Chapter 9 Our Promise 1 The City Flooded
Aunt Gao said to Wu Wangwang, "No need. If you bring your mother, you definitely won't pass. Go and pass the interview first, and then you can say that you'll bring your mother. Many people do this. Sometimes they bring their sons and daughters, and sometimes they bring their parents who can help."
Rich people don't care how much money they spend; they only care whether their subordinates can handle things well.
Wu Wangwang learned some new knowledge from Aunt Gao, and after finishing the barbecue, she happily went home with Aunt Gao.
You definitely need to look your best for a job interview. Wu Wangwang's head was broken and the stitches can't be removed yet, so Aunt Gao let her stay temporarily at the home of her current employer, using the staff dormitory. Aunt Gao is an elderly woman, and Wu Wangwang helps with chores for free, so the boss and his wife didn't say anything.
Speaking of which, the villa where Aunt Gao works now is in the same area as the villa where Wu Wangwang used to work. Actually, Wu Wangwang is quite famous, but unless you deliberately say who she is, the boss won't notice and will think she is Aunt Gao's injured niece or something.
Wu Wangwang stayed at Aunt Gao's place for the time being and learned what a nanny or a laundry aunt should do. She couldn't let people find out that she didn't know anything when she arrived at the place.
Wealthy families have many strange and wonderful electrical appliances, many of which are very useful. Wu Wangwang followed Aunt Gao to see them once and remembered them all. She started helping out the next day. She was an unofficial staff member, going wherever there was a shortage of people.
The fire that Wu Wangwang hated the most didn't happen—there was an induction cooker and a gas stove, so there was no need to light a fire at all!
The head injury slowly healed. About a week later, Wu Wangwang was in a hurry to deal with the original owner's parents, so she rushed to have the stitches removed. On the same day she returned, she asked Aunt Gao to take her to a job interview.
Aunt Gao was too busy taking care of the young master, so she asked a close friend to take Wu Wangwang over, repeatedly instructing her to take good care of Wu Wangwang.
Aunt Gao's friend asked Wu Wangwang to call her Sister Fang. She looked a little younger than Aunt Gao, and was at the age where she didn't want to grow old.
Wu Wangwang's interview location was in the suburbs, a very remote place. An ordinary girl would definitely not go to such a place for an interview. Putting aside whether it was true or not, what if she encountered danger on her way home from such a remote place?
Even Sister Fang said, "Actually, that family usually doesn't want a young girl like you because this place is too remote. It's very dangerous for young girls to go out shopping, go home, or go on vacation. Encountering snakes or wild animals is lucky; the real danger is encountering human traffickers."
This kind of place is just right for Wu Wangwang. In a desolate and deserted place, people's malice is more easily aroused, just like that village where everyone pretends to be happy.
The villa in the suburbs is located at the foot of the mountain, backed by a not-so-short mountain. There are many bodyguards patrolling the huge yard of the villa, and other servants are working.
Fang Jie, who originally seemed quite arrogant, subconsciously revealed a somewhat ingratiating smile when facing the villa staff.
After their identities were verified, the bodyguards allowed them to enter the courtyard, but not the main villa building. Sister Fang skillfully led Wu Wangwang around to the back door of the villa, where an aunt in a suit was waiting.
The auntie's sharp gaze swept over the two of them, and then she said, "Sister Fang, is this the young lady who came for the interview today? Has she worked in the laundry room before?"
Fangjie nudged Wu Wangwang, who quickly said, "No, I was just helping out at the host's house before. The older sisters are still teaching me, and I haven't had any real hands-on experience yet."
Upon hearing this, the aunt frowned: "Then we can't assign you a specific position."
Wu Wangwang hurriedly said, "I can help plant flowers. I'm very good at planting flowers, and I can even try planting different varieties."
The aunt was skeptical: "You know how to grow flowers? Then why didn't your previous employer make you a gardener?"
“Because I was still young at the time, only a teenager, they were afraid I would mess things up because of my unstable temperament. But I also worked in a flower shop later, so I promise I can do it,” Wu Wangwang answered sincerely.
Growing flowers isn't something you can verify in a day or two. At most, you can ask some questions, but Wu Wangwang clearly isn't from a professional background. Being able to grow flowers doesn't mean you have professional knowledge. Some elderly people don't know many words, but they can still grow many things very well.
The aunt was convinced and said she could give it a try, and that she would be given a section of the garden later.
Upon hearing this, Fangjie knew it was a done deal and immediately said, "Then how about we sign the contract first?"
So the aunt nodded and took Wu Wangwang and Sister Fang to the small building where the employees lived. She gave Wu Wangwang a room, a uniform, and some everyday items. Only after making sure Wu Wangwang knew how to use them did she go to the office to sign the contract.
