Chapter 124

The long-tongued woman: No ultimate move ×, Instant submission √.

Audience: …

That’s it? That’s all?

Combined with her tone and movements, she even seemed a little bitter.

The long-tongued woman believed she was just being wise and tactful—knowing when to yield. She was also annoyed at how unlucky she was to run into such a tough opponent. Either way, she knew she couldn’t win.

A whole section of her tongue was still lying there on the ground.

Long-tongued woman: Fine, just spend a bit to send this god of destruction away.

But inviting a god is easy—seeing one off is hard.

Shi Jian had already seen through her capabilities and felt reassured.

With an arched brow, Shi Jian leaned against the wall. The door might’ve been open now, but she no longer felt like leaving.

Shi Jian said lazily, “If I just walk away when you tell me to, wouldn’t that be so humiliating?”

She casually held up one finger—not the “just one bite” that the long-tongued woman meant earlier, but rather, “One more bottle…”

Thinking for a moment, Shi Jian added two more fingers. “Make it two.”

She had to think of Xu An too.

One bottle of juice wasn’t enough to send Shi Jian off. She wanted the long-tongued woman to hand over two more.

Then Shi Jian seemed to remember something else. “Oh right, and fill the water too while you’re at it.”

Long-tongued woman: “……”

This time around, not only did she gain nothing from her appearance, she also had to fork over three bottles of drinks—and now she had to fill water too. No matter how you looked at it, it was a bad deal.

But under the looming threat of the chainsaw, the long-tongued woman endured the humiliation, knocked out two more bottles of juice, and topped off the thermos with water.

Shi Jian had actually wanted to keep milking her for more, but the long-tongued woman vanished swiftly into the floor tiles after completing the task, leaving Shi Jian alone in the tea room.

Long-tongued woman: If she won’t leave, then I will—isn’t that fine?

Shi Jian was amazed. The tiles were completely undamaged, but the woman had just gone straight in. On second thought, considering the mirror woman, it made some sense.

Shi Jian sighed, a bit regretfully. “…She runs pretty fast.”

Subtext: I wasn’t done exploiting her yet.

Now that the chainsaw wasn’t needed, Shi Jian stowed it away.

After some training with her first sparring partner—Housekeeper Tang—Shi Jian had gotten quite skilled at drawing the chainsaw. Her speed earlier had clearly improved.

She didn’t particularly enjoy this gruesome weapon, but thankfully, once it was stowed into her inventory, it’d come out clean the next time—no blood, no residue—so it didn’t bother her too much.

…

Meanwhile, even from a distance, the people in the office had heard that piercing scream.The team leader instinctively shrank his neck a little, though his expression was smug. He swept his sharp gaze across the room, and anyone who met his eyes immediately buried themselves in work.

This was exactly the effect he wanted—kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

He may have arrived late, but he had already heard Shi Jian’s comments through the surveillance system. She actually wanted to get off work?

Let’s see who still dares think about getting off work after this ordeal.

Feeling quite pleased with himself for successfully making things difficult for Shi Jian, the team leader was in high spirits—until he saw Shi Jian stroll back into the office looking even more cheerful than him.

Team Leader: ???

His pupils shrank in shock. How did she come back? And she looked completely unfazed.

Shi Jian handed him the thermos. “The water’s filled,” then casually went back to her desk.

The team leader was full of questions and couldn’t hold them in. Standing in front of Shi Jian’s desk, he cleared his throat.

“You didn’t hear the screaming just now?”

He wondered—could it be that Shi Jian had good luck and didn’t run into anything?

But there had clearly been a scream just now, and Shi Jian had been outside right at that time.

Shi Jian answered calmly, “I heard it.” She even elaborated, “It was a warmhearted woman. She even helped fill your water. Do you know her?”

Team Leader: !!!

He instinctively took the thermos when Shi Jian handed it over, but now he suddenly found it hard to hold onto.

His insides ached. Meanwhile, the live stream audience was in hysterics.

