Wei Yuexin looked at the HR in confusion, "So, my job is to create early warning videos based on the content of novels?"
The HR, who had bright and beautiful features, smiled and said, "Yes. Our project is to create a large-scale immersive reality show game based on novels. The participants don't know the plot, and your videos will serve as the clues provided to them."
"For every video that passes review, I will pay you a base reward of one thousand yuan. Additionally, your video data will bring you extra income."
Wei Yuexin was tempted; it sounded quite simple.
Wei Yuexin was just like her name—a corporate slave who lived for her monthly salary, working nine-to-five. Her material desires were relatively low, and her current salary allowed her to save a bit after living expenses, which she was quite satisfied with.
Besides that, she was also a video editor. She usually made film and television montages and had a small following, though she mostly did it for the love of it.
If things continued like this, her life would be quite pleasant.
However, misfortune comes when least expected. Her grandmother accidentally fell down the stairs, and the hospitalization and surgery costs exhausted all their savings and then some. She was frantically trying to raise money everywhere when she received this collaboration invitation.
Although it was incredibly strange that such a wealthy project would seek out a small nobody like her, she thought of her grandmother still lying in the hospital bed, gritted her teeth, and took the job.
Half an hour later, Wei Yuexin signed the non-disclosure agreement and left the interview location carrying a stack of materials.
Before leaving, she couldn't help but ask, "For such an important project and such important videos, why don't you find professionals to do it?"
The HR's beautiful eyes flickered. "We look for professionals, and we look for amateurs like you. We mainly want to experience the variation in skill levels to see which style is more suitable."
Wei Yuexin's mouth twitched. Variation in skill levels... Have you no manners?
Wei Yuexin returned home, opened her computer, and downloaded the data package. After extracting it, she found that it was filled with apocalyptic novels. Each novel had a corresponding folder, and inside those folders were video materials.
She first looked at the video materials and was shocked. They were filmed so realistically, and the special effects were amazing, just like the real thing.
Rich people really spared no expense to make this game!
She opened the first novel and started reading.
The more she read, the more she frowned. The book was about a shut-in loser who gets a girl-getting system and learns that an Acid Rain Apocalypse is about to begin.
Every time he picks up a girl, he can get some acid-resistant materials and various survival supplies, while also making himself more handsome and stronger.
So, this loser started his journey of picking up girls. Relying on the good things obtained from the system, he built the only safe Acid-Rain Proof City in the apocalypse, became a local tyrant, enjoyed ultimate pleasure, toyed with women, mocked the government, and treated human life like grass, yet he was still revered by the world like a god.
He was clearly a worthless piece of trash who grew stronger through women, yet after gaining power, he treated those women like slaves at his feet, ordering them around and even "bestowing" them to his followers at will.
Wei Yuexin exited halfway through, wanting nothing more than to gouge out her eyes and replace her brain with one that hadn't read this book.
"Is this kind of novel even worth being made into a reality show game?" She was completely baffled. Was the taste of rich people really this unique? Could they not find any other books?
She flipped through the materials again. Supposedly, for every novel, the tycoon would specially create a game city. The number of game participants ranged from one hundred thousand to a million, a level of wealth that was truly staggering.
She strongly suspected that these novels were written by the rich people themselves for their own self-indulgence. It was just that while some people would turn their favorite novels into TV shows or movies, others turned them into reality show games.
Whatever. Money is hard to earn, and sometimes you have to swallow your pride. She endured it.
"I have to pretend the video audience is the original inhabitants in the novel, and I'm a natural disaster forecaster, right? No problem. I'll let everyone know the disaster is coming soon and have them prepare in advance. Let's see if this dog of a man can still have such smooth sailing."
After comforting herself, she took a deep breath and began making the video.
That night, the video was finished. She sent a copy to the HR, and it passed the review quickly. She immediately received a one thousand yuan red envelope.
HR: "The game has already started. You should post the video immediately."
So, her video—which was only meant to show the variation in skill—was actually selected?
Wei Yuexin happily accepted the red envelope. Following the requirements, she applied for a new account on Doudou, the largest video website, and posted it.
"Mission accomplished. Now to wait for the data feedback." Wei Yuexin prayed silently, "Please be successful!"
...Acid Rain World.
Inside a newly opened discount restaurant, a greasy, short, fat man with a face full of acne scars looked at the woman in front of him and said with what he thought was deep affection, "As long as you follow me, you'll be living the high life from now on. I definitely won't treat you poorly."
The woman took one look at him, her eyes instantly feeling assaulted. She quickly lowered her head, cursing the matchmaker in her heart for introducing her to such a blind date!
She said tactfully, "I think we might not be a good match. I still have things to do at my company, so let's leave it at that."
She was about to leave when the man quickly pressed down on her hand and said urgently, "I'm serious! In the future, I will definitely become the king of this world. As the first person to follow me, I don't mind giving you the position of legal wife."
Hearing this, the woman felt both disgusted and amused. She shook him off. "Are you sick? If you're sick, go get treated! King? Legal wife? The Qing Dynasty fell long ago. Why don't you just die if you miss the old country so much, you feudal remnant? Oh, I forgot, for someone like you, you'd probably just be a lifelong bachelor in the Qing Dynasty! Even if you wanted to be a eunuch, they wouldn't want you!"
