pappabearbooks Chapter 667 Orange-Scented Memories
Chapter 667 Orange-Scented Memories
The fourth level of the Desire Factory.
These are the workstations for ordinary employees, or rather, for newly hired employees.
Almost everyone had a tired look on their faces, their complexion pale under the fluorescent light of the computer screen, but their hands were still typing away at the keyboard.
Even so, there was always a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
It's as if as long as you keep working hard, you can get everything you want.
There was no sound of speaking on the entire fourth floor, only the continuous sound of keyboard typing echoing.
However, one young man stood out from the surrounding silence.
A black and white calico cat sat upright on his head, obediently sitting on his head no matter how much he shook his head, as if he used his hair as a cat bed.
"Friend, let me tell you, owning a cat is really convenient."
"If the room or I smell a bit, and someone asks what smells so bad, I can say I have a cat."
"If someone sees unprocessed meat on the ground and asks where it came from, I can say it's raw meat and bones used to feed cats."
"If someone asks why there's such a big meat grinder in the house, I can just say that my cat eats a lot."
"But if they still curiously look into the meat grinder and exclaim, 'Isn't that a human leg?' that's a bit impolite, and I'll have to deal with another corpse."
"See, raising a cat is so convenient, it can take care of so many things."
Listening to the young man babbling incessantly in his ear, occasionally mixed with the meows of the cow cat above his head, seemingly protesting that it would not eat human flesh.
The man sitting at his workstation simply couldn't take it anymore.
Raising her weary eyes, she gritted her teeth and said, "Don't disturb my work! Who are you? What do you want?"
Wu Wang shrugged and said, "Just a Kamen Rider passing by. He's a bit lost and wanted to ask how you found your way home."
As soon as the words were spoken, the cow-patterned cat on the other person's head jumped to the power button of the computer and deliberately placed its paw on the power button.
One moment it makes a pressing motion, the next it lifts up to lick its paw.
That cocky, half-hearted attitude made the other person immediately break out in a cold sweat.
Before he could continue questioning Wu Wang, he could only nervously say, "Quickly take your cat away! My work isn't finished yet! If it shuts down the computer, I'll report you!"
Hearing this strange threat, Wu Wang revealed a mocking smile and said, "Dude, I haven't officially started working yet. Forget about performance, I don't even have a workstation. What can you do if you report me? I'm like a resident in medical school right now, with no salary deducted from my pay."
This section cannot be selected.
Seeing that the other person was covered in sweat, Wu Wang continued, "Don't be nervous. My cat won't move around unless it's agitated. I just want to ask you something."
"First of all, what are the Wish Showcase Hall and Talent Incubation Center for?"
"Secondly, if you know the employee number, how do you find that person in the factory?"
"Finally, are you interested in becoming cat food? What's your employee number?"
This statement surprised the employee.
What's the last question about the Bull Demon King? The art style is completely different from the previous two questions.
But as he watched the black and white cat's paws tighten little by little, he didn't have time to think about any of that and quickly said:
"No, no, no, I'm telling you, it's not a secret. You'll be given a handbook to explain it to you after you join the company,"
"The Wish Exhibition Hall is an immersive experience of wishes. Everyone can try out wishes in advance, but time is limited. You can also experience other people's wishes, but of course, this requires spending a certain number of wish points."
"The talent incubation center is where you can be promoted to 'Smiling Person.' It's a position that only outstanding employees can take. You don't need to work as hard as we do. You just need to manage your subordinates and get the job done. I really hope that one day I can become a Smiling Person."
"If you want to find someone, just enter their number into the inquiry desk in the lobby and you will find the corresponding room."
"As for myself, I am employee number #9288."
He did not answer the question about cat food.
After all, a normal person wouldn't consider this a real problem.
After receiving the answer, Wu Wang nodded.
Then she picked up Xiaoqiu and put it back on her head, saying, "It seems you're not interested in becoming cat food, so why do you insist on staying in the meat grinder? While your legs are still intact, you might still be able to get out in time."
The other person frowned, looking puzzled.
Then his attention returned to the computer, and he sat down and started typing away without stopping.
Wu Wang curled his lip, his eyes seeing the murky black liquid continuously flowing from the other person's head, disappearing into the computer in front of him.
Yes, he discovered it as soon as he entered the office area.