…

【Hahahahaha, did the team leader’s hand just shake? Did everyone see that?】

【Saw it!】

【LMAO, a ‘warmhearted woman’? That long-tongued woman probably never imagined she’d be rebranded like that in her wildest dreams. And that wasn’t her being warmhearted—Shi Jian clearly threatened her with a chainsaw to fill the water.】

【Warmhearted woman: You celebrities really do spread false rumors, huh.】

【Too savage.】

Shi Jian beamed with an exceptionally bright smile—she did it on purpose. That water wasn’t fetched for free.

Although the team leader suspected Shi Jian was bluffing, in the end he still set the thermos down. His expression a little sullen, he decided to leave her alone for now.

While he didn’t deal with Shi Jian directly, he still circled the topic around her in his speech.

He raised his arm and called to the office workers, “Everyone, pause for a moment and let me say a few words.”

With a furrowed brow and a very serious demeanor, he spoke righteously.

“I’ve noticed some colleagues have problematic thinking. The Common Prosperity Company is where we realize our ideals and ambitions. The company is like a second set of parents—it gives us a platform, pays us wages, and helps us gain a foothold in society, grow, and thrive…”

“Young people, don’t always ask what the company can give you—ask what you can give the company. Don’t keep thinking about getting off work or not. Are you really working overtime? No, this is an opportunity for you to be trained!”

Shi Jian: “……”Before he even opened his mouth, Shi Jian had already guessed nothing good would come out of it—but she hadn’t expected it to be such a load of crap.

Inside, a thousand alpacas were stampeding through her mind.

Fine, this "opportunity" is all yours.

She thought of Tang Tian’s skill, 【The Boss's Blessing】—turns out, it wasn’t an exaggeration at all.

Statements like this, in a normal context, would at the very least earn you some very intense side-eyes, if not a full slap in the face.

But for some reason, the employees here seemed to eat it up.

Sister Wang was nodding so hard it looked like she was pounding garlic, her eyes even brimming with tears. She muttered, “I love the company, thank the company. If I didn’t have elders and kids at home, I’d want to work overtime 24/7. I love working for the company!”

Shi Jian reminded her, “Weren’t you just trying to dump your work on me earlier so I’d do it for you?”

You really love overtime? She didn’t buy it.

Sister Wang shot Shi Jian a glare sharp enough to cut, as if she wanted to slice her into tiny pieces with just her eyes.

But Shi Jian didn’t feel like laughing, because she could tell—Sister Wang wasn’t acting. Those words, that devotion in her expression, were genuine.

And that was the creepiest part.

But it didn’t stop there. The team leader raised his arm and shouted, “Let’s all give thanks to the Common Prosperity Company!”

A chorus of voices filled the not-so-large office.

“Thank you, Common Prosperity Company!”

Team Leader: “Let us achieve common prosperity—promotions and raises!”

“Promotions and raises! Promotions and raises!”

The previously expressionless faces suddenly lit up as if injected with adrenaline. Their faces flushed red, their voices grew fervent, practically loud enough to lift the ceiling. Shi Jian had to restrain herself from covering her ears.

What the hell kind of mass indoctrination scene was this?

It was like they were possessed.

The team leader, having regained his confidence after his earlier setback with Shi Jian, probably wanted to show some approachability, so he asked the others, “If you have any questions, feel free to come to me.”

A timid girl with a ponytail raised her hand and asked softly, “Team Leader, does our company offer overtime pay?”

The team leader’s smile grew even more "approachable." He said, “You’re an intern, right?”

“Yes.”

He nodded knowingly. “Knew it. Only a newbie would ask such a cute question. Our overtime… of course, there’s no overtime pay. Everyone works overtime voluntarily.”

“Team Leader.”

A confident, crisp voice called out to him.

It was Shi Jian.

The team leader’s sixth sense must have kicked in—he really didn’t want to engage with her and was planning to pretend he hadn’t seen anything.But Shi Jian was really just giving a token heads-up—whether he allowed it or not, she was going to say it.

“Then I’m clocking out.”

She notified her immediate superior.

Shi Jian had already grabbed her phone. “Voluntary overtime? I don’t have that kind of willingness.”

She had caught that sentence loud and clear—she was not volunteering.

Time to dip.

The team leader was left speechless, able only to watch in utter shock as Shi Jian walked out.

“This…”

After Shi Jian left, the team leader tried to say a few words to evaluate her.