When signing the contract, Wu Wangwang hesitated for a moment, looked at Sister Fang, and then said, "I have a mother. Can I have her come and work with me? My mother is strong, knows how to farm, and can do some rough work. More importantly, she's more convenient than a man."
Seeing that the housekeeper here was an older woman, Wu Wangwang had already thought of her explanation. If the housekeeper was a woman, it meant that the employer or someone close to the employer was a woman. It would be much more convenient for women to do many things.
The housekeeper was indeed somewhat intrigued: "Has your mother ever worked as a caregiver? Or does she have any experience caring for patients?"
"Does taking care of my seriously ill grandparents before count?" Wu Wangwang replied after thinking for a moment. She remembered that the original owner of the body had said that her parents did not come to find her a long time ago because her grandparents were still alive at that time, and her mother was taking care of the two elderly people at home. She dared not neglect them for fear of being beaten by her husband.
Fortunately, the two elderly people, who were barely clinging to life, eventually died, and they began to think about moving to the city to be cared for by their daughter.
The housekeeper nodded: "Okay, you can start working right away. As for bringing your mother over, leave it to Sister Fang. If it's suitable later, I'll arrange for you to be assigned to the dormitory next door."
Things went smoothly. Wu Wangwang stayed and began her secluded life as a flower farmer. Her mother arrived two days later, bruised and battered, with hardly any healthy flesh on her body.
The original owner's mother was named Li Wu, the fifth child in her family. In those days, children were born in broods, and no one ever thought about giving them names.
When Li Wu arrived at the villa, she immediately wanted to slap Wu Wang in the face, but Fang Jie quickly grabbed her arm and scolded her, "What do you think this place is? If you dare to speak loudly, you'll regret it!"
Li Wu, who only dared to be arrogant towards his daughter, immediately backed down. He glared fiercely at Wu Wangwang, muttered something like "I'll deal with you later," and then went to smile apologetically at Sister Fang.
Fangjie pushed him away in disgust. To be honest, she really didn't understand why Wu Wangwang would still think about making money for such parents. She was practically a saint reincarnated.
The housekeeper was clearly disappointed in Li Wu as well. She had noticed that Wu Wangwang was taking her gardening seriously these past few days, and she had assumed that her mother would be a similar person. But who knew that with her fleshy face and greedy expression, plus the scars all over her face, she was simply repulsive.
However, having already promised, the housekeeper thought for a moment and assigned people to take out the trash. With such a large villa and so many people, there would naturally be a lot of trash, requiring strong people to take it out.
Upon hearing this, Li Wu decided she didn't want to work there anymore. She wasn't going to be a garbage collector; she wanted to be a college student's mother!
Just as Li Wu was about to retort, the housekeeper told him about the salary: 15,000 yuan a month, with bonuses for good performance, and a stable six insurances and two funds.
Li Wu was stunned. She had never seen so much money before. She swallowed hard and asked, "Really? Really?"
The housekeeper frowned, even feeling that she had given too much, so she said, "Yes, just do your job well, and you won't be treated unfairly."
Li Wu stayed there, wandering between all the rooms every day, diligently taking out the trash, and even forgetting about his own daughter.
Wu Wangwang usually stays in the greenhouse, taking care of those delicate flowers. She listens to the flowers whispering what they lack, and then gradually replenishes them. The flowers bloom more and more brightly, as if they are giving their lives away.
A month later, when it was time to pay wages, Li Wu suddenly came to the greenhouse and asked Wu Wangwang for money.
“I’ve heard that your monthly salary isn’t low. I’m your mother, so I’ll save it for you,” Li Wu said matter-of-factly.
Wu Wangwang looked up at her, neither saying she would give it nor not, but instead asked a question: "Don't you ever feel that you should live like a human being?"
Li Wu impatiently shoved Wu Wangwang: "I don't want to listen to your nonsense. I knew you weren't smart, you're like an idiot. Give me the money!"
Wu Wangwang had already given them the opportunity; she was the Ghost Mother Goddess, and anyone could make a wish to her, as long as she was willing: "So, you want lots and lots of money?"
"Nonsense, who wouldn't want it? Give it to me now!" Li Wu's face contorted with rage as she rushed over and grabbed Wu Wangwang by the neck.
Wu Wangwang looked at her calmly and said softly, "You know where the most money is, you know it, you pass by it every day, you stare at those beautiful jewels every day, you understand how much money you would have if you owned them, and they are just left there so indifferently, as if... anyone could take them away... is that right?"
Li Wu nodded blankly, slowly released Wu Wangwang, and quietly turned to leave.
Watching Li Wu leave, Wu Wangwang sighed. She really wanted to give Li Wu a chance. Just like she told Aunt Gao, if Li Wu wanted to be a normal person after he got his own salary, she would definitely stop taking care of this family.
