We ran like the wind, heading straight towards the building of Xi Yong'an's company. The moment we stopped to catch our breath, I immediately pulled out my phone and quickly typed a message to send to him:
💬 Zhao Tianxia: "I've arrived. Or should I say... I'm back?"
💬 Xi Yong'an: "Faster than I thought. Come on in, I'm waiting."
We stepped inside together. After meeting us, Xi Yong'an was in no hurry to discuss old matters; instead, he led the two of us around for a tour while briefly explaining some of the operational rules here. He pointed his finger at the rules board neatly hung in the main lobby:
📜 [ COMPANY OPERATIONAL RULES ]
-Work spirit: Place responsibility above all else, always maintain a harmonious and open attitude.
-Internal assistance: Every member has an obligation to actively help and share information with one another.
-Core taboo: Absolutely no conflicts or disputes that lead to killing each other within the company are allowed.
-Prohibited behaviors: Any act of destroying common property, insulting, humiliating, or secretly harming colleagues is strictly prohibited.
I read through the whole thing attentively and nodded slightly in agreement. These regulations, in a bizarre world full of betrayal, were clearly a much-needed protective shield.
Only then did Xi Yong'an turn to look at the two of us, his face filled with curiosity:
-"By the way, you two resigned so suddenly, didn't the manager there make things difficult or bother you?"
-"No, everything went much more peacefully than I expected." - Yashu shuddered slightly as she recalled, her voice still carrying a lingering trace of fear. "But that was the first time I saw him show such anger; the pressure radiating from him was truly terrifying. The moment we stepped out of the door, the two of us had to run for our lives to get here."
Xi Yong'an nodded without saying anything more. He turned around and led the two of us deeper into the back, stopping in front of a massive warehouse filled to the brim with stacked cardboard boxes of all sizes. I scanned my eyes around the area and asked:
-"What exactly is our job here?"
-"It's simple." - Xi Yong'an said, pointing at a truck parked in the courtyard outside. "Just help carry these cardboard boxes and stack them neatly onto that truck over there. But remember to be really careful, the contents inside are all fragile items."
Looking deep into the warehouse, I saw a few other players silently carrying the boxes as well. Amidst the crowd, my gaze was suddenly drawn to a bizarre old man. He was walking while grinning widely, his eyes tightly shut, yet he could carry three or four heavy boxes stacked on top of each other at once, his mouth constantly muttering strange, nonsensical words.
However, just a moment later, the quiet atmosphere was abruptly shattered when three or four bulky security guards rushed in, brutally restraining him and dragging him outside.
-"That old man just now... who was he?" - Yashu looked towards the warehouse door, asking with a look of concern.
Xi Yong'an waved his hand slightly, a helpless expression on his face:
-"I'm not too sure either. About a few months ago, he suddenly rushed straight into my company out of nowhere. His mind seems to have gone completely mad, and his mouth is always muttering some creepy poem."
He paused for a moment, lowering his voice cautiously:
-"The strange thing is, that old man is incredibly strong. Normally, when he goes crazy, one or two grown men basically have no way to overpower him."
I stared fixedly in the direction where the old man had just been dragged away, a strange, indescribable feeling rising in my heart. Instinct told me that this madman might be holding some kind of secret. I turned to ask the owner:
-"Have you ever tried talking to him?"
-"Never, he basically doesn't listen to anyone at all." - Xi Yong'an sighed and shook his head. "No matter who approaches to talk or ask him anything, he always just repeatedly recites that bizarre poem. I tried telling him to leave, but it was useless."
After standing and exchanging information for a while, the two of us began our first trial work. Only when I bent down to lift a cardboard box myself did I truly understand how heavy it was. After carrying it for just about three or four turns, both of my arms were already aching, and my bones felt like they were going to fall apart into pieces. The inside of this box seemed to be filled with glass water bottles; every time I moved, they would bump into each other, making clinking and clattering sounds. That sound served as a reminder that I had to be extremely careful with every step if I didn't want to break this pile of things.
Right at this moment, a loud thud echoed right above our heads. The vent cover on the ceiling was pushed open, and the crazy old man suddenly poked his face out, making my heart skip a beat.
In the brief moment our eyes met, the old man suddenly became extremely agitated.