Chapter 3

The “Honey Leak Accident” caused a great deal of social attention when it first occurred.

After the cause of the accident was revealed and the culprit was duly punished, the attention immediately decreased by half.

A month later, except for the victims and their families, few people would actively recall the horrifying leak tragedy.

Later onYun Xin finally got a new job.

The New World Hotel.

The manager gave a speech to the new employees, “As servers, you need to be attentive and steady. You can’t serve the wrong dish, nor you can’t spill soup on the customers.”

The manager had a reason for saying this.

The hotel had a signature dish called Iron Pot Goose Stew. This dish was praised for its tender and flavorful stew. However, not only was it delicious, it was also heavy.

This was because the chef made this dish in a large iron pot. He insisted that servers must carry the iron pot when serving the dish, so that it would be authentic. Serving it in another container would diminish its quality.

This job made it difficult for the servers.

The iron pot was already heavy, and carrying it filled with broth without spilling any during the serving process was even more challenging.

Many people quit after just a few months, because they simply couldn’t handle it.

“Everyone, come and try,” the manager said, looking at the only girl among the eight people. After a brief pause, he corrected himself, “Your name is Yun Xin, right? You go first.”

Yun Xin nodded, picked up the iron pot, walked steadily, and then placed the pot on another stove.

The manager was stunned. Even the veteran servers with years of experience didn’t move that smoothly. His attitude became more enthusiastic, “Have you done this kind of work before?”

Yun Xin shook her head, “No, I just have a lot of strength.”

Oh, natural strength! The manager looked at Yun Xin with delight, feeling that he had found a good candidate who might stay at the hotel in a long-term period.

“You guys try as well,” he said, looking expectantly at the remaining seven people, hoping to discover more new talent.

The first man walked over confidently and picked up the iron pot, only to stagger the next second as his back bent under the weight. Gritting his teeth, and he managed to squeeze out,

“Why is this pot so heavy?”

The manager looked at him with dissatisfaction. I’m not kidding with you! If it weren’t so heavy, would others constantly complain about sore arms and quit after just a month or two? Would the position always be vacant? Would he need to recruit new people every month?

“If you can’t do it, just say so.”

“No, I can do it,” the man insisted, unwilling to admit he was weaker than the girl.

With a strained expression and muscles tensed, he straightened his back with a loud grunt and placed the pot back on the stove. The next second, he looked at the manager, panting heavily, and said sincerely,

“I’ve thought about it, and this job might not be for me.”

“You didn’t say that during the interview. Weren’t you the diligent, hardworking guy? The manager couldn’t be bothered to expose him and waved him off”

“Leave.”

Then he turned to the others,

“If you can’t handle it, the door is open. Don’t force it. This isn’t a one-day thing, it’s every day. If you push yourself too hard, your wages won’t even cover your medical bills.”

The remaining six hesitated.

At that moment, a woman in her late twenties burst in, saying,

“I need a few people to help me out.”

Yun Xin looked over and saw the woman wearing the hotel uniform with a name tag that read,

“Purchasing Agent – Tong Jia.”

“Take her,” the manager said, pointing at Yun Xin casually.

“Why is it a girl?” Tong Jia was displeased. She needed help loading items into the car, a job that usually required men due to the heavy lifting involved.

“She’s reliable!” the manager said seriously.

After all, Yun Xin had handled the iron pot so steadily; she could surely handle other tasks just as well.

Tong Jia didn’t bother to argue with him.

“You, you, and you, come with me,” she said, pointing out Yun Xin and two burly men.

“I’ve told you so many times, inform me in advance if something’s missing, don’t wait until the last minute,” she grumbled as they walked, not stopping her complaints for a moment. It wasn’t clear who she was scolding.

When the driver parked the car, she assigned tasks to the two men and then said to Yun Xin, “We have enough hands, you can take a break.”

Yun Xin realized that Tong Jia had tactfully ignored the manager’s suggestion and picked her own helpers. Was this workplace savvy?

Not wanting to push herself into the situation, especially since Tong Jia had made it clear she wasn’t needed, Yun Xin found a spot to rest.

The setting was a street-side shop, with a truck parked out front. The driver and the two burly men worked like diligent ants, loading cargo onto the truck one item at a time. Nearby, Tong Jia was meticulously checking the inventory list, focused on her task.

Suddenly, Yun Xin felt a familiar sense of unease.

“I want to get some milk tea. Will you come with me?” she asked.

Tong Jia looked around uncertainly. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes,” Yun Xin nodded.

Tong Jia was exasperated. Was this middle school? Where friends had to go everywhere together? They were adults, working professionals. Surely Yun Xin could handle buying a drink on her own.

“I don’t drink milk tea, only coffee,” Tong Jia replied.

“Then let’s get coffee first,” Yun Xin suggested.

Was she not being clear enough in her refusal? Tong Jia wanted to lash out, but when she turned and saw the driver and laborers sweating and panting from their hard work, she swallowed her words. “Fine, I’ll go with you,” she agreed.

At this moment, she wasn’t particularly craving coffee, but it seemed like a good idea to get some for the driver and laborers to refresh themselves.

“Let’s go,” Yun Xin said, starting to walk.

Tong Jia was momentarily stunned. Wasn’t it Yun Xin who had suggested going together? And now she was leaving her behind?

“I’m wearing high heels today and can’t walk fast. Slow down!”

In just a moment’s hesitation, Yun Xin had already walked far ahead. Tong Jia quickly hurried to catch up.

She had only taken a few quick steps when a small car suddenly veered off the road, speeding directly toward where she had been standing moments before.

