Chapter 381: Imperial Response Speed
At 23:17, Zhao Dayong arrived at the nearest Punishment Legion patrol post.
The post was a temporary station established at the corner of District 4's main
thoroughfare. Two Punishment Legion soldiers were standing guard, their armor
reflecting the amber glow of the streetlights.
When they spotted Dayong, both soldiers snapped into a high-alert posture.
It wasn't because they detected a high-tier threat, but rather because Dayong's
visual parameters were absolutely chaotic.
Barefoot, boxers, undershirt, hair looking like it had undergone a structural
collapse, and clutching a kitchen cleaver. He was drenched in sweat and gasping
for air. Reaching the post, he doubled over, bracing his hands on his knees for
ten seconds before his vocal processors could initialize.
"There's… there's a ghost..."
The two Legionnaires exchanged a look. One stepped forward, his voice a flat,
clinical baritone.
"Citizen, please de-escalate. Drop the weapon."
Dayong blinked, looking down at the cleaver as if he'd forgotten it was
equipped. "Oh—this? No, I'm not… this is for the kitchen, I—"
"Drop the weapon. Protocol requirement."
Dayong dropped the knife onto the pavement with a clack. The soldier let out a
subtle breath—likely a "Stress-Relief" subroutine—and produced a terminal
tablet.
"Report the situation. State the variables."
"District 4, South Alley… the courtyard at the very end. My home," Dayong
gasped. "Voices. No visible source. Intense temperature drop. My wife is still
inside the perimeter—" He panicked again. "My wife is still there! You have to
manifest a rescue unit immediately!"
The Punishment Legion's response speed was, as per Imperial standards,
exceptional.
One soldier remained at the post to monitor Dayong, while the other utilized his
communicator to contact the nearest Mobile Unit.
Three minutes later, a four-man squad arrived from the main street. They were
fully geared, and one of them had an Imperial-Standard Soul Detector strapped to
his back. They didn't waste time on a briefing; they immediately initiated a
sprint toward the alley.
Dayong was ordered to remain at the post. Sitting on the stone steps, the
"Physical Pain" debuff from his bare feet finally registered in his
consciousness.
Ten minutes later, his terminal buzzed. It was an audio file from Liu Min. He
opened it, and the volume was high enough to cause a "Disturbance" alert on the
soldier's sensors.
"ZHAO DAYONG, LISTEN TO ME. FOUR SOLDIERS JUST MANIFESTED IN OUR BEDROOM. THEY
DRAGGED ME OUT OF THE COVERS TO 'TAKE A STATEMENT'. A STATEMENT! AT 23:30! YOU
MADE ME AUDIT DATA IN MY PAJAMAS IN FRONT OF A FULL TACTICAL SQUAD! YOU SAID
YOU'D STAND GUARD, THEN YOU TOOK THE KNIFE AND NIGERUNDAYO-ED OUT OF THERE, YOU
PIECE OF—"
Dayong paused the audio. He didn't need to process the remaining data to
understand the gist of the feedback.
Another twenty minutes passed before the Mobile Unit returned. The squad leader
unslung the Soul Detector and set it on the ground in front of Dayong.
"Audit complete," the leader stated.
Dayong looked at him, his pupils dilated with anxiety. "Status?"
"Your courtyard does indeed contain Soul Energy Residue."
Dayong's heart hit a "Terminal Drop."
"However," the leader turned the detector's screen toward him. [SOUL DENSITY:
TIER-0 / SUB-RANK 1]. "The energy grade is negligible. It falls under the
'Feeble Soul Residual' category. In this state, the entity possesses zero
physical threat-capacity and lacks an aggression-logic."
"Then why did it process speech?!"
"Once soul-density hits a specific threshold, 'Vocal Projection' becomes a
viable variable. There are numerous precedents in the Imperial Archives. It is
not considered a 'Calamity-Class' anomaly."
The leader paused, his expression shifting to a cold, bureaucratic detachment.
"According to current Imperial Statutes, soul residuals that do not manifest
aggressive behavior are not within the 'Liquidation' jurisdiction. We have
logged and tagged the entity, but we cannot initiate a 'Forced Eviction'
protocol."
Dayong: "...Translate that into human logic."
"It means the entity in your house is not violating Imperial Law."
Dayong's jaw hung open for a long duration. "It's in my home! It speaks at
midnight and triggers a 'Panic' status in my family! And that's… legal?!"
"State the content of the speech."
Dayong ran a quick memory search. "It said… its name was Chen Xu. Said it had
been in the yard for an eternity. Said it was lonely. Said it was happy we moved
in—"
The squad leader stared at Dayong. His expression was a masterpiece of
"Professional Restraint."
"So… it initiated a greeting protocol."
"…Yes."
"And you brandished a blade and evacuated the site?"
"…My wife ordered the retreat."
The leader tucked his terminal away. "Mr. Zhao, I suggest you return to your
quarters. The residual has been archived; the Soul Management Department will
conduct a follow-up audit. If you truly wish to terminate your residency, you
may apply for a 'Unit Transfer' at the Housing Bureau. However, that requires a
formal administrative process. Estimated lead-time: 2 to 3 weeks."
Dayong sat on the steps for a while. Two to three weeks.
He looked at his bare, dusty feet. Then he stood up. "I'm going back."
It was nearly 01:00 by the time he reached the alley. The gate was open. Liu Min
was sitting in the living room, wrapped in her quilt, staring at a Registration
Form left by the Punishment Legion.
She saw Dayong enter. She said nothing. Dayong said nothing. They sat in a
"Silent Standoff" for a few minutes.
Finally, Liu Min spoke. "The Legion said the thing's name is Chen Xu."
"I know. It self-identified."
"They also said it lacks an 'Attack' variable."
"I know."
"They said it was just… trying to be social."
Dayong buried his face in his hands. "Min… did we just acquire a 'Defective
Asset'?"
"You're only just realizing the logic error?"
"I mean—"
"You mean the reason the house was as cheap as a gift wasn't 'Imperial
Incentives,' but because it came with a 'Pre-Installed Ghost'?"
Dayong fell into a "Mute" status.
In the courtyard, Chen Xu shrunk himself behind the newly planted sapling.
Although a sapling offered zero concealment to a non-physical entity, he felt
the psychological need to "Enter Stealth Mode."
He processed the events of the last cycle. He had finally stabilized his
speech-output. He had initiated his first "Neighborly Greeting." And then:
Human (Female) triggered a "Scream" protocol. Human (Male) triggered a
"Weapon-Draw" protocol. Then Human (Male) executed a total evacuation. Ordered
by Human (Female).
Chen Xu had never realized that communicating with the living was a task of such
terminal complexity. He had assumed that once he could speak, everything would
hit an "Optimal" state. Now he saw that speech was merely the initialization.
How to speak, what to say, when to transmit... he likely needed to download a
"Socializing for Ghosts" data-pack.
He thought of the Sovereign's words from that day: "Once your manifestation is
stable, Sora will arrange a session."
Sora was the girl who ran the marriage bureau.
Chen Xu realized that he didn't just need a matchmaker. He needed a
"Communication Specialist" to ensure he didn't get chased by a man with a
kitchen knife again.
Logistics: Compromised. Awaiting next Sovereignty-level patch.
☆☆☆
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