◎ The Major Pitfall of the Internship Phase ◎
Coming out of Room 615, the tray in Jiang Qi’s hands was completely empty. All the dumplings had been delivered. Along the way, she had identified all 18 players currently on the sixth floor and received 0.018 Internship Experience for the task [Caring for Passengers].
As for the category [Make Passengers Feel Your Friendliness], she only received 0.003 points. Out of the 18 players, only three felt she was friendly; the rest were either perfunctory and indifferent or simply thought she was a foolish NPC.
Back in Room 605, Dong Shengfeng said smugly, “I told you delivering dumplings would work.”
Jiang Qi looked at the mess in the kitchen. “All the dumplings are gone. What are we having for dinner?”
Dong Shengfeng rolled up her sleeves. “Let’s have a beef hotpot. You need to nourish yourself. The commander instructed me to raise you until you’re fair and plump.”
Jiang Qi wanted to help, but Dong Shengfeng pushed her out. “No need for you, I’ll have it done in no time.”
Jiang Qi didn’t persist and left the kitchen. The air conditioner was already on, making the whole room cozy and warm. It wasn’t just for comfort; as a normal NPC, turning on the AC when it got cold was a natural and expected reaction.
She called Li Yue to explain the current situation.
Li Yue immediately took notes. “So, you’ve discovered two more new skills? I’ll arrange practice opportunities for you right away.”
Consequently, before the beef hotpot was even served, the neighborhood loudspeakers began to blare.
“Attention, residents of Xin’an Community. Today’s weather is abnormal. After nightfall, there will be strong winds, snow, and even hail. Temperatures may drop below zero. Please close your windows and doors and stay warm. For everyone’s safety, leaving the community after 7:00 p.m. is prohibited.”
Jiang Qi went to the window to listen as the whistling wind carried the static-filled broadcast.
“Since a large number of renters moved into the community today, a unified registration of renter information is required. Property management staff will be visiting door-to-door shortly; renters, please cooperate. If you are experiencing difficulties, such as a lack of winter supplies, please inform our staff, and we will do our best to assist.”
“Additionally, property owners please note: the current workload for management is high. We urgently need help from our residents. Willing owners, please report to the Property Management Center in Building 1.”
Dong Shengfeng brought the pot to the table. “Eat a bit before you go. No rush.”
The two of them left after eating until they were half-full. Their neighbors from Room 606 poked their heads out. The one named Qing Mai asked, “Are you heading to the Property Management Center?”
Jiang Qi nodded. “Yes, to see what help is needed. If you have any difficulties, let us know, and we can report them for you.”
Qing Mai smiled. “Thanks, that would be helpful.”
After retracting her head, she whispered to Ain, “I didn’t expect the NPCs here to be so united. The order and rules are quite well-maintained.”
Ain didn’t think much of it. “The weather is too freakish, after all. It would be weirder if the NPCs didn’t react. But it’s all futile; order will collapse soon enough.”
…
Jiang Qi and Dong Shengfeng braved the wind and rain to reach the Property Management Center. Several other owners had already arrived, having come voluntarily after hearing the broadcast.
The property manager thanked everyone and began assigning tasks.
Jiang Qi’s assigned task was to assist in registering renter information for Building 5 and identifying any hardships they were facing.
She took a registration form and returned to Building 5 with Dong Shengfeng and two staff members, starting to knock on doors from the first floor.
“Hello, may I ask your name? Could we see your identification?”
The resident of Room 101 was a male player. His original appearance was shriveled and thin. He was currently wearing several layers of clothes, huddled behind the door, saying reluctantly, “Didn’t I already show it to the landlord when I rented the place?”
“Sorry, we need to confirm it again for our records.”
The player cursed under his breath about the “hassle.” He went back inside to fiddle with something for a while before finally handing over an ID card.
Jiang Qi examined it closely. It looked no different from a normal ID card; the birthdate and place of origin were clearly printed.
However, once the ID had been in her hand for two seconds, it transformed in her eyes into a palm-sized piece of cowhide.
[Ding! You have seen through a passenger’s fake ID. Some passengers like to use fake IDs to fool others. Seeing through these fakes is a basic skill for a Train Conductor. Congratulations, you have earned 0.001 Internship Experience.]
Jiang Qi wasn’t surprised. Every player had some ability to forge documents—it was a standard automated skill provided by their interface. However, every fake ID required the consumption of energy.
A player’s energy was their currency, which meant this freshly conjured fake ID had cost him money.
No wonder the player looked so miserable.
Jiang Qi calmly looked at the fake ID and noted the information on the registration form one by one. Meanwhile, she asked, “According to your ID, you’re from out of town. Where did you live before? Do you have a job? What brings you to Spring City, and do you know anyone here?”