But before he could even finish, someone else stood up and cut him off.

She wasn’t quite as bold as Shi Jian, but her actions were the same.

Right after Shi Jian walked out, the girl with dark circles who sat beside her also got up and left.

And once there’s a first and second brave soul, others started trickling into the off-work line as well.

Team leader: “……”

That weird, cult-like atmosphere he’d just stirred up with his speech popped like a balloon pricked by an invisible needle.

Shi Jian was that needle.

…

The reason Shi Jian hurriedly left the office—besides not wanting to listen to more of the team leader’s brainwashing—was because she had just received replies from Tang Tian and Xu An.

Good news.

They were placed in the same company—just not in the same office.

Shi Jian had already agreed on a meeting spot with them earlier. Xu An said, “I’ll finish up quickly and come down to meet you.”

After checking the messages and replying briefly, Shi Jian set off toward the meeting point. But she had barely taken a few steps when someone called out from behind her.

“Shi Jian-jie.”

Shi Jian had just unlocked a new title at this company after “Xiao Shi”—now it was “Shi Jian-jie.”

From the way she was addressed, Shi Jian figured the person must be of lower rank in the company. Her feet paused, and she was already mentally prepared to whip out her chainsaw again if needed. Only then did she stop and turn around.

But the person didn’t come to assign her a task or make her do anything. She even looked at Shi Jian with a worried expression.

“Shi Jian-jie, isn’t it a bit risky to offend Sister Wang and the team leader like that?”

Shi Jian: “Hmm?” Care to elaborate?

She had a feeling she might be able to dig out some useful information from this girl.

Since Tang Tian and Xu An hadn’t arrived yet, Shi Jian decided to be patient and chat with her a bit longer.Through the conversation, Shi Jian learned that the person in front of her was indeed lower-ranked—Shi Jian was a regular clerk, while the other girl was named Sun Rouyuan, an intern under Shi Jian.

The reason Sun Rouyuan didn’t want Shi Jian to offend the team leader or Sister Wang wasn’t just concern that Shi Jian might be targeted—she had also heard, “Didn’t Manager Dou leave? They’re selecting a new manager soon. Shi Jian-jie, don’t you want a promotion?”

When she mentioned a promotion, Sun Rouyuan’s tone even lifted a bit.

Promotions were somewhat tied to one’s reputation among colleagues.

Shi Jian: What does her promotion have to do with Sun Rouyuan?

But Sun Rouyuan’s next words cleared up her confusion. She looked bitter and said, “Shi Jian-jie, if you get promoted to manager, won’t that mean I might benefit too and become a full-time employee? I’m already spending money out of my own pocket just to keep working here this month…”

Shi Jian: “Spending your own money?”

Sun Rouyuan sighed and replied, “You know how twisted this company’s system is…”

Shi Jian: Damn, this isn’t a joke anymore—they’ve really made losing money on the job a reality.

First it was “voluntary overtime,” now it’s paying to work.

Shi Jian couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know what school our company president graduated from? What major?”

Could it be… botany?

It made Shi Jian think of that senior from the Fog Forest again.

That senior who wanted financial independence so badly he went to grad school and tried to start a company hiring people for 3,000 a month… This was even worse—they wanted interns to pay the company.

Shi Jian: Could it be an old acquaintance?

She loved old acquaintances.

Ever since the limited-time return of Housekeeper Tang, Shi Jian had developed a fondness for familiar ghosts. New ones required too much adjusting, but familiar ones—everyone already knew each other’s patterns.

【The streamer looks kind of excited.】

【Could the senior show up too?】

But life wasn’t so generous. Sun Rouyuan scratched her head. “Our company president’s not really educated, I heard he built everything from scratch.”

Shi Jian: Got it. Can’t be the senior.

The senior was so useless even his own dad didn’t want him—no way he built anything from scratch.

Shi Jian pushed the senior from her mind—what she really wanted to know was what these twisted policies were, and how money got deducted.

Based on experience, they’d probably be highly relevant to her.

But when she asked, Sun Rouyuan didn’t answer as openly as before. She stared at Shi Jian in confusion.

“Shi Jian-jie, this is something everyone in the company knows. Why are you asking me?”

