Chapter 21: I Absolutely Love Working Overtime

While waiting for the train at the platform, Wang Xi was playing on his phone when he discovered he had been added to a work group chat titled "Cupid Housekeeping Cleaning Department Group 2."

"Welcome to our handsome new recruit!"

The message was from his female colleague, Zhu Yuhe. She had included a cartoon cheerleader emoji.

"Welcome, welcome."
"I was busy with other things the past two days and forgot to add you."
"Paid leave was just too comfortable; I forgot, too."
"Xiao Wang, you aren't mad, are you? (Sucking on a lollipop)"

The colleagues in Group 2 became active one after another. Wang Xi smiled and typed:

"Not mad at all, not mad."

After the simple welcome ritual, the colleagues moved on to other topics.

"I heard Du Chuan died."
"What?!"
"No way!"
"..."

Wang Xi frowned slightly. He then remembered that Du Chuan was the older twin brother who had been injured by a post-disaster event during their first day out on a job. He hadn't expected this colleague to have died in the line of duty.

"His injuries were too severe; they couldn't save him."
"Luckily, his younger brother, Du Bo, survived, though he likely won't be able to walk again—permanently disabled."
"Oh?"
"Sigh, if we could afford high-quality universal cards, he might have been saved," team leader Lei Wen chimed in. "Or, if he had first-class citizenship, the equipment and specialized technology at the major hospitals would have been available to him. It’s entirely possible."
"There’s just no way..."

The group went silent for a moment. Everyone understood this reality. But if one had money and power, who would risk their life to become a scavenger?

"Old Lei, let's talk about something else," Ms. Gao Fen interjected. Clearly, the topic was too heavy.

"Anyway, the management sent me a message saying the company is short-staffed and asked me to check if any of you are free to work some overtime."
"Is there overtime pay?"
"The usual rule: 3,000 credit points per day."
"Count me out; I'm busy preparing for next week's Amateur Brave assessment."
"If Yu Zihan isn't going, who wants to?"

The colleagues chattered in the group. In the end, only Luo Ziliang and Zhu Yuhe were willing to work overtime; even the team leader, Lei Wen, had to take his child to a training class. Seeing this, Wang Xi replied:

"I'll go."

If it were unpaid overtime meant for "company dedication," one might call it madness born of love. But if it were 3,000 credit points a day for overtime, then he would express his burning passion and professional dedication with the utmost sincerity. Wang Xi absolutely loved overtime. His former colleagues used to call him the "King of Manic Zeal."

"Xiao Wang is going too? Alright, I'll submit the three of you. Just head straight to the company in a bit; you might even get a hot meal."

Team leader Lei Wen replied quite thoughtfully. Wang Xi checked the time; it was already 11:30. Taking the rail train from the Illusion District to the Dawn District, plus the walking time, he likely wouldn't make it in time for the meal. He sighed internally—another few dozen credit points lost!

*Whoosh—*

A shrill electronic whistle sounded. A rail train, shaped like a silver bullet, arrived at the station.

...

When Wang Xi arrived at the company, it was nearly 1:00 PM. In the magnificent lobby, the only ones present were Jiali, the girl with the black dress and smoky makeup at the front desk, and the portly supervisor, Lin Zhifeng.

As Wang Xi walked into the hall, he immediately noticed a new photo on the "Wall of Honor" behind the front desk under the "Gold Medal Employees" section. It was a man with a brilliant smile.

"Cleaning Department Group 2 Excellent Scavenger, Du Chuan."

Wang Xi glanced at it and looked away. For some reason, he felt a slight sense of melancholy. Although he hadn't had much interaction with the man—hadn't even spoken a word to him—it was still unsettling. Perhaps this was just the norm for the underclass of the new world.

"Xiao Wang, you're here."

Lin Zhifeng rose from the sofa and walked over quickly. He draped an arm around Wang Xi’s shoulder and pressed a set of car keys into his hand.

"Brother Lin, what's this?" Wang Xi asked, puzzled.

"Yuhe and Xiaoliang arrived before you; they've been assigned to help with sorting in the warehouse... As for you, there's another arrangement."

Lin Zhifeng said, leading Wang Xi outside.

"There's a batch of processed disaster remains that need to be delivered urgently to the Acceptance Department of the Oversight Bureau. They have a branch in the Furnace District. Take this batch and get it over there immediately."

"Deliver materials?" Wang Xi feigned naivety and scratched his head. "Brother Lin, I don't know how to drive."

The two had reached the parking lot behind the building and stopped next to a black hover-sedan. Lin Zhifeng patted Wang Xi on the shoulder and pulled out two cards.

"Not knowing how to drive is fine; the company is prepared for that."

Wang Xi took them and looked.

[Hover-car Basic Driving (Skill Card)]
[Quality: White, One-Star (Non-upgradable)]
[General artificial card. Produced by the Sparkle Consortium, certified by the Oversight Bureau, and manufactured by the Shanhai Workshop. After use, you will master the basic ability to operate a hover-car.]

The other artificial universal card was:

[Mortuary Pod Type I (Equipment Card)]
[Quality: White, Two-Star (Non-upgradable)]
[Patent card of Cupid Housekeeping. Tech licensed by the Gear Consortium, certified by the Oversight Bureau, and manufactured by the Shanhai Workshop. A controlled storage tool with a 20-foot container capacity. (Registration code A013: Currently full)]
[After use, you can store or release the Mortuary Pod. Note: Please use in an open area.]

