Chapter 19: Lin Yu’s Pension

July 22nd, 2023

“Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the divination task, helping Feng Huihui avoid misfortune, and gaining 10 points of merit and 0 yuan of divination fee.” The system.

Just as Lin Xuan returned to the secret room, she received a system notification for completing the task.

Lin Xuan smirked with satisfaction. Mengzi was indeed Mengzi, a great educator. With just a used ruler, he could easily teach you how to behave.

The light of righteousness!

“Why are you standing at the door grinning like an idiot?” Tang Mingxu saw Lin Xuan standing at the door, grinning, and walked over to tug at her twisted braid.

“Nothing, just eliminating evil for the people,” Lin Xuan boasted.

“Did you help catch mice on your way here?” Tang Mingxu asked.

I’m eliminating evil, not pests.

“…” Lin Xuan couldn’t be bothered to explain to Tang Mingxu. “Are there any teams scheduled for the afternoon?”

Nowadays, the players in the secret room are all pre-booked. Tang Mingxu would estimate their strength in advance and inform Lin Xuan, so she could prepare her “cursed lines” in advance. Therefore, whenever Tang Mingxu notified Lin Xuan to come over, it was usually a team of strong players.

“I was just about to tell you about that. Come, let’s go inside and talk.”

Lin Xuan followed Tang Mingxu into the dressing room.

“I heard Xiaoya say that you found a job?” Tang Mingxu asked.

“Yeah,” Lin Xuan nodded.

“So, will you have time to continue part-time here in the future?”

Lin Xuan didn’t answer immediately but instead asked, “Do you want me to continue part-time?”

“Of course, I do. If it weren’t for the concern that working here might limit your career development, I would have wanted you to become a regular employee here,” Tang Mingxu said. Lin Xuan was just a part-time student, and she was about to graduate. Tang Mingxu had long prepared for Lin Xuan to resign. As for the cursed ghost in the secret room, Tang Mingxu had thought about finding someone to replace her, but if possible, he hoped Lin Xuan would stay. He noticed that Lin Xuan seemed to have a knack for accurate predictions. Analyzing the player feedback over the past half month, he found that any curse uttered by Lin Xuan had an accuracy rate of over 90%.

Tang Mingxu was not a superstitious person, but there was something mysterious about Lin Xuan.

After contemplating for a moment, Lin Xuan replied, “I should be able to continue part-time because the job I found is quite easy. However, I’m now a working person, so I won’t be able to come whenever you call me. If there’s something happening on their side, I’ll definitely go there.”

Lin Xuan didn’t want to give up her part-time job in the secret room. As the secret room became more famous, an increasing number of players came specifically for her services, and it was also an opportunity for her to practice divination openly. With a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan and a powerful health insurance that covered even colds, Lin Xuan had no financial worries, but she was always lacking in merit points.

There was no way around it. The system was just too demanding. She had earned over 3,000 merit points yesterday, but before she could celebrate, one item had already been deducted.

Being poor is tough.

“That’s not a problem, but what kind of job is so easy?” The secret room might be small, but Tang Mingxu was still the boss. Which company would be so lenient with their employees? Was it a charitable organization?

Lin Xuan thought about the confidentiality agreement she had filled out when applying for the job and replied vaguely with a smile, “It was a friend’s referral. I work as an accountant. It doesn’t have much workload, just calculating salaries and such.”

Tang Mingxu nodded, vaguely understanding the situation. The accounting position involved the company’s cash flow, and some skeptical bosses preferred to hire acquaintances as accountants. Typically, such accounting jobs didn’t have a heavy workload. Additionally, being familiar with the boss meant there was no need to clock in for work. Just showing up at the end and beginning of each month would suffice. Tang Mingxu speculated that Lin Xuan was probably working as that kind of accountant.

“Well, that sounds like a good job,” he commented.

“It is,” Lin Xuan expressed extreme satisfaction with her job.