Under the influence of the [Vision of Truth], Wu Wang could see a thick layer of murky liquid floating on the ceiling of the entire office area. This liquid flowed into the computers, generating one work task after another. The employees worked overtime to complete these tasks, which in turn created even more desires, creating a vicious cycle...
Just as Wu Wang said—this place is like a meat grinder.
All the employees are like minced meat.
The electricity to start the meat grinder was also a desire they themselves provided.
As Wu Wang turned to leave, his shadow happened to cover the other person's computer power source. A finger emerged from the shadow and quietly pressed the power button.
"Oh no! My job! What am I going to do?! I haven't saved my progress yet!"
The screams came from the other person's workstation, but no one around looked up to pay attention to what was happening.
Even when Wu Wang had chatted with him for a long time, no one seemed interested.
Because everyone has their own work to do, they don't have time to care about other people's lives or deaths.
Wu Wang merely gave a wicked smile and withdrew his fingers from his shadow.
He had already memorized the other person's employee number.
Wu Wang's current actions are tantamount to hindering the other party's work. He wants to see what kind of punishment the employees here will receive if they fail to complete their work.
Let's check back in a while...
He went back into the elevator, but instead of going to his residence, he went to the 28th floor, where the Wish Exhibition Hall is located.
The dome here is higher than the training hall below, and the floor is smooth white, reflecting the spherical cabins floating in mid-air.
From the outside, one can see a miniature drama unfolding inside each sphere—
A man is combing his daughter's hair; a woman has a huge check next to her divorce papers; a young man is waving to countless people from a stage; a little boy is rolling around on the grass with his golden retriever...
Every scene is meticulously edited, and even the smiles of the people in it are just right—neither exaggerated nor too reserved. They are the kind of smiles that remind everyone who sees them of a moment when they themselves had smiled so sincerely.
Or rather, one believes that they have laughed like that before.
At the edge of the exhibition hall, there was a guy who looked like a customer service representative sitting there, waiting to ask questions with a service-oriented smile on his face.
Wu Wang ignored the other party, walked to one of the spherical pods, lay down inside, and immediately a warning popped up on his wristband—
[No wishes uploaded by this employee were detected and cannot be displayed at this time.]
Please re-enter the service number you wish to view.
Wu Wang was not very surprised by this.
Since he hadn't started working yet, he naturally hadn't uploaded any wishes.
He just wanted to see what the mission target's wishes were.
So, Wu entered employee number #5982 on the bracelet.
The next second, a video labeled "Desired Effect" popped up on the bracelet.
[Wishful Employee: #5982]
[Upload time: two years ago]
[Duration: 17 seconds]
[Price: 50 Wish Points] [This memory has been used to develop product #5982 - The Return of the Deceased Custom Edition]
Product satisfaction rate: 100% as defined in the contract.
"According to the contract?" Wu Wang repeated with a low, cold laugh, "I don't know how many lives those five words are worth."
If it is truly 100% satisfactory, then why is the other party dissatisfied, and even keeps complaining about it?
Wu Wang raised his hand and chose to pay the wish points.
Even though the required Wish Points were the same as the reward for his job, he didn't hesitate at all.
After all, what Wu Wang wanted to get from this task was not just 50 wish points.
Since you can buy anything here, that's what it's all about.
What he wants to buy is the truth about this factory of desire.
The number of wish points required is quite large; a mere 50 points is simply insignificant.
After the fee was deducted from the bracelet, Wu Wang found himself lying in the living room of an old apartment.
The sofa was covered with a faded plush cushion, and the sunlight streaming in from the window made everything feel cozy.
A woman leaned against the armrest of the sofa, her long hair casually tied into a ponytail, watching TV as she peeled an orange, her fingers stained with the orange peel.
She smiled at Wu Wang, a smile that held a sun-kissed satisfaction, but also a hint of impatient coquettishness as she spoke:
"Don't just watch, help peel a few too."
After saying that, she picked up a peeled orange segment and held it to Wu Wang's mouth, saying, "Open your mouth, ah~"
The scene cuts off at this point, and Wu Wang's five senses return to the cabin. A notification appears on his bracelet—
[Experience complete. To purchase the full amount, please visit the Wish Shop.]
[Do you want to redirect me?]
