I finally had a day off and was trying to sleep in, but my phone was blowing up with spam calls. "You finally picked up... it wasn't easy finding you..." My morning grumpiness took over. I grabbed the phone and yelled: "Find your mother, you scammer!" "Don't let me catch you, or I swear I'll kill you!" A minute later, my doorbell rang. From outside, the same voice I heard on the phone echoed through the door. "Open the door. It wasn't easy finding you..." 1 I didn't dare breathe. I tiptoed to the peephole. But when I pressed my eye against it, I saw no one in the hallway. Did I hear it wrong? Just as I was thinking that, the doorbell rang again. Ding-dong, ding-dong—ding-ding-ding-dong!!!! The ringing got faster and faster, but I still couldn't see a soul. Was he hiding in the blind spot? I was about to call the police when my phone rang at the worst possible moment. It was that scam number again. My head throbbed. I blocked it immediately. But less than a second later, a new, unfamiliar number called. The structure was similar to the last one, just the last digit was different. I blocked it again. Then another new number. Block. Another new number... Like the doorbell, it rang almost without pause. I couldn't take it anymore. I picked up. Before I could start cursing, a man's arrogant laughter came from the other end: "Heh heh heh... didn't you say you wanted me dead? Why aren't you opening the door now that I'm here?" I froze, slowly turning my head toward the door. The doorbell rang even faster, urging me, and the man's voice on the phone came through the door simultaneously: "Open up... weren't you going to kill me? Come on, open the door..." 2 I called the police. But there were no cameras in the hallway. Checking the surveillance at the complex entrance and the elevator yielded nothing. Later, they examined my smart lock and suspected the system had been hacked. "You mean, there was no one at my door just now? It was just that guy making sounds through the hacked system?" "But how did he know where I live?" The older officer frowned, fiddling with the lock. "Since these scammers can get your number, finding your personal info isn't hard." "Then arrest him!" The officer stared at me for a moment, then shook his head ruthlessly. "Sorry, the other party hasn't taken any substantial action yet. We can't file a case." I was on the verge of tears. "He already knows where I live and hacked my security system! That's not substantial action?!" "Does he have to break in and kill me for it to count?" Seeing the awkward atmosphere, the younger officer tried to comfort me. "Don't worry, our colleagues will keep a close watch on your place for the next few days to ensure your safety." "Don't be too nervous. The scammer might not even be local. He probably just wanted to scare you because you cursed him out." I stayed silent. I knew police procedures, and I wanted to be a good citizen. But what just happened was terrifying. What if it happens again? As a single woman living alone in a strange city, I was genuinely scared. What if the scammer is local? What if I provoked him and he breaks in for revenge? Seeing my concern, the older officer handed me a card. "Ms. Parker, call me anytime if anything happens. I'll come immediately." I looked down. The card read "Detective Lee," with a phone number below. Better than nothing. I sighed and took the card. As Detective Lee was leaving, I asked uneasily, "What if he harasses me through the doorbell system again?" "Record it and call me," Lee said simply. Suddenly, the younger officer who had already stepped out gasped, tugging at Lee's sleeve. "Sir, come look at this!" Lee stepped out. As soon as his eyes hit the wall outside my apartment, his face went rigid. "What is it?" I chased after them. My photos were plastered all over the wall. Me leaving the complex, me squeezing into the subway, me entering my office... All taken from various angles, secretly! Some photos had an unknown red liquid on the corners. I hid behind Lee. "W-what is this?!" Lee didn't speak. He just closed the security door. A nauseating smell of blood hit us. On the door covered in photos, a giant word was written in crimson— DIE! 3 The blood was still slowly dripping down the strokes of the word. "He hasn't gone far!" Lee shouted as he ran downstairs. "Call for backup!" An hour later, a group of officers was photographing and examining my door. They concluded the blood was animal blood. But that wasn't comforting because Lee hadn't caught the guy who