As a result, Li Wu's first reaction after receiving his salary was to find his daughter and take her money as well. And then what?
Should she also subsidize her husband and son who beat her half to death?
People who are beyond saving don't necessarily have to live in this world.
Whatever the final outcome, it all comes down to the choices I made.
Li Wu suddenly became well-behaved. In the previous month, she hadn't been very proactive in taking out the trash, but she was strong and could take out the trash quickly, so no one said anything.
It was the last days of summer, the weather was hot and rainy. Wu Wangwang could tell that it was going to rain, so she moved all the potted plants that were sunbathing outside back into the greenhouse. Otherwise, if they got hit by the rain, all her efforts over the past few days would be wasted.
At seven o'clock in the evening, as expected, the rain that had been sultry all day arrived, and even the temperature dropped significantly. The housekeeper suddenly gathered everyone in the living room and said that the young master would be coming to visit the madam today. Everyone should be on alert, because the young master is not like the madam who is in poor health and usually turns a blind eye to everything.
Wu Wangwang knew that a woman in poor health lived in this villa. Her husband would visit her every three days, bringing gifts with him each time, and the villa would be quite lively on those days.
Today happens to be the day the master returns. It's safe to say that since Wu Wangwang arrived, no day in the villa has been more tense than tonight.
After leaving the greenhouse, Wu Wangwang was told to wait for orders. There were no specific tasks; she was just to wait.
The old man was in his forties and in good shape. Standing next to his somewhat thin wife, they looked like an ordinary couple. Their son was tall and good-looking, but he always had a tense expression, for reasons unknown.
After the employers finished their meal, the housekeeper would have someone quickly prepare various supplies upstairs. The kitchen must always have plenty of fruit, tea, drinks, and late-night snacks, ensuring that the employers could have whatever they wanted.
The areas of the villa that belonged only to the servants were in chaos all night, but things finally calmed down after the employers went to sleep.
Wu looked around and saw that Li Wu was standing with the nannies. So she opened her mouth slightly and said in a voice that only Li Wu could hear: "Tonight is a good opportunity, isn't it? Nobody cares what you did tonight."
When the owners want to rest, the villa's servants automatically fall silent, even trying to keep the noise level as low as possible while working.
At three o'clock in the morning, a scream suddenly came from the master bedroom upstairs. The maid who was on night watch downstairs, ready to bring medicine to the lady at any time, was startled and rushed to turn on all the lights on the first floor. After nervously looking around and finding no one, she immediately notified the housekeeper that something had happened to the lady upstairs.
The housekeeper immediately woke up the bodyguards and servants. They didn't know what had happened, but the lady's health had always been poor, and such loud screaming meant she must have encountered something that terrified her.
After being woken up, Wu Wangwang pretended to have just woken up, put on her coat and went out. It was raining today, and the temperature was still a little low.
When she arrived at the living room, she saw that the servants who usually rested in the main building of the villa had all come out. Everyone was standing in the spacious living room, while Li Wu stood at the top of the stairs, clutching a backpack tightly in his hand.
The master and mistress stood on the second floor. The mistress was probably frightened; her face was pale, and she looked like she was about to faint. The young master stood on the stairs, not far from Li Wu, with a gloomy expression.
The young master roared, "What exactly happened? Wang Ma? Is this the person you hired?"
Wang Ma, the housekeeper, bowed slightly to the young master with a serious expression: "I'm sorry, young master, I didn't do a good job of the background check. Ms. Li, please cooperate. I have already called the police. You can talk to the police yourself later."
Li Wu looked around nervously, clutching her backpack tightly as if it were her lifeline.
"You have so much money, what's wrong with giving me a little? Isn't your money something you plunder from the poor? I'm just taking what I'm entitled to, why are you stopping me?" Li Wu shouted insanely, trying to justify his behavior.
Seeing that the situation was about to calm down, Wu Wangwang quickly came out and said, "Mom! What are you doing? Is this a place where you can run wild? Didn't I tell you that all my salary is yours? Don't even think about stealing money for your brother anymore! Put it down!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Wang Ma grabbed Wu Wangwang: "Why didn't you say your mother had this problem from the beginning? She scared Madam! And she even stole things!"
It turned out that the lady's health had always been poor, so she had to get up at a set time every night to take her medicine. Usually, the maid would sleep in the same room with her, but tonight the master was back and naturally stayed in the master bedroom with the lady. The maid couldn't stay in the lady's bedroom by herself, so she stayed downstairs and waited for the lady to call her.
The woman wanted to go back to her bedroom to take her medicine. She thought it was just next door, not far away, and there was no need to wake her husband. So she went there in the dark. As soon as she entered the room, she saw a dark figure sneaking around. She immediately screamed.
