Chapter 94: Midnight at 12—The Terror of Darkness
“Alright then, I’ll leave it to you, my beautiful high-end repair technician.”
With a faint smile, Zhang Yangqing invited the curly-haired woman inside.
He carefully considered Rule 14: Only those wearing white shoes are repair workers.
And sure enough, she was wearing white shoes.
No rule violations here.
But what really caught his attention was her offer: “I can customize it to your preferences.”
Anyone who’s rented before knows—landlords usually keep spare keys.
Zhang Yangqing had already deduced this from the old smoker’s landlord being able to enter his room.
The two men chasing the woman earlier were likely her landlords, meaning they had keys to her place.
She must’ve unknowingly broken a rule, triggering the supernatural and drawing her landlords in to “devour” her.
As for the odd setup in her apartment? Simple. If her rule was “don’t rearrange furniture,” then of course it wouldn’t look lived-in.
Most participants wouldn’t dare move things around anyway.
After all, as the old smoker said: “Every tenant seems to have different rules.”
In this world, everyone follows their own set of survival guidelines.
The old smoker’s landlords could also enter freely—further proof.
So Zhang Yangqing reasoned:
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Calling a regular repairman might fix the locks.
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But custom modifications? Only this “high-end technician” could do that.
And customization had one huge advantage:
Changing the main door’s lock.
That way, even if someone had a key to Unit 7-4, they couldn’t enter—except Zhang Yangqing himself.
This tied into Rule 6:
“If a corpse appears in your home, dispose of it immediately. Otherwise, it will attract… something strange.”
If an intruder died inside (say, by the black cat’s claws), failing to remove the body would summon unknown horrors.
Participants who understood this would need to constantly return home to check—wasting precious exploration time.
But with the locks replaced? Rule 6 became irrelevant.
The curly-haired woman had just saved Zhang Yangqing hours of backtracking, freeing him to roam freely.
Saving her and eliminating her landlords had hidden benefits—high risk, high reward.
Most participants wouldn’t dare take that gamble, though.
While others were already asleep, Zhang Yangqing kept analyzing:
He didn’t know the old smoker’s job, but based on the woman’s role, he speculated:
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She was a tenant + high-end repair worker who aided participants.
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Therefore, the building likely housed other helpful professions—like cafeteria cooks or supermarket cashiers.
Completing their “tasks” would grant advantages.
Other participants might realize this tomorrow… but Zhang Yangqing was already planning for Stage 2.
Because tomorrow’s challenge? Getting food.
As the woman mentioned:
“The supermarket and cafeteria restock at 12 PM sharp—limited quantities.”
So from morning until noon, participants needed to:
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Find an ally-tenant to queue for them. (First-come, first-served.)
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Ensure neither the helper nor the food was contaminated.
Otherwise, they might not survive the second night.
Zhang Yangqing (and veterans) knew too well—starvation debuffs were brutal.
The chosen tenant also had to be tough enough to compete for supplies.
And who had guaranteed access to food? Cafeteria/supermarket staff.
Watching the woman repair the cabinet, Zhang Yangqing asked:
“Do you know anyone who works at the supermarket or cafeteria?”
Without looking up, she replied:
“I haven’t lived here long, and I’m only home at night. But there are job postings at the community entrance—check there if you’re looking for work.”
She’d misunderstood, but it was a crucial clue.
Other participants might find those ads during exploration… but Zhang Yangqing now had a shortcut.
He’d already brainstormed strategies.
Their following conversation revealed little else of value.
Zhang Yangqing noted her remarkable skill—faster than veteran repairmen.
Soon, she’d modified all locks per his requests.
Now, only he could enter Unit 7-4.
After bidding her farewell, he closed the door…
…then silently followed her.
His footsteps made no sound.
Only after confirming she entered Unit 9-2 (her apartment) did he return.
Better safe than sorry. Even allies needed verification.
By now, midnight approached.
At this hour, he was likely the only one still “out.”
Every other participant was fast asleep.
The building stood eerily silent, darkness swallowing all.
Even the rain outside seemed pitch-black.
A sinister presence loomed—thick, creeping, like a swarm of ink-black ants or some gigantic dark beast.
Its grotesque writhing made viewers shudder:
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“Thanks, Zhang-sama, for the midnight horror show.”
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“He always spots what others miss.”
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“Is that toxic gas? But it’s raining—how?”
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“This is the Strange Tales World. Since when did logic apply?”
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“Other participants got sick from the rain. Maybe this ‘darkness’ is related?”
Zhang Yangqing observed it briefly… then stepped back inside.
