Zhang Xiaowai clutched the faintly glowing Oolong Eye, its eerie green light pulsing like a ticking time bomb disguised as a ramen seasoning packet. His palms were slick with cold sweat, and he stole a glance at the gem. It seemed to hum faintly, as if a subtle current of air seeped from its cracks, teasing his nerves as it danced between his fingers.
"Is this thing… a treasure or a grenade?" he muttered under his breath.
The trio had just stumbled out of the museum after their midnight escapade, the faint wail of alarms still echoing behind them. Zhang Xiaowai's ears rang with the chilling parting words of the masked figure: "You'll regret this." The phrase clung to him like a curse, sticky and unshakable, no matter how hard he tried to brush it off.
Liu Piaopiao strode ahead, swinging her flashlight wildly as if headlining a budget disco concert. She was practically vibrating with excitement, muttering to herself, "This gem is definitely the key! It could hold a code, a map, a secret lock mechanism—or even an alien distress signal!"
Wang Dazhuang, meanwhile, hefted the nightstick he'd already gnawed tooth marks into, belting out his self-composed "Destiny Battle Anthem." The lyrics went something like: "Swing my stick, fate's decree! Ghosts and demons, flee from me—hey! Ha!" He was utterly oblivious to Zhang Xiaowai's trembling legs, which wobbled with every step, making him look like an electric toothbrush on its last gasp of battery.
They were plotting to hit up a late-night barbecue stall to decompress—because no matter how bizarre the night's events, skewers were the ultimate balm for young souls—when Zhang Xiaowai's phone buzzed violently in his pocket. He flinched so hard he nearly flung the Oolong Eye like a kebab skewer.
"Who's texting me now?" he grumbled, cautiously opening the message. It was an anonymous text, short and ominous:
"Underground parking lot, midnight. Come."
A chill shot from the back of his neck to his heels, his scalp prickling as if it had been zapped. His eyes darted around like a cubicle drone caught scrolling short videos during a supervisor's patrol.
"Is this masked guy secretly filming us? How's he everywhere?" he whined.
Liu Piaopiao snatched the phone, her eyes glinting with a manic gleam. "A showdown invitation! He's panicking! Look at this—sloppy wording. We're getting under his skin! We have to go!"
"We? No way!" Zhang Xiaowai tried to bolt, his survival instincts kicking in. "Last time you said, 'It's a trap, so we gotta jump in,' we ended up grabbing poor old Security Guard Li by mistake, and I got docked two days' pay by the property management!"
Wang Dazhuang clapped a meaty hand on his shoulder, nearly sending him crashing into a nearby fire hydrant. "Don't sweat it! You've got the Chosen One backing you up! If he shows, I'll whack him into next week!"
Liu Piaopiao chimed in, "Your Oolong Aura is the key, Xiaowai! You might bumble into cracking the case again!"
"It's not an aura, it's a curse…" Zhang Xiaowai mumbled, but before he could protest further, the two dragged him toward the shadowy underground parking lot.
The underground parking lot was its usual grim self, reeking of motor oil, dust, condensation, and the faint tang of battery acid. Every footstep echoed off the concrete, amplified into an eerie chorus, as if something lurked in the shadows, whispering secrets. The dim lights flickered, casting long, wavering shadows.
"Can't they spring for some decent bulbs?" Zhang Xiaowai shivered. "This place looks like a funeral parlor with a power outage."
The trio crouched behind a battered van, Liu Piaopiao adopting the stance of a tactical commander. "Operation Ultimate Ambush is a go," she declared. "I'll lure the enemy out, Dazhuang delivers the knockout blow, and Xiaowai… you trigger your aura."
"It's not a superpower, it's a bad-luck button!" Zhang Xiaowai shot her a glare, inching closer to the van's undercarriage for cover.
Suddenly, the sound of steady footsteps echoed from the distance.
"He's here!" Liu Piaopiao hissed.
A dark figure emerged, cloaked in the familiar black hoodie and plastic mask—the masked man. He glided through the flickering light like a specter, each step deliberate, radiating an oppressive aura.
