【MN reward has been issued; please check and receive it】
Yang Chaoyu: So the reward is outside the door?
Everything that happened today had been too bizarre, and she subconsciously felt that something was wrong.
After thinking it over, she tossed her phone aside and first went to the kitchen to grab a frying pan, tucked it into her arms, then rummaged through the box she had received beneath the bed. She put on the thickest down jacket inside, donned a mask, opened the door with her left hand, and held a kitchen knife in her right.
Because the door opened outward, it gave the resident an advantage, so she felt a little more confident.
She sank her qi into her dantian and opened the door!
A petite girl stood outside. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and her brows were dark while her eyes shone like stars. Seeing Yang Chaoyu's attire, the girl parted her small lips in surprise, then shoved her aside and walked straight inside.
“In the middle of the night, dressed like this to go chicken stealing?”
“I…” Yang Chaoyu did not know how to explain, so she simply shifted the topic to her friend. “Why did you come over so late at night?”
The newcomer was Wen Xiaoxiao, Yang Chaoyu's university roommate. The two of them were quite close.
But Wen Xiaoxiao was an academic star and had joined a fairly large company after graduation. Her monthly income… Yang Chaoyu estimated it was over eight thousand. Every time Yang Chaoyu saw her, she could not help feeling a little inferior.
“Didn't I say I passed by here on my way to the company?”
She expertly put down her bag and changed her shoes, then collapsed onto the living room sofa. With her eyes closed, she said, “I worked overtime again today. I'm so tired.”
Yang Chaoyu poured her a glass of water and sat beside her. “Another major project?”
Wen Xiaoxiao naturally leaned against her and said, “Yeah. They use all the newcomers like mules. Every day, if you don't work overtime, you look like some kind of freak.”
“Don't sleep here. Go to bed.”
This rented apartment was not large, around forty square meters. The living room was right inside the entrance, with the bedroom and bathroom at the far end. There was no kitchen; only a microwave and a kettle sat on the cabinet beside the door.
Wen Xiaoxiao rubbed against her and coyly refused to go.
Yang Chaoyu lifted her head, stuffed a cushion beneath it, and said, “Then sleep for a little while. I'll get you a blanket.”
“What blanket? It's the middle of summer.”
Yang Chaoyu inexplicably remembered the bone-chilling cold she had felt during the mission. She always felt that the frigid sensation had not dispersed, but was lurking somewhere, waiting for a chance to deliver a fatal strike.
She cast the thought aside and brought out a thin quilt.
When she returned to the living room, Wen Xiaoxiao was already sitting up against the cushion, playing on her phone. Judging by the position and speed of her hands, she was probably playing a game.
“Aren't you tired?”
“I remembered that I hadn't done today's mission, and suddenly got my energy back.”
Yang Chaoyu: “…”
“By the way, Zhiyu Yi released another new mobile game. It's the card-drawing type you like.”
“I'm not playing. I have no money.”
“Grind it out. Don't you have plenty of liver?” Wen Xiaoxiao said.
“I already ground it all away. I have no liver left.”
“So free of desire?” Wen Xiaoxiao found it strange and put down her phone. “But honestly, I don't understand what use those cards with nothing but looks are. Why do people recklessly throw money at virtual characters like that? I don't get it.”
“I don't get it either,” she replied flatly.
When she was poor, she truly felt nothing else mattered. She only wanted to make money like crazy.
“Seriously, those creamy older brothers you like always look as though you could punch them once and they'd cry for ages!”
“What kind of straight-man comment is that?”
Wen Xiaoxiao asked with her cute face, “Isn't it true?”
Yang Chaoyu did not dare disagree.
Wen Xiaoxiao was small but wild. She had reportedly been the school bully in high school, spending every day calling friends to arrange fights. Then, in her final year, she suddenly came to her senses and studied fiercely. After getting into university, she completely transformed into an academic star. But even with an exceptional performance, the school she entered was not very good, and there were plenty of people with corrupt intentions.
Still, she was genuinely formidable. One girl could fight two grown men, and her hands would not even tremble afterward.
She did not rely on strength. Usually, she used “cautious development” and redirected an opponent's force against them.
Yang Chaoyu had assumed she would like competitive games, but Wen Xiaoxiao looked down on them. In her words: When normal people fight, who would use those flashy, impractical moves?
Her famous saying was: If you can strike the groin, never hit the head; if you can stomp the foot, never hit the leg.
Yang Chaoyu: “…She really is formidable.”
Wen Xiaoxiao turned back to her game and said, “Still, if a paper person could come into the real world, I would be willing to raise one. I have no interest in card characters that can only interact in simple ways.”
Yang Chaoyu thought of Room 1302, and it seemed she could still smell that dusty odor at the tip of her nose.
Wen Xiaoxiao paused, then suddenly said, “If you became my paper person, I would be willing to raise you too.”
Silence filled the room.
Wen Xiaoxiao said, “I'm serious. If you really can't find a job, I'll support you.”