Before the master arrived, Li Wu immediately ran downstairs to escape, only to be blocked at the stairwell by Wang Ma.
Wu Wangwang looked at Li Wu with a wronged expression and said, "I'm sorry, Butler Wang, I was just too scared. I had brain surgery before Aunt Gao introduced me here, and I was afraid they would beat me to death, so..."
After the farce, the young master lost patience with their bickering downstairs and said directly, "Alright, Aunt Wang, fire them if you need to, hand them over to the police if you need to. I don't want to see this mother and daughter still here tomorrow morning."
Wang Ma quickly agreed, but the lady spoke up at this moment: "Wait, Wang Ma, the things were stolen by the mother, it has nothing to do with the daughter. I like the flowers that Wang Wang planted, don't make things difficult for the children."
“This…” Wang Ma looked at the young master.
The young master disagreed: "Mom—"
The old man then spoke up: "Alright, it's rare for your mother to like something, so your daughter can keep it. As for that woman, have the police take her away later. No reconciliation."
The three employers then went back to their room to rest. The quick-thinking maid hurriedly took the doctor upstairs via the other elevator to check on the lady, just in case something serious happened and she would have to be taken to the hospital in the morning.
Wang Ma glanced at the pitiful Wu Wang and said, "Thank Madam. Don't worry about your mother anymore!"
Wu Wangwang nodded obsequiously, while looking at Li Wu with a sense of pity, as if she now hoped her mother would repent.
Li Wu's eyes darted around, and while they were talking, she immediately rushed towards the front door. The bodyguards inside, who were already watching her, stopped her from escaping.
Li Wu was already quite burly and strong, so without a direct confrontation, the bodyguards had a hard time catching her. They were afraid she would run away or rush upstairs and hurt her employer. The bodyguards were so frustrated that they wanted to just shoot her.
Then, Li Wu somehow rushed towards the kitchen, making everyone even more nervous, fearing that she might be planning a desperate attack.
The villa was in a remote location, and the police didn't arrive for an hour. When they entered, they saw Li Wu grab a chef's knife and raise it to threaten the others.
The police were surprised by this situation; the caller only reported a thief, and now the person who called came out unarmed.
"Put down the knife. Surrendering now can reduce your sentence. Don't act impulsively. Think of your family!" The police officers calmed Li Wu down while sending the others away, leaving only the professional bodyguards behind.
Li Wu, who had been in a daze, seemed to suddenly wake up at this moment. She saw Wu Wangwang standing behind the crowd. The other party smiled subtly, as if to say: The daughter you look down on can also ruin you.
So Li Wu's not-so-good brain was left with only one thought: I'm going to kill this bitch, then she'll know her daughter is a worthless burden! Even if it means death, she'll get rid of this bitch for her son!
Li Wu grabbed the knife holder with her backhand and threw it directly at the police and the crowd. She laughed maniacally, watching the police protect the others and keep retreating. Seizing the opportunity, she stabbed the knife directly into Wu Wangwang's neck.
"I'll kill you! You're the one who ruined our family! It's all because of you!" Li Wu screamed, his face splattered with blood from Wu Wangwang's body.
Everyone present was stunned. Then, the police, disregarding the need to cover the others, rushed forward to try to subdue Li Wu. However, Li Wu was too strong. Five police officers were injured that night, one of whom had his tendons severed. The most seriously injured was Li Wu's daughter, Wu Wangwang, who stopped breathing for a few seconds.
——
Wu Wangwang opened her eyes and saw that she was sitting in a car. She was a little confused. Logically speaking, she shouldn't be dead. How did she suddenly appear in another place?
At this moment, Wu Wangwang was sitting on the bus. Apart from her and the driver whose face she couldn't see, there was no one else on the bus. The bus continued to move forward without any intention of stopping.
After a moment's thought, Wu Wangwang understood—the standard for entering the "Return of the Soul" game was not complete death, but being dragged into the game when near death. This was a way for the game to prevent players from actually dying. If the game failed, the player would naturally die. If the game was completed, the player wouldn't be completely dead and would still have a chance to be saved.
After thinking it through, Wu Wangwang thought to herself: I still need to be more careful in the future. It would be best if I didn't even have to be in a near-death state. She was too arrogant. She wanted to use the highest level of crimes of attempted murder and theft to send Li Wu to prison for life. Li Wu needed her to send him off. The original owner's father and brother didn't need to be framed. They would send themselves to prison.
The plan was a success, but I never expected to end up in the game again.
Wu Wangwang sighed helplessly and began to check his clothes and pockets. Generally speaking, after entering the game, players have a certain probability of changing their clothes and outfits, as well as carrying items that can provide clues.
