At eight in the morning, the road in front of Yun Chang City People’s Hospital was clogged with traffic, bumper to bumper.
A security guard was shouting himself hoarse directing traffic as an old white Santana squeezed its way to a stop right at the hospital entrance. Bai Xianxian unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out the moment the car came to a halt.
As she closed the door, she said, “Dad, I’ll head in first. Drive slowly—rush hour traffic is bad, don’t rear-end anyone.”
In the driver’s seat sat a Taoist priest in a blue robe, his thinning hair tied into a topknot, a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose, and his hands gripping a steering wheel engraved with the Eight Trigrams pattern. The blend of modern technology and Taoist elements made him look, at first glance, like a charlatan swindler.
Bai Xianxian had only taken a couple of steps with her bag when he called her back.
“Xianxian, come back, come back—I still have something to give you!”
Bai Xianxian turned around and saw her father pull a Pikachu plush keychain out of the trunk box. He leaned out the window and handed it to her: “Hang this on your bag, and keep it with you—don’t lose it.”
Bai Xianxian’s eyes lit up: “You even prepared a welcome gift for my new job?”
Then she watched as her father popped the Pikachu’s head off with a pop, revealing a yellow talisman folded into a triangle inside.
Bai Xiangwang showed it to her, then reattached the head: “Hospitals have heavy yin energy. This is an evil-warding talisman I had the abbot draw for me a few days ago, consecrated in front of the Three Pure Ones statues.”
Bai Xianxian: “…”
Seeing her speechless, Bai Xiangwang worried she wouldn’t accept it and pushed it out further: “No one will know it’s in there, and I won’t come looking for you at the hospital—just take it!”
The delay had gone on too long, and the security guard walked over to urge them on: “Move along, move along—you can’t park here.”
Bai Xianxian reached out and took it. Only then did Bai Xiangwang sit back with satisfaction, and before driving off, he reminded her once more: “Keep it with you at all times!”
Bai Xianxian waved her hand: “I know, just go already.”
The summer morning light was exceptionally brilliant.
The Santana merged into the traffic, and Bai Xianxian looked down to hang the Pikachu on her bag. She then raised her head to gaze at the gleaming characters “City People’s Hospital” shining in the sunlight, took a deep breath, and clenched her fist.
From today on, she was officially stepping into society, transforming from a green college student into a working adult!
In this era where college graduates were everywhere and jobs were hard to come by, landing a position at the city hospital right after graduation was already quite a stroke of luck for a fresh graduate from an ordinary undergraduate program like hers.
Even if it was just repairing ambulances—well! Engineers weren’t ranked by high or low! After all, it was all machinery; the difference between fixing a car and fixing a spaceship wasn’t that big… right?
Bai Xianxian sent a message to the head of the hospital’s HR department, the uncle she’d added a few days prior, and strode into the hospital with grand ambitions.
Apparently, the eldest elder of the Bai family had once saved this HR chief’s life, and her smooth entry into the job this time was his way of repaying that debt of gratitude.
Bai Xianxian quickly received a reply and followed the address the chief sent her.
The hospital was already packed in the early morning—there was probably no place in the world that witnessed more of life, death, sickness, and the full spectrum of joy and sorrow than a hospital.
The corridor reeked of disinfectant. The office door was ajar, and Bai Xianxian peeked in, hearing a deep, middle-aged male voice inside yelling at someone. She didn’t dare knock, so she pressed herself against the wall and waited for the call inside to end.
Just as she was waiting, the door swung open. A middle-aged man with a furious expression walked out, froze for a moment at the sight of her, and then, amid Bai Xianxian’s nervous expression, his anger turned to delight. His eyes lit up as he asked, “You’re Old Master Bai’s granddaughter?”
Bai Xianxian quickly replied, “Hello, Uncle Yu. I’m Bai Xianxian.”
Yu Anding warmly shook her hand: “Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to our hospital. Come in, come in.”
The office had the air conditioning on full blast. Yu Anding had already prepared the employment contract. Not only did he personally pour her water, but he also personally handled her onboarding paperwork.
Bai Xianxian was a bit overwhelmed by his enthusiasm.
While she reviewed the contract, Yu Anding sat across from her, looking at her with eager anticipation. Bai Xianxian couldn’t shake the odd feeling that the chief uncle seemed to hold her in great respect.
The contract was a standard labor contract template—no issues there—except the position was listed as “Logistics.” Noticing Bai Xianxian glance at it a few extra times, Yu Anding explained, “Since we need to enroll you in social insurance and housing fund, you need a formal position, so I’ve placed you under logistics.”
Bai Xianxian thought the explanation sounded a bit odd, but then again, repairing ambulances did seem like logistics, so it made sense.
So she signed her name and officially became an employee.
Yu Anding was overjoyed, rubbing his hands together excitedly: “With you at the hospital, I can rest easy from now on!”
Bai Xianxian thought to herself, Do the city hospital’s ambulances break down that often?
Yu Anding put away the contract and said eagerly, “Xianxian, let me first take you to file your information, then I’ll show you where you’ll be working.”
Bai Xianxian nodded obediently and followed Yu Anding out, listening as he said while walking, “Your work is of a special nature—no need to clock in or out, so I didn’t prepare a dedicated office for you. But the employee dormitory is very close to the hospital. If you don’t have other business, it’s better to spend more time at the hospital.”
