Strange Delivery

Chapter 1: A Strange Package

Watching the air-conditioner repairman busy outside the window, Li Wei crumpled his empty paper cup into a ball and tossed it into the trash can.

This sweltering summer, combined with a job that could work an ox to death, seemed to be deliberately testing his patience.

As an employee of a small company, a wage earner as ordinary as they come, Li Wei bore the same pressures as most people in this city.

Having graduated just a year ago, he earned a salary that barely kept him fed, lived in a cramped "snail shell" of an apartment, had no girlfriend, and had almost no entertainment in his daily life. If he had to name one or two things, it would be playing games on his custom-built computer or enjoying a hearty meal at the greasy roadside barbecue stall downstairs.

Other than that, he could enjoy the company's free air conditioning during this hot summer. Li Wei couldn't think of anything else that made him happy.

However, the unexpected breakdown of the air conditioner today had washed Li Wei's good mood down the drain. Coupled with the mountain of pending proposals on his desk, the irritability brought on by the heat reached its peak.

Just then, a stout, obese man hurried over. Wiping sweat from his neck with a towel, he shouted at Li Wei, "Li Wei, what's wrong with you? Is the supermarket marketing proposal finished yet? Manager Wang is already breathing down my neck!"

Li Wei hurriedly fished the proposal out of a pile of documents and handed it over respectfully.

This fat man was his direct supervisor. Because his surname was Zhang, Li Wei and his colleagues secretly called him Fat Pig Zhang. Fat Pig Zhang's speech was usually as explosive as firecrackers. Because of the heat, his layers of fat under his shirt constantly radiated heat, and sweat stains had already turned his expensive shirt transparent.

Snatching the document, Fat Pig Zhang glared at Li Wei. "I say, you've got quite the ego, making me come get it myself. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the manager!"

"Isn't this due next week?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Wei cursed himself for being loose-lipped. Fat Pig Zhang was notoriously petty and vindictive, and he had been bullying subordinates for a long time. If you kept quiet, it was one thing, but if you talked back, he would definitely seize the opportunity to make trouble.

Sure enough, as soon as Li Wei finished speaking, Fat Pig Zhang flew into a rage.

"I decide when the proposal is due! If you don't want to work here, then get out. Don't think the company can't function without you; there are plenty of people waiting outside to take your place!"

Li Wei's work ability was obvious to all—one look at the pile of materials on his desk, three or four times higher than anyone else's, was proof enough. However, not everyone liked someone with high work ability.

Fat Pig Zhang was clearly one of them. Li Wei's outstanding performance made him feel threatened. Especially in the last few months, he had heard through the grapevine that the company intended to have Li Wei replace him. This shocked him and pushed his resentment toward Li Wei to its peak.

Therefore, finding fault with him from time to time became a daily necessity. It would be ideal if he could force Li Wei to quit, but unfortunately, things weren't going the way he wanted.

Because Li Wei simply wouldn't take the bait.

"I'm sorry, Manager Zhang. I'll make sure to deliver it to you on time next time. Also, I've finished the promotional plan for Lihua Real Estate for the week after next. If it's convenient, you can take that as well."

His flat tone and respectful expression effectively stopped Fat Pig Zhang in his tracks. In the end, he couldn't find an excuse to make trouble, so he just snorted and stomped back to his office in a huff.

Several colleagues who were on good terms with Li Wei quietly gave him a thumbs-up. Few people in this company could make Fat Pig Zhang eat humble pie, so they admired Li Wei immensely.

"Li Wei, have you noticed that Fat Pig's attitude toward you has been getting worse lately? It's like he's specifically targeting you. Tell me, did you step on his tail?" a colleague who liked to gossip whispered.

His words immediately sparked a heated discussion among the other colleagues, even veering into anecdotes about Fat Pig Zhang being seen at a high-end hotel with a student from an art academy. Li Wei, however, remained noncommittal and expressed no opinion.

Even when it was time to clock out, Li Wei maintained the same expression, as if he didn't care about what happened today. But in reality, he cared very much.

If he wanted to survive in this city, he absolutely could not lose this job. That was why he worked so hard. But being deliberately targeted by his direct supervisor was certainly not something he wanted to see.

In fact, Li Wei had long sensed Fat Pig Zhang's abnormal behavior.

That man was petty, but he wasn't the type to easily offend others. To have struggled in a company for so long and reached the position of manager, he definitely had his own unique strengths; he was certainly better at handling interpersonal relationships than Li Wei.

If the other party was targeting him like this now, it could only mean that he had offended the man somewhere.

He certainly hadn't stepped on Fat Pig Zhang's tail. In fact, outside of the office, Li Wei had almost no interaction with his colleagues, so he could rule out anything outside of work. At work, he was diligent and conscientious, and he could say there was absolutely no dirt to be found on him.

So, where exactly did he offend that pig?

