fifth floor and fell silent.

Exquisite and luxurious decorations are laid out in front of you, and the crystal chandelier casts a soft afterglow.

Slot machines, dance machines, pool tables... there was even a bar and a dance floor. The floor was covered with broken glass from wine glasses, and red and green liquors were spilled all over the place. Half a dozen clothes were stuck in the sofa cushions, creating a complete mess.

It looks like a crazy party just took place here.

Who would have thought that just one floor apart, the four floors below are filled with busy people whose rest time is measured in seconds, while the top floor is a place of dazzling lights and extravagant indulgence.

A foul, fishy smell permeated the air.

Xie Xubai ultimately didn't go over; instead, he moved a stool over and sat down at the elevator entrance to wait for someone.

When Lü Xiangcai returned, the first thing he saw was Xie Xubai sitting on a high stool.

The young man lowered his long, narrow eyelashes, his face expressionless, but his legs swayed back and forth in a striking contrast, making him look strangely docile.

Lu Xiangcai subconsciously curled his lips into a smile.

But when he looked up at the room and glanced at the mess of cups and plates, he realized why Xie Xubai had chosen to sit here instead of on the sofa, and suddenly he couldn't laugh anymore.

Author's Note:

Both the previous and this chapters have been revised and adjusted. Apologies for the sudden revisions. A red envelope will be given out for comments within 24 hours.