[White Impermanence]
Description: White Impermanence is a humanoid "presence" resembling the mythological Ghost General of the Underworld, White Impermanence. Dressed in pure white, it wears a tall hat inscribed with the words "Little Brother, you're here too." It statistically emerges every day around 5:30 PM until approximately 8:30 AM the next day.
After its appearance, it raises a Mourning Stick and swings it at the working overtime employees, replacing them to finish their tasks once they're unconscious.
After the work is completed, the employees regain consciousness and become extremely concerned about their health. Upon follow-up investigations, no extraordinary events occur around them, allowing them to live normally, although they develop aversion and fatigue towards company overtime.
...
"According to the modeling analysis by the [Strategy Team], the probability of White Impermanence being a self-awakened Superpower User is extremely low. It's highly likely that White Impermanence is a boss from a particular Dungeon, and during its activation, none of our registered veteran players participated. After all the Dungeon players perished, White Impermanence inversely invaded the real world."
"Even though White Impermanence hasn't shown any malicious intent for now, we cannot place the safety of Ke Chen City on the unknown goodwill of a Dungeon boss."
"Based on existing information, it's highly likely that White Impermanence's tall hat and Mourning Stick are powerful Contained Objects."
"White Impermanence undoubtedly possesses powers of mental control and invisibility. If it has wisdom, there's an opportunity for communication. If it lacks wisdom and communication is impossible, yet it exhibits the ability to help complete various tasks, it indicates possession of [Rule-Level] power."
"The power of [Rule-Level] is not something our current forces in Ke Chen City can contend with."
"..."
Ke Chen City Management Team.
The power concentration point of the Extraordinary in this city.
At this moment, they're holding the seventh meeting about the recent appearance of White Impermanence.
Previously, meetings weren't attended by so many people.
After all, whether it's Extraordinary individuals with self-awakened powers or Receptacles who mastered Contained Object powers through Dungeons, they are essentially still human.
And humans, generally, don't like meetings.
But they can't resist each meeting now coming with a free cup of milk tea!
Currently, in the meeting room, each participant has a sweet milk tea in front of them, made by the Superpower User temporarily codenamed "Milk Tea Master."
That's Lin Hao's daily delivery order.
"In my opinion, discussing White Impermanence won't yield much. We'd be better off recruiting the Milk Tea Master."
"Exactly, after all, the Milk Tea Master is also a Superpower User. Making milk tea outside is ultimately risky, likely exposing the existence of the Extraordinary and causing traffic congestion."
"..."
Seeing the meeting's discussion veer off-topic, the chief attendee tapped the table, signaling everyone to focus on them.
"Gather intelligence on White Impermanence before it proves harmful. Temporarily downgrade its threat level from Grade A to Grade B."
"According to the [Strategy Team]'s prediction, a regular Dungeon will appear within three days, and based on its usual pattern, the incoming Dungeon might be on the supernatural side."
"Those whose abilities can't affect the supernatural should enter a dormant state in the coming days to avoid being drawn into the Dungeon."
...
These days, the number of people working overtime in Ke Chen City decreased.
People who encountered White Impermanence online express "Lord White Impermanence YYDS," but those who haven't met it remain fearful.
Meanwhile, those who've encountered it developed an instinctive aversion to overtime.
This also led to...
Lin Hao's milk tea shop doing better business, as the Overwork Tribe was freed, naturally causing increased foot traffic.
With more people shopping, buying milk tea at Lin Hao's becomes a natural choice.
This also boosted the surrounding small shops' business; sometimes, the queue is really long...
Today, after closing the milk tea shop, the owner apologized to the customers who didn't get their milk tea before lowering the rolling shutter.
Once the shutter was completely down, the owner slumped onto a chair in the shop.
Lin Hao smoothly handed the owner a cup of milk tea with energizing effects.
Taking a huge sip, after about a minute, the owner slowly sat up.
"Lin Hao, you've been at the milk tea shop for a month now, working hard this month."
"I initially agreed to a part-time salary of 2000 yuan, yet now giving you just 2000 makes me feel uneasy."
With that, the owner fiddled with their phone and transferred money to Lin Hao.
"Ke Chen City Commercial Bank warmly reminds you: your account received 15,000 yuan, please confirm promptly."
This...
Isn't that a bit too much?
But more shocking to Lin Hao than the month's part-time salary was the log right in front of him—
[The Sweet Ice Alliance is an Independent Practitioner Alliance embodying honesty and fairness in Tea Art]
[The shopkeeper of the alliance's store Lin Hao joined was impressed by his talent, awarding him a monthly salary of fifteen lower-grade Spirit Stones]
[This monthly salary was paid using vouchers from the Commercial Stone Bank]
Turns out, wages received online don't directly convert into Spirit Stones...
Therefore, as long as he earns money online from now on, his life in the city is basically secured!
As Lin Hao realized this, the owner pulled out a contract, softly saying:
"Lin Hao, after my careful consideration, would you become my partner?"
"A guaranteed 10,000 yuan a month, with 30% of the monthly profit for you, 30% for me, and the remaining for potential operational costs, settling accounts at year-end."
[The shopkeeper, insightful and discerning, wishes for Lin Hao to become the store's patron]
Lin Hao carefully read the contract, finding no language traps or unfair restrictions, and signed it at once.
He wouldn't lose out; if the owner doesn't keep promises, he could simply switch to a new milk tea shop.
Seeing Lin Hao sign, the owner smiled happily and swiftly operated their phone again...
"Ke Chen City Commercial Bank warmly reminds you: your account received 10,000 yuan, please confirm promptly."
Under Lin Hao's somewhat astonished gaze, the owner sweetly smiled:
"This is an advance on your salary; profit sharing will be calculated at month's end. You should go home and rest early, you've worked hard, I'll take care of the shop cleaning."
"President Lin~~, tomorrow's hard work is on you."
[Lin Hao received an advance supply of ten lower-grade Spirit Stones]
[Lin Hao was deeply moved]
...
[Lin Hao returned to the Cave Mansion to prepare for cultivation]
Returning home, Lin Hao took out his phone and sent a message to the company's HR manager:
"I quit."
[Lin Hao resigned from the "Ke Chen City Entertainment Intellect Limited Sect" Outer Elder, becoming a Loose Cultivator]
[This sect introduced him to the Immortal Path; the Sect Leader treated him well, imparting the "Unpredictable Overtime Skill" as a favor]
[But with immortality as his Cultivation goal, Lin Hao's steps were ultimately unbound by Small and Micro Sects]
Seeing the "favor" mentioned in the log, Lin Hao smiled.
Wherever he works, he'll probably learn the "Unpredictable Overtime Skill," right?
Composing himself, Lin Hao prepared to start cultivating.
Tomorrow, he planned to cultivate until afternoon in one go, feeling on the verge of breaking through the first layer of the Qi Refining Stage.
Suddenly, Lin Hao felt a twinge, with a timely new log prompt appearing.
[Lin Hao detected the emergence of a Secret Realm, entry conditions being below the third layer of the Qi Refining Stage, time being tomorrow at the Chou hour]