Jiang Ming’s hand groped along the wall, finding the switch with practiced ease.
*Click!*
The darkness in the room instantly receded, revealing its full scope to Jiang Ming. It was a very ordinary bedroom: a large bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table…
Nothing seemed particularly out of place. Jiang Ming gave the room a sweeping glance, finding no new Rules, and began searching for any possible clues.
He first approached the dressing table. The mirror on it was covered by a large piece of black cloth. The tabletop was littered with cosmetics, emitting a strange and peculiar fragrance.
Jiang Ming instinctively covered his nose. He then opened the dressing table’s drawers. Inside were face masks, hair accessories, some other miscellaneous items, and a photograph placed face down.
Picking it up, he saw the background appeared to be a park. A woman who looked to be around thirty years old, with delicate features and a radiant smile, was sitting on a bench.
Jiang Ming sat on her right, and the Labrador was between them.
Was this “Mother”?
Jiang Ming only now learned what his “Mother” looked like. He studied the photo several more times, committing the face to memory, before placing it back where he found it.
Next, he opened the wardrobe. What greeted him was an astonishing variety of clothing. Besides ordinary tops and pants, Jiang Ming saw numerous dresses, and even several Lolita outfits and cosplay costumes!
Jiang Ming silently closed the wardrobe door. His mind was already fortified; such a trivial matter couldn’t stir any ripples within him.
But the moment the door clicked shut, Jiang Ming suddenly felt an intense sense of dissonance!
He swiftly reopened the wardrobe door, scanning its contents once more, then abruptly turned to survey the room again.
Weird!
Very weird!
This room was filled entirely with “Mother’s” belongings. There wasn’t a single trace of “Father.”
Not just this room—there was no sign of “Father” anywhere in the entire house. This clearly didn’t align with the typical composition of a family.
As Jiang Ming pondered this, barking sounded from the doorway.
“Woof! Woof!”
Jiang Ming looked toward the sound. The yellow Labrador was sitting at the door, a dog bowl in its mouth.
A thought struck Jiang Ming. According to the Rules, the dog could protect him. The dog was the family’s guardian deity. Could it be “Father”?
Of course, this was just speculation. It was also possible “Father” simply didn’t exist.
Jiang Ming left the bedroom, filled the dog bowl with kibble. The dog mustn’t go hungry.
Just as he was about to return to the bedroom, Jiang Ming suddenly turned back, a puzzled look on his face as he checked the time on the wall clock—4:30 PM.
He cross-referenced it with the clock in the bedroom, confirming they matched.
Had time passed that quickly? Had four and a half hours already gone by?
Jiang Ming was somewhat confused, but on second thought, it made sense. Searching the bedroom alone had taken two hours, not to mention all the other areas he’d combed through.
Shaking his head, Jiang Ming returned to Mother’s bedroom. He walked to the bedside table and opened the first drawer. It contained only miscellaneous items of little value.
Opening the second drawer, he found a thin slip of paper inside. Jiang Ming picked it up and read it. Printed text stated:
*Respected User Jiang Xueqin:*
*Our records indicate you have outstanding electricity charges from May 2070 to June 2080, totaling 15,175.46 yuan.*
*Our company has issued multiple payment reminders and delivered a written warning on June 30, 2080.*
*In accordance with the “Rules of Weird Electricity Law,” please settle the above amount promptly. Otherwise, our company will proceed with power disconnection and pursue legal action to recover the debt.*
*Peace & Happiness First Electric Power Co., Ltd.*
After reading the note, Jiang Ming’s first thought was: Is this power company brain-dead?
Chasing a debt after ten years of non-payment? If this were Earth, they’d have gone bankrupt long ago!
His second thought was: The difficulty just increased. The Rules say to draw the curtains during the day, which means the house is in darkness regardless of day or night.
And I cannot be in darkness, meaning I must keep the lights on 24 hours a day.
Furthermore, this notice says “settle promptly” but gives no specific deadline or disconnection time. This means the power could be cut off at any moment in the coming days—possibly even the next second!
Once I’m exposed to darkness, *They* will see me. I don’t know who or what *They* are, but being seen by *Them* certainly can’t be good.
…
Thirty minutes later, Jiang Ming emerged from the bedroom. He had searched the rest of the room and found a key under the pillow. After testing it on all the door locks, he confirmed it was the key to the main entrance.
He glanced at the Labrador, now comfortably asleep under the sofa.
Checking the wall clock again, he walked to the refrigerator and took out noodles and meat.
…
A little over twenty minutes later, Jiang Ming returned to the bedroom. After all, the bedroom was, relatively speaking, the safest place in this house—at least based on the current clues.
He sat down at the desk, took a few sheets of paper and a pen, and wrote down all the Rules and clues he had obtained today.
He drew connecting lines between Rules, and between Rules and clues, inferring their relationships, considering possible scenarios, devising countermeasures, and outlining the immediate problems he faced.
