Chapter 10 The Significance of Tenant Status: Zhao Dawei's Horrifying Job Application Experience...
The bus drove smoothly and quickly. When Zhao Dawei looked up at the window again, the iron gate with the words "Delicious Slaughterhouse" printed on it came into view.
The large characters were written in red paint, and they seemed not to be completely dry yet. There were traces of liquid sliding down the edges of the characters, like flowing blood, exuding a strong sense of foreboding.
The bus stopped directly in front of the slaughterhouse.
Having come this far, Zhao Dawei hesitated for a moment before getting off the bus.
As luck would have it, just as Zhao Dawei stood at the entrance of the slaughterhouse, the three-meter-high iron gate suddenly moved, and a figure walked out from inside.
He was a man who looked to be about two meters tall. Despite the hot weather, he was wearing a gray work uniform with long sleeves and trousers, with a transparent waterproof apron over it. He was wearing long rubber gloves, waterproof boots, a dust hat, and a mask. The only part of his body that was exposed was his eyes.
Just looking at his outfit made Zhao Dawei feel a little breathless.
The temperature is exceptionally high this summer. He was sweating profusely after walking just a few steps in short sleeves, while this strong man in front of him was not only wearing long sleeves and trousers but also gloves and boots that couldn't breathe... Could this be a slaughterhouse uniform? Did he get the job and have to dress like this?
Thinking about this, Zhao Dawei began to have second thoughts again.
The man who came out of the slaughterhouse looked Zhao Dawei up and down, and asked in a gruff voice, "Here to apply for a security guard job?"
Zhao Dawei hesitated before giving a reply.
The man nodded. "I'm the owner of Delicious Slaughterhouse. You're hired. Come in."
Zhao Dawei was stunned: "Huh? No, no interview is required?"
The factory manager frowned, his gaze somewhat unfriendly: "Isn't this just an interview? I've seen you, and I'm very satisfied. Stop talking nonsense and come in with me."
Zhao Dawei didn't dare ask any more questions and obediently followed the factory manager inside.
It's strange, even though it's just a door away, the temperature inside and outside the factory is completely different.
Upon entering the factory grounds, it felt like stepping into a refrigerator; the temperature inside was just as cool as inside the Liwan Apartments.
Zhao Dawei sighed comfortably and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The factory manager led Zhao Dawei to a security booth, gave him two pieces of paper and a walkie-talkie.
"The trial period is two hours. During these two hours, you will patrol around the factory by yourself. If you successfully complete the patrol, you can officially start working here."
Zhao Dawei took the two sheets of paper; one was a factory map, and the other was a security rule.
[Safety Rules for Delicious Slaughterhouses]
(Trial version)
① Security guards need to patrol outside the factory every day and notify the factory manager immediately if they see suspicious people loitering outside the factory.
② During patrols, security guards are prohibited from making loud noises so as not to affect the work of factory employees.
③ If you see any employees at the Delicious Slaughterhouse wearing short sleeves, please notify the factory manager immediately.
...It follows similar rules to the rental contract for Liwan Apartments.
Zhao Dawei sighed with emotion.
Those who live in the city are protected like hothouse flowers by the Bureau of Surveillance, while those in the suburbs have become accustomed to living with ghosts and monsters, and have even developed a set of rules for getting along with them.
He also needs to adapt. Supernatural events are occurring more and more frequently now, and the city might become just as chaotic as the suburbs in the future.
Seeing that the factory manager was about to leave after giving him the security rules, Zhao Dawei quickly called the factory manager back.
"Um, salary..." Zhao Dawei began cautiously.
His salary determines whether he will need to continue renting in that haunted building, Liwan Apartments, next month. Although he can live safely in the apartment as long as he abides by the tenant's contract, Zhao Dawei, as an ordinary person, still prefers to return to the city.
The factory manager looked at him and sneered, "Let's talk about it when you're officially hired."
Zhao Dawei scratched his head sheepishly, too embarrassed to ask anything more.
The factory map was clearly marked, and Zhao Dawei followed the map's route, starting from the security booth and patrolling along the outside of the factory.
During his patrol, Zhao Dawei encountered several other people walking around outside the factory, all of whom were carrying walkie-talkies and wearing green long-sleeved security uniforms.
When Zhao Dawei saw them, those men also noticed him. Their scrutinizing gazes were strange, like wolves eyeing a rabbit. Only after seeing the walkie-talkie in Zhao Dawei's hand did the security guards look away.
Zhao Dawei was somewhat oblivious and not sensitive to the malice in other people's eyes. Upon seeing the patrolling security guards, he was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he felt relieved.
He originally thought this strange factory was the kind of black-hearted factory that outwardly engaged in slaughtering but secretly ran some shady businesses, which is why he took the job interview so lightly.
Surprisingly, there were still legitimate employees in the factory... It seems he wasn't the only one who had nowhere else to turn and came to the suburbs to look for work.
Zhao Dawei continued his patrol, and when he reached the back of the factory, he discovered a half-open door.
Suddenly, a heavy thud was heard from inside the door, followed by a muffled groan—it sounded like someone had fallen.
Zhao Dawei looked around and found that there was no one around.
The people inside the door may need help... Zhao Dawei had seen some short films about factory accidents before. Many tragedies occurred because employees died while working alone and were not discovered immediately, ultimately dying because the best rescue time was missed.
After hesitating for a moment at the door, Zhao Dawei gritted his teeth and went inside.
The security rules do not state that security guards are not allowed to enter the factory, and the factory manager allowed him to patrol the factory, so the factory area should also be within the security guards' patrol area.