The player answered reluctantly, and Jiang Qi recorded every word.
[Ding! You have recorded a passenger’s information. Filling out passenger profiles is the duty of a Train Conductor. Congratulations, you have gained 0.001 Internship Experience.]
After finishing the registration, Jiang Qi asked the person warmly if they were facing any difficulties.
The player started rambling on and on—complaining that there wasn’t enough to eat, not enough clothes to wear, and that the room was freezing cold.
Jiang Qi made a note: “Alright, we will send over a cotton quilt later.”
The player sneered. “Just one quilt? Aren’t you guys supposed to guarantee everyone’s safety? I don’t even have anything to eat; how am I supposed to be safe? Since I’m living in your neighborhood, you have to take responsibility for me, otherwise, don’t bother with the curfew. You restrict my freedom but don’t provide food—what kind of logic is that?”
Jiang Qi looked up from her notebook and squinted at him. She hesitated between “explaining things nicely” and “showing him who’s boss.”
Although the skills she triggered today were mostly service-oriented and passenger-friendly, she didn’t believe a train conductor should follow a “subservient nanny” route.
Might as well try it, she thought.
Suddenly, her expression turned cold. “Giving you a quilt is already generous enough. Do you think the quilts in this complex fell from the sky? If you live here, you follow the rules. If you don’t want to, then get lost. No one’s stopping you!”
The player was stunned by her sudden change in attitude, then flew into a rage. “What kind of attitude is that?! I’m a tenant! I paid money!”
“And I’m a legitimate homeowner here with the deed to prove it! You’re just a short-term renter staying for a month—who do you think you’re acting tough with?”
Jiang Qi snapped her notebook shut with a loud thwack. “Your ID card is temporarily confiscated. If you want to cancel your lease, come to the Property Management Center tomorrow to handle the paperwork!”
[Ding! You scolded a passenger for their unreasonable demands. Indeed, a Train Conductor cannot be submissive to passengers; one must be strict when necessary to maintain authority. You have discovered another essence of the Train Conductor’s job. Congratulations, you have gained 0.001 Internship Experience.]
[Ding! You have received an offering from a passenger. Gained 0.001 Internship Experience.]
Jiang Qi paused for a moment, then turned and marched away.
The player tried to grab her, but a staff member blocked him. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”
“My… my ID card! What right do they have to take it?”
Maintaining a fake ID costs money!
“Fine, fine, it’ll be returned to you later.”
“No, but why?”
The staff member didn’t actually know why, but since their orders were to fully cooperate with Jiang Qi, they could only brush him off: “She’s a homeowner; what she says goes.”
“…”
Wait, is this property management office a gang of bandits? Since when do homeowners get the final say?
…
The residents in 102 and 103 were also homeowners—of course, they had been replaced by Jiang Qi’s own people. They stood there watching the excitement, acting as “atmosphere support.” Jiang Qi continued to Room 104. The resident there was a female player who, having witnessed Jiang Qi’s domineering methods, obediently handed over her ID and answered the questions truthfully.
As Jiang Qi took the ID, she said, “A quilt will be delivered to you shortly. I’m taking the ID for registration purposes and will return it tomorrow.”
The female player looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. Forget it—maintaining a fake ID for a day only costs one Train Coin. One Train Coin only exchanged for ten yuan in this dungeon, and you certainly couldn’t buy a quilt for ten yuan.
It wasn’t a losing deal.
Jiang Qi continued down the line, registering everyone, seeing through their fake IDs, and confiscating them one by one.
After finishing the registration for all the tenants in Building 5, she personally delivered the quilts.
[Ding! You delivered a warm quilt to a passenger… Caring for passengers… Gained 0.001 Internship Experience.]
[Ding! A passenger thinks you are very friendly…]
[Ding! You rejected a passenger’s unreasonable demand…]
[Ding…]
[Ding…]
…
Jiang Qi worked until the middle of the night before she could finally sit down and rest.
In the basement office of the Property Management Center, Dong Shengfeng brought over a box and dumped its contents onto the table. Good grief, it was filled with fake IDs from players. “These were collected from players in the other buildings. Can you use them?”
Jiang Qi picked one up. [Ding! You have received an offering from a passenger…]
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll take them all. But you’re taking them now only to give them back later—is that really okay?”
“Once I take them, they are my property. I’m simply giving my property back to the players. Besides, these are fake IDs; once the players get them back, they’ll likely dispel the illusion immediately. There won’t be any issues.”
Dong Shengfeng clapped her hands. “Then I’ll have other areas send some fake player IDs over as well to make it a full thousand.”
