Dingsheng Plaza in Lianyun District, Wuzhou City, was a medium-sized commercial complex newly built in recent years. Its main tower housed stores like Walmart and Wanda Cinema, while the wide open space below was frequently rented out for promotional events.

Just like today—an electronics retailer’s grand opening had taken over the plaza.

Balloons for kids, staff wandering in cartoon inflatable costumes, and a giant humanoid inflatable arch swaying in the wind, its base whooshing from the blower below.

What a lively scene.

Yet beneath the cheer, Manager Zhang—the one in charge—was deeply worried.

“Xiao Li, did you arrange these?”

Xiao Li, his capable young secretary, blinked. “Manager? Which things?”

He pointed at the costumed figures roaming the plaza. “These.”

“Yes,” she replied naturally. “They’re trendy promo tools everyone uses nowadays.”

Manager Zhang shook his head. “No. You were just transferred here. The Lianyun District Administration for Industry and Commerce issued a ban—no inflatable costumes allowed. Get them taken down. Now.”

Xiao Li tensed. “Right. They’re part-time college students I hired. I’ll have them retreat backstage and remove the suits immediately.”

Mistakes meant canceling the event—but pay still had to be issued. The money was trivial. A shutdown order? That would be disaster.

The plaza was vast, the sun blazing, people scattered everywhere. Tracking each student down was impossible.

Thankfully, modern communication made it easy.

She pulled out her phone, opening the temporary part-timers’ WeChat group. Beforehand, she’d required them—due to protocol—to star her account for urgent alerts. Even suited up, they could check notifications.

No time to delay. But as she opened the chat—something felt off.

Part-timers usually flooded the group: school talk, movie plans, idle chatter Xiao Li ignored.

Not this time.

【I saw a notice—the city banned inflatable costumes per the Administration for Industry and Commerce. Clear signs posted everywhere.】

【Me too. Is Sister Xiao Li here?】

【What’s happening? Is this illegal?】

【Wait and see tomorrow.】

Yesterday’s messages. Scrolling further, Xiao Li broke into a cold sweat—

【I’m here. Don’t bother coming.】

【What happened?!】

【The contact said the warehouse has zero costumes. Whoever hired us messed up.】

【Sister Xiao Li never replied either.】

【True. I’m onsite (photo) (photo). Backstage prep—no costumes at all.】

【Ugh. Going home to sleep (ZZZ)】

【Lucky I woke late. Rolled over and snoozed again, haha.】

Followed by a cascade of “left the group” notifications.

“This… how?!”

Xiao Li stared as if haunted—phone screen, then plaza. Costumed figures still wandered.

Early September heat pressed down under a clear sky, yet a chill ran down her spine.

If the students never came… and the warehouse held no suits…

*Who were these people?*

Just then—the inflatable arch, swaying wildly in the wind, slowly leaned its upper body down. Its cartoonish face, twisted by airflow, now grinned sinisterly.

“Come on, snap a pic!”

“You see these elsewhere, but rare in Lianyun! What a find.”

“Group photo! A business *daring* the ban—might never see this again.”

Tourists laughed below, snapping Moments posts. They knew the ban existed—the Administration never explained why, so few took it seriously.

None noticed the arch above leaning closer, its malicious smile widening, slowly enveloping the nearest person.

“Honey, it’s so hot. Let’s go.”

A quick photo posted, the young wife turned to her husband, habitually linking arms—

—but only *an arm* remained.

The full-grown man who stood there seconds ago was now just a single limb, bent sharply at ninety degrees.

“AAAAH—!!!”