"Once you're in the car, remember to place the material card in the designated slot, then just follow the route provided by the navigation system. It's very simple," Lin Zhifeng said with a smile as he opened the door.

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow; that was certainly convenient. However, he didn't rush into the driver's seat. Instead, he turned to the portly deputy supervisor and asked curiously:

"Brother Lin, why not have Brother Xiaoliang deliver the materials? I recall he was responsible for driving the obstacle-clearing vehicle before; this job would be a piece of cake for him, right?"

"You're new, so I'm giving you a chance to get some experience." Lin Zhifeng smiled and winked. "More importantly, delivering materials requires coordination with the staff at the Oversight Bureau. You can take this opportunity to get familiar with them. It definitely won't hurt your future... Brother Lin thinks highly of you; you aren't going to be in the cleaning department forever."

"Brother Lin, you're a really good guy," Wang Xi said, feigning being flattered.

He sat in the driver's seat of the black hover-car and, following Lin Zhifeng's instructions, placed the "Mortuary Pod" artificial card into the designated slot next to the steering wheel. Once done, Wang Xi activated the skill card.

A flash of white light, and suddenly, various driving techniques for hover-cars, as well as traffic regulations, flooded his mind. Touching the V-shaped steering wheel, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he were an old pro who had been driving for over a decade.

He inserted the key and ignited the engine.

*Whoosh—*

The ether battery released a surge of energy. The chassis of the hover-car ejected an invisible airflow, and the air began to distort and ripple, laced with blue-purple arcs of electricity. The entire vehicle lifted half a meter off the ground.

As the four support struts retracted, Lin Zhifeng stepped back a few paces and shouted, "Drive slowly, be careful on the road. Make sure to follow the navigation—don't take a wrong turn."

"Got it, Brother Lin."

Wang Xi looked excited, like a child with a new toy, and waved goodbye.

...

The black hover-car pulled out of the parking lot, passed through the gates of Cupid Housekeeping, and vanished into the streets. Lin Zhifeng watched the hover-car depart, his eyes flickering with pain and struggle.

"Sorry, Xiao Wang..."

...

"Sorry, Brother Lin," Wang Xi muttered, holding the steering wheel with one hand. With the other, he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned off the recording. "I just do this as a precaution."

In truth, from the moment Lin Zhifeng asked him to deliver the materials, Wang Xi had sensed something was off. He clearly remembered the strange smile on the fat deputy supervisor's lips the last time he took a material card from Group 2. His mention of Luo Xiaoliang earlier was merely a probe. Lin Zhifeng’s response seemed flawless, but it only deepened Wang Xi’s suspicions.

If delivering materials were so important, it wouldn't be easily handed over to a newcomer who had only been on the job for a few days, regardless of some vague "thinking highly of him."

That was why Wang Xi had secretly recorded the entire conversation as evidence for self-protection. He didn't know what Lin Zhifeng was plotting, but having seen the malice of the corporate world in his past life, he naturally knew how to be a "non-stick pan."

*Whoosh—*

The hover-car cruised in the designated lane, weaving past the rail trains in the center. Wang Xi thought it over and still felt uneasy. He dialed the Public Security Bureau, but it didn't connect, so he set the phone aside, ready to call at any moment.

"Lin Zhifeng, you'd better not be setting me up..."

He shook his head and, having taken these precautions, followed the navigation toward the Oversight Bureau branch in the Furnace District.

The experience of driving a hover-car was truly marvelous. Even for Wang Xi, who was accustomed to luxury cars or electric vehicles in his past life, this was in a different league. The hover-car had almost no vibration or noise; the speed, responsiveness, and handling were top-tier. It felt like flying a plane. Though he had never flown a plane, he had played games, and he imagined it was quite similar.

This made Wang Xi marvel even more at how the new world, while scarred by supernatural disasters, had also absorbed their essence. Human technology was developing rapidly to adapt to this increasingly dangerous environment.

Two hours flew by. Wang Xi finally reached the Furnace District on the outskirts of Gu City. A large number of factories had been built here, with massive concrete "chimneys" standing like wonders of the world.

Thick smoke billowed. The deafening clanging of machinery was incessant. Perhaps it was his imagination, but the air felt significantly hotter. Vast tracts of factory buildings stood clearly defined on the side of the road. Compared to the city centers like the Nest District or the Dawn District, the traffic and foot traffic here were noticeably sparse.

Just as he rounded a corner and entered an area of abandoned factories devoid of a single soul, Wang Xi slammed on the brakes.

*Vroom—*

The black hover-car screeched to a halt at the factory entrance.

"Wrong turn?"

Wang Xi checked the navigation repeatedly. He had been following the route, and he was only two blocks away from his destination, but the road that had appeared as a straight path now led into this abandoned factory. Looking at the piles of vehicle wrecks and various metal scraps surrounding him, a sense of unease welled up in Wang Xi's heart.

"Not right!"

He acted decisively, shifting into reverse and spinning the wheel hard to the left. The hover-car carved a graceful arc on the spot, preparing to leave the way he had come.

*Beep—*

A sharp, subtle sound suddenly pierced the air!

Wang Xi felt his scalp tingle. He had heard this sound before...

It was the sound of a laser weapon firing!