Rules of the Unusual: I am the Final Boss

When the car entered the Seventh Sequence Base, the entrance was already crowded with people.

Reporters, onlookers, and some candidates who wanted to watch the spectacle completely blocked the entrance. Flashbulbs popped, and cameras were pointed at the slowly entering car.

Bai Xu looked out the car window, his brows furrowing.

"There are so many people," he said in a low voice.

Shi Mo leaned back in his seat, his eyes still closed: "Normal."

The car stopped in front of the main building of the base.

The car door opened, and Shi Mo got out first.

The flashes intensified instantly, like countless tiny suns exploding at once. Reporters, microphones in hand, tried to push forward, but were firmly held back by the base's security personnel.

"Mr. Shi Mo! Is it true that you have returned to the seventh sequence?"

"What are your thoughts on the truth behind the previous murder?"

"Are you on the side of humanity or the supernatural?"

Questions kept coming at us, it was as noisy as a market.

Shi Mo ignored them.

He turned around and reached out to help Bai Xu, who was about to get out of the car.

Bai Xu's knees were still a little sore, and he stumbled when he got out of the car, but Shi Mo helped him up steadily.

The flashbulbs went off again.

The two walked side by side into the main building.

The reporters were still shouting from behind, but the security personnel had already formed a human wall to separate them.

Stepping into the main building lobby, the noise was finally shut out.

Hongyuan and Youying were waiting in the hall. When they saw them come in, they quickly went to greet them.

"Captain! Brother Shi Mo!" Hong Yuan's eyes sparkled, and her face beamed with excitement. "You're back!"

Bai Xu nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

Youying looked at Shimo with a complicated expression, but still nodded: "Welcome back."

Shi Mo didn't react much, only grunting in response.

Hong Yuan leaned close to Bai Xu and whispered, "Captain, the online opinion has reversed!"

Bai Xu looked at her: "A reversal?"

"Yes!" Hong Yuan nodded vigorously. "Yesterday, someone dug up the backgrounds of those five victims. They were all human traffickers, with several lives on their hands!"

She took out her phone, opened the news page, and handed it to Bai Xu to look at.

Top News: "Identities of Five Bodies Found in Old Town Alley Revealed—All Wanted Human Traffickers!"

Subtitle: "Abducted Child Rescued, Identifies Killer, Truth Revealed!"

The accompanying image is a photo of the child, along with screenshots of arrest warrants for the five deceased.

The comments section has completely reversed:

[I knew Boss Shi Mo wouldn't kill someone for no reason!]

[Good riddance to the human traffickers!]

Where are the people who criticized the big shot before? Come out and apologize!

[Boss Shi Mo is doing a service to the people!]

[The Seventh Sequence did the right thing! Heroes like them deserve to be protected!]

Bai Xu scrolled through the comments, and a slight smile finally appeared on his lips.

He handed the phone back to Hongyuan: "Well done."

Hong Yuan chuckled: "I didn't do it, netizens dug it up themselves. But we did... push it a little."

She blinked.

Bai Xu understood what she meant—the Seventh Sequence had manipulated public opinion behind the scenes, bringing the truth to the public eye.

He looked at Shi Mo.

Shi Mo was standing by the window, looking at the crowd still gathering outside, his face expressionless.

"Shi Mo," Bai Xu walked over, "did you see? Everyone understands now."

Shi Mo turned to look at him: "Understand what?"

"I understand you had your reasons for killing those people," Bai Xu said. "You weren't just indiscriminately killing innocent people."

Shi Mo laughed, a laugh tinged with sarcasm.

"So what?" he asked, "Because I killed bad people, does that make me a good person?"

Bai Xu choked.

Shi Mo turned around to face him, her voice flat: "Bai Xu, you still don't understand."

He took two steps forward and walked to the center of the hall, where Hong Yuan and You Ying also looked over.

"I killed them not because they deserved to die," Shi Mo said, "but because I wanted to."

His gaze swept over the three men: "If I had met five ordinary people that night, five ordinary people who hadn't done anything wrong, but I was in a bad mood and wanted to kill someone, I would have killed them too."

The hall fell silent.

Hong Yuan's smile froze on her face.

The shadow's expression grew even more serious.