"Now!" Liu Piaopiao leaped out, flashlight beam stabbing straight into the masked man's face. "Drop the act, villain! We know you're after the Oolong Eye!"
The masked man didn't respond, only letting out a cold chuckle before tossing something from his pocket—a smoke bomb!
"No way, he's got gear?" Zhang Xiaowai yelped as white fog engulfed them.
Wang Dazhuang roared and charged into the haze, swinging his nightstick like a shepherd shearing sheep. "Destiny Strike! Begone, evil!"
Thud!
"Ow, my eyes—I hit a pillar!" Wang Dazhuang wailed, clutching his nose and spinning in circles.
Zhang Xiaowai, choking on the smoke, scrambled to escape, but his Oolong Aura kicked into overdrive. His foot slipped, knocking over an oil drum.
Clang! Crash!
The drum rolled a solid ten meters, smacking the masked man's ankle with pinpoint accuracy. He stumbled, and the gem—the Oolong Eye—flew from his grasp, tracing a glowing green arc through the air before landing with a soft thud at Zhang Xiaowai's feet.
"Ha! Aura reigns supreme!" Zhang Xiaowai crowed, snatching up the gem and preparing to belt out a victory chant. But before he could, a shadow lunged from the side.
"Help—!" he screamed.
At that critical moment, a mop streaked through the air like a comet, smacking the masked man square in the back with a resounding crack!
The masked man tumbled forward, his plastic mask askew.
Zhang Xiaowai whipped around, jaw nearly hitting the floor.
Old Zhou.
Dressed in his faded blue janitor's uniform, a crumpled Zhonghua cigarette dangling from his lips, he gripped the mop like a warrior's spear.
"Sweeping away all ghosts and ghouls!" he bellowed, planting a foot on the masked man's back.
"Uncle Zhou?!" the trio gasped in unison.
Old Zhou leisurely stowed his mop, lit his cigarette, and exhaled a plume of smoke. "You three have been flailing around all night and still haven't caught this guy? I couldn't stand watching anymore."
His gaze sharpened, carrying an air of solemnity and steel. "Back in my day, I was part of Oolong City's Special Guardians. Our job was to protect that." He pointed at the Oolong Eye. "It's no ordinary gem—it's the key to sealing the city's curse. If it falls into the wrong hands… Oolong City will turn into a hell where even instant noodles cost a fortune."
Zhang Xiaowai blinked, dumbfounded. "I thought you were just a clean-freak janitor with a poetic streak. Since when are you a secret agent?"
Old Zhou snorted. "What's wrong with being a janitor? You can sweep your way to truth."
Liu Piaopiao snapped out of her shock, brandishing her magnifying glass. "Quick, unmask him! Let's see who's been posing as the masked man!"
Wang Dazhuang lunged forward, yanking off the mask. The trio froze, staring at a face they knew all too well.
Xiao Zhao.
The quiet, stammering security guard who could barely operate the time clock.
Zhang Xiaowai's mouth twitched. "No way… Xiao Zhao? You? You can't even punch in for your shift, and you're the mastermind?"
Old Zhou sighed. "This kid's just a pawn. The real masked man is still out there, pulling strings."
He hauled Xiao Zhao to his feet, voice icy. "Who's behind you?"
Xiao Zhao trembled like he'd been tossed into a freezer, fumbling out a scrap of paper.
There, in familiar red ink, were the words:
"Midnight parking lot. Retrieve the Oolong Eye."
Liu Piaopiao frowned. "The mastermind's getting desperate if they're resorting to decoys."
Wang Dazhuang gripped his nightstick, nostrils flaring. "Let me bash my way through—they can't hide forever!"
Old Zhou's gaze settled on Zhang Xiaowai, his tone uncharacteristically grave. "Xiaowai, your Oolong Aura is a double-edged sword. It saves you sometimes, screws you over others. The truth's getting closer, so you'd better watch your step."
The parking lot's lights flickered, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Zhang Xiaowai tightened his grip on the Oolong Eye, sweat trickling down his brow. They were teetering on the edge of the mystery. The truth lay just beyond the next flicker of light.
And the Oolong Aura… it was still there, humming faintly.
As if whispering—
"Welcome to the Oolong Enigma."