“Since you’ve been able to continue part-time work here, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” Tang Mingxu said. “Didn’t I turn the cursed ghost into an Easter egg? Only high-level players can trigger the Easter egg, but this setup has caused dissatisfaction among many other players. After all, high-level players are a minority, and most people can’t reach that level. The experience isn’t very enjoyable. So, I want to make a change and randomize this Easter egg. What do you think?”

“What do you mean by randomize?” Lin Xuan asked.

“This is what I’m thinking at the moment. The cursed ghost will appear once a day, but the specific session will be uncertain, just like opening a blind box. Of course, that’s how we’ll explain it to the players. But you’ll be the one to decide in which session the Easter egg will appear. However, this means you’ll have to come here every day,” Tang Mingxu explained. Lin Xuan, being the performer of the cursed ghost, would determine when the Easter egg would be activated.

Lin Xuan couldn’t help but admire Tang Mingxu’s creativity. In just half a month, he had come up with three different plans for the operation of the secret room. He was truly resourceful. However, the efficiency still wasn’t high.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xuan spoke up, “Boss, I have a suggestion, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to share.”

“Go ahead,” Tang Mingxu encouraged her to speak.

“We could organize a lottery event,” Lin Xuan proposed her idea.

“A lottery?” Tang Mingxu was slightly puzzled.

“You must have noticed that my ‘curses’ have been somewhat effective, right?” Lin Xuan smiled. Each time she “cursed” someone, it was actually based on the divination results from the system. The accuracy was 100%. People wouldn’t suspect anything after one or two instances, but if it happened frequently, observant individuals would take notice. Lin Xuan believed that Tang Mingxu must have already noticed.

Tang Mingxu had already been surprised by the degree of accuracy of Lin Xuan’s “curses,” so when she mentioned it, he became intrigued. “You don’t really possess the ability to curse, do you?”

“Well, it’s not really a curse, but divination,” Lin Xuan explained smoothly. “I’m interested in studying astrology, tarot cards, and other divination methods. I have some expertise in divination and fortune-telling. Those ‘curses’ I perform are actually based on my divination results, which is why they are so accurate.”

“You can perform divination?” Tang Mingxu got excited. “Then, can you tell me when I’ll become wealthy? Also, I plan to open another branch at the end of the year. Will it be successful?”

“…” Lin Xuan held back Tang Mingxu’s excitement. “Divination relies on intuition, and not everyone can succeed at it.”

Lin Xuan had no intention of telling Tang Mingxu about her ability to only predict misfortune. Firstly, it wouldn’t make sense for someone who practices divination to only predict bad luck. Secondly, if she were to reveal this, it would appear more like a curse.

Tang Mingxu felt a bit disappointed, but he understood. If Lin Xuan was truly exceptional and capable of predicting everything, why would she stay confined to his small escape room? She could easily go out and offer her services to wealthy individuals, making millions effortlessly.

“Please continue,” Tang Mingxu said.

“Well, here’s my plan. We can have a lottery segment, and I’ll be in charge of it. This way, it would be convenient for me to make divinations. If I suddenly have a feeling about a particular player…” Lin Xuan trailed off.

Tang Mingxu raised an eyebrow, his face filled with amusement.

“Oh, not that kind of feeling. I mean a divination feeling,” Lin Xuan realized her words were ambiguous, and her face turned red with embarrassment. “Basically, if I predict something, I’ll manipulate the outcome so that the player wins the prize. Since it’s a pre-drawn lottery, players won’t suspect anything. It will appear random, and it actually is random because whether they win or not depends on whether I can predict it.”

“Brilliant!” Tang Mingxu’s eyes sparkled as he listened.

“And here’s another advantage. I can write down the divination results in advance. That way, even if I’m not present, other NPCs can carry out the curse,” Lin Xuan added. This was another goal of hers. Ordinary players took at least an hour and a half to complete the dungeon, which was a waste of time. If she could prepare the divination results in advance, she wouldn’t have to lie in the coffin herself. She could leave after the lottery was drawn.