Yu Anding turned to look at her, repeating the same line: “With you here, I feel at ease!”
Bai Xianxian was a bit stunned.
Was the Grand Elder’s influence really that great? She didn’t even have to clock in? And from what the section chief was saying, she could even take on side gigs?
Yu Anding turned again and asked, “Old Master Bai is ninety now, right? Is he still in good health? He called me a few days ago—his voice sounded full of vigor!”
Bai Xianxian put on a demure look: “He’s doing well, thank you for asking, Uncle Yu.”
Yu Anding gave her a thumbs up. “Calling him an old immortal wouldn’t be an exaggeration.” He lowered his voice, looking mysterious. “Your Bai family—you’ve got real skills!”
When the conversation turned to that topic, Bai Xianxian didn’t dare to chime in.
After all, not a shred of the family’s real skills had she ever learned.
As they waited for the elevator, Yu Anding’s phone rang. A glance at the caller ID made his smiling face darken again. He gestured to Bai Xianxian and stepped aside to take the call.
Bai Xianxian stood by the elevator door, pulling out her phone to scroll through WeChat.
The class group chat had already hit 999+ messages. Today there was a big job fair at the talent market, and quite a few classmates had gone. She scrolled back and was surprised to see her own name in the chat history.
— Du Yingzi: It’s so hot today, my makeup is ruined, so annoying
— Carrot: You’re going for a job interview, not a beauty pageant
— Du Yingzi: Looks are an advantage too, okay? Everyone around me is from 985/211 schools. What do I have to compete with them? Unlike some people in our class who got into the city hospital right after graduation
— Qin Shuang: Who? Our major can get into a hospital? Doing what? Repairing ambulances?
— Du Yingzi: Did your internet just get connected?
— Xie Yi: If looks can be your advantage, then background can be Xianxian’s advantage. No need to be so sour about it, right?
— Du Yingzi: Hilarious. Why would I be jealous of a charlatan?
— Xie Yi: Watch your mouth.
— Du Yingzi: Tsk. Heard you got rejected by another company? Why not ask Bai Xianxian for a talisman to help you find a job? Though does such a talisman even exist? Hahahahaha
— Xie Yi: Just worry about yourself, sour chicken
— Carrot: Take personal matters to private chat. No fighting in the class group
…
Bai Xianxian exited the chat and messaged Xie Yi: Don’t mind Du Yingzi.
Xie Yi was her college roommate, bunkmates in fact. A reply came quickly: That sour chicken Du, she’s so jealous. Can’t be bothered with her. Are you done with onboarding? How’s the work environment? Are your colleagues easy to get along with?
Bai Xianxian was typing a reply when the elevator doors opened with a ding.
In the rectangular elevator stood a man in a blue one-piece work uniform, pushing a hospital gurney. He wore a mask, head lowered, stray hair falling across his brow and obscuring his eyes. Under the cold fluorescent light of the elevator, he radiated a chilling, gloomy aura.
On the gurney lay a body, covered head to toe in white cloth.
One glance was all it took for every hair on Bai Xianxian’s body to stand on end.
Before the man could even speak, she leaped three yards away and hid to the side.
Without a word, the man pushed the corpse out of the elevator. The one-piece blue uniform made him look tall and lean, yet he seemed to move the gurney with effortless ease. Still keeping his head down, he pushed the cart forward.
Bai Xianxian hid around the corner, not daring to look. She pressed her palms together and murmured two recitations of “Amitabha,” then realized that wasn’t quite right and quickly corrected herself: “Patriarch protect me, what I see shall not harm me, what I see shall not harm me!”
In times of peace, I don’t study; in times of trouble, I call on the Patriarch.
A smiling head popped out from beside her. “Xianxian?” Bai Xianxian startled with a shiver. Turning around, she saw Yu Anding beaming at her. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go.”
Bai Xianxian would rather die than get back into that elevator.
But then she thought—which elevator in a hospital hadn’t carried the dead at some point?
So she gripped the Pikachu charm on her bag and stepped in with the resolve of one facing death.
After submitting her documents at the archives office, Yu Anding took her to her workplace. Hospital ambulances were usually parked in the outdoor lot for easy access, so Bai Xianxian assumed her office would be next to the parking area—a small room where she could store her equipment and rest would be enough.
But the elevator went all the way up to the top floor.
Every other floor in the hospital was bustling with people, but this floor was utterly silent—not a single soul in sight.
Blazing sunlight streamed through the glass windows on both sides of the corridor, yet it seemed to lose its warmth in the refraction, turning into cold, lifeless light.
Bai Xianxian was still wondering about this as she walked when Yu Anding stopped before a door and turned back with eager anticipation. “Here it is.”
The door was open, and the ventilation window on the wall was covered by thick curtains. Chilly air seeped out through the doorway in wisps. Bai Xianxian hesitated and peered inside.
The room was dimly lit. Several mortuary tables were neatly arranged in the small space, and the young man in the blue one-piece uniform she’d bumped into at the elevator was just lifting a corpse onto one of the tables.
Yu Anding said with great enthusiasm, “Our hospital’s morgue is on the top floor—excellent feng shui. Your rest room is right next door, with great natural light. It’ll be convenient for you to stay there.”
Bai Xianxian fainted on the spot.