Yang Chaoyu: “rich woman, I am not wanting to work hard anymore.”
CEO Wen: “Can you use steel wool?”
“Has the rat race reached the point where you have to know how to use steel wool?” Yang Chaoyu exclaimed in shock.
“If you can't, then stop running your mouth.” Wen Xiaoxiao gave her a disdainful look.
“I can use steel wool to scrub dishes. Is that acceptable?”
“I can do that myself too!” Wen Xiaoxiao raised her voice. “Yang Chaoyu, you've really fallen this far? I said I'd support you, and you actually dared agree. You're a fine young person! You have to strive a little!”
Yang Chaoyu: I might not even survive today. Strive my ass.
She sprawled on the sofa and did not want to speak.
Wen Xiaoxiao furrowed her brows and put down her phone. “Something on your mind?”
Yang Chaoyu shook her head and rose. “I'm going to sleep.”
“Me too…”
“Take a shower before getting into bed.”
“Ah, I'm so tired…”
“Get! In! There! And! Wash!”
When Yang Chaoyu woke up, the first thing she saw was a pretty face with faint dark circles beneath the eyes.
Despite experiencing something so terrifying, she had not had a nightmare. She did not know whether it was because she had slept beside someone familiar and trusted…
“Sister, do I look good?” Wen Xiaoxiao asked, narrowing her eyes.
Yang Chaoyu pinched her cheek. “You look good.”
Wen Xiaoxiao got up with a yawn and changed clothes as she said, “I really envy homebodies. They don't have to rush to work on time.”
“But they're poor.”
After changing, Wen Xiaoxiao walked into the living room in slippers. Yang Chaoyu yawned, took out a bag of milk, rinsed her cup, poured the milk into it, and heated it in the microwave.
Amid the microwave's noise, Wen Xiaoxiao took five red banknotes from her wallet and tossed them onto the dining table.
“The little miss served me well last night. Here's an elderly man's tip.”
Yang Chaoyu's face darkened. “Tip my ass!”
Wen Xiaoxiao walked over and pinched Yang Chaoyu's stomach. Yang Chaoyu pulled her hand away and looked at Wen Xiaoxiao warily, like a sheltered young lady.
“What are you doing?”
Wen Xiaoxiao said, “Seriously, you seem to have lost quite a bit of weight. Five hundred isn't much, so use it for now. At least eat your fill.”
Seeing that Yang Chaoyu was about to speak, she interrupted, “It's not free. Consider it a loan. Once you find a job, you have to repay the full amount. If you feel bad about it, you can even add some interest.”
Yang Chaoyu was somewhat tempted.
She really had no money left… She could survive on instant noodles every meal for a month, but sometimes she wanted to eat something good too.
“Thank you, President Wen.”
“No need to be polite.” Wen Xiaoxiao glanced at her phone and said, “I'm going to be late. I'll leave first. You…”
She hesitated, but still said, “Loved ones always leave eventually. The only difference is whether it is painful or peaceful. You've done well enough; your grandmother should have left with peace of mind. Even without family, you still have friends. Don't force yourself to endure everything alone. Whatever happens, you must tell me.”
Yang Chaoyu immediately felt her nose grow sore and tight.
She turned her head, brought out the milk, and said, “Drink it, then hurry to work.”
Wen Xiaoxiao frowned but took it and drank. Once she left, the room fell silent.
Yang Chaoyu suddenly realized that although Wen Xiaoxiao had said she came to stay over so late last night, she had actually come to keep her company.
Because Yang Chaoyu's only relative had died.
Yang Chaoyu patted her face, wiping away the tears, and decided to tidy the room that had gone unattended for a long time. It was too quiet alone, so she turned on the television as well, letting it play whatever it wanted while she began a thorough cleaning with complete focus.
She sorted the garbage and placed it by the door. Only then was the thorough cleaning finished.
Then she collapsed onto the sofa.
“Housework is so tiring.”
She glanced up at the television and saw the young man she had met just last night appearing on the news.
“At twelve noon today, a twenty-five-year-old resident died of dehydration under the scorching sun. The deceased was a streamer on a certain website…”
The report then analyzed the case, saying that it had been extremely hot recently and that, unless absolutely necessary, people should stay indoors, and so on.
Yang Chaoyu felt dizzy.
She had clearly warned that person last night.
At the same time, she felt a trace of awe rising from the depths of her heart. Just because he had missed the interview, he had died like this?
After thinking about it, she felt that this might have something to do with her merit points.
She opened her computer and clicked the saved bookmark for the MN official website. Once the site loaded, it automatically displayed the “logged in” status. Yang Chaoyu stared at the very ordinary homepage, feeling unsure where to begin.
When she inadvertently glanced at the value beside her avatar, her eyes suddenly widened.
Before… it had clearly been zero. Even if she had successfully checked in for the interview, it should have been only 100. Even if the guaranteed salary of five thousand had been paid in advance, adding that would make only 150.
No matter how she calculated it, it could not be…