There was no one on the bus, so there was no need to hide anything while looking.
Previously at the villa, Wu Wangwang was wearing the uniform issued by the company. Now she is wearing a very cheap women's suit skirt and ordinary black high heels. She looks like an ordinary white-collar worker.
Inside the suit pocket was a sentence written on it: We swear that we will all become the most ordinary people in the world, grow up to be ordinary, become mediocre adults, and no one will ever know what kind of people we were originally.
These sentences, brimming with the pain of youth, are probably only something teenagers could write. Like those innocent self-deprecating remarks from the past, seeing them as adults might make one feel embarrassed and ashamed.
Wu Wangwang carefully put away the note and got off at the final stop.
The final stop was a square. The referee looked like a frail-looking teacher, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a short-sleeved shirt and suit pants, and leather sandals.
Several players were already standing around the referee. Wu Wangwang quickly walked over, and after she stood still, the referee counted the number of people: "One, two, three... □□, that's enough people. This time, it's just you few in the dungeon. There are no special requirements for this dungeon. I just hope that you can survive until the end of summer vacation."
When summer vacation was mentioned, Wu Wangwang realized that she was already sweating profusely despite wearing a suit and skirt, while the other players who arrived earlier were all wearing short-sleeved shirts.
Because it was so hot, Wu Wangwang had no choice but to take off her coat as well. She asked, "What is the exact date of the dungeon now?"
"July 9th, just after the holiday started," the referee replied with a smile.
A woman nearby said, "July 9th? Does that mean we'll be stuck in the instance for at least fifty days?"
The referee shook his head: "It's not 'at least,' it means you have to wait until September 1st to leave. I will be waiting for you in the square at 8:00 AM on September 1st. Only the 8:30 AM bus can take you out of the instance. If you miss the time, you will be judged as having lost the game."
The players' expressions changed. The longer the dungeon lasted, the greater the psychological pressure on the players, and they were likely to break down during the escape.
“If there are no further questions, I will continue. This instance does not have game instructions, but there is a safe zone. You are absolutely safe in the safe zone, but you cannot stay in the safe zone for long, because this safe zone is a police station. You can be absolutely safe for as long as you can stay in the police station.” The referee repeatedly emphasized the word “absolutely.”
"If we could live in the police station, wouldn't we be able to survive until the end of the dungeon?" one player asked jokingly.
The referee smiled silently: "You can hide in the police station for dozens of days, but on your last day, you still have to come to the square. Remember the requirements I mentioned for passing through customs. You will only pass through customs if you get on the bus at 8:30 a.m. on September 1st."
In other words, unexpected events can occur at any other time.
The players looked at each other, somewhat sensing that in a dungeon where the time was cut to the last second, the one who could kill them was definitely not human.
Seeing that the players had no further objections this time, the referee shrugged and said, "Now you can start exploring the dungeon. This dungeon is as big as a city, and you have enough time to explore it. But remember to go home when it gets dark."
After saying that, the referee turned around and strolled off.
Nine players stood in place. Apart from Wu Wangwang, there were four men and four women, and they all seemed to be around the same age.
"Shall we... get to know each other?" a shy-looking female player asked.
One male player said, "It's best not to. I don't know what kind of notes you received, but my note reminded me of the most important thing: we can't tell others about our own lives. I'll sacrifice myself for the sake of everyone else. It's best not to say anything."
At this point, another tall male player retorted, "How do we know you're not lying to us? What if your note didn't say that? We're supposed to be sharing information, but now that you've said this, no one's willing to cooperate, and we end up getting killed because of you?"
The shy female player didn't expect the male players to disagree, so she quickly said, "Don't argue, don't argue. The information is very important in the dungeon. Whether we give it to them or not is a matter of the players' feelings. How about this, the nine of us vote? Since the number of people is odd, the minority should obey the majority."
Since the number of participants is odd, a result can be chosen no matter what, and even if the final result is not to one's liking, it is much easier to accept.
Wu Wangwang thought about the note in her hand. The information might not just be about adolescent angst; it was real and very important information.
So when everyone raised their hands to vote, the vote was five to four. Five people disagreed with exchanging messages, representing both sides, and there were both men and women.
At this point, people will definitely refer to the notes they received. In other words, there are at least five people whose notes contain secrets that cannot be revealed to others or... warnings.
The players couldn't say they were dissatisfied with the result, nor could they say they didn't understand it, but they just felt it was strange that nine people were divided up so evenly.
What if today's instance has ten or eight participants?
Everyone slowly lowered their hands. After a while, the tall man who had been insisting on releasing the information spoke slowly: "Something seems off. What's going on with us like this...?"
