It was late at night.
Wang Yanfei couldn't sleep, which was rare for him.
He stared at the ceiling for a long time, his thoughts stuck somewhere, with no trace of sleepiness at all.
After an unknown amount of time, he reached under his pillow and pulled out the "Bullet Ant."
The silver metal shell reflected faint light, and the thin red crystal running through its center made the whole gun look more like a piece of art than a weapon.
He couldn't help playing with it a little.
But thinking about all the dangers lurking in the city, he couldn't stop a soft sigh.
The gun was shoved back under the pillow.
He turned over, his gaze landing on his own arm.
At some point, Alvina had crawled back again, coiled on his arm like a white scarf.
Wang Yanfei reached out and pinched her nose.
The white snake twitched, tail flicking, and reluctantly raised its head.
"You sick or what, human," she snapped impatiently, "can't sleep so you mess with me?"
Wang Yanfei said seriously, "Move aside first, the sleep server is full."
"…Damn it, you're really sick."
Alvina trembled with anger and bit his finger without hesitation.
"Ahh— be gentle!"
"Serves you right."
The man and snake bickered for a while before their mood slowly settled.
At some point, both of them fell asleep.
—————
The tower stood under a blood-red sky, a massive spider perched atop it.
Looking closely, the spider's body was made of countless human faces, limbs, and torsos intertwined.
Every face carried the same smile, lifeless, as if someone forced them to hold that expression.
The next moment, those faces slowly turned. Countless eyes opened simultaneously, cold and reflective, staring directly at him.
The instant their collective gaze collided with his—
Wang Yanfei snapped his eyes open.
It was already morning.
His first reaction was to scan the room, confirming he was not suspended on any eerie spider web, and also confirming Alvina had not strangled him in his sleep.
Everything was the same as always, and he exhaled deeply.
The dream was already blurry, but the fear remained carved into his mind.
There was still some time before work.
He got up, put on the "skin" layer by layer, adjusted his expression slightly, then opened the door.
But something was different today.
The sound of clinking utensils came from the kitchen.
Wang Yanfei walked over and saw a small figure standing on a stool, clumsily pouring nutrient paste into a bowl.
Jessica was awake early today.
"Why are you up so early?"
He took over the task to prevent her from getting burned.
Jessica wiped her hands and looked up at him, eyes bright.
"Daddy, I need to go early today. We're rehearsing for a performance at school, so I have to get there sooner."
She gestured as she spoke.
Wang Yanfei nodded without much thought. "Then be careful on the way. Do you want Daddy to walk you there?"
"No, no," she waved quickly, "Daddy has to go to work soon."
Then she gave him a sweet smile.
"Daddy, good luck."
The encouragement came too suddenly.
Wang Yanfei froze for a breath, struck by this unexpected warmth.
He couldn't help smiling back. "Mm, good luck."
——————
Wang Yanfei took the train to the tower as usual today, except this time he wasn't going to the old repair line.
It was his first day at the new position.
A round little robot was already waiting at the exit.
He followed it through several corridors and down two lift platforms until they reached a metal door labeled [Warehouse B · Miscellaneous Storage].
The door slid open, cold air rushing out.
Inside, boxes were stacked like mountains, all kinds of items mixed together. If not labeled "warehouse," it would look like a junk heap.
The robot rolled inside. A few seconds later, it came out again… pushing something.
No—pushing someone.
An old man.
Hunched back, walking one step and pausing half a step, looking like he could collapse any second.
The old man squinted at him, stretched out a shriveled hand, and handed him a key.
"Ah, young man… congratulations."
His eyes drifted for a moment before he slowly added, "You've found the easiest job here."
Wang Yanfei: "The easiest?"
The old man nodded. "Yes! Back when I was eighteen, those were truly… deadly years…"
The next thirty minutes—
The old man talked about "manual forklifts back in the day," then "a giant rat that once got in," then "how the management office used to not even have windows," then "I used to have so much hair when I was young"…
Wang Yanfei's head buzzed painfully.
He wanted to be polite, but the old man showed no intention of stopping.
Finally, when the old man reached—
"Later, on the day of my fifth relationship—"
Wang Yanfei collapsed mentally and interrupted immediately.
"Uh, sir… people here usually don't like talking, right?"
"Huh? They don't?"
The old man froze, like he'd never heard this in his life.
He tilted his head, thought for a few seconds, then suddenly perked up.
"Maybe. But back when I was young—"
"Stop, stop, stop." Wang Yanfei backed away instantly.
If he didn't run, he really would lose his mind.
Before the old man could launch into another speech, he turned and slipped away.
...
The old man's voice faded behind him.
The warehouse grew quiet again, with only the occasional machine hum in the distance.
Every row of shelves was like a metal wall, filled with strange devices—many he couldn't even guess the purpose of.
Small screens were installed on the shelf sides, constantly flashing numbers and status markers.
At the center of the warehouse stood an inconspicuous tin shed.
Wang Yanfei pushed the door.
Inside was small but fully equipped.
Against the wall was a long metal platform with a thin mat on it—probably his bed.
In the middle was a solid steel desk with a rather advanced-looking computer.
There was also a narrow door. Inside was a tiny restroom with a toilet.
This was practically his private office.
Wang Yanfei didn't rush to work.
The old man said this was "the easiest job," so he didn't mind relaxing.
He checked the little shed, touching the corners, under the desk, under the bed frame.
No cameras, no listening devices, no hidden items.
"…This is way too clean."
He muttered.
Then he sat down and turned on the computer.
The screen lit up.
A moment later, an interface appeared—rows upon rows of surveillance feeds.
He clicked "panoramic mode."
The entire warehouse's view unfolded like a giant mosaic.
But—
Black screen.
Black screen.
Still black screen.
Over half the feeds were completely dark.
The remaining ones only showed small corners of shelves.
Wang Yanfei was silent.
He leaned back, staring at a wall of black squares.
A strange feeling spread in his heart.
"…Is this normal?"
He muttered.
A hyper-efficient, high-tech civilization. A tower obsessed with order. And yet over half the warehouse cameras were dead?
It felt like… it was prepared specifically for him.
The thought surfaced, and he immediately shook his head, crushing his rising unease.
"…I'm getting too sensitive lately."
"…A lot has happened lately."
He let out a slow breath.
"Staying sharp is one thing… going overboard is another."