Deduction Company's Recruitment Test

"Drip, drip."

In the curtain of rain, short boots stepped into the puddles on the ground, splashing shallow water that quickly merged with the dense raindrops, without causing a ripple.

Not far away, the silhouette of an abandoned factory stood alone, silently towering in the darkness, like a crouching, giant demon waiting for its prey.

Yu Xing held a black umbrella in one hand and a flashlight in the other. He wiped a thin layer of mist that had drifted onto his face with his sleeve, and stopped at the factory gate.

There seemed to be voices talking from behind the door.

"Have the others arrived yet?" he murmured, a chill creeping up his back. Regardless, heading alone to an abandoned factory in the industrial zone on the outskirts of town near midnight sounded rather creepy and daring.

He had been trembling with fear for a long time since getting out of the taxi and walking all the way here, his legs feeling a bit weak, as if something was following him.

The wind mingled with the rain, letting out an intermittent, hollow howl, easily conjuring up chilling thoughts. Yu Xing felt as if he were on the set of a horror movie, his knuckles white as he gripped the umbrella handle, matching his ghostly pale face.

He was in poor health and timid!

This place gave him a very uncomfortable feeling, but he had no choice but to come.

At his age, just after graduating from university, finding a job with a monthly salary of over 6,000 was truly fortunate, even if the job requirements were a bit strange.

Yu Xing took a deep breath, suddenly regretting ever attending the interview for that company! The more he thought about it, the weirder it felt…

Three days ago, at a friend's recommendation, he went to apply for a company called Deduction Company. The manager of the human resources department was very pleased to see him and offered a series of tempting salary and benefits, with the condition that he would undergo a test at the Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory on the outskirts of town at midnight in three days.

This company's business leaned towards bizarre entertainment, including horror short film production, investment in online horror films, and live streaming of creepy tale experiences, etc. In short, it was all about courting death, requiring employees to have a strong and stable heart, and a rational mind.

So, tonight's test could actually be considered a test of courage and reaction. Only those who passed would be hired by the company.

Yu Xing's appearance was too outstanding. Although his health was not great, his heart was fine, and he was noticed by the HR manager who wanted to recruit him as a streamer.

"I wonder if this company is reliable… the online reviews are quite good." Yu Xing muttered to himself to build courage. It was too late to regret it now; since he was here, he might as well see what this so-called assessment was all about.

It seemed there were already people inside the factory. That was much more reassuring than being alone.

He put away his umbrella and leaned it against the side of the main gate. Yu Xing tidied up his black T-shirt and khaki work pants, took a deep breath, and pushed open the rusty, heavy iron gate.

Creak—

The harsh sound was drowned out by the heavy rain. The factory had been abandoned for over half a year, so naturally, there was no power. Several beams of light shone from different directions through the gap in the door. Yu Xing's arrival was noticed by several people not far inside the gate, who stopped talking and looked at him.

"Hello… you guys." Yu Xing finally saw people and felt half relieved.

He swept his gaze across the room and saw that the HR manager's assistant was also there, seemingly surnamed Hao. Besides Assistant Hao and himself, there were five other people present: three men and two women, all good-looking. It seemed they were applying for the same position as him.

"Hello, hello!" A brown-haired guy waved enthusiastically and called him over. He trotted a few steps to join them and then greeted Assistant Hao.

"Good evening, Assistant Hao."

Assistant Hao was a plump man in his early thirties, looking very approachable. He nodded at Yu Xing upon hearing him, "Good evening. Now everyone is here."

A girl with long, curly hair standing next to the assistant saw Yu Xing's face in the flashlight beam and exclaimed, "Wow, handsome guy, you're almost late by five minutes~"

Didn't I… wasn't I… not late yet? Yu Xing chuckled inwardly and said sheepishly, "Um, it was a bit creepy on the way, and the car couldn't drive in, so it delayed me a bit."

"You're timid but still applied to this company, man, you're brave!" The brown-haired guy laughed, not maliciously, just bluntly.

Assistant Hao smiled and said, "Our company has many styles of streamers. While calm styles are popular, we also need those who are easily startled, as they can make the audience empathize more."

Yu Xing forced a smile: Yes, if I get startled, I'll definitely be startled, and my screams will be scarier than any ghost…

Alas, timidity was in his nature.

Seeing that the time was almost up and everyone had arrived, Assistant Hao got down to business, "I called you here today for a test. I'll ask you, what do you know about the Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory?"

The delicate-looking man with glasses next to Yu Xing answered calmly, "More than six months ago, a murder occurred at the Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory. The media reported it. The factory owner hanged himself at night, all production came to a halt, and it was declared closed not long after."

The long-haired girl immediately chimed in, "They say that ever since the first person died in the factory, strange things kept happening, almost causing another death. It only calmed down after it was abandoned. Later, when the demolition team came to work, the workers said they saw ghosts at night, and the ghosts wouldn't let them demolish the factory. The workers were terrified. Several teams tried, and all of them were like that. In the end, it was left unresolved until now."

A cliché process, very much like a low-quality horror novel, or made-up urban legends—usually written by marketing accounts for traffic, with very low credibility.

