Chapter 2

Youxing traveled from the Sixth Star Sector to the Thirteenth, stepping off the airship and exiting the base station.

A light drizzle was falling. She raised her hand to hail a levitating vehicle. Outside the window, the buildings were low and the roads wide, with only a few scattered figures wandering along the edges. Compared to the suffocating congestion and boiling bustle of the Second Star Sector, the Thirteenth felt like a small frontier town far removed from vanity and noise.

The vehicle stopped at the curb. Youxing opened her umbrella and stepped out, instantly enveloped by the damp mist. She tilted the umbrella slightly and looked up. Through the thin haze stood a gray-green apartment building, neither new nor old.

Velvet Apartments, located on the edge of the Thirteenth Sector’s central city, were surrounded by greenery and well-connected by transport, with small supermarkets, fruit shops, and restaurants on the adjacent streets. Throughout her journey, Youxing had been observing; the environment was much better than she had anticipated. Feeling somewhat reassured, she walked toward the main entrance.

The heavy door was locked tight, with a notice posted on the side: [Non-residents are not permitted to enter without authorization. Please ring the bell and state your business.]

Beside the door was an old-fashioned doorbell. Youxing stared at it for a moment, pressed it, and announced her purpose. Shortly after, the door swung open.

The one who answered was a robot. It reached only to Youxing’s waist, with a round head and body, and a bright silver frame draped in an ill-fitting suit. Judging by its size and appearance, it was a cleaning robot. The robot scanned Youxing’s entire body to confirm her identity, and a surprisingly emotive electronic voice chimed, "The new dormitory manager? We’ve been waiting for you for so long. The apartment manager is out on business, but your office and living quarters are already prepared. Let me take you to see them."

Youxing hesitated slightly. She glanced inside the building, standing her ground by the door. Noticing that she hadn't followed, the robot turned back, looking somewhat flustered. "My name is Yan Zhen; I’m the apartment manager’s assistant. Youxing, we’re colleagues now."

The robot in the oversized suit lowered its head and fidgeted with its fingers, appearing both excited and bashful. Youxing blinked, her brow furrowing in thought. A modified robot? This model of cleaning robot had been produced for years; known for being cheap and efficient, they were usually rigid, capable only of performing cleaning tasks in designated areas. She had seen swarms of these robots patrolling the streets of the Second Sector often enough to be certain of the model. Yet, this assistant robot, while wearing the shell of a cleaning unit, acted much more like a high-intelligence service droid.

Youxing’s lips curled up slightly, and she stepped into Velvet Apartments.

Yan Zhen, whose feet were fitted with casters, glided up to her and tilted his head, looking surprised. "Are you laughing at me?"

Youxing nodded firmly.

Yan Zhen looked confused. "Why? Did I do something funny?"

Youxing shook her head. "No, I just think you’re very cute."

Youxing had never imagined she would be colleagues with a robot, and Yan Zhen continued to pester her with, "Why do you think I’m cute?" After a while of chattering, he suddenly remembered his duties, regained his composure in a second, and took her on a tour of the office.

The manager’s work area was on the ground floor, facing the entrance. Tucked into the corner of the hallway to the left was an office complete with a restroom and lounge, featuring a side window that served as a reception counter.

"Without the manager’s permission, residents cannot go out," Yan Zhen explained. "So you need to help collect deliveries and take-out. Occasionally, you have to keep an eye on the residents to make sure they don’t sneak out."

Youxing paused. "...Are you sure this is an apartment and not a prison?"

Yan Zhen lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought, before looking up a while later. "They just aren't allowed out during the day; at night, you don't need to worry about it. That is the extent of your duties. They are simple tasks, really, but we’ve been hiring for a long time without finding a suitable manager. I’m so glad you’re here, Youxing."

Youxing thought to herself: *I might be leaving very soon.*

Yan Zhen, completely unaware he had let something slip, cheerfully called out, "I’ll take you to your dormitory now. You can get settled, and you’ll officially start tomorrow."

Youxing had only intended to check out the environment and job description, but after hearing the requirements, she felt a sense of unease and was already mentally planning her exit.

Then, she arrived at the thirteenth floor, the top-floor suite of Velvet Apartments.

Yan Zhen pushed open the door. "This is your dormitory. The apartment manager and I decorated it according to human preferences, more or less. I hope you like it."

*Decorated according to human preferences, more or less...*

Youxing calmly digested the information Yan Zhen had inadvertently revealed. She looked up and her eyes widened slightly as she stepped inside.

The private unit was about 120 square meters, featuring a living room, master bedroom, study, dining room, kitchen, a bathroom with a large tub, and a balcony off the living room. The lighting was excellent, and the view was expansive. The room currently held only basic furniture like a bed frame and desk.

Youxing paced around the empty space, her heart pounding. The Second Sector was a high-density area where people lived like ants in a nest. Like most workers, Youxing had spent her first few years sharing an apartment; her private space had been tiny, offering no true privacy. The morning and evening rush for the shared bathroom was always awkward; if a housemate brought home a partner or friend, she would have to endure the noise and chatter through the walls, having no money for a sound-dampening barrier. The constant struggle of a fridge stuffed to the brim where her own food would vanish—the helplessness of it all still rankled.

