"Kids' meal... Half-price below 1.6 meters? Please replace Su Leshuang with orange juice in the meal, thank you."
The company cafeteria doesn't look much different from a regular restaurant, with chairs and tables neatly arranged. Xu Xiaoyou held her tray and looked around while searching for a seat.
At this time in the afternoon, there were quite a few company employees in the restaurant, including various animal people and a few blue-skinned, foul-smelling giant demons.
These hefty creatures, standing three meters tall and with a body odor so strong it's unbearable, would cause people to pinch their noses and avoid them wherever they went.
Xu Xiaoyou admired the overall quality level of these company employees; despite everything, it didn't cause any chaos—everything seemed in perfect order.
These giant demons and ogres, generally not very intelligent, were actually queuing up like obedient children in kindergarten. In her impression, they were the most stupid and unreasonable species in the urban biosphere.
Could it be that Cosmic Heavy Industries' internal brainwashing is so powerful that it can tame these giant demons and ogres, whose intelligence isn't higher than a human child of seven or eight, into submission?
Thinking this, Xu Xiaoyou found a seat in a corner of the cafeteria.
Upon realizing her feet couldn't touch the ground once she sat on the chair, Xu Xiaoyou grumbled:
"Designing chairs so high, haven't they considered the feelings of human employees?"
She was truly unexpected; Xu Nian, who seemed so frail and timid, would stand out among sturdy men like some kind of action movie protagonist and be so ruthless!
Killing people without batting an eye, even looking excited—he was a complete psycho, precisely fitting her impression of such city lunatics.
Though when she learned he was employed in the security department and was an A-level employee, she already vaguely guessed something.
Who would have thought Xu Nian's debt collection experience would be made into an outstanding employee's promotional video and played on the screen during the newcomer training conference?
"Now this is hard to clean up..."
Xu Xiaoyou worriedly held her head, poking at the block-shaped food in the tray resembling a potato with tiny eye spots.
This terrible impression left on the new employees—thinking of Aphra's disappointed and complex gaze at her—Xu Xiaoyou puffed her cheeks and ruthlessly stabbed the potato piece with her fork.
In this world, there aren't many normal foods; just gotta make do with it.
Xu Xiaoyou thought, putting the potato into her mouth.
Chewing carefully, the rich aroma surged up, whetting her appetite.
The company cafeteria's food tasted pretty good.
Eating while swinging her legs under the table, the girl heard:
"Did you hear? Recently, a big shot arrived here, causing quite a stir!"
Not far away, a green-skinned dwarf spoke mysteriously, while the giant demon beside him nodded sluggishly, looking confused:
"What big shot?"
"Heavens, don't you know? Just this morning, at Zone Seven's tram station, the news went viral about an investigator's violent law enforcement!"
"Investigator's violent law enforcement? Isn't that old news?" The giant demon said.
The girl's swinging legs paused, her ears twitching.
"No, no, this time it's different; the investigator has quite an unusual background. She's the little princess of 'Oasis'!"
"Bai Youyou, do you know? Her family is one of the ruling families of 'Oasis'—the 'Order Court,' responsible for maintaining law and order. Her dad is the current Patriarch!"
Bai Youyou—is that the name of the three-winged investigator?
Oasis?
Xu Xiaoyou recalled information about the term.
Soon after, she remembered.
Her perception of Oasis was rather vague; she only knew it was a 'Virtual Nest City,' not truly existing in this world. To enter Oasis, one must possess a 'ticket' and an expensive Consciousness Transmission Device.
Heaven, Eden—the ideal home for the human spirit. So many evaluations of Oasis have made it a place countless people dream of, a land of dreams.
Everything there is constructed virtually yet is as valuable as real estate; all data is stored in huge server networks but is claimed to have the world's strongest and safest bank.
"Nothing you can't imagine, nothing Oasis can't offer," this slogan remains fresh in many people's memories.
Even if the world's greatest artist reached there, they would feel ashamed of their lack of imagination.
Xu Xiaoyou was very curious, what kind of power structure maintains such a world running?
"Why would such a person come down to our humble place?" The giant demon scratched his head.
"Who knows! They say she just finished her coming-of-age ceremony and rushed over."
"That's why things have gone haywire here; have you seen any force daring to touch that little princess? In the Animal Community, causing such a stir, she was kindly escorted away."
"In the company's domain, even Oasis's little princess must abide, right..."
"Nonsense; I have to dispute with you about the company executives and Oasis's mutual interests."
Xu Xiaoyou finished her meal and left quietly.
No other reason,
She couldn't stand those two big guys talking in such a petty tone, with squeaky voices.
Close to six-thirty in the evening, the new employees in the office kept their distance from the blonde girl, remembering deeply the afternoon video.
Who knows if such a city lunatic might suddenly go crazy and start stabbing people.
Only Gloss came over as though seeking connections, enthusiastically putting her arm around Xu Xiaoyou's shoulder:
"Xu Nian, why didn't you say earlier that you're that A-level employee, pretending to be a rookie!"
"I never said I was a rookie." Xu Xiaoyou replied coolly.
Gloss froze.
Upon a closer recall, the other person indeed didn't claim to be a newbie but remained silent—it was their preconceived notions all along.
Now it was awkward.
"Alright, alright, please help with our team 11 performance from now on!" Gloss said, hands clasped together, looking incredibly sincere.
Seeing this, Xu Xiaoyou couldn't say much more, nodding before standing up.
Everyone's eyes turned to her, some new employees nervously swallowing hard.
"It's six-thirty; aren't you guys leaving work?" Xu Xiaoyou asked, "Company doesn't mandate overtime."
After a brief silence, someone replied:
"In ten minutes there will be free company coffee, made with very expensive beans, drinking long-term makes you more spirited."
Xu Xiaoyou thought it was silly not to take advantage and sat back down.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, someone brought over a dozen cups of coffee.
After drinking the coffee, Xu Xiaoyou stood up again; seeing everyone still staring blankly at her, she frowned slightly.
"It's almost seven; why aren't you all leaving?"
"At seven, there's free dinner, and it's quite plentiful."
Xu Xiaoyou felt it made sense and sat down again.
This company actually seems quite considerate, offering so many perks to the employees who opt to work overtime.
At nine o'clock, Xu Xiaoyou stretched and realized everyone around her was still diligently working.
"Why haven't you guys left yet?" She was utterly confused.
What exactly are you competing for?
"Taxi fares are reimbursed at ten." A toad employee, drinking coffee, stuffing free dinner into a big mouth, glanced back, thought for a bit, and kindly reminded: "Eleven, daily wages are settled at 1.2 times!"