Sometimes you can tell if someone is a newbie at a glance. Today's players are all very calm, which means they have entered the dungeon at least three times and have a good understanding of the game. They will subconsciously question all the rules in the game and will not absolutely abide by the mandatory rules.
Wu Wangwang glanced at them and said, "Compared to information, recognizing our own identities may be more important, but we can't guarantee that the final solution will be whether we cooperate or separate."
If they can't determine the answer to this question, it will be difficult for them to take any further steps.
The more composed female player said, "Let's not communicate with each other for now. We'll each go back home for ten days. On the 9th of each month, we'll meet at the square at 8:00 AM. This way, we can get used to how long it takes to get from home to the square."
The players agreed, and they all took out their phones to prepare to go home.
It's clear that none of the NPCs they're playing are wealthy; they can only wait for different buses at the same stop.
Wu Wangwang's bus arrived first. She waved to the other players and was the first to board and leave.
This time, the bus was no longer just for her, but for many people, packed like sardines in a can. A strange smell filled the entire carriage. Wu Wangwang was pushed and swayed, and even getting off the bus was a struggle, like squeezing toothpaste.
Having barely escaped the bus alive, Wu Wangwang walked to the entrance of a nearby residential area, still shaken.
The delivery location shown on the phone is this neighborhood, with the house number written on it. However, the name on the delivery location is a man's. Perhaps this NPC, being a girl, is afraid of getting into trouble while living alone, so she has been pretending to live with her boyfriend.
Finding the exact location based on the delivery address, Wu Wangwang took out her key from her pocket and opened the door. As she looked down, she saw a shoe rack next to the door, with both men's and women's shoes on it.
Such cautious behavior is typical of a young woman living alone.
Upon opening the door, one is greeted by a small rental room. To the right is a tiny open kitchen, to the left is the bathroom, and directly opposite is a large bed and coffee table. There is a balcony, and on the side of the bed near the balcony, there is a desk and a wardrobe. This rental room is quite nice; though small, it has everything you need.
After entering the room, Wu Wangwang locked the door like an ordinary person would, and then checked the entire house.
Judging from the documents and various certificates in the house, the NPC that Wu Wangwang is replacing is named Fu Mei. She is an ordinary working person who graduated from university two years ago and is only twenty-four years old. Whether it is her studies or her life, she seems very ordinary and common. Even her parents are ordinary parents.
In other words, this girl perfectly matched what was written on the note in her pocket.
Fu Mei grew up ordinary and became an unremarkable adult.
Wu Wangwang thoughtfully opened Fu Mei's phone. A person's phone can reveal a lot of information, especially their complaints to friends and besties.
However, after opening those social media apps, Wu Wangwang discovered that Fu Mei's social life was pitifully barren.
Perhaps because of the change of mobile phone, the earliest communication Fu Mei could trace back to was during her junior year of college. She and her roommates were "respectful but estranged," and she had almost no communication with her classmates. The only communication was to discuss various activities and group assignments.
After graduation, Fu Mei started adding people from various work-related fields, but things didn't improve much. She wasn't outgoing, shy, extroverted, or introverted...
Like someone who is very invisible.
Fu Mei has been renting this house for less than a month. Judging from the transfer records, she is the kind of person who changes houses every year and doesn't stay in one place for long. As for the company, it hasn't changed.
Wu Wangwang guessed that Fu Mei might have chosen to stay at her original company because it was difficult to find a job, instead of changing jobs every year like she would when moving to a new house.
Aside from this very obvious information, Wu Wangwang couldn't find any other useful information. She even checked Fu Mei's mobile browser history but found nothing unusual.
Fu Mei's life is very boring. She gets up at seven o'clock in the morning, washes up, goes downstairs to the breakfast street to buy breakfast, eats, walks to the nearby bus stop, and catches a bus that will arrive soon. She arrives at the company before eight-thirty, clocks in, and starts working.
Choosing to eat lunch at the company is probably a perk, because Wu Wangwang didn't see any expenses related to lunch, but she did see yogurt being served at the company, which was occasionally replaced with coffee.
She continues working in the afternoon, occasionally working overtime, but most of the time she leaves work on time, takes the bus home, or goes to the supermarket to buy groceries to cook. Dinner is a fixed expense for Fu Mei.
Of course, occasionally Fu Mei doesn't feel like cooking, so she orders takeout, and she orders quite a lot. That must be her moment of indulgence.
She would sit on the floor while eating dinner and watch TV series. She didn't have any particular preferences when it came to TV series; she would watch whatever was popular or new. If a series was too bad, she would only watch a little bit before switching to another one.
After dinner, I take a shower, then start playing games or reading novels, or continue watching dramas. Later in the evening, I suddenly feel like having a late-night snack, so I order takeout. After eating, I rest for a while and then go to sleep.
The next day was just another day like any other.
