After clicking on the job task guide, the screen indicated that we should go to the Tomorrow Center on the 14th floor to participate in the test. The people around Ji Lin'an and me had already started to leave one after another. Ji Lin'an and I quickly followed the crowd and entered the elevator together. We saw that the people in front of us had also pressed the button for the 14th floor. After everyone got out of the elevator, Ji Lin'an and I followed them.
After exiting the elevator, there was a two-way corridor with an entrance every so often. The people who entered the elevator with us went into different entrances. I checked the mission guide again, which showed that we needed to go to Area A. I looked up and noticed that each entrance had a letter above it, like the check-in entrances at an airport.
In front of us was Zone L, and Zone A was at the far left. Ji Lin'an and I walked quickly toward Zone A. The corridor was very long, and it took us almost 20 minutes to get to Zone A. When we arrived at the door, a facial recognition machine appeared. After detecting us, a line of text appeared above the machine: Please remove your mask to register your face.
My heart skipped a beat. Had I been exposed? Before I could say anything, Ji Lin'an had already taken off his mask. The recognition machine scanned Ji Lin'an's face several times before the screen lit up green, indicating that the facial recognition had been successfully recorded. The door in front of Ji Lin'an opened. I wanted to follow Ji Lin'an in, but the door closed automatically as I approached, shutting Ji Lin'an out as well. I could only take a few steps back. The door opened, and Ji Lin'an entered alone.
I also took off my mask and had my face scanned. I followed them into Area A. As soon as I entered, a small screen appeared in front of me, which read: "Please proceed to room A06 to wait for the onboarding test." Confused, I turned left and right before entering A06. The room was empty. I panicked a little; I had separated from Ji Lin and Anbe. Just as I was about to leave the room to look for Ji Lin, the door closed, and a male voice came from the air: "Please take your seat and prepare for the onboarding test."
I sat down with a frown. There was only a table and a chair in the whole room. After I sat down, the screen in front of me lit up and read: Press the button on the table to start the onboarding test at any time.
I hesitated for a moment before pressing the button. The screen went black, then lit up a few seconds later, displaying a series of words: Future Tomorrow Establishment Time A: 5 years, B: 6 years, C: 7 years. Seeing the question, I was completely bewildered. This… this is just a corporate culture test! But I have absolutely no idea what this is for.
I frowned, recalling the scenes of taking exams when I was a child. If I didn't know the answer, I would choose C. I said to the air, "I choose C."
The system didn't say anything, but the screen showed the second question: The initial intention of the suggestion for tomorrow is: A: to continue human life, B: to acquire wealth, C: to test human nature.
I frowned. How... how should I choose? A company that can build something so twisted doesn't seem to be short of money, and it's unlikely they're so kind as to want to prolong human life. I slowly said to the air, "I choose... C."
Then it jumped to the next question... I couldn't understand the questions anymore, so I kept choosing C until the test was over after 20 questions. A voice in the air told me that I needed to wait for the test results in my seat. A moment later, the middle of the table suddenly dropped and rose a few seconds later. There was an A4 sheet of paper on the table with "Personal Ownership Contract" written on the top. I immediately frowned. Why does this look so much like a contract of servitude?
I picked up the contract and looked at it, and saw the most crucial clauses:
I voluntarily sign this personal ownership contract with Future Tomorrow Company... Upon signing this agreement, I relinquish all my human rights... I will become entirely dependent on Future Tomorrow Company... This contract is irrevocable and cannot be terminated after signing... I will abide by all arrangements made by Future Tomorrow Company... Any breach of contract will be subject to the full disposal of Future Tomorrow Company...
My mind went blank for a moment. This was practically a contract of servitude, like selling myself into slavery to this company. Would anyone actually sign such an agreement? I frowned and looked around cautiously, then asked, "What will happen if I don't sign?"
A voice rang out from the air: "If you voluntarily give up signing the contract, you will be barred from applying to join the company for three years and will be immediately expelled from Future Tomorrow's territory."
Immediate deportation? That means I can leave, right? I was overjoyed. I'd stumbled upon an opportunity to go out by accident. Of course, I wasn't going to sign!
I suppressed my joy and tried to keep my voice calm as I said, "I give up signing the contract."
I guessed that Ji Lin'an would make the same choice. I sat in my seat waiting to be expelled. A moment later, everything went black and I couldn't move. I don't know how long I stayed in the dark, or whether I fainted or fell asleep. When I woke up again, I was in an unfamiliar environment.
I slowly got up. The surroundings resembled a small wooden cabin in the countryside. Apart from simple furniture covered in dust, there was nothing else around. I looked around warily. There was no one else. The door leading outside was unlocked and was slightly ajar, letting in light. Curious, I got out of bed and walked to the door. I carefully opened the door, and as soon as I opened it, a bright light shone into my eyes. I instinctively closed my eyes and it took me a while to adjust.
I stepped outside, and the scene before me left me speechless. It could be summed up in three words: dirty, chaotic, and terrible! It resembled a rural town, with the roads littered with garbage and debris. Small wooden huts like the one behind me were scattered all around. Not far away, an old man, looking like a beggar, lay in front of one of the huts. His clothes were tattered and torn, and he had some red scars on his body. He shifted his position and continued to lie in front of the hut.
I looked ahead and saw a woman sitting outside the cabin. She had long hair, but it looked like she hadn't washed it in a long time; her black hair was clumped together in clumps. Suddenly, a boy crawled out of the cabin. The boy looked to be about three years old. Once he was completely outside, I could see that he only had one arm; the other arm was empty. If I looked closely, I could see a hand the size of a lychee at the junction of the arm and the hand could move. The boy seemed to have mental problems; his eyes were vacant, and he was making indistinct "ah ah ah" sounds.
The woman at the door suddenly picked up the boy, unabashedly lifting her clothes to place him against her chest. I swallowed hard and gazed into the distance, a sudden surge of longing for Ji Lin'an washing over me. I walked down the street, searching each house one by one...
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