The man was both ashamed and furious. He stuttered for a long time but couldn't speak, his eyes only releasing a fierce light that said, 'Woman! Very well, your wealth and glory are gone!'
His name was Shi Feizhai. Yesterday, he had obtained a girl-getting system. The system told him that it would soon rain acid all over the world, and ninety-nine percent of people would die in the acid rain. Crops would fail, food would be scarce, water sources would be polluted, and there would be almost no safe place in this world.
But he could obtain acid-resistant materials and survival supplies from the system by picking up girls.
The more girls he picked up and the higher their quality, the richer the rewards. He could even use the acid-resistant materials he obtained to build a city that wouldn't be corroded by acid rain!
In addition, he could become increasingly handsome and strong!
Shi Feizhai's blood was boiling; he couldn't wait.
However, the problem at hand was that he currently had no money, no looks, no job, and stayed at home all day. Where was he going to find the first girl?
After failing to pick up girls on the street many times, he gritted his teeth and gave all his money to a matchmaker, asking them to introduce him to a blind date. He believed that as long as he was given a chance, he would definitely be able to handle the first woman quickly!
When he saw this woman, he was very disappointed. Ordinary looks, ordinary figure, ordinary job—even her name was very ordinary: Zhao Pingping.
Clearly not a high-quality woman.
However, he could reluctantly accept her. Thinking that she could be considered a veteran of his great career, he could give her the position of the main wife in the future.
He didn't expect this woman to be so ungrateful!
But all his money had already been invested.
He gritted his teeth, took a few quick steps, and grabbed Zhao Pingping again. "You can't leave. You took so much of my money."
Zhao Pingping was furious. She grabbed her bag and swung it at him. "Bullshit! Who took your money! I'm here for a blind date; I didn't even know you before!"
The two of them were scuffling, and everyone else in the restaurant looked over, pointing and whispering.
Shi Feizhai was humiliated and angry. These lowly people—once he rose to power, he would show them!
The girl-getting system suddenly spoke up at this moment: "Would you like to purchase the 'Unwavering Devotion' skill on credit? By using this skill on the target, she will love you deeply for the next day, be completely devoted to you, and agree to any request."
Shi Feizhai was overjoyed. "Why didn't you mention such a good skill earlier?"
girl-getting system:...Who knew you were so useless that you couldn't even handle one woman?
Immediately after, Shi Feizhai's eyes began to heat up. He was extremely excited and was about to open his eyes to look at Zhao Pingping.
But then he hesitated. Was it too wasteful to use such an amazing skill on this blind date woman?
Just then, cries of surprise suddenly rang out.
"What is that in the sky!"
"How can there be a screen in the sky? What kind of high-tech is this?"
People flocked out of the restaurants, only to see a massive screen appearing in the sky. It looked like a computer screen that had been infinitely enlarged and projected onto the heavens, with several large characters displayed on it: "The Acid Rain Apocalypse is Coming."
People were instantly stunned. What was this?
An apocalypse announcement?
Quite a few people were so frightened they hid behind buildings, only daring to peek out.
At that moment, a melodious tune drifted from the screen. Then, the characters gradually vanished, and an image appeared.
Grand skyscrapers, bustling roads, rivers with ships coming and going, busy crowds... Someone cried out in surprise, "Isn't that our City A?"
"I see the Twin Towers, the landmark of City A!"
"I think I see my home at Xijiao Liyuan!"
"Isn't that Happy Valley? The Ferris wheel is so prominent! I was just there last weekend!"
Seeing familiar things, the people's fear of the screen dissipated, and they began to wonder if it was some kind of high technology.
After all, they were modern people. Although this technology was a bit too advanced, they were more inclined to believe in science than an apocalypse announcement.
People started taking photos with their phones, and vehicles on the road stopped as those inside leaned out to look at the sky.
Of course, many others looked solemn, having noticed a problem.
With current technology, it was impossible to project images into the sky with such clarity at such a scale. Moreover, the music was clearly coming from the sky itself, yet no matter how they looked, they couldn't find any speakers on the nearby buildings.
These people began calling their relatives and friends.
"Do you see a projection there? Up in the sky."
"What? Only City A has the projection!"
"Neighboring City B can't see it!"
"From any open-air spot in City A, the images and sounds are exactly the same!"
Someone's home happened to be right on the city's boundary line. By crossing the small path in front of their house, they entered City A and could see the sky screen and hear the music.
But once they stepped back—hey, they couldn't see or hear it anymore!
It was as if there were an invisible barrier in the air!
"This is really spooky!" The person quickly filmed a video and posted it online.
Meanwhile, people in other cities learned about City A's abnormal atmospheric phenomenon through social media.
Various government departments immediately began to take the matter very seriously.
At that moment, a human voice suddenly came from the sky screen. It was a crisp and pleasant female voice.
[Hello everyone, I am the one broadcasting this video. My name is Female voice on the sky screen, and you can also call me the Natural Disaster Herald.]
Whether it was the people in City A or those watching through live broadcasts, everyone listened to the voice tensely.
