My name is Tang Yi, and I am a recent college graduate.

In a society where PhDs are as common as dogs and bachelor's degrees are everywhere, it's clear that my knowledge hasn't changed me much since I graduated from a mediocre university. At best, it might make me a slightly more respectable leader of a pack of oxen or horses.

After graduation, like most graduates, I interned at a listed company, worked there, and eventually became a full-time workshop foreman.

The company is an agricultural and livestock enterprise, and I was assigned to one of its subsidiaries, where I was responsible for hatching and vaccinating chicks.

The saying goes, "The work is hard, and the mess is unpleasant." What may seem like an easy job is actually anything but.

I've been working here for almost a year now, with a 4 AM to 7 PM schedule, and I often have to use my personal time to work overtime for meetings. This makes me, who already doesn't produce much quality work, feel like a bamboo pole.

They earn a thousand more than ordinary workers, but they have to worry about everything. There are always unresolved conflicts and endless problems in the workshop.

Doing your job well at the grassroots level is your basic duty. When problems arise, we're the first ones the leaders come to, and we're used to getting a severe scolding. Sometimes we even have to pay the price ourselves and get fined by the company.

In just one year, the young man in his early twenties had been transformed into a middle-aged man who looked like he was in his thirties. Sometimes, new aunties would come and ask with a smile, "Young man, how many children do you have? How old are they?"

I could only manage a wry smile. I haven't even gotten married yet, so where would I get a child?

Today, the sky is clear, with neither sun nor clouds. The entire expanse of azure is quite beautiful, though it seems somewhat empty.

I looked up at the sky, and the sky looked back at me. We were like two old friends who could talk about anything. I took a deep drag on my cigarette, and after the smoke swirled in my lungs, the nicotine's pleasure eased some of the bitterness in my heart.

Looking at the company fine notice on my phone, the amount wasn't much, only three hundred yuan. This was the second fine this month. Some things you want to avoid, but there are also unspeakable grievances that you can't escape.

Beep beep beep...

Just then my phone rang, and a message made my already depressed mood even worse.

Yes, I'm not married. But I had a boyfriend in high school. However, we went our separate ways after college and got our own jobs.

She's very outgoing and beautiful, and she's far more successful in the workplace than I am, an introverted and frustrated team leader.

But six years of relationship have to come to an end on this day that is destined to be empty. I can't describe how I feel. I can only say that at this age when I shouldn't be bearing such burdens, I have endured far more pressure than my peers can bear.

The message she sent was cold, as if I were meeting her for the first time.

Yi, let's break up. You can't give me the life I want, and continuing like this will only hold me back. You're a good person and deserve to find someone better than me.

A few words, yet as cold as frost. In the sweltering summer heat, a chilling coolness was felt...

I put my phone away, my face expressionless. I didn't want to cry and make a scene like other couples, nor did I intend to numb myself with alcohol and get completely drunk.

That's the way of Heaven, what can I do?

Thinking of my younger sister at home who is waiting for tuition and living expenses, I don't feel any pain. I still have to go to work.

The person I once knew has been deleted from my contacts. I am a quiet person by nature; I quietly entered your world, and since you feel it's not worth it, I will quietly leave.

I casually tossed away my cigarette butt and stared at the empty sky for a long time. Suddenly, I felt lost for a moment, unsure of which way to go in the future.

The factory's shrill bell rang, interrupting my wandering thoughts. It faithfully monitored everyone's time, and ruthlessly consumed the time of most people.

I let out a long sigh, took one last look at the sky, and murmured, "If only humanity as we know it didn't exist anymore, I wouldn't have to make so many choices..."

I worked a dazed and confused day, ate something quick when I got back to my dorm, and then collapsed onto my bed, not wanting to move. I felt exhausted, truly exhausted this time…

I don't know how much time passed, but I drifted off to sleep. In my hazy state, I felt my pillowcase was slightly damp, and my mind slowly began to clear...

It became a blank.

It was a bit cold today, so I huddled up and instinctively reached for the blanket to cover myself, but I couldn't get anything in my sleep.

The air felt fresher than ever before. The fragrance of flowers, the chirping of birds, the freedom of the breeze—all these carried a cool sensation that penetrated my skin and assaulted my central nervous system.

I woke up with a start, and after frantically patting myself down, I was shocked to find that my clothes were gone!

Looking at myself, completely naked, and then at this unfamiliar environment.

The patch of grass where I'm lying is covered in unnamed little yellow flowers, and further away, towering trees reach into the clouds, where several beautiful birds are singing in the morning glow.

There's no trace of my dorm room here anymore; this is practically a desolate wasteland!

But I calmed down again, lay down, and closed my eyes. This must be a dream; my phone alarm hadn't gone off yet, proving I was still asleep. But this time, the chilly feeling felt far more real.

I curled my body up into a ball, just like the big yellow dog at home, so that my body could retain more heat.

At that moment, I was completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem. Perhaps it was because I wasn't getting enough rest. Soon, I fell into a deep sleep again.

This time it wasn't cold, because the sun was already out. The morning sun wasn't intense, and it felt warm and comfortable on my skin.

I slept until my forehead was covered in a thick layer of fine sweat before slowly opening my eyes.

The blinding sunlight made me squint, so I had to raise one hand to shield my eyes from the glare.

I felt I had slept well. But what I saw made me frown again. As far as the eye could see, it was still a desolate wasteland, without a trace of human activity.

Where am I? How did I get here?

This time I no longer believe it's a dream, because I tried every dream-detecting trigger I could think of, but none of them could trigger the dream consciousness.

I have studied dream control, so I am more sensitive to dreams than the average person.

I looked up and gazed at this unfamiliar landscape. Although I didn't want to admit the absurdity of it all, I had to admit that I had indeed arrived in a genuine primeval forest.