Wu Wangwang could not see any special traces in Fu Mei's life; her life was so monotonous and repetitive.
Day after day, she lived a life that others might think was like an NPC, as if every day was printed out.
Unable to find any special information, Wu Wangwang could only start living by following Fu Mei's trail.
After taking a shower in the evening, Wu Wangwang started watching TV. She felt that the historical dramas were not very interesting, so she played with her phone and browsed through the boring chat history and other software history.
After searching all night, Wu Wangwang didn't find anything useful, and it was time to leave for work again.
Breakfast was bought from a stall. Wu Wangwang couldn't tell what Fu Mei bought each day, and since her breakfast expenses were not fixed, Wu Wangwang decided to buy whatever she was curious about.
In the end, I bought a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) and a cup of iced soy milk.
Fu Mei walked briskly from the breakfast market to the bus stop at the intersection, and after waiting for three more minutes, the bus to the company would arrive just in time. She had calculated the time perfectly.
Wu Wangwang couldn't help but admire him. How could someone who lived his life like a schedule not succeed at anything?
When Wu Wangwang arrived at the company, she discovered that Fu Mei worked for a handmade products company. This company usually sold handmade products and was originally a factory. Fu Mei's job was to take orders, do concept design, and do copywriting. It was all paperwork, which matched her Chinese major very well.
However, the boss may have seen the traffic in the era of big data, so he started having some employees take turns promoting the account. When it was Fu Mei's turn, she would quietly do some simple handicrafts in the live broadcast room, such as crocheting some small dolls, while other streamers would provide commentary.
Viewers sometimes buy finished products, and sometimes they buy materials. Although this can't compare to orders from big factories, who would complain about having more money?
When Wu Wangwang arrived at the company, she thought about Fu Mei's usual behavior. She thought that Fu Mei was the kind of person who would always have a calm smile on her face and would agree to whatever the other person said. She was a nice person with no special characteristics.
The day's work isn't actually tiring. It involves writing a simple script for the anchor to read, and in the afternoon, helping out by crocheting small animals with yarn. These are all very simple tasks.
Different people are in charge of the live streams during the day and at night, which allows Wu Wangwang to leave work on time.
On the way home, Wu Wangwang was squeezed into a twisted tube of toothpaste again, and it looked like some of her hair had been pulled out when she got off the bus.
Wu Wangwang rubbed her slightly aching head. She couldn't understand... Did Fu Mei really like this kind of life?
Or rather, can she really hold on?
In a world where everything is laid out before us, how can people survive if there is hope?
But Fu Mei has no boyfriend, never dates, doesn't keep cats or dogs, and has no hobbies. How did she manage to live such a hopeless life?
Wu Wangwang didn't understand. She returned to her small rented room. She hadn't been able to get off the bus to buy groceries in time today, so she had to order takeout.
For Fu Mei, ordering takeout is quite expensive. A regular meal costs twenty or thirty yuan. If she orders takeout, she will definitely have to drink milk tea or eat something else. All in all, it will cost at least fifty or sixty yuan.
However, Fu Mei's monthly salary was only five thousand yuan. After paying two thousand five thousand yuan in rent, she spent the remaining two thousand five thousand yuan on food. She hadn't bought many new clothes since graduation. She only bought two new sets of clothes after wearing her pajamas T-shirts and shorts until they were worn out. She wore the cheap suits issued by the company to work.
Wu Wangwang didn't understand what this instance wanted players to do, and whether there were any special rules for such people.
If the parents don't bother you and no one issues any special rules, what are the players supposed to do?
Unable to think of anything, Wu Wangwang started lying down and pretending to be dead at night—or rather, pretending to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Wu Wangwang suddenly heard the sound of water, like water dripping from the showerhead in the bathroom, dripping onto the floor and making a slight sound.
Wu Wangwang silently opened her eyes. She probably knew why she hadn't had any reaction the day before—because she hadn't turned off the lights to sleep the night before.
Non-human creatures love to lurk in the dark.
The sound of water gradually intensified, as if it were about to overflow the bathroom, but Wu Wangwang remained still, letting the sound of water continue.
That night, water seemed to drip all night. Wu Wangwang pretended to be fast asleep. When she woke up in the morning, there was nothing in the bathroom. It was very clean. The water on the floor after her shower the night before had dried up. It was as if Wu Wangwang had just hallucinated.
Wu Wangwang looked at herself in the mirror, lost in thought: Is Fu Mei's rule related to water?
For the next few days, Wu Wangwang lived her life as usual, and there were no problems except for the sound of water that would appear at night.
With July 19th approaching, the date for the players to meet, Wu Wangwang still got up in the early morning of the 18th, when the sound of water was the loudest, and walked to the bathroom door. Without turning on the light, she looked around the bathroom in the dark.
