After helping Yang Hui pack his personal belongings into a bag, Yang Na left his office.
17:30
"Ding~ Host's unemployed status detected, completing the binding task for the Unemployment Aid System!"
"Binding Unemployment Aid System, 1%...5%...10%...50%...100%"
"Unemployment Aid System binding successful."
Immediately, a character model appeared in his mind's eye—an exact replica of Yang Hui himself.
He focused his will, seeking more information, and a panel popped up.
[Host: Yang Hui (Unemployment Value: 1)]
[Height: 181 cm, Weight: 80 kg]
Highest Salary: 10,000/month
Unemployment Benefits: 10,000,000/month
Calculation: Monthly benefits = Host's highest career salary x Unemployment Value x 1,000 yuan.
[Financial Status:
Balance: 30,000
Property: None
Businesses: None
Vehicle: None]
The information on the panel was extremely simple, but his eyes instantly locked onto the main point.
'Deep breath... Deep breath!'
'It really is a huge amount. Unemployment Benefits: 10,000,000.'
The dazzling, golden numbers made his breathing quicken.
'I'd considered what "massive" might mean, but I never expected it to be as boundless as the ocean!'
Ten million would mean financial freedom for most people. His previous salary was 10,000 a month, which was enough to get by in Qingzhou. But with 10 million... he could live for eighty years!
'Quitting my job was the smartest decision I've ever made!'
He focused his thoughts on the "Unemployment Benefits" line, and an option suddenly popped up: [Claim? Yes/No]
'Only an idiot wouldn't claim it. I have to grab it now! What if it just disappears?'
'Everything else can wait. Claiming this is the priority.'
"You have received a deposit of 10,000,000 yuan to your ICBC account ending in 9988... Your new balance is 10,030,000 yuan!"
'I'm a multimillionaire!'
'It's a dream come true!'
'What can I do with 10 million?'
'In Qingzhou, I could buy a mansion and a luxury car!'
'If I'm careful with my spending, I can just "lie flat" at home every day and live out the rest of my life in comfort!'
'And this isn't even a one-time payout! I can claim it every month. Why would I ever work again? Isn't it better to just lounge around at home?'
'Other people "lie flat" to give up. I'm "lying flat" to win at life!'
A few minutes later, he managed to pull himself out of the euphoric haze of his newfound wealth and went back to studying the "Unemployment Aid System."
There was an explanation for the benefit amount: Amount = Host's highest career salary x Unemployment Value x 1,000 yuan/month.
'So, the amount isn't fixed. It depends on my highest salary and my Unemployment Value.'
'Unemployment Value: 1. Does that mean the number of times I've been unemployed?'
'If this were my second time being unemployed, would I be getting 20 million a month?'
'And what if I had resigned after getting promoted to regional manager with a pay raise? The amount would be even higher, wouldn't it?'
However, if he had waited for the promotion and raise, he probably wouldn't have met the system's requirement to resign within seven days to bind it.
Based on how the company operated, even after the promotion email was sent, his official start date in the new role wouldn't have been until the beginning of next month. That was more than seven days.
'So, no regrets about resigning immediately!'
Seeing the two small, glowing words, "Unemployment Value," he tried tapping them with his mind, and an explanation popped up:
[Unemployment Value: The Host gains 1 point of Unemployment Value when dismissed from a company, or by resigning after being confirmed as a permanent employee.]
'So, if I get another job, I probably won't get benefits while I'm employed. But as soon as I become unemployed again, my Unemployment Value will become 2. Wouldn't that mean I'd get at least 20 million a month?'
'And if I get a job with a higher salary, the benefits will be even greater, right?'
'Looked at this way, the "Unemployment Aid System" doesn't seem to encourage "lying flat" at all. It actually encourages me to get another job!'
'But with a setup like this, no matter where I work, the thing I'll be hoping for most is to get unemployed as soon as possible.'
'And what about that 1,000x multiplier? Is it because the "Unemployment Aid System" is a product from 1,000 years in the future? There's no explanation for that part, though.'
'Hm?'
'There's a loophole!'
'What if I start my own company, give myself an outrageous salary, and then fire myself? Couldn't I just farm money that way?'
The moment he had the thought, a system notification popped up: "Companies in which the Host has a direct controlling stake or shareholding will not generate Unemployment Value, nor will their salaries be considered for calculation!"
'Looks like from now on, I'll have to get unemployed based on my own merits!'
'I wonder if the system has any other functions...' He checked the time. It was already 5:45 PM. 'Wenren Du'Er gets out of school at 6:00 PM. I need to go pick her up now!'
As he walked out of the office, he saw that the company had mostly emptied out for the day.
He walked out the main doors of the company and glanced back at the place where he had worked for two years. 'Goodbye!'
He hailed a private car and had it stop on the road by the entrance to Qingzhou Eighth Middle School.
At this time of day, the road was packed with cars waiting to pick up children. Yang Hui told the driver to wait, assuring him he'd pay for the waiting time.
He got out of the car and walked to the school gate. The little girl didn't even have a phone watch, so their only option was to arrange to meet at the entrance.
At 6:00 PM, the school gates opened, and children surged out like a tidal wave.
Many were in uniform, while some wore their own clothes. The crowd was so dense that his vision blurred, but he couldn't spot Wenren Du'Er.
After searching for several minutes, his eyes began to ache. Finally, he spotted the little girl at the back of the crowd.
He waved to her. The little girl had clearly seen him too, and a wide, happy smile spread across her face. Her slightly upturned lips curved like a crescent moon when she smiled.
Her eyes were like morning dewdrops, so clear they seemed to reflect the entire world.
'It would be nice to have a daughter as beautiful as her someday,' he thought to himself.
Just then, a few girls walking in a group passed by Yang Hui, chatting amongst themselves.
He overheard one of the girls say, "Hey, did you guys hear? Wenren Du'Er's dad jumped off a building!"
His expression instantly turned cold. 'Kids will be kids, but words can be lethal!'
'It was hard to imagine. Wenren Du'Er's tragedy had become casual gossip for her classmates. How much pain must she be enduring!'
'In an environment like this, what kind of psychological scars would that leave on a young girl?'
Wenren Du'Er drew near, and he put on a smile for her.
She, on the other hand, looked more excited than he'd ever seen her, breaking into a small jog as she came toward him from out of the crowd.
She wore a faded school uniform, its cuff smudged with an ink stain. But as she ran, the rays of the setting sun shone through her hair, outlining her entire figure in a golden halo.
The slightly yellowed collar and her worn canvas shoes—suddenly, these became the most touching things about her. She was like a stubborn little daisy, growing resiliently in a wild field.
"Dad!"
'For some reason, he suddenly didn't feel so resistant to that title anymore.'
"Dad!"
Wenren Du'Er called out sweetly again. You could see the joy on her face, like a child who had just snuck a taste of honey.
"Let's go, Du'Er. We're going home!"
Mhm~!
She nodded emphatically, glancing around as if she wanted to share her current joy with everyone nearby.
"You're so nice, Dad!"
Suddenly, tears began to fall, one after another, connecting into a single, glistening thread.