It had taken years of saving before she could afford to live alone. Her previous rental had been just one room with a cramped bathroom, barely the size of this new bedroom, where her bed, clothes, and daily necessities were all piled together. It wasn't until she bought a basic spatial ring that she could store away her belongings and make her place feel slightly larger.

The new work environment and this dormitory were truly tempting.

Yan Zhen tilted his head, blinking innocently. "Your salary is 15,000 star credits after tax. We will find a way to pay for your employee insurance, and there is a daily meal subsidy of 100 credits. Youxing, as long as you stay, we will do our best to ensure your safety and well-being."

Youxing lowered her eyes. Yan Zhen sounded sincere, yet it carried an eerie undertone of, "We'll steal electric scooters to support you."

A dormitory manager—it seemed like a peaceful, low-stress job, yet it carried vague hints of instability and danger.

But! Youxing looked back at the vast, empty dormitory. The hotel she stayed at in the Sixth Sector cost 3,000 credits a night for a room one-third this size. This manager’s quarters were not only spacious and well-lit, but they were also free!

After working for eight years with aggressive, strong-willed humans, Youxing had become cold and numb; meeting a cute, soft-spoken robot colleague felt refreshing. The job content didn't sound difficult, just as she had expected. As for the underlying strangeness, she could investigate it slowly.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Youxing decided to take the job.

Yan Zhen looked delighted. "Then get some good rest tonight. I’ll go back to work."

The door opened and closed. Youxing paced the room a few more times, never imagining that a wide, bright room could make her this happy. Happiness, it seemed, wasn't as hard to come by as she had once thought. Perhaps it was just that what she valued now was different from what she wanted in her twenties.

She possessed a five-cubic-meter spatial ring, containing all her important belongings and daily necessities. When she left the Second Sector, she had already terminated her lease and packed her things. She took out clean bedding and a few essentials, ready to set up the room simply. Before she grew fully accustomed to the place, she decided not to take out everything from the ring.

***

Yan Zhen left Youxing’s room and took the elevator downstairs. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Resident 103, who was looking for his head again. Yan Zhen greeted him and prepared to return to his post. With the apartment manager out and the new manager not yet officially on duty, he was responsible for monitoring the residents.

103’s neck was empty, and a faint, dark-red mist swirled from the bowl-sized, black cross-section. He slowly turned to face Yan Zhen, his voice seemingly emanating from a vibrating chest cavity. "Assistant, did you sense the scent of a fresh human?"

"The new manager has arrived; she is a young human woman," Yan Zhen said. "Before the apartment manager returns, try to restrain yourselves. Don't scare her off."

The new manager wasn't as sharp as the previous ones; perhaps because her spiritual resonance was low, her senses were dull, and she hadn't realized that Velvet Apartments was no ordinary building. Yan Zhen shook his head slightly—because she wasn't sensitive, she was actually easier to communicate with than the others. Youxing had a good temper and a stable personality. Yan Zhen had carefully reviewed her record—she had worked at a C-level Weird Tales Investigation Institute for five years, so her tolerance for the supernatural should be higher than the average person's.

Upon hearing this, 103 suddenly stopped looking for his head and headed upstairs to gossip with his neighbors, spreading the news of the new manager's arrival.

***

The next morning, at 6:50 AM, Youxing opened her eyes. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto the floor half a meter from her bed. The entire room was bathed in a warm, luminous glow, and Youxing’s mood brightened with it. She got up, boiled water, washed, and changed, all in an orderly fashion.

Once ready, she brewed coffee, poured it into a mug, and took two sandwiches from her spatial ring before heading downstairs. The dormitory manager's hours were 8 AM to 6 PM—a bit long, but the low intensity made up for it.

She didn't encounter any residents on her way down. Exiting the elevator, she walked straight to the office and unlocked the door with the key she had received the previous day. A new set of rules was posted on the door:

[1. Only the key can open the manager’s office. Please keep it safe at all times.]
[2. The manager is not required to work overtime. Please clock out and leave immediately after your shift; do not linger in the work area.]
[3. The residents in the apartment are all normal. Please ensure you perform your duties diligently and do not pry into the residents' privacy.]

The office key was clearly important, likely acting as a safety item. The "no overtime" rule was straightforward. And as for the residents being "normal"...

Youxing finished reading the rules, her expression unchanged. She pushed the door open and pulled it shut behind her. The office had been cleaned recently; it was bright, tidy, and ready for work. Youxing pulled out the chair behind the desk, sat down to enjoy her coffee and breakfast, and glanced at the floating monitor on the wall.

The monitor only showed the main entrance hall, facing the closed front doors. The screen was empty.

Youxing finished her breakfast, cleaned the desk, and the digital clock hit 8:00 AM sharp.

Time to start work!