Born with a Charming Bone

Before reading: [There are zombies in the text, please secure your brain.]

[If you question me with your brain, I will consider you a forgotten survivor and eat you, then act as if nothing happened.]

[This is not a transformation story; there is a slight yuri subplot. If you don't like it, please stop here.]

[If you find the depiction of reality unrealistic, you are correct, because this is based on real events.]

[The protagonist is a thirty-five-year-old middle-aged man. Such people have long been smoothed out by society; if you prefer decisive actions, please stop here.]

[If you think the girlfriend character is absurd, and the protagonist doesn't understand the law, a detailed explanation can be found at the end of Chapter 22.]

On a scorching summer day.

The air conditioner in the office was blowing cold air.

The sound of keyboards tapping was continuous.

"Su Jiang!"

A voice, neither too heavy nor too light, suddenly rang out, causing all the programmers typing away to pause and glance discreetly at the speaker.

Su Jiang, hearing someone call his name, looked up in confusion.

The office director stood at the door, looking at him with a blank expression.

"Come to my office for a moment."

Then he turned and walked away.

At that moment, a flurry of hushed conversations erupted in the workspace.

"Why did the director suddenly call for Old Jiang? Is something big happening?"

"I heard the company isn't doing well and is planning layoffs…"

"Could it be Old Jiang who's getting laid off? He's been here so long; he may not have achievements but he certainly has put in the effort…"

"Heh, what does being experienced matter? At thirty-five, a programmer hits a wall; if you can't get past it, you'll just be optimized out…"

Su Jiang stood up calmly, anticipating the ensuing chatter.

After all, a friend from HR had informed him last night.

At thirty-five, he had indeed reached the wall for programmers; without the potential to become a leader, he could only be structurally optimized out.

His colleagues looked at him with pity and a sense of shared sorrow.

The bald colleague sitting at the workstation to his right patted Su Jiang on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, if you get laid off, I'll join you selling grilled noodles!"

Su Jiang laughed and cursed lightly, "Get lost! Work hard and save some money!"

After receiving the news last night, he felt miserable all evening, and only after a morning of typing did his mood settle down.

At this age, Su Jiang was no longer the spirited youth he once was, and he had to accept this fact.

He had worked at the company for ten years, his salary rising from eight thousand a month when he first joined to thirty thousand now, reaching a height many could only dream of, yet he was also the kind of old-timer the company was always looking to kick out.

His salary could pay for three fresh, vibrant graduates.

Moreover, at his age in the programming industry, he was indeed considered old.

This industry is notorious for long hours; the older you get, the higher the chance of burnout, and if something were to happen, the company would have to pay a hefty price. It was better to let him go early.

In summary, he was stuck in a middle ground—more experienced than the average employee, yet not part of the leadership tier.

Being optimized out was just a matter of time.

He arrived at the director's office.

"Hey, Su, you received the news from HR, right?"

The speaker was Su Jiang's office director, Li Zhinian.

He was a director who had been parachuted in from above.

Su Jiang looked at his face, which was younger and more prosperous than his own, feeling a twinge of resentment.

He simply replied with a grunt, acknowledging him.

"There are two contracts here: one for being laid off with compensation, and the other for a position at another company. Take a look."

Li Zhinian spoke in a flat tone, tossing the two documents onto the desk before continuing to play a game on his phone.

Double kill...Triple kill...Quadra kill...Aced

His phone blared with the boastful sound effects of the game.

"Damn it, you stole my pentakill while playing support! Do you believe I won't invite you next time?"

Li Zhinian set down the contracts, clearly frustrated at missing the pentakill, his face jiggling with anger.

"Sorry, Boss Li, my bad! Next time, I'll play support to protect you!" A young voice from the game responded, filled with apology and humility.

"Get lost! If I wanted support, I'd call a girl to play with me."

Su Jiang sighed, pushing down all his unwillingness.

He picked up the two contracts on the table and started to read.

The termination contract was fine; it was the standard N+1 compensation.

The other contract was for a position as a computer technician at a small subsidiary of the group.

An 8000 monthly salary.

He was speechless.

After paying child support, there wouldn't be much left...

As he looked at the contract, Su Jiang felt both anger and helplessness.

He had worked tirelessly for the group for ten years, yet he still couldn't escape the ultimate fate of a programmer.

"Director Li, the HR department notified me that I need to leave within a month. Can I have some time to think it over?" Su Jiang pondered for a moment.

Li Zhinian didn't even lift his head. "Sure, just let me know before you leave, and make sure to hand over your work properly."

"Okay."

Li Zhinian, how should one put it? He had barely scraped by with a mediocre degree abroad and returned to directly take on the role of director.

He didn't understand programming, but he had connections and knew how to delegate authority. Even if something went wrong, there were people to back him up.

To put it simply, he was self-aware.

The work in the department remained the same as it had been before he arrived.

There were no new officials eager to make a mark, nor was there an outsider trying to guide the experts.

So, even though everyone knew Li Zhinian had parachuted in and taken Su Jiang's position, no one dared to speak up.

Su Jiang returned to his seat, staring blankly at the fluorescent light on the ceiling.

A young colleague leaned over.

"Brother Jiang, after you resign, if there's any way to make a fortune, don't forget about us!"

Su Jiang forced a tired smile. "What fortune? The future belongs to you young folks; guys like me are of no use anymore."

His bald colleague grumbled, "Hmph, firing you is a loss for the company."

After work, Su Jiang followed the noisy crowd to the subway station.

He felt like a sardine, swept along with the current, struggling to keep his direction amid the throng.

This kind of life had gone on for ten years; today he got off a bit earlier since there was no overtime, but the station was even more crowded.

The subway zipped through the towering buildings.

As he gazed at the colorful city, Su Jiang suddenly felt an indescribable weariness and grievance wash over him.

"Ugh."

He sighed softly.

At that moment, a girl dressed in cosplay wove through the crowd and came up beside him.

Her dark red dress swayed, exuding a mysterious and noble aura.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, as if crafted by the heavens, flawless.

Her exposed skin was delicate and fair.

A slender, fragile hand gently rested on Su Jiang's hand.

Her wine-red eyes looked at him with a playful smile.

The palm of his hand gripping the handrail instantly broke out in a layer of fine sweat.

The warmth from her hand seemed to melt Su Jiang entirely.

Just that one touch made him feel flushed all over.

He had been married, and even though he was now divorced, it was still the first time he felt this way—more exhilarating than when he first got married, with his heart racing wildly.

He had never felt such a surge of blood before, wishing he could sweep the girl into his arms, tear her clothes off, and take her right there!

No, think about your future, think about your daughter!

Su Jiang, get a grip!

With so many scammers around, shouldn't you be more cautious?!

He bit his tongue hard, and his mind cleared up a bit.

Then he recalled the frequent news reports about harassment cases, and the fear of regret and being labeled a criminal made him suppress his desire.

Calming down, he felt cold sweat on his forehead and back.

"She's too alluring; the legendary Daji is nothing compared to this."

Su Jiang was taken aback by the intense desire that surged within him.

Just a gentle tease could provoke such strong feelings—could this girl be a reincarnated Fox Spirit?