"Xiao Ze's memory is truly astonishing! Oh, right, Xiaoxue, why aren't you speaking? Are you feeling unwell?"
Tuanzi first chuckled, then, noticing Yukino's continued silence, she asked worriedly.
Yukino first shook her head, then voiced her conjecture.
"I'm thinking, since the layout of the second floor is opposite to the first floor, doesn't that mean the time we can safely move around is also opposite?"
"Not bad, you're improving!"
Bai Yuze gave Yukino a thumbs up; if the house's soundproofing wasn't so poor, he would have applauded.
"People grow, I'm not some pre-programmed entity. What's with that expression like you've discovered a new continent?"
Yukino was a bit speechless. She was a living, breathing person, not a character in a novel. Were there really settings and mechanisms?
Bai Yuze smiled but said nothing. In his opinion, Yukino was indeed growing, which perhaps showed that experience was the best teacher.
"Huh? What are you two talking about? Why don't I understand? I absolutely don't want to be excluded!"
Tuanzi's brain froze when she heard the two of them talking about "programs" and such.
"It's nothing. Go home, child, go home."
"Huh? Home? How do I go back? By sleeping?" (O∆O)
Tuanzi was bewildered again. She recognized all the words Bai Yuze said, but why couldn't she understand them when they were put together?
"Alright, stop messing around. Are we waiting until dark now?"
Yukino ended the farce. She sighed, what time was it? Were they putting on a play?
However, this did prevent the atmosphere among the three from descending into despair and collapse.
Thus, Bai Yuze also pondered whether Tuanzi was truly foolish or merely pretending to be foolish to lighten the mood. But whether it was true or false, he wouldn't expose her, at least not now.
"Let's rest a bit. There are the rules for the second floor over there; go memorize them."
Following the direction of Bai Yuze's finger, Yukino saw a slip of paper on the table. After taking the paper, she and Tuanzi read it together.
"Welcome to the second floor. For your safety, please note the following:"
"1. Due to the age of the second-floor's flooring, it creaks when walked upon. Therefore, running or making noise in the corridor is strictly prohibited before 10 PM."
"2. The residents of the second floor have rather short tempers. Do not disturb them unless absolutely necessary."
"3. There are no cleaning staff in the residence, but some residents will voluntarily clean. Please try your best to cooperate with them to complete the cleaning work. Do not defy them or get into conflicts with them."
"4. The Front Desk's room is on the first floor, so if anything happens, the Front Desk cannot arrive immediately. Therefore, you need to find every way to protect yourself until the Front Desk comes to mediate the conflict."
"5. Residents must live in harmony. Theft is strictly prohibited! If it occurs, please inform the Front Desk immediately."
"6. Please remember these rules, as they are mandatory for all residents."
"So, how about it? Have we thought of our plan?"
Bai Yuze wasn't sure if the two women would encounter other rule-based dungeons in the future, so he felt he might have overlooked their thoughts.
"Hmm, since the rules state that residents must abide by them, that means these rules also apply to those anomalies."
Seeing Yukino express her opinion, Tuanzi also focused her attention on the rules' restrictions on the residents.
"Emmm, so we're going to use the rules to deal with them?"
"Exactly." Yukino nodded. "We're here on the second floor to find something, and that something is very likely in the anomalies' rooms. With our strength, it's impossible to force our way in."
"So have you figured out what we should do?"
"I think we can act as cleaning staff and enter their rooms to search."
"An interesting plan, but here's the problem: even if we find that thing, how do we take it out? Remember, theft is prohibited."
While Bai Yuze praised her, he didn't forget to pour cold water on the idea. After all, the item wouldn't run away, but whether they could take it was another matter.
"This... I haven't thought about it yet..."
Yukino bit her lower lip and frowned. She really hadn't figured out how to get the item out. Besides, she didn't even know what the item looked like yet. Who knew if it was a potted flower or a potted plant?
Or perhaps a moldy, rotten piece of bread, worth 500,000 yen, with microorganisms waging war on it.
"You need to broaden your thinking, not just be limited by 'strictly prohibited.'"
"Um... I have an idea..."
Tuanzi timidly raised her hand. Seeing both their attentions on her, she took a deep breath and spoke her idea.
"Since the rules don't let us steal, then we won't steal. We'll just take it by force! Because our identity is cleaning staff, if I say that thing is trash, then it is trash."
"That works, but I need to correct one thing. What do you mean 'take it by force'? They'll be giving it to me voluntarily!"
"Won't that be a bit... bad?"
Yukino asked at this point. In response, Bai Yuze gave her a lesson on the ideology that "kindness to the enemy is cruelty to oneself."
But something unexpected happened to Bai Yuze. After he finished his ideological education lesson with Yukino, he saw Yukino flash a mysterious, mischievous smile.
"In that case, I have a plan!" Yukino raised her index finger.
---
Night soon fell. Watching the hour hand on the clock point to nine, Bai Yuze knew it was time to act.
He knocked on the iron door of 207. After waiting for a while, the wooden door of 207 was finally opened.
"What do you want? Not sleeping in the middle of the night? You two had better give me an explanation, or I'll make you regret it."
Zhu Daqiang was somewhat angry, but the rules' restrictions prevented him from directly acting against the two at this moment.
"We're here to clean your room. How can we clean if you don't open the door?"
Bai Yuze didn't flinch, exuding an air of superiority. Seeing this, Zhu Daqiang instinctively shrank his neck, which reminded him of the time debt collectors cut off his finger.
"Clean? What cleaning in the middle of the night? Go away, don't bother me."
Zhu Daqiang shouted, then made to close the door.
Bai Yuze said nothing, he watched Zhu Daqiang with a smile.
"Aren't you going to stop me? Or break in?"
Zhu Daqiang was a bit confused. He, of course, knew what Bai Yuze and his group were after, but Bai Yuze acted as if he knew nothing.
"Close it if you want. Your hands are yours, what can I do? And why would I force my way in?"
Bai Yuze's answer choked Zhu Daqiang. Yes, Bai Yuze had no reason to force his way in. His question was like asking someone, "Why isn't Li Bai called Li Hei?"
"Nonsense."
Zhu Daqiang mumbled. Just as the door was about to close, Bai Yuze slowly uttered a sentence.
"Since you don't need it, we'll go help Yuan Xing clean."
He moved! Not only Zhu Daqiang's body, but Zhu Daqiang's mind also moved!
"Wait!" (Chotto matte!)