Tales of the Strange Keep Haunting Me

Su Qi was taught from childhood to be a good person. After graduating, he successfully landed a job at the organization he wanted, only to be transferred on his first day to the utterly unfamiliar Anomalous Containment Office.

Not only did his new workplace have a peculiar name that yielded no search results, but its office was hidden underground, as far from people as possible.

And the office door, decorated with couplets, also displayed a set of strange rules:

1. The Containment Office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You may arrive late or leave early, but under no circumstances should you arrive early and leave late.

2. The Containment Office uses the fingerprint of your right thumb to clock in. If you accidentally use another finger, do not open the door or enter the office. Wash your hands immediately.

3. If you encounter a coworker after work, turn around to avoid looking at □. Do not open the door for □, either. Remember, do not close your eyes, stay quiet, and call the director immediately.

4. Please do not call the director.

The urban legends circulating widely in City A often feature strange and eerie characters:

An artist who appears at night, knocking on doors to paint people's death portraits;

A blind photographer whose pictures all feature subjects with the same eerie smile;

A flower seller in blood-red clothes, standing in the middle of an intersection at dawn;

A doctor who is never full, with a twisted body and vertical pupils, lurking in the dark.

In the past, Su Qi had always treated them as scary stories to help him build up his nerve.

But after hearing a knock in the middle of the night and facing, through the peephole, a man who called himself an artist and wanted to come in to paint his portrait, Su Qi clutched at his crumbling worldview and called the coworker on duty.

Every day spent dealing with urban legends broadened Su Qi's understanding of the world.

Fortunately, his new neighbor was a professor who loved desserts. He was a gentleman, elegant, and often invited Su Qi over for dinner. He would even come to fetch him with a black umbrella when it was raining and foggy.

Then one day, on his way home, Su Qi happened to catch sight of a coworker. He followed the rules and took a detour, but the terrifying gaze from behind followed him like a shadow.

A bone-chilling cold crept up his legs. Thick black liquid slowly seeped from beneath the door. Su Qi leaned against it, hesitating as he called the director. After a brief wait, his neighbor's gentle voice suddenly came through at his ear: "Hello?"

"I'm at your door. Could you let me in?"

Theme: No matter when or where you are, keep a positive mindset and shine.