"Getting off work?"
"Yeah. It's so late already—why is your department still working overtime?"
"Don't even mention it. An hour ago, the boss said we had to redo the project. I figure we won't be getting out of here before three or four in the morning."
"Tsk, that slave-driving bastard is disgusting..."
"Alright, you head home first. I'm going back to overtime."
"See you tomorrow."
As night deepened, office workers in an office building in central Shangjing City gradually crowded toward the elevators, briefcases in one hand and coats in the other.
It was nine thirty at night. For most companies in Shangjing, this already counted as an early quitting time. The surrounding office buildings remained brightly lit, with countless figures holding steaming cups of coffee as they sat before their computers, slacking off while waiting to clock out.
Ding-dong—
"Eighteenth floor."
As the elevator doors slowly opened, everyone squeezed inside. Though they worked for the same company, they did not seem particularly familiar with one another. They merely lowered their heads to play on their phones, waiting for the elevator to descend.
Just then, a young woman crammed into the corner frowned. She swept her gaze suspiciously around the elevator, sniffing at something.
"Did something rot in here...? Why does it smell so bad?"
She quietly leaned closer and complained in a low voice to the female coworker beside her, whom she was fairly close with.
"I smell it too." Disgust appeared on the coworker's face. "That's so gross. I feel like I'm going to throw up the milk tea I drank..."
Thud—!!
As the two spoke, the descending elevator suddenly jolted to a halt. A muffled boom echoed through the shaft, and the lights inside the elevator went out at once, followed by several cries of alarm.
"What