Two hours later…
Jiang Ming wearily rubbed his temples. The desk before him was covered in papers.
The sheets were filled with dense writing, interspersed with chaotic lines. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could sense a certain logic embedded within the mess.
Jiang Ming picked up the top sheet. On it, written in red ink, were the three most pressing current problems:
The first problem was electricity. This was the most urgent issue.
No electricity, no light, meant being exposed to darkness all day, being seen by *Them*.
Jiang Ming had already conceived two preliminary solutions. One was to rely on luck, hoping to draw something useful from the vending machine—like a generator, for instance.
However, Jiang Ming had a clear understanding of himself. This plan was worth a try, but relying on it might drain him dry without yielding anything good.
What he truly pinned his hopes on was the second plan, which had a very high chance of success: stealing electricity from the neighbor!
When he drew the curtains in the bedroom this morning, Jiang Ming had already observed that his current house was likely on a high floor of an apartment complex.
In such buildings, the electricity meters for the upper floors are usually grouped together in a meter box. If he could find that meter box, he could siphon electricity from his neighbor!
As for how to steal it?
Heh. Jiang Ming thought to himself, I might not excel in other areas, but in this? I may not be an expert, but I certainly deserve the title of master!
Back in his youth, Jiang Ming had been intensely interested in these things. He not only bought books and found videos to teach himself but also put it into practice.
His first—and last—practice subject had been Old Man Zhang, the neighbor. Perhaps Jiang Ming genuinely had a talent for this.
His first attempt at stealing electricity was a success.
Flushed with success, he felt he was born to be an electrician. Beaming with pride, he told his father, expecting praise for his cleverness.
But who could have guessed? Upon hearing this, his father flew into a rage, ensuring Jiang Ming learned a lesson he wouldn’t forget, etched into his memory—and his backside—with a leather belt..
Afterward, his father, carrying purchased health supplements and liquor for the elderly, took Jiang Ming to Old Man Zhang’s to offer a sincere apology. He then made Jiang Ming restore the wiring and swear never to do it again.
Old Man Zhang was a kind-hearted man. Seeing Jiang Ming and his father’s earnest apology, and considering the circuit tampering had lasted less than a day with negligible loss, he couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of little Jiang Ming hanging his head and clutching his sore backside, and let the matter drop.
…
Emerging from the memory, Jiang Ming sighed with emotion. Old Man Zhang was a good neighbor. He hoped the neighbor in this Ghost Story world would be a good neighbor too.
It’s all for survival. Once he got through this ordeal, he would definitely go apologize in person.
After all, if he couldn’t use his own home’s electricity, he had no choice but to borrow some from a good neighbor.
And the Rules didn’t say anything about not stealing electricity, right?
So, if this method succeeded, he could perfectly fulfill the Rules about conserving electricity and keeping the lights on constantly.
The second problem was the locked cabinet in his own bedroom. He had turned the entire house upside down but found no clues related to that cabinet’s password.
Jiang Ming had a growing feeling that the clues and Rules in this house were too scattered, missing a thread to connect them. That cabinet likely contained what he needed.
The third problem was the neighbor. Although Rule One said not to go outside, after Jiang Ming’s comprehensive analysis and weighing of pros and cons, going out was absolutely necessary. Staying inside the house was a dead end!
The electricity issue alone was enough to kill him ten times over. Furthermore, he still couldn’t find the third clock at home; the neighbor might have it.
Since the Rules mentioned a neighbor, the neighbor should exist. And if they existed, they must have their purpose and value!
Jiang Ming believed this Rules of Weird world was so bizarre, and the Rules were so full of contradictions and questionable points.
It was highly likely that rigidly adhering to the Rules meant certain death, and mindlessly breaking them also meant certain death. Only by discerning the Rules, utilizing them, and even mastering them to a certain extent could one survive!
Moreover, tomorrow was still within the 48-hour window. If he missed that timeframe, he might not even be able to leave the door later.
Checking the time, it was almost 8 PM. It should be night outside. The Rules emphasized not being active at night.
But then, Jiang Ming suddenly felt a pressing need to urinate. He realized he had been so busy exploring all day that he hadn’t used the bathroom once.
Anyone who has held it in knows it’s an uncomfortable, even painful sensation.
Going to the toilet meant passing through the living room. Would that count as being active in the living room at night?
Jiang Ming didn’t want to gamble on it. It wasn’t worth the risk.
So, Jiang Ming cast a thoughtful gaze toward the empty beverage bottle on the desk. It was labeled “Weird Move” in large characters and had a generous capacity!
…
Jiang Ming lay down on the bed. The Rules stated to maintain sleep between 23:00 and 8:00. It was still early.
He looked around, then his eyes settled on the three “divine books” he had found earlier in the day. A contemplative look crossed his face as he picked them up.
The cabinet needed a password. These books just happened to have folded corners. Perhaps the password was inside.
The night grew deeper…