Jiang Qi remained silent, focused solely on collecting and seeing through the fake IDs. After a long time, a notification finally sounded:
[Ding! You have cumulatively received 1,000 offerings from passengers. Congratulations, you have fully mastered this skill. From now on, as long as a passenger is standing before you, you can acquire an item from their person through the air without physical contact (excluding items inside backpacks).]
Note: If a passenger is not directly in front of you but is nearby, and their item is within your line of sight, there is a certain probability of triggering this skill. When activating the skill, you must focus your mind on both the passenger and the item—the targets of the skill.
[Ding! You have cumulatively seen through 1,000 fake passenger IDs. Congratulations, you have fully mastered this skill. This skill partially overlaps with [See Through Disguise]; the stacked effect is: You will be able to easily see through a passenger’s personal disguise, most fake IDs, and certain simple item disguises with the naked eye.]
Jiang Qi raised an eyebrow. The skill description was unexpectedly detailed this time, and the fact that similar skills could stack to achieve a “1+1 > 2” effect was a surprise.
Dong Shengfeng asked, “How is it?”
Jiang Qi explained the contents of the panel.
Dong Shengfeng rubbed her chin. “So, practicing a skill 1,000 times really does allow for full mastery—and an enhanced version at that. A train conductor’s abilities are truly powerful.”
Jiang Qi pulled up her sleeve and held out her arm. “Help me draw a tube of blood and send it to the command center for analysis.”
“What for?”
“I’ve fully mastered two more skills. I want to see if there are any changes in my blood.”
Dong Shengfeng frowned but called for a doctor to draw the blood, muttering, “If you draw blood every time you master a few skills, I’m afraid you won’t have enough blood to give.”
Jiang Qi pressed a cotton swab over the needle site and tossed it into the trash. “Don’t worry, it’s only a little bit at a time.”
She flipped her notebook to the latest page and began to write.
Dong Shengfeng glanced at it. She was writing down the skills she had uncovered so far. “That’s already eight entries. Once you complete all of these, you’ll get a full eight points of experience, right?”
Jiang Qi didn’t answer. She stared at the words on the paper, her eyes widening slightly as if she had suddenly discovered something grave. Her expression shifted rapidly.
Dong Shengfeng grew serious. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Qi picked up her pen again and added a few words after each entry. The list now read:
[See Through Disguise] (Skill, Completed)
[Passenger Offering] (Skill, Completed)
[Discover Train Conductor’s Blood Drop] (Prying into Train Conductor’s Secrets/Weaknesses?, Completed)
[See Through Fake IDs] (Skill, Completed)
[Caring for Passengers] (Job Responsibility, In Progress)
[Make Passengers Feel Your Friendliness] (Bonus Item, In Progress)
[Filling Out Passenger Information] (Job Responsibility, In Progress)
[Refusing Unreasonable Passenger Requests] (Duty/Authority?, In Progress)
After finishing, Jiang Qi sat frozen for a moment before slowly exhaling. “Look. Out of these eight, only three can actually be called ‘skills.’ If we set the [Blood Drop] aside for a moment, the remaining four won’t actually increase my power. Their only purpose is to help me become a more ‘well-rounded’ train conductor.”
“So?” Dong Shengfeng was puzzled. To become a train conductor, one should surely build a solid foundation and learn everything a train conductor needs to know.
Jiang Qi’s expression turned serious. “But I’ve suddenly had a suspicion. The internship experience only needs to reach 100 points. Does that mean I can only uncover 100 projects in total, and once I complete those 100, I can become a train conductor, or at least a trainee conductor? And the depth and difficulty of those 100 projects actually determine how strong I’ll be after becoming a train conductor?”
For example, if most of those 100 items were bonus tasks like [Make Passengers Feel Your Friendliness], she would only become a train conductor who was “good for the passengers.”
If most were related to job responsibilities, she would become a model train conductor with excellent professional standards.
But if most of the 100 items were related to skills or secrets like the [Blood Drop], her power would become formidable.
Dong Shengfeng sat bolt upright. “Is that how it works? That makes a lot of sense. In that case, we can’t just trigger these items haphazardly, or we’ll waste the slots!”
Jiang Qi looked at the notebook with a slight frown and did not answer. Under the light above her, her expression seemed dark and hard to read.
If she hadn’t noticed this problem and had instead rushed for progress, she might have hit 100 experience points quickly, but with insignificant items. She would have effectively molded herself into a third-rate train conductor with her own hands.
The thought sent a chill down her spine.
“Haste makes waste,” she murmured. “I was too impatient.”
[Ding! Congratulations on discovering a major pitfall of the internship phase. You have gained 1 point of Internship Experience.]
[Yes. 100 points of internship experience represent 100 internship projects. These projects are triggered by you. What you gain during the internship determines your future aptitude and power. Please note: this concerns the competition between Train Conductors. Only the strongest Train Conductors can obtain a train of their own.]
…
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