So, although these two had inquired about these things, they both spoke dismissively, treating it as mere rumors passed from one person to another.

"Anything else?" Assistant Hao seemed quite satisfied and looked at the people who hadn't spoken.

"Uh… what I know is similar to theirs. After all, the media only reported these things." The brown-haired guy scratched his head. Among the remaining people, a short-haired girl and a young man wearing a mask nodded in agreement.

"I actually know something else." Yu Xing hesitated, thinking that since he was the last to arrive, he should try to salvage his image in the eyes of his "future superior" and "future colleagues." "The Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory was secretly producing fake drugs for exorbitant profits, harming many people. I heard the factory owner might not have committed suicide, but was possibly…"

He didn't finish, but everyone else understood his meaning.

"The media didn't report this. How did you know?" The man with glasses glanced at him faintly, his eyes showing a hint of curiosity.

"Yeah, wasn't it ruled a suicide case back then?" the short-haired girl also asked curiously.

Yu Xing said, "I have a friend who was involved in the investigation. He told me, but since I'm an outsider, he couldn't say too much, and the information he revealed was vague, but it's better than nothing."

"If that's the case," the long-haired girl became excited, "then the logic of the rumors makes more sense! Otherwise, why would a suicide turn into a ghost?"

Yu Xing gave a dry laugh: I can see it now, this girl is really brave, at least more so than him.

Assistant Hao clapped his hands and praised, "Gathering information before work is a good habit. Regardless, you should continue to maintain this habit in the future."

He said, then suddenly lowered his voice, "However, whether these rumors are true or false, they scared away so many people. There must be something unusual in this factory. Your test tonight is to stay in the factory for four hours."

"I'll give each of you a portable camera later. Turn on the recording function, and then spend the next four hours moving around the factory with the camera. You cannot stop recording except for going to the toilet. After four hours, if you haven't run out of the factory and your recording has not been interrupted for more than five minutes, you will pass."

"That simple?" The brown-haired guy was taken aback.

"Easy?" Yu Xing looked at the pitch-black ground floor, so dim that anything more than a few meters away was a blur. He couldn't help but despise his own courage.

"Of course, it's not that simple." Assistant Hao chuckled, the flesh on his face creasing into shallow lines. He took out cameras from his backpack and distributed them to the six applicants. "Hold these first."

Yu Xing reached out to take one, his fingertips accidentally brushing against Assistant Hao's hand.

A chilling sensation spread from Assistant Hao's hand, so cold it made Yu Xing shiver involuntarily.

Why is he so cold? Like a lifeless object with no temperature.

The thought startled Yu Xing. It was this environment, always making him think of scary things. He shook his head, dismissing the intrusive thoughts.

"The battery in the camera is very low. You need to find the batteries I've hidden around the factory. The batteries are used, with only a thin layer of charge left. To ensure it lasts four hours without interruption, you'll probably need about eight." Assistant Hao announced the supplementary rules with a smile.

The applicants nodded, indicating they understood. Assistant Hao then patted his clothes, ready to leave. "Remember to keep the camera on while you're working. I'll be back in four hours. I'll determine if your test is passed based on the camera's recordings. Alright, good luck!"

"Okay!" everyone responded. Regardless of whether the task was pleasant or not, they had to show their leader their enthusiasm for work.

Seeing Assistant Hao already at the door, about to leave, Yu Xing stared at the ground for a moment before suddenly asking, "Assistant Hao, it's getting cold. Your jacket seems a bit thin. Aren't you cold?"

It was mid-September. The weather had been sweltering, but recent continuous rain had driven the temperature down to a point where long sleeves were necessary.

The short-haired girl's eyes widened. This script about caring for the superior shouldn't be delivered by a man. Is he stealing my lines?

Assistant Hao stopped when he heard Yu Xing's question.

A few seconds later, he turned his head, a standard smile appearing on his plump face. "I'm not cold."

He paused, then stared into Yu Xing's eyes and added, "Not at all. This temperature is perfect."

His calm tone sent an inexplicable shiver down Yu Xing's spine.

Instinctively, Yu Xing swallowed the words "If you're not cold, why is your hand so icy?"

Assistant Hao, still smiling, waved at the other five applicants and left through the main door.

As he left, he "kindly" closed the door behind him, leaving the six applicants staring at each other in the dim light of their flashlights.

Yu Xing rubbed the goosebumps on his arm. Not wanting to be the first to speak, he lowered his head and fiddled with the camera, quickly figuring out how to use it.

After turning it on, the battery indicator in the top right corner showed only one-fifth charge. He adjusted it casually and discovered the camera had a Night Vision Mode, which would be quite helpful for moving in the dark, though it consumed a lot of power.

He figured the rule about finding batteries was to encourage them to be active in the factory; they couldn't just huddle in a corner for four hours and pass.

But... why did the camera feel a bit sticky?

He must have touched something. His index and middle fingers felt a strange sensation. Before he turned off his flashlight, he put the camera down and brought his hand into the light.

Under the pale yellow beam, the crimson on his fingers was as conspicuous as a ruby on a white porcelain plate.

Yu Xing immediately realized it was blood.

The camera Assistant Hao had given him was stained with blood.