Free Web NovelChapter 23: Chapter 23: World of the Gods
This was a world completely different from the one above, and one that Duan Fei found completely unexpected.
A colossal effigy floated in mid-air. The statue was bare-chested, its solid muscles like a stone figure sculpted by a master, filled with a sense of explosive Power.
Its hair seemed to be burning, it held a lightning bolt in its hand, and its clothes billowed as if in the wind, even though there wasn’t a single breeze here.
When he first saw the statue, Duan Fei was indeed taken aback, but he quickly realized it wasn’t physically present. It was just a hologram.
There was only one path before him. Following it, Duan Fei saw a projector directly beneath the effigy, with two large speakers placed on either side of it.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this should be the place where the City Lord had an audience with the Gods, listening to the Divine Domain of the Gods from here.
However, after discovering the Gods were just a recording, Duan Fei became even more curious about these so-called Gods.
In a hidden corner below, a door was shut tight. The keypad lock on it was still flashing, prompting for a password.
"It can’t be 123456 again, can it? Whoa, it actually is!"
Looking at the opened door, Duan Fei felt that 123456 was truly the master password for everything.
Behind the door was a control room, with numerous monitors displaying scenes from the surface.
Judging by the camera angles, the surveillance was being conducted via the moon. The ultra-high-definition cameras, even on an artificial moon, could capture everything with crystal clarity. The only drawback was their inability to penetrate buildings and shielding films.
The monitors were still on. The spot where a staff member should have been sitting held only an empty chair. The coffee beside it was still steaming, and a set of blue work clothes hung on a rack by the door. It seemed the employee on duty was slacking off, and Duan Fei had happened to find this opening.
’I don’t know if this has anything to do with my Talent,’ he thought, ’but I really seized this opportunity perfectly.’
Besides the rows of buttons on the monitors, Duan Fei also saw a book.
The title was "Company Rulebook," with a line of small text below it: "For Examination Use Only, Thirtieth Revised Edition."
Tucking the book under his arm, Duan Fei changed into the work clothes, neatened his appearance, and then pushed the door open, walking out while flipping through the book.
Two security guards stood on either side of the doorway, currently yawning out of boredom.
They became slightly more alert upon seeing Duan Fei, but only just.
After all, Duan Fei’s movements were too natural. Plus, it was already the early morning, and the fatigue from working all night had lowered their alertness to a minimum.
Upon seeing Duan Fei’s focused expression as he read the book, they nodded in understanding and said, "That exam is really tough."
"Yeah, it is. Thanks for your hard work, you two."
Duan Fei took out some cigarettes from his clothes and offered them to the two guards. He greeted them amicably before blending into the crowd and slowly walking off in another direction.
This was a spacious hall surrounded by bright light sources. The smooth, vaulted ceiling was made entirely of steel, giving the place a futuristic, sci-fi feel.
Employees in blue work clothes yawned as they walked along the path, their staggering bodies making them look like zombies, like the used-up dregs left behind after being ravaged by capitalists.
Life here was clearly safer, but the people seemed even more unhealthy.
Remembering the bounty mission he had seen on the phone earlier, Duan Fei maliciously imagined the expressions on the faces of those thugs when they discovered the truth about the Divine Kingdom.
’That look of their faith collapsing along with their entire worldview... I’d never get tired of seeing it.’
Blending into the crowd, Duan Fei picked up the rulebook and took the opportunity to read it.
"Rule One: When on duty at this post, please be extremely careful. The people upstairs are not as stupid as you think! (They are exactly that stupid!)"
"Rule Two: The password is changed once a day to prevent people from upstairs from sneaking in, and also to prevent others from going up. Note: Going up without authorization is a violation! (Just set the password to 123456. That way, others can sneak up for some fun too. It’s all company property anyway, so it’s fine if we use it a little. If anything goes wrong, just format the corresponding scene.)"
"Rule Three: During the game, please monitor the surveillance closely and react in a timely manner. (Just block the mission. A few more variables will make the game more interesting.)"
The text in the parentheses was clearly not written by the book’s owner, but by someone else.
The company had a complete set of rules, and the employees here had a complete set of slacking-off techniques.
After reading these three rules and combining them with his previous deductions, Duan Fei more or less confirmed his suspicions.
’The apocalypse on the surface really is a game.’
The company had turned a region on the surface into a game, and had three different factions hunting a target. So, what was the purpose of all this?
Just as Duan Fei was lost in thought, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.
A hologram of an old man appeared in the air. Judging by the focused and reverent expressions of the people nearby, this old man held a high position.
After a couple of light coughs, he smiled and said to everyone, "Good morning, my dear employees."
"Good morning, our great leader!"
"Today is the thirtieth anniversary of our Good Dream Company’s founding. Everyone can enjoy a three-hour paid break."
"Hooray!"
A deafening cheer erupted, making Duan Fei almost think there was something wrong with his ears.
’Are you guys sure it’s three hours? And not three days or three weeks?’
But with everyone around him being so joyous, Duan Fei could only foolishly raise his hand and cheer along convincingly.
Raising a hand to quiet them, the old man continued, "In thirty years, Good Dream Company has established countless scenarios, from nuclear apocalypses to zombie crises, from alien invasions to fantasy wars. Our principle is..."
"To satisfy every customer!" an employee next to Duan Fei roared excitedly.
"That’s right. Customers give us money to customize scenarios, and we create those scenarios for them, allowing them to find joy within. This is a great formula, and it is the founding principle of our Good Dream Company. Let us continue to strive, and work hard for a better tomorrow for Good Dream!"
"Strive! Work hard!"
The employees cheered wildly, as if they were on steroids, until the holographic screen in front of them disappeared.
But although the image vanished, the sound did not.
The old man’s solemn tone vanished, and he chuckled, "Those employees are so adorably stupid. Three hours makes them this happy. What a bunch of easily-pleased idiots."
"A better tomorrow for Good Dream? Isn’t that just a better tomorrow for me? Thanks to those idiots, I can get a new car again."
"Hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph..."
The old man hummed a little tune, his voice like a sputtering mess, landing on each employee’s head like a glob of shit.
"Sooner or later, I’m gonna kill him!" an employee next to Duan Fei said under his breath.
"Why not kill him right now?" Duan Fei asked, confused.
The employee looked at Duan Fei in confusion and asked in a low voice, "Don’t tell me you didn’t sign the fifty-year indentured servitude contract. The cranial nerve surgery makes it impossible for us to perform any acts of aggression towards the boss, unless... HOLY SHIT, where’s your surgical port?"
Before the man could shout, Duan Fei smashed a fist directly into his nose.
