The back wall of the dais was a sheet of white, precisely the surface the ballroom was designed to use as a projection screen. As the projector whirred to life, the image displayed a vast, encircling formation of tens of thousands of rats, trapping a group of men in black suits at the center. The dark, sprawling mass of vermin across the construction site presented a spectacle both magnificent and terrifying.

From the site, a reporter’s voice cut through the air: “Good evening, viewers. You are witnessing a spectacle for the ages—a massive swarm of rats, appearing from nowhere, has cornered several burglars from the XX Construction Company at the site. We now turn to Foreman Zhao, who was guarding the site, to recount the events.”

Taozi leaped onto my shoulder and whispered, “Apologies, Boss. The situation erupted too quickly for me to contact you. I had to make the decision myself.”

I patted the cat’s head. “Well done. At a crucial moment, rules take a backseat.”

My father’s slightly panicked voice came through the television: “I don’t know what happened. I was just doing my normal patrol when I heard a deafening squeaking sound. I rushed over with my flashlight and found tens of thousands of rats surrounding these six men and a vehicle. Some of them were still holding construction materials, and the car was loaded with stolen rebar and other items. The rats must have clashed with them earlier; when I found them, their clothes were already tattered, and some were bleeding.”

The camera cut back to the reporter on site: “Viewers, the police have arrived, but the rats show no sign of yielding. One of the men in black tried to flee just moments ago and was immediately tackled by hundreds of rats. The police seem helpless right now. They report having called professional exterminators, the epidemic prevention station, the health bureau, and the emergency center. They plan to rescue the six burglars from the swarm before handing them over to the law.”

In the frame, one of the black-clad men, who had been crouching on the ground, suddenly lunged. He wrenched open the car door, vaulted inside, and slammed the door shut, immediately turning the ignition.

The surrounding swarm of rats quickly detached a contingent that scurried up onto the car. However, the vehicle was sealed tight, and the rats could only cling to the glass, baring their teeth and squealing furiously. The man inside stomped the accelerator, and the massive steel behemoth hurtled forward, crushing the rats in its path. The remaining four movable men in black chased closely behind the car, intending to force a path of escape under the vehicle’s wheels.

Just as the car seemed poised to break through the swarm, the scene abruptly changed. A colossal figure erupted from the earth below. With a single powerful swing of its body, the multi-ton vehicle was flipped over with a deafening bang.

“Viewers, viewers, the situation on the ground has taken a sudden turn! A burglar attempted to escape using the car, only for a gigantic creature to burst from the ground! Based on its appearance, it seems to be a snake, but records indicate that a python of this size, larger than an ox, simply does not exist. What is it, and how will the police handle this unforeseen development? We await further updates.”

I said to Taozi, “Tell them to retreat. Our objective has been achieved. Let the police handle the rest; no need to overdo the spectacle.”

Taozi nodded, vanishing from my shoulder in a flash so quick that no one near me noticed its departure.

A man in black crawled out of the overturned driver’s cabin, shouting in terror, “Damn you, Lü Lao’er! What kind of rotten job did you find for your grandfather! You’ve doomed us all!”

Lü Lao’er, who was watching TV while embracing a woman in a private room, cursed back, “Damn you, Tan Tian! What kind of mess did you drag your second master into? Even rats are guarding construction sites now, and a snake bigger than an ox has shown up! Is this world coming to an end?”

Tan Tian, watching the news in the banquet hall, shivered uncontrollably. For the first time in his life, he felt a genuine, inexplicable dread. He glanced at the bald monk beside him, surrounded by adoring women. That fellow had to be a monster; why else would all those beauties, including his own wife, fawn over him? Even the rats, usually chased off the streets, were fighting for him.

“Attention, viewers, watch closely! The rats are retreating in an orderly fashion! Good heavens, am I seeing things? They are moving like disciplined soldiers, without panic! This is utterly unbelievable!”

The banquet hall erupted. Many women terrified of rats huddled together in small groups. A former classmate, now a leader at the Municipal Epidemic Prevention Station, started sweating profusely—a sudden massive rat infestation, could it trigger a plague? This could jeopardize his entire career. Another alumnus, working in geology, wondered if a shift in the tectonic plates was occurring, perhaps presaging widespread volcanic eruptions and earthquakes soon. Others simply cried out that the end of the world had arrived, and the rats were about to rule humanity…

The television screen suddenly switched scenes. I recognized this location: the entrance to the Zhu Da villa.

“Viewers, we are now at the Shaojiahezi Villa area for a live interview. According to a concerned viewer tip just received, the ten men lying on the ground are unemployed youths. Half an hour ago, they forcibly entered this villa, armed with machetes, intending to threaten the owner and his friends. However, they were bitten and thrown outside by one of the owner’s friends. We have already called 110, and the police are expected shortly. First, let’s get a report on the situation.”

Zhu Da’s large frame appeared in the shot. “Dear viewers, I missed you all so much! I am the owner of this villa, my name is Zhu Da, and I am twenty-four and currently unmarried…”

The reporter cut him off. “Mr. Zhu, please focus on the events that transpired.”

“I was watching TV with three of my buddies when these men suddenly smashed the door in. They brandished these huge machetes and demanded we submit, claiming they were hired to ‘bleed us out.’ As you can all see, given my physique, perhaps a little bloodletting for weight loss wouldn’t hurt, so I was prepared to let them make a nice cut… But look at my friends here…”

The camera showed the expressionless Xia Huren, the honest and simple Village Head Li Tieniu, and the gap-toothed, foolishly grinning Zhang Ersha. “Heh, heh, heh… whoever moves, I bite…”

“They are skeletal, weak, malnourished, pale, and thin. They need blood supplements, not bloodletting! So, I reasoned with these ten brothers, begging them to leave my friends alone. I told them that Brother Ersha here has some mental issues; we rarely dare to anger him because when he gets mad, he bites. Furthermore, he hasn’t brushed his teeth in nearly forty years, so the poison on them is deadlier than arsenic. But despite my kind warnings, the ten brothers wouldn’t listen. They waved their knives in front of my friends, finally enraging them. Schlurp, schlurp—each one bit them once. And then, those ten brothers all plopped down onto the ground, foaming at the mouth…”

The reporter, unwilling to listen to Zhu Da’s rambling any longer, swung the camera toward the ten men lying on the ground. Seeing that they were indeed incapable of resistance, the reporter decided to risk an interview.

“Can any of you tell us why you are lying here?”

One man struggled to raise his hand to wipe the foam from his mouth. “Damn… damn your great-uncle, that… that fat guy is lying! We didn’t even charge inside the house! We were just crouched on their windowsill observing. Who knew that skinny old man… he… he… was a ghost! He could fly! Head down, feet up, floating in the air, occasionally letting out an ow-ow sound. In the dark, we were all terrified and rushed toward the door to escape. But who knew that idiot was squatting right at the entrance? He suddenly jumped out from the shadows and attacked us! After he bit us, our bodies went numb, our limbs stiffened, our heart rates went erratic, and our minds scattered. Miss Reporter, please call emergency services quickly! If you delay any longer, we won’t even keep half our lives!”

The reporter replied, “We have already called. Please hold on. May I ask why you broke into someone’s home?”

“No comment, no comment. I want to see my lawyer…”

“Viewers, I believe these men are suffering from mental distress. A person can fly? Is that even possible? The police cars and ambulances are arriving. Please stay tuned after the commercial break…”