Her tone went from normal to gradually cold and devoid of warmth. Not only that, Shi Jian felt like the temperature around her had dropped a few degrees.

Sun Rouyuan was still staring at her, intently, clearly waiting for a reasonable explanation.

Shi Jian suddenly felt like she was once again on the edge of danger.

And this wasn’t the pantry—other employees were walking by.And they all stopped at the same time without prior agreement, staring at Shi Jian. Shi Jian had no doubt that if she gave the wrong answer, they would all rush at her together.

……

“……”

Shi Jian tried to calm her racing heart and said naturally, “Of course I was just worried you’d forget, so I did a surprise inspection.”

Sun Rouyuan was stunned for a moment, then returned to normal. “Oh.”

She looked at Shi Jian with gratitude. “Shi Jian-jie, you’re so good to me. You were afraid I’d forget and even helped with a surprise check. You’re the only ‘jie’ I have!”

Besides Sun Rouyuan’s shift in attitude, Shi Jian also noticed other things—like how the temperature, which had dropped just a moment ago, quickly returned to normal; and how the employees who had been staring at her in unison now went back to walking around as if nothing had happened.

Crisis averted again.

Shi Jian: Whether she’s the only “jie” or not doesn’t really matter.

What matters is—

“Go ahead,” she said. The person doing the inspection still had no clue what was going on.

……

Shi Jian brought the intel she got from Sun Rouyuan to the meeting point. Xu An was already there waiting.

He was dressed in formal business attire, looking sharp and proper, with broad shoulders and long legs.

Upon hearing Shi Jian approach, Xu An turned around.

The viewers in Shi Jian’s personal livestream quickly began discussing this unfamiliar face.

【Huh? Did I miss something? I feel like I’ve been here since the stream started and never saw Shi Jian the goddess interact with another streamer?】

【There’s only one truth—maybe this isn’t a temporary party member from this dungeon, but someone they teamed up with earlier?】

【New teammate? Kinda handsome.】

But the audience didn’t linger long on the new teammate, because Tang Tian still hadn’t arrived.

“Tang Tian’s not here yet?”

Xu An shook his head. “No.”

Shi Jian confirmed that Xu An had been the first to arrive among them. And aside from Tang Tian’s initial normal reply, the last message she sent had received a very brief answer about ten minutes ago.

“Just one good.”

Shi Jian showed the message to Xu An, her expression tense and anxious. “Tang Tian usually replies with big paragraphs. This tone feels off.”

“Could something have happened?!”

Shi Jian’s heart sank at the thought.

“Were you assigned to fetch water from the pantry?”

The two of them began cross-checking information.

Xu An said, “Yeah.” And he had also encountered the long-tongued woman.Shi Jian increasingly felt that something was wrong. Based on this logic, Tang Tian had most likely also been sent to the pantry.

“…Tang Tian doesn’t have any offensive skills.”

Could it be that Tang Tian got caught by the long-tongued woman?

As she spoke, Shi Jian was about to take off running toward the pantry.

But after just a couple of steps, a safe and sound Tang Tian appeared from the opposite direction, bumping into Shi Jian head-on. Tang Tian looked a bit confused at Shi Jian, who was running full speed.

“Huh.”

“Where are you two going?”

Tang Tian was perfectly fine. The reason her reply had been so brief was simply because—her hands were full.

Shi Jian: What is this?

Tang Tian’s hands were completely occupied with snacks and coffee. She grinned and called out to Shi Jian, “Come have some free coffee, and snacks too. I tried them—they’re pretty good.”

“This company’s stingy as hell, but I’ve already gotten chummy with the staff over there. We can get unlimited refills now.”

Not only did Tang Tian provide coffee and snacks, but she even shifted her body closer to Shi Jian and gestured for her to pull a small notebook out of her pocket.

Tang Tian said, “A full list of Gongfu Company’s twisted policies…”

Shi Jian flipped through it, her eyes lighting up.

She gave Tang Tian a round of applause.

Though she’d also gotten some company rules from Sun Rouyuan, they weren’t nearly as detailed. Tang Tian had already compiled it all in such a short time!

If Shi Jian entering the Judgment Room was like going home, then for Tang Tian, joining the company was going home.