posted the photos. The culprit was cautious, wearing a helmet. Even within camera range, his face was obscured. Fortunately, this incident was severe enough for the police to open a case. Lee was frustrated. "There were no photos when we arrived. In less than half an hour, and I didn't hear a thing!" Back at the station, he emphasized repeatedly: "I'll have tech support try to trace the virtual number." "Until then, lock your doors and windows. Contact me immediately if anything feels off." "Remember, do not act on your own!" After they left, I felt dazed. Just a couple of angry sentences from morning grumpiness led to such severe consequences? If I hadn't cursed at the scammer, if I had just politely declined... would none of this have happened? Living alone with few friends here, I always lived by the principle of keeping the peace. Usually, I'd swallow any grievance. Why did I have to snap this one time? Lost in thought, I arrived at my door. The police had removed the photos, leaving only the slightly coagulated word "DIE." I wiped away tears circling in my eyes, went inside, and filled a basin with water. When I came back out, the building security guard, Old Wang, was already scrubbing the blood off my door with cleaning supplies. Seeing me, his eyes were full of concern. "Miss Parker, scared you bad, didn't it?" The police presence was huge; the whole complex knew about my situation. "Management sent me to see if I could help." Old Wang was always the most helpful guy in the property management team. "Thanks, Mr. Wang. I'll do it myself. Sorry for the trouble." But Old Wang insisted on helping. In the tug-of-war, he dropped his rag. His hand grabbed mine without hesitation. Startled, I pulled away quickly. "Sorry, Miss. See? Concern makes for chaos." Though he said that, his eyes stared hotly at the hand that had touched mine, completely forgetting the rag on the floor. Suddenly, the elevator dinged. My ex-boyfriend, Chris, and my boss, Mr. Zhao, walked out simultaneously. "Riley, heard you were harassed. Are you okay?" "Riley, the company heard what happened. Are you hurt?" 4 Both were surprised by their simultaneous greeting. They looked at each other, then asked me in unison: "Who is he?" After a brief introduction, I noticed Old Wang's face darken. Without a word, he picked up the rag and continued scrubbing the blood. Chris's concerned gaze turned cold when he saw Mr. Zhao. "Riley, when did your company hire new people? Why didn't I know?" Mr. Zhao smiled, but his eyes were humorless. "It's normal. Since you're the ex-boyfriend, Riley doesn't need to report everything to you." Mr. Zhao emphasized "ex-boyfriend." Chris's face looked like he had eaten a thousand maggots. My head hurt. I didn't have energy to host. So I issued an eviction order. "I'm fine, just didn't sleep well. Don't worry." Saying that, I snatched the rag from Old Wang, rinsed it in the basin, turning the clear water blood-red. Mr. Zhao noticed a spot of blood on my hand. He took out a tissue and gently wiped it for me, his voice soft. "It's unsafe for you to live alone. I happen to need a roommate. Move in with me." The air seemed to freeze. Old Wang and Chris stared intently at my hand being held. Mr. Zhao put the bloody tissue in his pocket. Chris grabbed him, voice cold: "Why are you keeping Riley's blood? Do you have some fetish?" "Security guard, right? Call the cops, arrest this pervert!" I was shocked by Mr. Zhao's action too, staring at him blankly. Mr. Zhao replied calmly: "There's no trash can here. I'm keeping the used tissue to throw away downstairs. Is there a problem?" Chris was speechless. Old Wang took over as if to diffuse the tension. "Give me the trash. I take out the trash for this whole floor." Just then, my phone rang. It was Detective Lee. "Hello, Detective Lee. Any results?" To avoid unnecessary worry from Chris and the others, I went inside to take the call. On the other end, Lee's voice was urgent. "Riley, tech support just told me they traced the location of that virtual scam number!" I perked up immediately. "Where is that guy?" Lee didn't answer directly. "Is it convenient for you to talk?" I was confused. "Yes, why?" Lee said: "According to the trace, that guy is less than 10 meters away from you!" Shocked, I turned around instantly, involuntarily stepping back two steps. Those three men were standing at the door. Three pairs of pitch-black eyes stared at me like slimy snakes wrapped around my body.
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