Bai Xu looked at Shi Mo, his throat tightening.

"So don't treat me like some kind of hero, or some kind of righteous hero," Shi Mo continued. "I am who I am, I kill whoever I want to kill, I do what I want to do, and I help those who I find interesting."

He paused, then added, "Whether it's human or something supernatural over there."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the stairs.

He stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back at Bai Xu.

"Make sure the announcement for the Seventh Sequence is clear," he said. "I'm neutral. Whom I side with depends on my mood."

Then he went upstairs and back to his room.

Only three people remained in the hall.

Hong Yuan looked at Bai Xu and asked softly, "Captain... Brother Shi Mo, he..."

"Do as he says," Bai Xu interrupted her, his voice a little hoarse. "Make it clear in the announcement that he is neutral."

Hongyuan nodded: "Okay."

She turned to make the arrangements.

Youying walked to Bai Xu's side and whispered, "That's for the best. At least... things are clear now."

Bai Xu remained silent.

He just stared at the stairwell, in the direction where Shi Mo had disappeared.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside me.

It wasn't disappointment, nor sadness, but rather... a sense of relief.

Shi Mo finally said what he had always wanted to say—he was not a hero, not a good person, just a monster who did whatever he wanted.

Bai Xu accepted this.

In the afternoon, the official announcement for the Seventh Sequence was released.

The title is simple: "Explanation on Shimo's Return and Stance".

The content is not long:

"Mr. Shi Mo is now back in the Seventh Order, but his stance has been adjusted to neutral. His actions are not entirely bound by the rules of the Seventh Order; whether he intervenes or not, and which side he helps, are all determined by his personal will. The Seventh Order respects his choice and will not bear any joint liability for his actions."

The announcement caused an uproar across the internet.

Surprisingly, there were very few dissenting voices.

Most people accept it quickly:

Neutrality is fine, it's better than hostility.

[Shi Mo's strength is undeniable; making him your enemy will only lead to a more miserable death.]

He's helped humanity quite a bit in the past, and now that he's remaining neutral, he might just step in at a crucial moment.

It's better than completely siding with the supernatural.

Some people are also worried:

What if he's in a bad mood one day and attacks humans?

Who can guarantee that he will always stand on the side of humanity?

But this was quickly refuted:

He's not on humanity's side either; he's neutral.

And even if he were to make a move, who could stop him?

Instead of worrying about that, you should think about how to improve your strength.

The public outcry subsided quickly.

Everyone seems to have accepted the fact that Shi Mo is an uncontrollable, neutral, and ridiculously powerful being.

He can help humans or monsters, it all depends on his mood.

What humans can do is try not to anger him and try not to make him think that "helping the supernatural is more interesting".

That evening, Bai Xu knocked on Shi Mo's door.

The door opened.

Shi Mo stood behind the door, wearing pajamas, her hair a little wet, as if she had just taken a shower.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

Bai Xu handed him the document in his hand: "This is the final draft of the announcement. Take a look."

Shi Mo took it, glanced at it, and then handed it back to him: "Okay."

Bai Xu looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "You...you really want to remain neutral?"

Shi Mo raised an eyebrow: "Otherwise what?"

"What I mean is..." Bai Xu's voice trailed off, "You...didn't you help us a lot before?"

"That's because it's interesting," Shi Mo said. "I still find it interesting now, so I'll continue to help. But if one day I find helping the supernatural more interesting, then I'll help the supernatural."

He spoke so naturally, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.

Bai Xu looked at him for a long time, then nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I understand."

Shi Mo looked at him and suddenly smiled, a smile with amusement.

"Bai Xu," he began, "do you still think we can 'be like before'?"

Bai Xu paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"No," he said, "but it's fine this way too."

Shi Mo raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

"At least," Bai Xu looked up at him, "at least I know what kind of person you are. At least I know that what you do from now on is what you want to do yourself."

He paused, then added, "That's enough."

Shi Mo stared at him for a long time.

Then he reached out and ruffled Bai Xu's hair.

"Go to bed early," he said.

Then the door was closed.

Bai Xu stood outside the door, looking at the tightly closed door, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved upwards.

He knew that some things were truly irreversible.

But some things may only be the beginning.