"Damn, that voice is so clear!"
"A real natural disaster announcement? This is getting a bit scary!"
[You must be wondering where this video comes from. Don't worry about that; you just need to watch this video carefully, as it concerns your future survival. Alright, time is short, let's get to the point.]
In the City A Public Security Bureau, the Chief was in the courtyard with several people, looking up solemnly.
The Chief said, "Call everyone in for a meeting. Once this video ends, the city will likely descend into chaos."
At a certain technical team.
"Have you captured the signal source?"
"No!"
"What about the sound source analysis?"
"We're capturing the sound and performing voiceprint analysis."
At the military base in the suburbs of City A.
"The anti-missile system has been activated. Currently, no aerial targets can be identified!"
"Everyone, assemble!"
"Enter a state of combat readiness!"
A squad of soldiers rushed toward the helipad. Helicopters had already started up, waiting only for orders to take off.
On the roads, traffic lights turned red one after another. Traffic officers arrived at intersections on motorcycles, stopping vehicles from proceeding to prevent accidents while driving.
Because of the appearance of the sky screen, City A's response in all aspects was undeniably swift.
[I don't know what to call you, so I'll just call you friends of the Acid Rain World. Let me start with the main point: your world's peaceful days are numbered. Tonight, dozens of cities at home and abroad, including City A, will experience an acidic rainfall with a pH value of around 1, marking the beginning of the Acid Rain Apocalypse.]
"pH 1? That's impossible!"
"Acid Rain Apocalypse? Is this a joke?"
Like a drop of water hitting a hot pan of oil, the crowd erupted into discussion.
Someone who didn't understand asked, "Is 1 very high?"
"Did you even go to school? Didn't you study chemistry? 1 isn't too high; it's too low! Anything with a pH below 5.6 is acid rain."
"Let me put it this way: a pH of less than 4 is extremely strong acid rain, the highest level. At pH 4, all fish and shrimp in a body of water will go extinct."
"pH 1? That's practically a strong acid. After one rainfall, vast areas of plants will surely die, and those old, dilapidated houses will be gone instantly!"
"Roads and vehicles will be completely corroded."
"If it gets on your body, say goodbye to your skin."
"Forget being rained on; even just smelling the outdoor air will make your respiratory system explode! Your eyes will start hurting in no time!"
"This is absolute nonsense! Our City A has always emphasized a circular economy and environmental protection. It's impossible for there to be acid rain! This is just alarmist talk!"
In a meeting room in City A, the meeting was interrupted by the appearance of the sky screen. The leaders stood by the window looking at the sky. One asked, "Doesn't our city have an Acid Rain Automatic Observation System? Has it issued any alerts?"
Another immediately replied, "No, none at all."
The leaders frowned and continued to watch the sky.
The clear female voice became solemn and grave, and the background music turned tense.
[After tonight, acid rain, acid snow, hail, and so on will fall in rotation across the country. The pH of each acid rain will vary. This phase will last for a month; it is an adaptation period and the final chance for self-rescue. After one month, a rainfall with a pH of less than 0 will fall upon the entire world, and from then on, the apocalypse will fully commence.]
Along with the voice, the images on the sky screen changed. The bustling cityscape of City Asuddenly darkened, clouds gathered, and rain hammered down.
The facades of skyscrapers were corroded with streaks, the road surfaces were pitted with honeycomb-like holes, streetlights and traffic lights were deformed by corrosion, and trees and green belts quickly withered and charred.
Cars on the road crashed into each other. People inside looked out in terror, not daring to leave, but the car bodies were rapidly deforming under the rain's corrosion. The weak spots looked as if they would be pierced by the acid rain at any moment.
People on the streets ran in panic, looking for shelter. The lucky ones ran into nearby shops, but their bodies were already covered in blood blisters.
Some clutched their throats, gasping and coughing heavily; some had asthma attacks; some inadvertently wiped their faces with rain-soaked hands, and soon rashes broke out on their faces, which then began to ulcerate.
The unlucky ones tripped while running and came into contact with large puddles on the ground, instantly screaming in pain. Their clothes were corroded into rags in the blink of an eye, their skin became a bloody mess, and finally, amidst screams of agony, they were drenched into a mass of flesh and blood by the acid rain, falling to the ground and never rising again.
Adults shouted, children cried, cars honked, billboards crashed down, and explosions and fires suddenly broke out in some places. The entire city was instantly plunged into chaos.
People watching the projection on the screen were all frightened out of their wits.
It was too terrifying! More terrifying than a movie! Especially since it was happening in their familiar city—some even saw their own figures!
Just watching it made them tremble all over, feeling pain from their skin to their bones.
It was like a prophecy of disaster, so intuitive, direct, and incredibly impactful.
People murmured, "This is impossible..."
"It's fake, right?"
"Fuck! Who made this video? It's too malicious!"
"Who photoshopped my face onto that? Could I really cry like such a wimp? This is slander!"
Meanwhile, Shi Feizhai stared up blankly, completely stunned. "How can this be?"
He was both anxious and angry. "System, now that everyone knows the apocalypse is coming, how am I supposed to pull this off!"