The car’s high speed created a gust of wind, lifting the strands of hair around her temples. Tong Jia turned stiffly to look back.

With a loud “bang,” the car crashed into the street-side shop, not only smashing the door but also breaking part of the wall.

The driver and laborers, who were in the middle of loading cargo, had a front-row view of the entire crash. The sight left their legs weak with fear.

Every hair on Tong Jia’s body stood on end. If she had refused the invitation and stayed to check the inventory, she didn’t dare to think about what might have happened. A cold chill ran through her.

“There’s been an accident! Call an ambulance!” The street erupted in chaos.

At that moment, a transparent panel appeared.

【Congratulations to the player for surviving in scenario 112132—”Insurance Fraud Accident.”】

【Because you saved a human, your passing grade is “C,” and you are rewarded with attribute points: Strength +0.1, Spirit +0.1.】

“Is this also a scenario in the Evolution Game?” Yun Xin pondered.

In the past 28 years of Tong Jia’s life, there had never been a day as thrilling as today.

Death was just a few steps away. The car that caused the accident almost brushed past her and crashed into the shop door.

Before she could fully recover, she was taken to the police station for questioning.

Tong Jia couldn’t remember what she had said, but when she came to her senses, she was sitting in a chair at the police station. Yun Xin was sitting beside her, two chairs away.

“Why were you walking so fast just now?” Tong Jia finally found an opportunity to ask.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t like me?” Yun Xin said casually, “I walked farther away so as not to annoy you.”

“Then why did you invite me to buy milk tea together?” Tong Jia asked again.

“Because I wanted to drink,” Yun Xin said, raising her right hand and taking a sip from the plastic cup.

It was then that Tong Jia noticed the milk tea in her hand. Yun Xin had been holding the milk tea cup at her side the whole time, which was in Tong Jia’s blind spot, so she hadn’t seen it.

“I also bought Americano coffee. Would you like some?” Yun Xin took out a takeaway coffee cup from the corner.

“Drink,” Tong Jia urgently needed the caffeine to calm her nerves. With one holding milk tea and the other drinking coffee, they sat quietly, neither speaking. 

Tong Jia didn’t know what time it was now, nor did she know what she should do. Her mind was blank, and she didn’t feel like doing anything, just wanting to space out for a while. 

After an unknown amount of time, a middle-aged man with dirty hair and a stench that suggested he hadn’t showered in days was escorted past them by the police. The middle-aged man cried out as he walked,

 “I didn’t expect it to turn out like this! I, I just owed a lot of debt, bought insurance, and wanted to commit suicide to leave money for my family.” 

“I even observed for a while and deliberately chose a fast-moving car, waiting for the right moment to dash out. Who knew that the driver would immediately swerve when he saw me.”

 “I really didn’t expect him to kill someone else…” 

Tong Jia didn’t expect to learn the cause of the accident from sitting at the police station for a while. She lifted her head and looked at the middle-aged man, wanting to curse him out -what an idiot.

 “This is considered insurance fraud, and the insurance company won’t pay out,” 

Tong Jia sighed, “Didn’t you try to understand a bit more before attempting suicide?” 

The middle-aged man stared at her in disbelief, more shocked than when he heard that someone had died unexpectedly. 

“Let’s go.”

 Encounters between perpetrators and victims are most prone to conflict. To avoid any clashes, the police quickly escorted them away. 

“It’s actually for insurance fraud.” 

The unexpected answer left Tong Jia speechless. The perpetrator intentionally went out seeking death, if he had died, so be it, he was just being stupid. But he didn’t die! The driver reacted too quickly and was on time, to avoid the collision.

As a result, others ended up suffering instead of the perpetrator…

“If I had been standing there at that moment, it would have been so unfair if I had died,” Tong Jia was both angry and anxious, feeling indignant.

“I heard there were customers in the shop at the time. One person died in the end, and five were injured and sent to the hospital for treatment,” Yun Xin whispered, “Everyone involved was unjustly implicated.”

Tong Jia thought narrowly escaping death was the pinnacle of bad luck. But after completing the records at the police station and returning to the hotel, she was informed by the boss, “Being absent from work without reason during working hours means a deduction in pay.”

Tong Jia was stunned. She tried to explain,

 “I had an accident while out purchasing goods, and I went to the police station to cooperate with the investigation and make a statement…”

And the driver and others should have come back first to explain the situation.

The boss asked a series of pointed questions, “Did you report to the company in advance? Was it approved by the company? Did you fail to explain everything clearly and then go missing?”

Tong Jia faltered, “…”

When your life is almost lost, who remembers to report to the company or not?

“So,” the boss turned to Yun Xin, “You too, mark her absent for a day. Deduct her pay, it must be deducted!”

Yun Xin thought for a moment and asked, “Today is my first day at work, so not only do I not get paid, but I actually owe the company money?”

The boss was speechless. Shameless as he was, he didn’t dare to admit that this bill should be settled in this way.

Tong Jia knew she couldn’t escape, so she decided to take it all upon herself. “She’s a newcomer who knows nothing. If you’re going to deduct her salary, just add it to mine.”

The boss took advantage and acted magnanimously, “Since it’s the first time, it’s just a warning with a deduction in pay, not to be repeated.”

As he walked away, Tong Jia spat bitterly, “You stingy miser!”

Yun Xin was puzzled, “Isn’t the hotel doing well in business?” 

The business seemed quite prosperous, so why skimp on this money? It didn’t seem like the behavior of a big hotel owner.

“It is doing well,” Tong Jia sighed,

“But making money and being stingy are two different things.”