The showerhead was indeed dripping water, and along with the dripping water, strands of hair were flowing out of the showerhead holes.
The puddles that had accumulated on the ground didn't look like pure water, but rather... muddy puddles.
Wu Wangwang looked at the muddy puddle with suspicion, then couldn't help but walk over and touch it. The muddy puddle felt very cold to the touch, and the muddy water stuck to her hands as if she couldn't get it clean.
The hair was still falling from the showerhead. Wu Wangwang looked up and inexplicably felt that there was someone inside the showerhead.
Then Wu Wangwang stood up, took off the shower head, observed it for a while, and then reached out to pull the hair stuck in the shower head hole.
The hair grew longer and longer with each pull, like it was infinitely long, with no end in sight.
Wu Wangwang tugged at the showerhead for a few minutes, then got tired of it, put it back, and after a while asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Neither the hair nor the puddle answered, but the temperature in the bathroom dropped even lower.
"Alright, maybe you need a bit more luck. Good luck then." After saying that, Wu Wangwang turned and left the bathroom. This time, she closed the bathroom door, letting the water drip inside. She washed her hands in the kitchen and went back to bed.
When dawn broke, Wu Wangwang opened the bathroom again, and everything inside was back to normal, with no hair and no mud.
Today is the 18th, and there's still one day before we go to the square to meet. Wu Wangwang is going to work as usual.
After working for so many days, Wu Wangwang realized that Fu Mei's job did not include holidays. The company's point was that they were no longer working overtime, so why did the employees still need to have two days off or one day off per week?
Only those who work overtime get holidays; they work a few days overtime and then take a few days off.
Wu Wangwang doesn't understand company operations and doesn't know if such a company is legal or not, but since Fu Mei has persisted for two years, this kind of job is probably already very good for a college student.
On this workday, Wu Wangwang had the task of writing articles, so she didn't need to go to the live broadcast room in the afternoon. In the afternoon, the employees always slacked off everywhere, and soon only Wu Wangwang was left in the huge office.
The air conditioner was running continuously, keeping the heat out with its cool air. Wu Wangwang finished writing the manuscript in Fu Mei's usual style and was about to print it out when the printer jammed and wouldn't print any paper.
Wu Wangwang couldn't figure it out. She raised her hand and patted the printer, but there was still no response. She quickly turned it off, intending to call someone to fix it, but found that it was no use at all. The printer couldn't be turned off and was still buzzing. The sound echoed through the empty office and sounded very eerie and jarring.
After a moment of silence, Wu Wangwang knew that the long-haired woman from last night had come again. What did she want this time?
At night, the showerhead can't come out because of long hair. Does that mean she's planning to prevent the printer from printing during the day?
Just as the printer was getting louder and louder, almost like a loudspeaker, a female colleague suddenly walked in. She was a little older than Fu Mei and was quite composed. She hurriedly came over and asked, "Is the printer broken again? Stop staring at it, unplug it right away, and then go find a repairman."
"Oh, okay, is this the cord?" Wu Wangwang looked at it and found the power cord.
My female colleague said, "Yes, just unplug it, it's okay. This printer has a problem; it tends to slack off paper, but the boss is reluctant to replace it. It's not making any noise now. You should go downstairs to the repair shop and find a technician to come and take a look."
Wu Wangwang agreed and turned to go downstairs to find the repair department.
The company's repair department is actually just a place to make phone calls—calling various technicians to come and fix things. In fact, the company doesn't have any repair personnel. The reason for setting up this department is that it's troublesome to look for people everywhere whenever something needs to be repaired.
It's much simpler to just have this part installed, and if anything is missing, you can just call the official support or a repairman yourself.
Wu Wangwang found the printer brand company in the repair department's notebook, called them, and they said they would send a technician over soon.
There was no one else in the repair department. After making the call, Wu Wangwang went upstairs, used another printer to print out the manuscript, and then delivered it to the live broadcast room before leaving get off work. She returned to her office to pack her things and saw one of the male players repairing the printer as soon as she entered.
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Author's Note: [End of Chapter]
Here it comes! This time it's over 10,000 words. Actually, I've revised this story many times. I've been conceiving it since before I even started writing, but I've exhausted all my friends trying to figure it out, and we still haven't settled on a plan. In the end, we had to meet the word count for the rankings, so I had no choice but to write it in the most ordinary, simplest, and most common style.
I started this post to find inspiration. I really wanted to write something different, but I found that I wasn't capable enough. I'll stop here for today. I'll go and pull some hairs from my friends' heads later. I'll be able to pull something out of them sooner or later!
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Thank you for watching, and I hope you enjoyed the article.
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Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Invincible Cat Head (9 bottles); 37461095 (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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