I really don't want to work in the world of weird rules!

Gu Changyuan found himself sitting in a corner of a large, tiered studio.

A deafening roar of cheers erupted.

A huge projection screen on the stage was playing colorful fireworks effects, with several lines of large characters written in the center.

[New Employee Welcome Ceremony]

The room was filled with young men and women in suits, clapping and cheering with great enthusiasm, while the sharp-looking host on stage was switching between slides with a beaming smile.

This scene looks exactly like a new employee onboarding ceremony at a large company, with everyone's face beaming with pride and excitement.

[Having emerged victorious from a competition of 145 to 1, each of you new employees has every reason to be proud! Therefore, the welcome ceremony now officially begins!]

Gu Changyuan's back was soaked with cold sweat, and his legs instinctively tried to push him up and back away.

He looked down at himself, wearing the cheap suit that real estate agents often wore, an outfit that allowed him to blend perfectly into the group of newbies in the workplace.

The worst part was that the heavy, luxurious gift box was still sitting properly on his lap.

A new employee nearby peeked over and curiously inquired whether the gift box on his lap was a company-issued benefit.

Gu Changyuan's throat felt like it was sealed with cement, and he couldn't make a sound.

You are the selected qualified candidates!

In fact, only a very special group of people were invited to Studio A for the welcome event among the newly recruited employees!

[Congratulations everyone! You have passed the aptitude test and have been officially assigned to the special department—the Field Investigation Team.]

Whispers immediately filled the studio. Some were surprised to be assigned a position on their first day, some wondered why a pharmaceutical company would set up an on-site investigation team, and others speculated that it was a marginal department exiled to a remote branch.

Gu Changyuan couldn't hear any of the noise.

Daydream Company Limited.

On-site investigation team.

These two names, seemingly etched into his DNA, exploded in his mind.

Gu Changyuan was breathing rapidly, his chest heaving violently. This was clearly the original ghost story from the trendy toy store he had just stepped out of.

If the plot doesn't deviate from its intended direction...

This ruthless department even implements a brutal elimination mechanism during the onboarding training phase to select qualified full-time employees.

This is also a very popular segment in the encyclopedia, used to show readers the miserable state of ordinary people after being forcibly drawn into ghost stories.

Gu Changyuan felt a chill run down his spine and suddenly kicked the chair away, standing up abruptly.

Regardless of whether it was a holographic projection prank or a real time travel, his only thought now was to break out of the door.

But as soon as he took one step, the announcement on the stage cut off his escape route.

Before formal hiring, you will need to undergo a brief evaluation period. The evaluation criteria will only consider your practical adaptability, and a fair scoring system will be used.

To ensure the accuracy of the assessment, everyone is urged to participate actively. Any attempt to take advantage of the situation will be severely punished!

Accompanied by the host's malicious laughter, the heavy soundproof doors on all four walls of the studio simultaneously made a loud bang.

All the doors were slammed shut at the same time.

Hundreds of new employees remained seated. The host raised his voice and shouted out the last line in an extremely excited tone.

【Alright, let's begin the assessment!】

With this announcement, all the lights in the studio went out instantly.

The surroundings were plunged into absolute darkness, with only a few scattered mutters of doubt remaining. Most people assumed this was a routine procedure for playing training videos.

After all, who in their right mind would expect that what greets new employees is not an icebreaker game, but a battle royale game with a hellish start?

Space began to distort, and the surrounding scene was eerily replaced by a cold and damp subway car.

Dear passengers, thank you for riding the Abyss Transportation Company's train.

Please pay close attention to train announcements to ensure you reach your destination safely.

An unfamiliar station broadcast with heavy, synthesized metallic sound effects echoed through the empty train carriage.

The men and women in suits, who were sitting neatly on the plastic benches, sprang up as if they had been electrocuted.

The carriage erupted in chaos. Some screamed and questioned where they were, others tried to find hidden escape room equipment, and still others shouted to find the staff.

Fortunately, all the hundreds of people who had been in the same room earlier were squeezed into this carriage. The sense of security brought about by this group gathering made most people's reactions still quite sluggish.

They moved in small groups throughout the carriage, tapping and banging, trying to find flaws in the holographic technology.

Someone noticed movement in the next carriage as well, and tried to pull on the handle connecting the two carriages, but found that the iron door was rooted to the spot and wouldn't budge.

People are still marveling at how realistic this technology is, to the point that it's almost indistinguishable from reality.

The hairs on the back of Gu Changyuan's neck stood on end, and cold sweat poured down his back. He squeezed his eyes shut and then suddenly opened them again.

Detailed information about this instance automatically popped into my mind.

Welcome aboard the Abyss Rail Transit

Initially classified as a Class D ghost story, it became infamous for its abnormally high survival rate. This remains a persistent pain for the on-site investigation team, whose investigation log has been updated to the ■■th time.

This is a highly representative urban transportation mystery. The victim usually takes a nap on the subway during the evening rush hour, and when he wakes up, he finds that the scenery around him is still the same, but the station announcements he hears gradually become strange and bizarre.

It accurately targets every working person who relies on public transportation, and its strong sense of identification has sent chills down the spines of countless readers.

This particular area of ​​ghost stories is under the full jurisdiction of Daydream Company.

Those high-ranking lunatics clearly used this cannibalistic tale as a primary screening tool for this batch of new recruits.

While people nearby were discussing whether this was some kind of large-scale real-life escape room, some complained that it was unnecessary for a mere pharmaceutical company selling hair growth toy to put on such a grand show during new employee training.

The piercing crackling of electricity suddenly interrupted everyone's grumbling.

[Next stop: A station of sorrow.]

The carriage fell silent instantly, and the young people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Gu Changyuan held his breath and stiffly turned his head.

With a sickening scraping sound, the train suddenly stopped.

The dull, mechanical sound rang out again.

The right-side door is about to open.

The car doors slid open to both sides.

The car door will close in thirty seconds; this journey is irreversible.

If the Sad Station is your final stop, please follow the announcements to disembark.

The announcer's voice was mechanical and flat, yet the content had a strangely seductive quality.

When faced with the fear of the unknown, humans tend to subconsciously seek rationalizations.

Someone leaned over the glass and shouted that it looked like an ordinary subway station from the outside.

The platform outside was indeed a normal one. Although it was dimly lit and the walls were damp, the basic facilities were all there.

Upon seeing this familiar scene, two or three people immediately grasped at a straw and rushed towards the car door impatiently.

Gu Changyuan gritted his teeth and forced himself to shout in a low voice.

"You'd better not get off the bus."

The group of people stopped and glanced back at him.

Their deep hesitation was evident.

Just then, the car door emitted a beeping alarm indicating that it was about to close.

The piercing sound was like a death knell, completely shattering the already fragile psychological defenses of the group. They pushed aside the people blocking their way and rushed out of the carriage without regard for anything else.

The heavy metal door slammed shut.

Through the train window, you could see the people who had run out standing on the platform, waving excitedly at the people inside the carriage.

Gu Changyuan pursed his lips tightly. He understood this mentality all too well. Faced with an abnormal state that was beyond common sense, the only thought was to abandon thinking and instinctively escape the confined space.

Unfortunately, this is a world of strange tales where there is no common sense.

The people waving on the platform turned around, preparing to look for the exit.

A sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, without warning, countless silver droplets seeped from the dimly lit platform ceiling and supporting columns, drenching them completely from all directions like a torrential downpour.