Chapter 1: an unknown entity??
[Let me ask you a question: do you believe in the existence of Golden Fingers?]
[Or rather, do you think such a power would descend upon you?]
[Yes/No]
Lin An's eyebrow twitched slightly as he looked at the string of text that popped up on his computer, feeling a bit surprised.
"Are the personality tests for interviews this interesting now?"
He grumbled, but without much thought, Lin An moved his mouse and clicked 'No'.
As a veteran web novel reader of ten years, he was naturally familiar with the term 'Golden Finger' and often imagined himself getting a cheat one day and soaring to success.
However, imagination was one thing, but in Lin An's opinion, it was much like the legendary 'love at first sight'.
He wouldn't completely deny the possibility of such things existing, but he also didn't believe such a low probability would happen to him.
[Since you don't believe in the advent of Golden Fingers, would you then hope for a monumental change that could impact the entire world?]
[Do you desire... change?]
[Yes/No]
Looking at the stark black and white text on the screen, Lin An couldn't help but fall into deep thought this time.
The questions in this personality test were truly thought-provoking. Could it be that this company wanted to hire a stable, conservative drudge?
He grumbled inwardly, but after some thought, Lin An still didn't make a choice against his heart and selected 'Yes'.
Life was dull, and after being a drudge for so long, one would naturally want to change a future that was so clearly laid out.
But rational people wouldn't believe in things like pie falling from the sky, so they could only pin their hopes on the changes in the tide of the times.
[Test complete. Congratulations on passing this round of trials!]
[The next round of trials will begin at an unspecified time. Please, player, be mentally prepared!]
"Player?"
Lin An's eyebrow twitched as he watched the text on the computer gradually disappear.
He was interviewing for a test engineer position at a gaming company. Since it was a gaming company, calling the interviewees 'players' shouldn't be strange... well, it still felt quite strange.
Before Lin An could ponder further, his phone on the table vibrated slightly, and a text message popped up.
[Linjiang City CDC reminds you: A small number of new epidemic infection cases have recently appeared in our city. For the safety and health of all citizens, our city is about to launch a three-day comprehensive sanitation campaign.
If you experience symptoms such as fever, dizziness, or chest pain, please go to the nearest designated medical institution for treatment as soon as possible, and take precautions against mosquitoes.]
"Tsk, a time of trouble."
Looking at the text message from the CDC, Lin An couldn't help but recall the natural disasters that had recently appeared in various parts of Blue Star, such as blood moons, typhoons, and floods.
Then, glancing at the dwindling supply of provisions in his rental apartment, he decisively put on a mask, preparing to go out and stock up.
Better safe than sorry, after all.
Since the CDC had issued such a warning, and he hadn't found his next job after his internship ended, he could completely stay indoors for a while, stocking up on daily necessities and avoiding unnecessary outings.
"Da da da, da da da!"
Night fell silently. The streets were sparsely populated, and the young man in a mask hurried along, soon arriving at a large supermarket nearby.
After picking out two large bags of long-lasting, high-calorie food, he also grabbed a solid baseball bat as he passed the sports equipment section, intending to take it to the checkout counter.
However, the usually bustling supermarket had only a few customers at the moment, so the two cashiers at the front desk were idly chatting.
"Speaking of which, it's been half a month since we last saw the boss, hasn't it?"
"Isn't that great? It's much easier to slack off when the boss isn't around."
"It is good."
The slightly younger cashier nodded slightly, then hesitated, saying, "But he was only scratched by a cat. It shouldn't be so exaggerated as to be hospitalized for half a month, right?"
"It's quite strange that the boss could even get scratched by a stray cat at home."
They didn't continue the conversation after that, as a customer had approached, so they quickly scanned the items for checkout.
"Goodbye, welcome back next time."
As the automatic door chime sounded, Lin An, carrying large bags, walked along the dim street. The pale streetlights cast an even more eerie glow on the ground.
"Is it getting dark a bit too quickly lately?"
Lin An pondered, but his footsteps didn't slow down at all; instead, they quickened.
At that moment, a faint, indistinct meow came from behind him.
Recalling the conversation between the two store clerks, Lin An's heart tightened, but he didn't look back; instead, he immediately sped up and ran!
Fortunately, his rental apartment wasn't far. He ran all the way to the apartment building, and nothing unusual happened.
"Phew, I was just scaring myself."
After confirming there was nothing behind him, Lin An slowly exhaled, then stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 23rd floor.
"As a materialist warrior, it seems my cultivation still needs improvement."
Lin An reflected as he watched the elevator doors slowly close.
But just then, a hoarse and shrill voice suddenly came from behind him.
"It's very good for a young man to have such thoughts."
"Someone?!"
Hearing this, Lin An was startled.
He turned around and realized that an old woman, hunched over and with her back to him, had appeared in the corner of the elevator at some unknown point.
As if noticing Lin An's gaze, the old woman slowly turned around, and then Lin An finally saw her appearance clearly.
A... wrinkled, black cat face!
A cat's face on a human body!
Lin An: "???"
"Holy crap!!"
At this moment, Lin An didn't even have time to be shocked. Facing this clearly non-human thing, he yelled and then swung the newly bought baseball bat with all his might!
However, the expected impact never came.
The baseball bat passed directly through the Man-Faced Old Woman's body, as if hitting air, and Lin An himself stumbled forward from the excessive force.
But the Man-Faced Old Woman, seeing this good opportunity to attack, did nothing but slowly reveal a bizarre smile on her face.
Lin An, recovering his senses and seeing this scene, then looked at the confined environment of the elevator, and a chill ran down his spine.
"It's immune to physical attacks. How do I fight this?"
Taking a deep breath, Lin An saw that the monster still wasn't moving, gritted his teeth, and swung the baseball bat in his hand again!
But no miracle happened. The baseball bat couldn't even touch the Man-Faced Monster, and it was the same when Lin An tried to punch it with his fist.
Even worse, Lin An discovered that the elevator had stopped at some point, and pressing other floor buttons had no effect!
Running away was impossible, and fighting back seemed equally futile.
Lin An watched as the Man-Faced Monster's smile widened, even starting to crack, and feelings of fear and despair involuntarily spread through his heart.
Just then, a phone rang abruptly in the eerie atmosphere.
"Hajimi wo nanbu ryokutou, Ashiga yaku naru..."