"The problem must still be work-related... It seems I need to find out why that fat pig is acting so strangely... To make him act like this, it must involve his personal interests!" Rubbing his chin, Li Wei stepped out of the elevator. He absolutely could not allow his livelihood to suffer any setbacks; he would not hesitate to clash with the fat pig if it came to that.

In his year at this company, Li Wei had appeared like a workhorse, bearing burdens without complaint, but in reality, his ambition was immense. He wanted to climb to a higher position.

The company's salary system was closely tied to one's position. To climb higher, one had to learn to endure. Of course, he also had to demonstrate his outstanding work ability. More importantly, he had to make everyone believe he was "harmless." Li Wei had done all of this well, as evidenced by how his colleagues treated him.

Even toward Fat Pig Zhang, Li Wei had tried his best to appear sycophantic and respectful. That was precisely why the man's sudden targeting of him made Li Wei feel that something was fishy.

In any case, he would find out more tomorrow!

Having made up his mind, Li Wei felt much more relaxed. Just then, the receptionist at the front desk called out to him.

By the time Li Wei walked out of the office building, he had a box wrapped in black paper in his hands.

As someone who liked online shopping, Li Wei naturally knew this was a courier package. However, he hadn't bought anything recently, so what was this?

The recipient's name and the company address were clearly written on it.

After bumping along on a crowded bus for over an hour, Li Wei returned to his rented room. After closing the door, he threw himself onto the bed, resting for a full ten minutes before he could recover.

Compared to a day of work, the bus ride was even more exhausting. The crowded people, the stagnant air, and the odors emitted by some people due to their own physiological conditions could turn any energetic person into someone looking like Li Wei at this moment.

After downing a large glass of cold water, Li Wei finally felt better. He picked up the courier box and tore off the outer packaging in a few quick motions.

The black box was printed with patterns that seemed to symbolize some kind of religion. On the pattern, an angel with white wings and a demon with red skin and sharp teeth were fighting. The image alone made Li Wei shudder.

When Li Wei opened the box, a disc and something resembling an instruction manual fell out.

Li Wei couldn't help but laugh. A box with such a mysterious atmosphere actually contained a game disc; it was just like the usual marketing tactics of some game companies.

"So it's a game disc!" Li Wei smiled dismissively. Picking up the disc, he became even more certain of his guess.

As a semi-professional player with years of gaming experience, Li Wei often received such discs. Most of them were free promotions for new games.

However, Li Wei still believed in the saying that "good wine needs no bush." Most of these heavily advertised games were not good works, so he decided to ignore this disc.

Instead, the thing that looked like an instruction manual caught his attention.

The manual could only be described as exquisitely crafted. It completely imitated the style of ancient parchment, and the entire paper had been treated to look aged, appearing to have a long history. If he took it to an antique shop, it might even pass as a letter from the Middle Ages.

As the paper unfolded, a strange scent of parchment mixed with ink wafted out, leaving Li Wei unable to help but chuckle; this game developer really spared no expense.

The seemingly high-end, antiqued Yellow Paper was covered in tiny, tadpole-like characters. It was clear that everything had been handwritten, and the calligraphy was remarkably profound; by Li Wei's estimation, one couldn't achieve such penmanship without at least a decade of practice.

"A contract?"

Li Wei brewed himself a cup of tea and began to read slowly. However, his expression soon shifted from relaxed and carefree to serious, and by the end, he was even gaping in astonishment, clearly struck by something that had caught him completely off guard.

Immediately after, Li Wei gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Devil Game... as long as I sign my name, this contract will take effect?" Glancing at the side of the desk, Li Wei picked up his usual pencil.

But he quickly tossed the pencil aside again.

"Can signing a name really help me escape this dull life? Can it change the entire world? Do they take me for an idiot..." Li Wei tossed the Yellow Paper aside as well.

These were the things written on the Yellow Paper; to any normal person, they were nothing but a fairy tale.

He turned on his computer and shoved the disc into the drive. As Li Wei continued to sip his hot tea, he decided to see what was actually on the disc. Soon, the machine emitted a whirring noise, and an interface popped up on the screen.

The screen displayed a login page, but the entire interface was grayed out. Li Wei tested it, but none of the buttons worked, much like some kind of unregistered paid software.

A dialog box then popped up.

"Access granted only after signing the contract!"

Li Wei scratched his head.

"Is it because there's no activation code? Or... does it really require a signature on that paper to work?"

Glancing at the contract, Li Wei picked up the pencil again. With a playful mindset, he signed his name in the signature field.

Looking back at the screen, the login interface showed no obvious changes.

Just as Li Wei was about to conclude that this was some boring prank by a game developer, a jolt of electricity surged from the paper without warning.

The current hit him like a heavy blow; Li Wei felt his body go numb, and he was instantly plunged into darkness.

The unconscious Li Wei did not see that, moments later, the login interface on his computer screen began to run automatically, as if possessed by a ghost.