Chapter 11

The captain of the Second Squad abruptly stood up, fuming.

“This damn world.”

“Not only have bizarre incidents been increasing these past few years, but now a nonexistent neighborhood has popped up!”

He Chengfeng, who had lost a team member to a sudden bizarre event just two days prior, wore an ugly expression.

The higher-ups at the management office fully understood He Chengfeng’s mood, as their own was equally foul.

But no matter what, they couldn’t ignore such a massive bizarre incident right in front of them.

He distributed the files and, after glancing at the time of day, cautiously added, “Have Si Ning and the Sixth Esper Squad return first.”

“Don’t approach this bizarre neighborhood too closely.”

“Got it.”

The assistant beside him immediately made a phone call.

Outside Taiping Luxury Garden, Si Ning and his team received the message and promptly withdrew from the forgotten neighborhood’s range with utmost care, showing no intention of disobeying the order.

After all, defying superiors during a bizarre event was incredibly foolish. When Ability Users were within a bizarre event’s coverage, their rationality was often affected—they couldn’t even trust their own thoughts, vision, or hearing.

Field commands from outside were undoubtedly clearer-headed.

The Sixth Squad’s members withdrew from the vicinity of the convenience store one after another. However, they didn’t notice that in the security room directly east of Yunhe Convenience Store, a rotating camera flickered twice as the group left.

The moment Bo Ting woke up that morning, he found the group chat had exploded.

A bunch of uncles and aunties were huddled together discussing something, as if a major event had occurred.

He immediately sat up alertly and saw the video message Elder Wen had posted in the group that morning.

“Ahem.”

“I went to the property management’s monitoring room last night. There really were people wandering around near our neighborhood.”

“Everyone, be careful!”

Bo Ting frowned and clicked on the video. After it stuttered twice, it smoothly played the scene.

The neighborhood security guards were chronically absent, but the installed cameras were decent. The footage was a bit blurry, but the field of view was wide.

He watched intently for a few seconds and saw several figures appear in the frame after the lens went dark for a moment.

Seven or eight figures bundled up tightly appeared on camera. They first lingered outside a nearby convenience store, then, for some reason, slowly moved toward their neighborhood.

Qiqi’s dad: “I knew something felt off yesterday.”

“So they were peeking from outside the neighborhood!”

“But that’s way too many people.”

“Do thieves need a whole crew for casing the joint these days?”

In everyone’s simple understanding, theft usually involved at most three people. They’d never seen such a large gang.

Were they planning to empty out the entire neighborhood?

The solitary uncles and aunties were filled with righteous indignation, demanding the property management take responsibility.

After watching, Bo Ting leaned back against the headboard, about to speak when he suddenly paused. Feeling something odd, he clicked on the video again.

The neighborhood chat group was still arguing about being targeted. Bo Ting replayed the video, and an eerie feeling in his heart grew stronger bit by bit. He felt like he’d overlooked something earlier.

On the second watch, he suddenly stopped and quickly clicked pause. He stared blankly at the building in front of him.

Wait, was there… a Yunhe Convenience Store next to their neighborhood?

Bo Ting was dazed for a long time, finding it stranger the more he looked.

If a convenience store had popped up elsewhere, he wouldn’t have been surprised—maybe it had opened recently while he’d been stuck at home after getting fired. Renovations and openings happened fast these days; some took less than a week.

But this was the west side of the neighborhood. If he remembered correctly, the west side was a traffic light intersection.

How could there be a convenience store here!

This area hadn’t even been zoned for development!

Bo Ting closed his eyes, suspecting that after turning into an air conditioner, his eyesight had gone bad too. Otherwise, how could he see something so absurd?

Yet no matter how many times he looked, the result was the same.

The group chat hadn’t seemed to notice this major issue yet.

Bo Ting hesitated between doubting himself and doubting the video, deciding not to interrupt right away.

Instead, he pulled up a search app and seriously typed in a query.

—”Is an air conditioner’s vision normal?”

No, it should be…

—”Can air conditioners have hallucinations?”

The app stuttered again as he browsed.

Bo Ting sat oddly on the bed, teeth aching as he watched the chat refresh with a hundred new messages. He decided to… wait a bit longer.

…

Xu Qinglai noticed that the netizen across from him was acting strange today. Normally so serious when chatting, but today he kept… zoning out.

Yes, zoning out.

After reviewing the chat history again, Xu Qinglai confirmed it.

After signing some documents, Xu Qinglai thought for a moment and sent a message.

“Feeling under the weather today?”

“You seem kinda listless.”

Bo Ting was still fretting over the convenience store when he saw the question from his netizen friend.

Hm?

Was it that obvious?

Well, whatever. He’d explain to his friend later.

He didn’t have time to think about that right now.

Because just ten minutes ago, unable to hold back any longer amid the back-and-forth in the group @ing property management, Bo Ting had casually posted.

“Ahem, folks, has anyone gone out these past couple days?”

“By chance, notice when a convenience store opened at the west gate?”

His seemingly offhand question was initially buried under the barrage denouncing property management.

Half an hour later, someone finally noticed.

Huh?

“When did a convenience store appear at the neighborhood entrance?”

“You’re joking, right? Isn’t the west gate the traffic light?”

The resident from [901] couldn’t help replying.

It was like opening a floodgate. After [901 Apparel Wholesale]’s comment, more residents caught on one after another.

“Little Bo’s gotten so humorous, cracking jokes now, huh.”

He remembered the kid as pretty quiet and honest before. Now he was telling dad jokes.

Just as Apparel Wholesale Bro finished, Bo Ting twitched his mouth.

“Maybe—everyone should watch the video again.”

Elder Wen shook his head; he’d watched that video so much it had a patina. What was there to see?

But the young man’s words piqued his curiosity, so Elder Wen opened it for another look.

This time, he spotted the anomaly.

No way.

Wait, there really was a convenience store?

He’d been too angry earlier and hadn’t noticed. Little Bo’s reminder made it jump out.

—At the neighborhood entrance, a brightly lit convenience store sign glowed on the west side.

Nearly blinding.

The group went silent for a moment.

Bo Ting stared expressionlessly, a bit panicked inside.

Why wasn’t anyone talking?

Could he… really be hallucinating?

“Holy crap!”

“There really is a convenience store?”

“I blinked and thought I saw wrong.”

“@Elder Wen, Uncle Wen, any more footage from the cameras?”

Apparel Bro was dumbfounded.

Elder Wen was too.

The residents, watching the two play dumb, went back to rewatch. Instantly, the group filled with confusion.

“What the hell happened overnight?”

“What’s going on here?”