Oh, and there are consumer traps too.
No wonder it only costs 50 wish points; it turns out there's a second level after all.
Basically, it's about gradually enticing employees to keep spending.
Wu Wang did not choose to jump to purchase the full version, as he probably didn't have enough wish points.
That's enough information now.
"The designer here must be a loser who has been rejected countless times. What's the difference between showing everyone's wishes and visiting the grave of everyone's regrets?"
Wu Wang walked to the elevator and saw that there were still people queuing to enter the spherical cabin. He couldn't help but say sarcastically.
Press the option for the 29th floor to enter the employee living area.
Stepping out of the elevator, you enter a large hall with several self-service machines in the center. This must be the inquiry counter that the unfortunate employee mentioned earlier.
Wu Wang entered the mission objective's number, and two pieces of information popped up on the query panel—
The first thing is the location of the other party's room, which is room 233 on the 33rd floor.
The second is the other party's photo and information, in order to determine whether they are the employee being inquired about.
Having obtained accurate room information, Wu Wang immediately headed to the 33rd floor.
Upon reaching the 33rd floor, he saw a sentence written on the wall—
[This section's theme: The warmth of home]
A faint fragrance filled the air, smelling like laundry detergent, stew, and sun-dried quilts.
The corridor on each floor seemed to stretch endlessly, with neat rows of doors on both sides.
The color of each door was chosen by the employees themselves, and the floor was covered with a thick carpet that made almost no sound when stepped on.
Every so often, a landscape painting hangs on the corridor wall, mostly depicting scenes of sunrise, forests, lakes, and other relaxing subjects.
Each painting is like an exit.
But every exit is just a drawing.
They are always fake, not real scenery.
Not long after searching, Wu Wang arrived at the door of room #5982.
Before he even raised his hand to knock, he noticed a shallow dent on the door, shaped like it had been punched.
The paint around the dent was recently applied, but the dent itself was not filled in, proving that the dent appeared recently.
The depth of the dent seemed to be silently telling Wu Wang something—
The person banging on the door wasn't trying to break it down; he was just venting his frustration.
This is not anger, this is despair.
Behind the door was a person being devoured by despair, and the mission was to push that person back onto the production line.
"Ha, this job isn't for me."
Wu Wang suddenly laughed.
I'm better at undermining others than soothing them.
And that's what he's planning to do now...
Boom boom boom!
As Wu Wang knocked, the door was opened from the inside.
The man who appeared to be around 40 years old was wearing an old T-shirt with the collar slightly loose from washing.
However, the information displayed on the inquiry desk earlier proved that the other party was actually just over 30 years old.
The reason he looks old is not because of the wrinkles on his face, but because of the aged look that comes from the loss of light in his eyes.
Behind him was a woman who looked exactly like the one Wu Wang had seen in his memories in the Wish Exhibition Hall.
The other person was standing in the open kitchenette, wearing an apron around their waist and holding freshly cut fruit in their hands.
The air was filled with the scent of oranges.
Everything seemed perfect.
Except for one thing—the man's eyes.
The way the other person looked at Wu Wang wasn't like they were looking at a colleague, but like they were looking at an executioner.
"Here we go again?" The man's tone was contemptuous and disgusted. "You're the fifth person I've been sent to 'appease' me."
He knew that in this factory of desire, there was no such thing as colleagues or friends visiting each other.
Ever since I complained about the product, every time I knock on the door, only a well-dressed person appears with a gentle smile.
Then tell him that this matter can be resolved, he just needs to go back to his post, work harder, be more patient, and give the company some more time...
It's always the same polite words, and you never see any real solutions to the problems.
He was already tired of it.
However, this time the young man who came did not, like the previous appeasement specialist, politely ask him how he had been doing recently, or offer him a satisfaction survey to fill out, nor did he offer any polite words.
Instead, they were very rude and walked right past me without even saying hello, heading straight into the house.
As he passed by his wife, he casually took the entire fruit plate, then plopped down on the sofa and crossed his legs.
He popped one orange after another into his mouth, chewing and mumbling indistinctly:
"Tell me, what's wrong with her? The more product defects or abnormalities you find, the better."
Tell me your story, and I'll turn around for you.
"Don't ask me how I know you have a story; it's because you're covered in tally marks." (End of Chapter)