Chapter 132: The Rules for Employees

Repeated joint operations had forged an unbreakable tacit understanding between Qi Chen and Warmhearted. With just a simple glance, the two could effortlessly grasp each other's thoughts at that moment.

“Warmhearted!” Taking the initiative, Warmhearted summoned a fiery orange aura beside him. His fists, imbued with the power to alter the hardness of objects, swiftly targeted the employee’s knees.

The knees, which supported the entire body, instantly softened under Warmhearted’s ability, becoming more pliable than clay.

With a soft thunk, the employee collapsed to his knees, his upper body remaining upright while still maintaining a courteous smile.

Qi Chen flipped gracefully, leaping effortlessly over and landing behind the circular service counter. The special operations team quickly responded, spreading out around the counter, their hands gripping blood-stained daggers as they guarded the perimeter.

“There’s a paper here!” Qi Chen’s eyes immediately caught sight of a conspicuous sheet lying on the desk behind the counter, densely filled with writing. The handwriting bore a strong resemblance to the rules posted at the mall’s entrance.

Warmhearted gave a cautious hum, then swiftly had Warmhearted’s fiery fists deliver a rapid flurry of blows to the employee. The man’s entire body went limp, collapsing onto the floor like a puddle of mud.

Yet, the smile never left his face. Every muscle was immobilized except for his eyes, which darted rapidly, scanning Warmhearted and the special ops team.

“Come quickly, take a look,” Qi Chen urged, raising his head. Warmhearted immediately circled the counter and joined him.

Together, they leaned over to examine the paper.

“Employees actually have their own set of rules?” Warmhearted’s curiosity was instantly piqued after reading just a few lines.

Qi Chen, however, calmed himself and began to read through this employee code of conduct carefully.

“Dear mall employees, please adhere strictly to the employee rules in your work to ensure your own safety, as well as that of the mall’s customers.

“Management of staff is organized by floor. Employees on different floors are responsible for different tasks. When your work area changes, always follow the rules for that specific floor to avoid confusion. Remember, this mall does not have a sixth floor. Should any customer inquire about the sixth floor, please disregard them.

“First-floor employees must remain vigilant for any livestock moving freely inside the mall. Upon discovery, immediately locate the animal and press the broadcast button at the service counter to prevent these roaming creatures from affecting customers. Additionally, if the number of meat-only restaurants on the first floor exceeds half of all dining establishments, please report this by pressing the broadcast button.

“Conversely, if the number of meat-only restaurants suddenly declines sharply, this information should also be broadcast.

“Second-floor employees are tasked with supervising the children playing in the toy store and playground. Your foremost responsibility is to protect these children, who represent the future. Injuries caused by children playing among themselves need not be addressed; only be wary of harm originating from outsiders or adults.

“Upon sighting any adults, immediately use the notification button. If a customer from the first floor seeks your help, escort them to the inflatable playground, specifically to the deepest inflatable bridge tunnel within the park—there, their issues can be resolved.

“…”

The employee code covered every floor of the mall, though Qi Chen and Warmhearted had only firsthand experience with the first two floors. Nevertheless, they quickly read through the entire document.

“Why are there some scribbled-out sections?” Warmhearted instinctively felt something was amiss. The obscured text wasn’t completely concealed; even an ordinary person could still discern what had been crossed out.

“A strange feature of these rules is the contradictory text,” Qi Chen observed indifferently. He pursed his lips, focusing more on the final paragraph, which pertained exclusively to employees rather than customers.

To be precise, it offered guidance to employees trapped in difficult situations.

“Employees on all floors, thank you for your dedication to the mall! Your contributions to customer safety are invaluable. However, if you notice the following symptoms in yourself—transforming into an animal, turning into a toy, or your body becoming rigid—please proceed immediately to the sixth floor.

“The mall manager will repair your injuries there.”

…

…

“Do you remember? The mall rules never mentioned a sixth floor,” Warmhearted’s gaze turned icy.

“Perhaps the sixth floor does exist,” Qi Chen did not dismiss the possibility outright, narrowing his eyes. “Maybe people whose minds have not been distorted simply cannot see it. Otherwise, this employee code wouldn’t initially state that there is no sixth floor, yet instruct obviously mentally disturbed employees to go there.”

Qi Chen shared his speculation. Warmhearted mulled it over and found himself somewhat agreeing.

“There’s an interesting word here—‘repair’ your injuries… shouldn’t it be ‘treat’?” Unconsciously, Warmhearted began to scrutinize the wording of the rules.

As far as he knew, ‘repair’ was never used to describe treating a human body.

“It doesn’t concern us much right now. We’ll deal with it if it comes up later,” Qi Chen said, reluctant to dwell on matters unrelated to their immediate situation. This was not the time to systematically analyze the information.

On the ground, the employee still lay there, his eyes unnervingly fixed on them.

For the time being, the two continued to tacitly set these concerns aside, focusing their attention on one rule closely related to their current predicament.

“Customers seeking help on the first floor can be taken to the inflatable playground. What does that mean exactly?”

“Of course we’re going,” Qi Chen said with seriousness, glancing toward Xiao Li, held in the arms of a special ops soldier.

This member of the special unit, who had suffered an invisible mental distortion on the first floor, was on the verge of becoming a real dog. Rather than a man who resembled a dog, he was now more like a dog who resembled a man.

If they delayed further, no one knew if Xiao Li could ever return to normal.

This affected the morale of the remaining special ops team and was a matter of principle for both Qi Chen and Warmhearted.

“I’ll take point. Warmhearted, you cover the rear. The rest of the team stays between us.”

Qi Chen, possessing the strongest close-combat skills, naturally took on the role of vanguard. He still had the mysterious ‘integration’ trump card and boasted the highest mental resilience in the group.

He was the one with the greatest chance of survival if attacked.

The group quickened their pace, but just as they reached the entrance to the children’s playground, the squad leader’s face darkened. He hurried over to Qi Chen and whispered:

“Commander Lian, I see an adult inside!”

Qi Chen frowned and looked in the direction the leader indicated.

But all he saw were children.

…