Stepping through the half-closed iron door, an even more biting chill hit you—the room inside was a freezer.
Zhao Dawei shuddered. He first moved a chair nearby to block the door in case it suddenly closed, and then walked into the room.
Lifting the heavy curtain that obscured the view, the scene inside the freezer was fully revealed.
After seeing what was inside the room, Zhao Dawei froze on the spot.
Under the eerie blue light, uncut carcasses hung on hooks. The bright red flesh gleamed with an eerie purplish-red hue under the light, emanating a chilling aura.
...This slaughterhouse doesn't slaughter pork, but rather human corpses that have been skinned, cleaned, and gutted.
On the cold stainless steel table below the hook, there was a freshly cut body—limbs scattered on the table, a head lying on the ground with its eyes wide open, its bloodshot eyes staring straight at Zhao Dawei.
Could the heavy object falling to the ground and the muffled groan from the human have come from this head?
Seeing the horrifying scene before him, Zhao Dawei covered his mouth tightly to prevent himself from screaming.
Article 2 of the Security Rules states that security guards are prohibited from making loud noises during patrols.
For the sake of his own life, Zhao Dawei had already memorized those rules during his patrol.
Even so, a deep, cold voice still rang in Zhao Dawei's ear like a ghost:
"You have violated the security rules."
It was the factory manager's voice.
Zhao Dawei turned around abruptly and saw that the factory director had appeared behind him at some point.
The factory manager was carrying a chainsaw stained with blood. His gray long-sleeved work clothes had turned into red short sleeves, and his transparent apron was covered with splattered blood. His white dust hat and mask had also turned into a bloodstained black and red.
His exposed skin was bright red, as if it had just been peeled off. Blood dripped from his hands off the chainsaw, pooling on the ground.
"I...I didn't violate any rules..." Zhao Dawei stammered in his defense.
The factory manager let out a sinister laugh: "Rule number one, security guards need to patrol outside the factory every day... Do you understand what 'outside the factory' means?"
He suddenly swung the chainsaw, his eerie laughter mingling with the roar of the saw: "It means security guards are not allowed into the factory!"
The chainsaw, accompanied by a foul gust of wind, slammed down on Zhao Dawei's head.
Zhao Dawei's legs went weak with fear, and he collapsed to the ground, closing his eyes in despair.
However, the expected pain did not occur, and the buzzing of the chainsaw suddenly disappeared.
Zhao Dawei cautiously opened his eyes and found that the factory manager had already put away the chainsaw. He looked at Zhao Dawei expressionlessly, his bloodthirsty crimson eyes appearing much clearer.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment. The two stared at each other in silence for a long time before the factory manager finally spoke, asking through gritted teeth, "Are you a tenant of Liwan Apartments?"
Before Zhao Dawei could answer, the factory manager impatiently grabbed him by the back of the collar and lifted him up: "Tsk! What are you, a tenant of Liwan Apartment, doing here applying for a job? Are you just bored and want to make fun of me? This isn't some haunted house in an amusement park! Get out! Don't let me see you again!!"
Zhao Dawei was thrown out of the freezer.
Upon leaving the freezer, Zhao Dawei found himself standing directly outside the iron gate of the Delicious Slaughterhouse.
Zhao Dawei looked at the tightly closed factory gate in front of him, then at the shiny key to Room 101 that had somehow fallen out of his chest, and the tears he had been holding back finally flowed out.
Unexpectedly, the key to room 101 not only prevented the ghosts of Liwan Apartment from harming him, but also saved his life from the clutches of other ghosts.
Zhao Dawei has decided that he will continue to live in Liwan Apartments from now on.
In this world overrun by ghosts and monsters, no matter how rich or powerful you are, you are powerless against them and only face death... just like his former boss.
In comparison, simply renting a place in Liwan Apartments and adhering to a few tenant contracts is practically like getting a tool to save your life from ghosts without paying a price—it couldn't be more worthwhile.
I've never wanted to go back to Liwan Apartments so much.
The thought had barely crossed Zhao Dawei's mind when he saw a bus appear next to the factory... It seemed to have been parked there the whole time, never leaving.
Zhao Dawei wiped away his tears and climbed onto the bus using both his hands and feet.
*
In the Liwan Apartment, Zhou Fangdong rolled around on the bed.
Although the rental agreement for room 109 has been finalized, the new furniture for room 109 won't be delivered until tomorrow, and the Honesty flyer can only be purchased again tomorrow, so this side quest cannot be completed today no matter what.
It was already dark, and after confirming that his only tenant, Zhao Dawei, had returned to the apartment and gone to sleep in room 101, Zhou Fangdong, who didn't need to sleep, began to feel bored.
Zhou Fangdong pounded the pillow and began to harass the system:
"System, download a small game for my phone to kill time. Any single-player game will do, like Plants vs. Zombies, Candy Crush, etc. I'm not picky—"
The system does not have a game download function.
"Please, please, please, give me a game to kill time—I'm not eating, drinking, or sleeping, and I still don't have a game to play. What kind of hell is this? Just kill me already!"
[...]
"System, system, system, if you don't agree to my request, I'll keep harassing you—"
The tenant role-playing feature has been unlocked. Successfully playing the role will earn you a significant amount of experience points, which can be used to level up your host character and unlock new skills.
Zhou Fangdong lifted his head from under the pillow, looking completely bewildered: "Huh? What game is this?"
The next moment, Zhou Fangdong felt dizzy and disoriented. When he came to his senses, he found himself in an unfamiliar room.
And this view is really weird... He seems to have gotten shorter?
A note from the author:
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