Weird Rules: Start by playing God in Bikini Bottom!

Chapter 11 Jiang Xiu: "I belong to the Zhang family!"

The quiet streets of Bikini Bottom, the house shrouded in gray fog, the starfish and the rogue boss mentioned in the rules... the real challenge may have only just begun.

But in any case, the Dragon Kingdom miraculously gained a foothold in an S-level dungeon where it was almost condemned to death at the start.

All of this is thanks to Jiang Xiu, the seemingly unreliable young man who brought the character of Squidward to life.

Stepping out of the Krusty Krab, the streets of Bikini Bottom outside were shrouded in a perpetual gray fog.

The streetlights were dim and yellow, their light unable to penetrate very far, only illuminating the wet, eerily colored cobblestone path beneath our feet.

The buildings on both sides were indistinct, with doors and windows tightly closed, and there was no sound of life. Only a low groaning sound, like the surging of a giant ocean current, could be heard in the distance.

Relying on his body's instincts, Jiang Xiu walked with slightly tired but purposeful steps through several quiet streets and arrived at a uniquely shaped house.

A dark blue Easter Island statue, with a wooden door for the mouth and glass windows for the eyes.

He walked to the door, and as he was about to take out his keys as usual, his eyes were drawn to a brand-new, neatly edged note stuck to the door.

The handwriting on the note was much neater than the Krusty Krab's sloppy employee handbook, even possessing a deliberate elegance, but the content was equally unsettling:

[Bichon Fryer Residents - Home Safety Guidelines (Octopus House)]

1. Home is a haven for the soul. Make sure to spend at least an hour engaging in your favorite private activity before 10 p.m. This helps stabilize your mental state and protect you from external distractions.

2. Your neighbor is a pink starfish. He might knock on the door at any time, just to make sure he doesn't disturb you while you're doing your favorite activity.

3. After 10 p.m., please close all curtains. No matter what lights or sounds appear outside the window, do not be curious, do not open the window, and do not go outside.

4. Dreams need nourishment. Your musical instruments and sheet music are an extension of your soul; keep them safe and practice regularly. They may be your last link to reality.

Jiang Xiu looked at the four rules and raised an eyebrow.

Sure enough, the challenges extended from the workplace into the private sphere.

He quickly extracted the key information: do your favorite thing before 10 o'clock, avoid Patrick Star, never go out at night, and... continued to emphasize the importance of dreams and musical instruments.

He understood perfectly.

"My favorite thing... is playing my clarinet, which is always out of tune. Patrick Star always comes. Nighttime is dangerous, as for instruments and dreams..."

He glanced at rule number four, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, in the very few other surviving instances of the Chosen Ones.

These battered and bruised octopuses finally returned to their doorsteps and saw almost identical "Home Safety Instructions" on their doors.

For them, this was nothing short of a new death warrant. Especially the first one:

"Before 10 p.m., spend at least an hour of your favorite private activity."

What's your "favorite" activity?

What does Squidward like the most?

They knew nothing about it!

The rules only mention the clarinet and sheet music, but that's about dreams and the extension of the soul, which is the content of Rule 4. Moreover, Rule 1 explicitly states that it's a private activity, and they're unsure if that specifically refers to music.

What does an octopus working at a fast food restaurant like to do most in his spare time?

complain?

daze?

Or is he really into art?

Their strong will to survive and the series of deadly traps they had encountered before left them no room for complacency.

They must figure out this favorite activity and have it run for at least an hour before 10 o'clock!

Otherwise, if the rules fail, extremely terrible things could happen.

Thus, in the live streams of these survivors, viewers saw:

Menglun Kingdom Live Stream Room:

Wendy rushed into the house and, without even looking around, began frantically searching.

Bookshelves, drawers, cabinets... search for any clues that might hint at Squidward's preferences.

Journal?

Collectibles?

Special items?

He muttered nervously, "My favorite thing... my favorite thing... what is it? Painting? Reading? Or... or some other weird hobby?"

As time ticked by, his anxiety almost materialized.

Inazuma Country Livestream Room:

Barbatos was relatively calmer and quickly scanned the entire house.

The interior is simply furnished, slightly cluttered, and has a decadent artistic feel.

He saw several abstract paintings hanging on the wall, some unfinished sculptures in the corner, and an empty fish tank.

He tried sitting in front of the easel and picking up a paintbrush, but his hand trembled so badly that the lines he drew were crooked and uneven, and he himself felt that something was wrong.

"Is this really my favorite? If not..." He threw down his paintbrush in fear and began searching for something else.

Their live stream chat was filled with anxiety and pessimism:

"Hurry and search! Time is running out!"

"What does Squidward actually like? Rule number four mentions musical instruments, could it be playing the clarinet?"

"But is that a dream, the same as a favorite private activity?"

"What if we make a mistake? Could it directly trigger mental pollution?"

"This condition is insane! They even have to guess what someone likes in private? This can't be solved with force or intelligence; it requires a complete understanding of the character!"

"Could it be... that these survivors will ultimately die from mental corruption because they don't understand 'Octopus Brother'?"

Audiences around the world felt a sense of powerlessness.

The malice of this S-rank instance permeates every detail, as if mocking all those who try to survive using conventional logic.

However, when the camera switched to the Dragon Kingdom's live stream, the style was completely different.

After reading the rules, Jiang Xiu showed no panic or confusion on his face, but rather an expression of "I knew it."

He didn't rush inside immediately. Instead, he looked around his house, even wiping the dust off the door frame with his finger and giving a disdainful sneer.

He pushed the door open and entered.

The interior was presented to a global audience: the room was circular and decorated in a very unique way.

Several abstract paintings with somber tones hung on the wall; these were clearly Squidward's own masterpieces.

A shelf filled with all sorts of quirky little objects, a slightly messy desk, and—in a relatively tidy corner of the room, a music stand, with a dull-looking brass clarinet lying quietly on a small table next to it, along with a few well-worn sheet music books.

The entire room was filled with an atmosphere of loneliness, decadence, yet stubborn adherence to a certain personal taste.

Jiang Xiu walked in, casually closed the door, and let out a long, soothing sigh, as if returning to his own territory.

He didn't rush to get the clarinet, but strolled around slowly, looking at the furnishings of the room with great interest. His fingers brushed over the sparse books on the bookshelf, looked at the paintings on the wall, and even nodded at a distorted clay sculpture, as if admiring it.

His eyes revealed a complex emotion—familiarity, nostalgia, and a faint smile.