“That’s settled!” Tang Mingxu was a decisive person, and since his escape room wasn’t a large-scale company, he had the authority to make changes with just a word. That afternoon, he went online and purchased a lottery box that could be manipulated secretly, thus initiating the new mode for the escape room.

After that, Lin Xuan had a much easier time. Tang Mingxu only required her to come once a day, at any time. As long as Lin Xuan wasn’t present, players would never win the prize.

After a week passed, Lin Xuan earned slightly more virtue points in the escape room, but it still wasn’t enough. At this rate, it would take half a year to buy another ruler.

But there was nothing she could do. After all, encountering a calamity event like the previous one was rare.

“Ugh!” Lin Xuan suddenly knocked her own head. “I’m so wicked. How could I think of such terrifying things for just a few virtue points? I must be going crazy.”

To punish herself for her wicked thoughts, Lin Xuan decided not to have spicy hot pot for dinner and opted for the cafeteria instead.

While queuing for food, Lin Xuan received a call from Assistant Tan. Seeing that it was Assistant Tan calling, Lin Xuan abandoned her food tray and sneaked outside the cafeteria to find a quiet place to answer the call.

“Assistant Tan, you’re looking for me,” Lin Xuan’s voice was cheerful and energetic. Even during mealtime, she wanted to convey her delight to her superior.

“Do you have time tonight?” Assistant Tan asked.

“I have time,” Lin Xuan replied. She had already finished writing her thesis and was now just waiting for her defense. There wasn’t much to do at school.

“Can you come at 8 o’clock? We need to complete some onboarding procedures,” Assistant Tan said.

“Onboarding procedures?” Lin Xuan was puzzled.

“We are an official organization, and not everyone can join us. Although Chen Chu and Jie Xingyu recommended you, you still need to go through the proper process,” Assistant Tan explained.

“Alright, I’ll come tonight,” Lin Xuan quickly agreed. She didn’t find anything inappropriate about Assistant Tan asking her to come to the company at night. After all, she didn’t have to go to the office unless there was work, so occasionally putting in some extra hours was reasonable.

After finishing her meal and calculating the time, Lin Xuan went to 106 Chunfeng Road.

Arriving at the office ten minutes early, Lin Xuan found Assistant Tan sitting inside, dealing with documents. When Assistant Tan saw her, he nodded and said, “Go downstairs and wait for a while. I’ll handle your onboarding procedures later.”

“Okay,” Lin Xuan obediently went downstairs and waited for Assistant Tan to finish his work.

The office of the Special Affairs Department was a two-story building, with the offices on the second floor and a reception area on the first floor. The reception area wasn’t luxurious, but it had everything it needed, including snacks, a tea bar, and a coffee machine.

Since Lin Xuan had just finished eating and wasn’t very hungry, she used the coffee machine to make herself a cup of coffee. As she was contemplating whether to make a cup for Assistant Tan as well, she heard a noise at the entrance.

Turning around, Lin Xuan saw a slender man entering. He held a stick in his hand, lightly tapping it on the ground, and his face was hidden in the shadows, making it difficult to see his features clearly.

Was he a colleague?

“Hello,” Lin Xuan greeted proactively.

The man turned his head and walked towards Lin Xuan. It was only then that she noticed something unusual because the object in the man’s hand wasn’t just an ordinary stick, but a white cane.

The man walked out of the shadows with his white cane, revealing his handsome features and a pair of unfocused eyes. He stopped three steps away from Lin Xuan and smiled, saying, “Hello.”

“You… hello,” Lin Xuan instinctively replied.

“I smell the aroma of coffee. Can you make me a cup?” the man asked.

“Of course, I can,” Lin Xuan hurriedly returned to the coffee machine and started brewing coffee. She could hear the sound of the cane tapping on the ground behind her. Lin Xuan wanted to help, but she was afraid of offending the man, so she discreetly observed his actions, waiting for him to find the exact location of the sofa and sit down before averting her gaze.

