Chapter One: The Twilight Game

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July, seven in the evening.

Dongcheng Ge Yilu Police Station.

Bai Ming finished giving his statement: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now.”

The young officer across from him looked up. “Brother Bai, I’ll help you apply for the bravery reward. Just like before, the money will be deposited into your account in 37 days. Keep an eye out for it.”

Bai Ming replied, “That’s really too generous.”

The officer said, “It’s what you deserve.”

At these words, the older women seated on the metal chairs could no longer keep still. They shrieked, “He slapped me several times! He broke my speaker! How is that bravery?”

“That’s right! Are you all blind? Handling the case without conscience! Oh, my back!”

“I want to file a complaint! I’ll report you to your superiors!”

“My clothes are dirty—this dress cost me 8,888!”

“My heart hurts! Call an ambulance! Call the fire department for me!”

The women, faces bruised and battered, wailed even louder.

The officer stood up, raising his voice. “Silence! No shouting in the police station. You all ganged up to assault and injure another person. According to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, each of you will face up to fifteen days’ detention and a fine of no more than one thousand yuan.”

Strangely, as soon as he finished, the room fell silent. The women stopped protesting, hung their heads, as if sincerely accepting their punishment.

Satisfied, the officer nodded. “Brother Bai, thanks for your help. Without you, I wouldn’t know how to handle people like this.”

Bai Ming smiled, “It’s no trouble, especially since I get paid.”

The officer, curious, asked, “By the way, Brother Bai, why do they listen to you? Usually, when they cause trouble, nothing I say works. But after you stepped in, they accepted punishment right away.”

Bai Ming stood, patting the young officer’s shoulder. “Because you enforce the law impartially.”

The officer: “?”

…

By the time Bai Ming left the police station, it was already seven-thirty.

He gazed at the city lights coming to life and felt a wave of emotion.

Did he want to use force? Of course not.

It hurt to get physical.

But sometimes there was no other option. If he didn’t, it wouldn’t count as mutual affray—there’d only be mediation, no punishment. Without punishment, his ability couldn’t activate, and without that, there’d be no effect.

Back in middle school, Bai Ming discovered he had a strange power: when he broke rules, he would not be punished.

How did he find out? One day, he and a classmate skipped class to go to an internet café. When they were caught, Bai Ming was frightened and wished not to be punished. In the end, his classmate was disciplined, but nothing happened to him.

No one around him even found it odd; it was as though it was perfectly natural. Even those who learned about it later didn’t think it strange.

After some testing, Bai Ming realized it was an active skill—usable once per day, resetting at midnight, and affecting only one target at a time. The duration was unknown, but it had never worn off.

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The effect was simple: as long as the rules were formally acknowledged and written down, if he broke them, he would not be punished.

Rules he made himself didn’t count, nor did indirect hints or verbal agreements.

Bai Ming named the power “Immunity.”

Then, a bold idea occurred to him.

After all, everything that makes money—no, not just money, all human desires—are written into criminal law.

So Bai Ming cleaned out the bullies inside and outside his school, eradicating every trace of harassment.

After all, if he was immune to punishment for fighting, he could use any method. He could attack openly in front of crowds or strike during mediation.

Who would suspect someone so brazen? With his power clouding others’ perceptions, Bai Ming was always one step ahead.

Later, Bai Ming used his ability for other things—like skipping class, skipping class, and skipping class.

As for more serious crimes, Bai Ming disdained such behavior.

[Welcome to the “Twilight Game”]

[You are about to participate in a game of: F+ level]

[May you, at dusk, witness the burial of daylight]

[Task Name: Elevator]

[Main Task: At 4:44 a.m., enter an empty elevator on the first floor and survive until dawn on the fourth floor]

[Task Time Limit: 24 hours]

[Failure Penalty: Erasure]

[Reward 1: 200 basic experience points]

[Reward 2: 200 basic game coins]

[Reward 3: 1 random E-quality skill card]

[Note: Experience and game coin rewards will fluctuate depending on player performance]

[Note: Any injuries sustained will be fully healed upon return]

Bai Ming: “?”

What is this?

How did it appear in my mind?

Twilight Game?

Looks like it offers trivial rewards to recruit disposable, useful workers.

Having read too many novels about hidden masterminds, Bai Ming immediately refused this bizarre thing.

How to refuse?

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Didn’t you see the failure penalty was erasure?

Bai Ming activated the unused “Immunity” for today, and [Failure Penalty: Erasure] instantly became [Failure Penalty: None].

Since there was no penalty, why bother with this so-called Twilight Game?

He mentally gave himself a thumbs-up for his quick thinking, then returned to his apartment complex by eight.

“When will the elevator be fixed?”

“That’s right, it’s been half an hour already.”

“Do you people ever do any maintenance? How can both elevators break at once? I’m going to file a complaint!”

Two property staff members smiled apologetically as they explained to the residents, while eight burly repairmen bustled in and out of the elevator for unknown reasons.

Bai Ming felt unlucky—first this ridiculous Twilight Game with its elevator task, and now the elevators were actually under repair. Couldn’t anything go smoothly?

No matter; with his fitness, climbing sixteen flights of stairs was no problem.

Entering the stairwell, Bai Ming saw two more burly repairmen, and a beautiful young woman.

She stood behind the repairmen, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders, dressed in a blue dress. Her delicate collarbones peeked out from the neckline, fair as jade.

Strange—why did the repairmen seem to defer to her?

Was she the new property manager?

But she wasn’t wearing a uniform.

And did repairing two elevators really require eight men?

These thoughts flashed through Bai Ming’s mind. Normally, he would have ignored it, but after receiving that elevator task, he couldn’t help but think more.

Perhaps she was another unfortunate participant?

No! He was different—he had Immunity and didn’t need to worry about any Twilight Game.

After that, Bai Ming returned home and resumed his reclusive life, only drawing the blackout curtains and putting in earplugs to sleep at four in the afternoon the next day.

[Task Failed]

[Task Settling…]

[Player’s performance rating: G. Experience and game coin rewards: 0% of base]

[Player interface unlocked]

[Current level: LV1. Skill point x1, Expertise point x1 acquired]

“Damn! Is it never going to end? Can’t a guy get some sleep in broad daylight?”