There was no such thing as being targeted for no reason. It was simply a matter of lacking the skill.
Bi Danyuan knew very well that even if one didn't perform well at the start and failed to secure a high rank, it didn't matter. The mission was fair, and even the insects at the bottom would surely find clues to break the situation.
It was laughable that Tan Jiaojiao was still complaining about everything. She deserved to be targeted.
While Bi Danyuan was lost in thought, Tan Jiaojiao continued her tirade, neither of them noticing they weren't the only ones on the road.
"I've been putting up with you the whole way. What are you muttering about!"
A sharp female voice rang out from behind them, momentarily dazing Bi Danyuan.
Turning around, she saw a female V9 employee from the Technical Department. The woman appeared to have just finished work and looked exhausted, but her eyes were currently filled with fury as she glared at Tan Jiaojiao.
Tan Jiaojiao didn't know the woman, but seeing her badge, she bit her tongue and didn't talk back.
However, the woman clearly intended to vent her frustration from overtime on Tan Jiaojiao. "A bottom-level employee who's only been here a few days actually dares to complain about her leaders and superiors? You even have the nerve to criticize the company's system? I think you've had enough of working here."
"At your age, you should know how to be composed. I see you're destined to remain a V10."
The woman huffed coldly. As soon as she appeared, Bi Danyuan stood to the side, bowing her head slightly to show respect.
Although it wasn't work hours, the company's hierarchy was too strict. She didn't dare risk testing whether it still applied outside the office.
But while Bi Danyuan could endure it, Tan Jiaojiao could not.
The discrimination and bullying she had faced since entering the mission had left her with little rationality. The fact that nothing fatal or supernatural had happened for several days had caused her to drop her guard.
Thinking that it wasn't work hours and they weren't at the company, she exploded.
"How can you talk to me like that, young lady? Regardless, I'm your elder. Where are your manners!"
From the moment Tan Jiaojiao spoke her first word, Bi Danyuan took several steps back to distance herself.
This woman probably wouldn't survive this mission.
The woman hadn't expected Tan Jiaojiao to talk back. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her finger trembled as she pointed at her.
"You! You dare talk back! Do you want to be fired?"
Tan Jiaojiao felt a pang of regret as soon as she finished speaking, so she merely muttered under her breath in response.
"You act like you're the one in charge, but you're just another bottom-dweller at V9."
In Tan Jiaojiao's mind, her attitude had already softened. This was her way of backing down. She no longer wanted to clash with this NPC.
But to the woman, it didn't sound that way at all.
This employee, who had only been with the company for a few days, was mocking her.
Without a second thought, she stepped forward and slapped Tan Jiaojiao across the face.
A crisp slap echoed in the silent night. Even though there was no one else on the road at this hour, Tan Jiaojiao felt a sense of humiliation as if a thousand eyes were watching her.
She had been injured in missions before, but this was the first time she had been slapped.
She lunged at the woman, and they began to scuffle.
Bi Danyuan frowned for a second before decisively charging in to join the fray.
She helped the woman restrain Tan Jiaojiao.
Tan Jiaojiao was livid. She never expected Bi Danyuan to not only refuse to help her but also hold her down so the woman could hit her.
In her rage, she blurted out everything.
"Have you lost your mind! Don't you know who's on your side? I think you really want to stay in this company forever—"
Initially, Bi Danyuan said nothing even when Tan Jiaojiao scratched two marks onto her face. She simply held Tan Jiaojiao tight, allowing the woman to vent her anger.
But when Tan Jiaojiao said those words, a ruthless glint flashed in Bi Danyuan's eyes. She raised her hand and delivered a sharp chop to the back of Tan Jiaojiao's neck.
Tan Jiaojiao's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.
The V9 woman stood there panting, her hair disheveled and her face flushed with manic rage.
"Well done! People like that should be fired by the company!"
Bi Danyuan looked down coldly at the unconscious Tan Jiaojiao, her heart full of regret.
This woman... I should have killed her myself earlier.
She had truly been dragged down by her!
While most people were sleeping peacefully, Bi Danyuan, Tan Jiaojiao, and the V9 woman were brought back to the company.
The company's people appeared out of nowhere. Only minutes after Bi Danyuan had knocked Tan Jiaojiao out, they were suddenly surrounded by five or six people in uniforms, all identical in build and wearing white masks.
"We are the Mobile Division. Please come with us."
Bi Danyuan saw that the V9 woman was also panicking. Clearly, she had no idea what the Mobile Division was either.
But they both saw the badges on the Mobile Division members.
V0.
What was V0? According to the manual, the highest rank was V1, which belonged to Tan Xin, the company's founder and Lan Jing Shui's direct superior.
No one had ever mentioned the existence of a V0.
Yet, both women tacitly refrained from asking questions. They allowed the mysterious figures to place identical white masks on them and followed them back toward the company.
The white mask felt as if it were made of synthetic skin. It clung to her face, making Bi Danyuan feel as though she were suffocating.
Moreover, the material wasn't rigid. As soon as it was put on, it molded to her face. Along with the stifling sensation, an involuntary sense of panic began to rise.
It felt as if something were eating her face.
Bi Danyuan forced herself not to tear the mask off, but the V9 woman clearly couldn't take it. As soon as the mask was on, she let out a panicked scream and frantically demanded its removal.
The mask had no openings. Wearing it was like being wrapped in a layer of skin in total darkness. Bi Danyuan tried her best not to think about what the thing on her face was. She was merely curious.
These masks were the same as the ones worn by the V0 members. How did they see?
Losing her vision, Bi Danyuan was led forward by a masked person who gripped her hand. The person's hand was cold and hard, clutching her like a steel vice.
She followed them in silence. Vaguely, she felt they had arrived at the warehouse.
The scent of disinfectant from the recent cleaning of the warehouse wafted into her nose.
She had a gut feeling. They were going to the secret room behind that secret door.
...
When the alarm went off, Nan Yue opened her eyes, feeling refreshed despite only having slept for a little over three hours.
After a quick wash, she waited for Sister Lian in the hotel lobby.
Sister Lian didn't take much longer to come down. Seeing Nan Yue already waiting, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I heard you found someone last night. Did you have fun?"
Nan Yue's heart skipped a beat, but she put on a bashful front. "It was... He left at three o'clock."
Sister Lian knew everything about her. There was no point in hiding it.
However, she wasn't worried about Song Ping revealing the actual content of their conversation. Since discussing such things was forbidden by the company, Song Ping would also need to protect himself.
Sure enough, Sister Lian only smiled and said, "You'll get used to it."
As Nan Yue followed Sister Lian out the door, she saw Linda hurrying toward them.
Upon seeing that Nan Yue had actually spent the night resting in the hotel, a look of pure loathing erupted in Linda's eyes.
Rate on N.U.