After a moment, Lin Xuan finished brewing the coffee and walked over, hesitating whether to place the coffee directly in the man’s hand or on the coffee table in front of him.

“Put it on the coffee table, please. Thank you,” the man said as if he could see through Lin Xuan’s thoughts.

“Oh, okay,” Lin Xuan quickly placed the coffee there. “I’m not very good at making coffee, so I don’t know if it tastes good.”

“The coffee beans here were brought back from Country Y by Qingfeng. Just brew it casually, and it will taste excellent,” the man said, his slender and fair fingers touching the coffee table, quickly finding the handle of the coffee cup. He lifted it and took a sip.

Judging from his familiar tone, he was undoubtedly a colleague.

“Hello, I’m Lin Xuan, the new employee of the Special Affairs Department. I came here today to complete my onboarding procedures,” Lin Xuan introduced herself proactively.

“I’m Xiao Wen,” the man with beautiful but unfocused eyes, Xiao Wen, looked at Lin Xuan. “Do you have bad luck?”

“Huh?” Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned.

“With my ability, I feel like you’ve been having some bad luck,” Xiao Wen said. “You’ve been quite unlucky recently.”

That’s right, since he was also from the Special Affairs Department, he must have supernatural abilities.

“Yes, I’ve had some bad luck, but I feel like my luck is starting to turn around,” Lin Xuan replied, feeling that her recent luck had been quite good, at least in terms of finances.

“Still, be careful,” Xiao Wen cautioned and took another sip of coffee.

At this moment, Assistant Tan came downstairs from the second floor. When he saw Xiao Wen, he didn’t seem surprised, as if he had known he would come. “Xiao Wen, you’re here. I have everything ready upstairs. Let’s go up together to get it.”

“Okay,” Xiao Wen stood up and walked in Assistant Tan’s direction with his white cane.

Assistant Tan then looked at Lin Xuan. “Lin Xuan, you can go back now.”

“Huh? Aren’t we supposed to complete the procedures?” Lin Xuan was surprised.

“It’s already done,” Assistant Tan said, without waiting for Lin Xuan’s reaction. He turned around and went back upstairs. Xiao Wen followed behind with his cane, unhurriedly.

Lin Xuan scratched her head in confusion and hesitated for a moment before calling Chen Chu. She briefly explained the situation, “Senior Chen, did I offend Assistant Tan? Why did he call me here and then ignore me?”

Chen Chu pondered for a moment and asked, “Besides Assistant Tan, did you see anyone else?”

“Yes, I met a colleague named Xiao Wen. Assistant Tan went upstairs with him,” Lin Xuan replied.

“What did Xiao Wen say to you?” Chen Chu asked.

“He didn’t say much. We just exchanged a few greetings and he drank a cup of coffee I brewed,” Lin Xuan said.

“Congratulations, you’ve officially joined the company,” Chen Chu laughed.

“???” Lin Xuan was completely confused.

“Xiao Wen is the final step of your onboarding process,” Chen Chu explained. “His ability is quite special, and everyone who enters the Special Affairs Department must pass through him. By drinking the coffee you made, he has accepted you.”

Lin Xuan suddenly realized and felt a mix of enlightenment and shock. This official department was indeed not easy to enter.

Upstairs, Assistant Tan asked Xiao Wen, “What do you think of her?”

“She’s a good person, but she may not live long,” Xiao Wen said.

Assistant Tan’s hand stiffened, and he looked sharply at Xiao Wen.

“She has the signs of impending death,” Xiao Wen said.

“Then why did you let her pass the onboarding screening?” Assistant Tan asked.

“But I have a feeling that she won’t easily meet her end,” Xiao Wen said.

Assistant Tan was speechless. You said she won’t live long, and you said she won’t easily meet her end. What’s going on?

“Let her join first. In case she dies, it’s just a matter of compensation,” Xiao Wen concluded.

“…” Assistant Tan.

It seemed they needed to prepare the compensation in advance.