Hong Yuan’s efficiency matched her temperament.
She was decisive, quick.
Just yesterday, Yuan Li had told Hong Yuan she wanted to go to work. By early morning today, Hong Yuan handed her a contract.
“You should be able to handle working at a hotel front desk.”
Yuan Li froze for a moment as she took the contract and glanced over it.
It was a labor contract for a hotel called Haoguang. Yuan Li had applied for the day shift at the front desk, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The probation period was one month, with a daily wage of 60, paid daily. After probation, the monthly salary would be 2,500, paid monthly.
The hotel had already signed and stamped it. Once Yuan Li signed, the contract would take effect.
The hotel front desk didn’t require experience or a particular educational background. Though she would meet many people, it was in public, so the chance of danger was reduced.
Also, with so many people coming and going, she could overhear a lot of information, which would help her integrate into this world.
Yuan Li held the contract and looked at Hong Yuan, noticing the slight redness in her eyes. “Thank you, Hong Yuan. You’ve been so kind to me.”
Hong Yuan’s expression remained blank as she shook off goosebumps from her body and threatened, “It’s just a worthless job. Cry and see what happens.”
“Okay, I won’t cry.” Yuan Li beamed. “I’ll work hard!”
Without raising an eyelid, Hong Yuan casually tossed a badge in front of her.
It was a badge shaped like a mandala flower, made from a special material, looking like iridescent black.
Yuan Li blinked in confusion. “This is…?”
“Cleaning Department insignia. So if you meet some idiot without eyes, you won’t die.”
Yuan Li didn’t care about Hong Yuan’s harsh words. She happily held the badge: “Thank you, Hong Yuan! I’m not afraid anymore!”
Hong Yuan looked at her radiant smile and sneered. “Stupid.”
Who knew how long such a fool could survive in the apocalypse.
Zhou City had buses, one ride costing one yuan. Walking about ten minutes from the Cleaning Department led to a bus stop. This particular bus also passed the Haoguang Hotel.
The Cleaning Department was on the city’s outer ring, which counted as the starting point for the bus. There were only two people on board, leaving plenty of empty seats.
Yuan Li hesitated for a moment, then chose the first row at the back by the door and window.
No one got on for the next two stops. Only at the third stop did more passengers board.
The bus felt empty, making the people on it stand out even more.
Five adult men got on, and the first thing they noticed was Yuan Li.
The others on the bus were all drab-looking. Only she, even in all-black clothing, with her fair, translucent skin and gentle, innocent aura cultivated from peace, looked out of place.
—And it made her look easy to bully.
Three of the five men immediately fixed their gaze on Yuan Li.
They didn’t head to the empty seats up front but walked directly toward her.
Yuan Li noticed their intentions. Casually, she brushed the braid that had been hanging in front of her chest to the back, revealing the inconspicuous badge beside it.
She appeared calm, but in reality, she was tense, ready to jump out the window if necessary.
But her tension only made the three men panic even more.
They had thought they’d found an easy target, but who knew she was one of those crazy people?
The three men turned pale instantly. Forget approaching her—they immediately turned and dashed out the front door, ignoring the fact that their one-yuan coins were non-refundable.
Their unusual behavior naturally drew attention from others. When they looked back, they also saw the badge on Yuan Li.
They froze.
But it was too late. The bus doors had already closed and the vehicle lurched forward.
Other passengers tried to play dead. Yuan Li felt both happy and puzzled.
She had imagined the Cleaning Department as a military-style special forces unit before the apocalypse. She knew it was a powerful backing, but these people’s reactions seemed excessive—not respect, but fear.
Fear of what the Cleaning Department could do?
Clearly, she wouldn’t find answers here. She pushed down her doubts.
At least she was safe.
Buses in every city never overloaded.
Stop after stop, the bus gradually filled. Yet even when others were standing unsteadily, no one sat beside Yuan Li.
“Ding-dong, Haoguang Grand Hotel stop.”
Yuan Li stood up. The people around her whispered in fear and scrambled aside. Some even began to cry.
Yuan Li was confused.
She almost wondered if her face looked terrifying.
“Excuse me, let me off.”
Her soft, gentle voice sounded, and a child nearby wailed:
“Waaah! Don’t eat me, Mommy! Waaaah!”
Yuan Li “….”
The child crying was one thing. The parent looked terrified too, covering the child’s mouth: “We—we didn’t mean any offense. Please forgive us…”
The bus only stopped briefly. Yuan Li didn’t have time to wonder further.
“I need to get off.”
The next second, the exit was clear.
She didn’t understand how the already crowded bus could have made such a large space, but she saw the doors beginning to close.
Ignoring everything else, Yuan Li bolted down.
Standing in front of the Haoguang Hotel, she froze.
The Haoguang Hotel she had imagined: a small inn with a grand name, few people, and low wages.
The actual Haoguang Hotel: over thirty floors, a wide, ornate entrance, high-class décor.
The more profitable the place, the fancier it seemed?
Thinking of the bus incident, Yuan Li hesitated and slipped the badge under her shirt.
She pushed the door open.
Two front desk staff greeted her with perfect smiles: “Welcome. What kind of room would you like to book?”
“I’m here to work.” Yuan Li pulled out her contract.
The front desk staff were surprised. They had heard that a new colleague might join soon but didn’t expect someone so… unusual.
It was like a pampered young lady experiencing life.
Their smiles softened further. “We’re your colleagues. She’s Wang Fang, and I’m Liu Jiao. You can call me Jiao Jiao.”
“Jiao Jiao, Fang Fang,” Yuan Li happily said, trying to get along.
Liu Jiao spoke warmly: “We’ll be working together for a long time. If you don’t understand anything, just ask me. We need to wear uniforms at work. Your clothes are in locker number 8, and here’s the key. Go change first.”
The hotel front desk uniform was a white shirt with a black A-line skirt.
The outfit was slightly large on Yuan Li, so she just wore it over her clothes and locked her backpack in locker 8.
Liu Jiao and Wang Fang were both very friendly.
With their help, Yuan Li quickly became familiar with her work.
The fastest way to fit in with colleagues was gossip and chit-chat.
Hotels had plenty of gossip.
Yuan Li almost got lost listening to it all.
Fortunately, she remembered the badge hidden under her clothes.
Seeing the atmosphere relaxed, she casually asked: “Jiao Jiao, Fang Fang, do you know the Cleaning Department?”
The two women’s relaxed expressions immediately changed. One covered Yuan Li’s mouth, the other nervously glanced around.
Seeing no one else, they finally relaxed.
Liu Jiao’s face went pale. She warned Yuan Li: “Don’t talk about those people. They’re… lunatics. If they find out, you’ll die, and no one will even know where.”