“Such a big company, yet they use fake plastic money trees.” Ze grumbled, “How tacky.”
Say the boss is superstitious—yet he uses a plastic money tree.
Say he’s not superstitious—yet he still has a money tree.
“I’ve got a knife here, want it?” A short-haired girl couldn’t stand it anymore and strode over, whispering, “Hurry up, the company staff will be down soon.”
Her hair was naturally curly, making her head look fluffy.
Chao Musheng stared at her hair, involuntarily reminded of the little lambs in comic books.
“Yes, yes, thank you, sis!” Ze quickly thanked her, only to see a nail clipper being handed to him.
Huh? A nail clipper?
“A nail clipper is still a knife. It’s enough to snip off a leaf.” Xiaojuan shoved the nail clipper into Ze’s hand. “Say thank you.”
“Thank you…”
Ze sheepishly took the nail clipper, picked the smallest plastic leaf, and gave it a hard clip—but it didn’t break.
What a sneaky money tree—there was wire beneath the plastic, no wonder he couldn’t pull it off earlier.
“Useless.” Xiaojuan pushed Ze aside, yanked down forcefully, and tore off a leaf with half a wire still attached before shoving it into Ze’s hand. “Take it.”
“Thank you, sis!” Hearing the prompt for his daily task completion, Ze was so moved he almost wanted to formally acknowledge her as his sister on the spot.
Who said there weren’t many good players around? The world was still full of kind people.
Chao Musheng watched as these two wrecked the money tree right under his nose, suspecting they didn’t see him as an outsider.
Afraid of being mistaken for their accomplice, he quietly took two steps to the side, putting some distance between them.
A woman in a professional suit stepped out of the elevator with two young employees, holding a blue folder. “Hello everyone, I’m the deputy head of HR. You new colleagues can call me Sister Sun.”
The moment Sister Sun spoke, everyone fell silent.
Satisfied with the reaction, Sister Sun swept her gaze over the group and opened the folder. “No matter which prestigious school you came from before stepping into this company, once you enter Kunlun, you must abide by the company’s rules. Interns who violate regulations will be dismissed immediately—no exceptions.”
“When your internship ends, the company will evaluate your performance and provide an honest assessment.” Seeing no one challenge her, Sister Sun gave a slight nod. This batch of interns was at least well-behaved—no one dared to talk back.
“Now, all interns, line up to sign in and collect your employee badges.” Sister Sun pulled out the intern roster from the folder. “Wang, have the interns scan the code to join the intern group chat.”
Ze lined up behind Xiaojuan. When signing his name on the roster, he felt Sister Sun’s eyes boring into him like searchlights, making his scalp prickle. His hand trembled, leaving behind a crooked signature.
Sister Sun glanced at his handwriting, frowned slightly, then quickly smoothed her expression and continued watching the others in line.
Chao Musheng stood behind a senior from Jinghua University. The two had only crossed paths a few times on campus, but once the senior recognized him, he immediately took on the air of an elder brother, even keeping him close while queuing.
The senior cast a critical eye over the other interns—B University, C University, none could compare to Jinghua.
Except for Chao Musheng, he looked down on every other competitor equally.
After Chao Musheng signed his name, Sister Sun took his employee badge from Wang and personally handed it to him with a smile.
She remembered this intern well—young, with an outstanding resume, winner of international competitions, participant in national research projects. Talent like this would be highly valued in any company.
Chao Musheng accepted the badge with a smile. “Thank you, Sister Sun.”
Experienced players instantly noticed Sister Sun’s special treatment of Chao Musheng. They stole glances at him, wondering if he was a player or an NPC.
If they were all players, why did Sister Sun treat them with indifference while personally handing this guy his badge?
Just because he was the best-looking?
Real men shouldn’t rely on looks to win over NPCs—hmph!
Noticing the stares, the senior shielded Chao Musheng, faintly smug.
Chao was Jinghua’s pride—of course he’d be favored wherever he went.
“Musheng, which department will you be assigned to?” the senior whispered. “I heard a few other alumni from our school were also hired by Kunlun HQ, but they’re not in this batch of interns.”
“I don’t know.” He’d prefer the R&D department, but since it handled sensitive commercial secrets, Kunlun probably wouldn’t place interns there.
Chao Musheng noticed some people observing him but paid no mind.
He was here to learn, not compete for jobs.
The senior didn’t hesitate. “With your skills, you’ll excel no matter where you’re placed.”
Facing his senior’s earnest gaze, Chao Musheng: “…”
No need for such blind faith.
“Damn, this guy’s got skills,” Ze whispered to Xiaojuan. “He’s barely been here any time, yet he’s already got Sister Sun’s favor and made connections with other interns.”
Just how many dungeons had he cleared to be this smooth?
Xiaojuan ignored him, her eyes fixed on Chao Musheng.
Only a powerhouse like this was worthy of being her rival.
“Sis, why aren’t you saying anything?” When Xiaojuan didn’t respond, Ze stepped in front of her. “Sis?”
“Shut up and stay quiet.” Seeing Sister Sun glance their way, Xiaojuan gritted her teeth and yanked Ze behind her.
Where did this rookie player come from? No sense of caution at all—blabbering away like he wasn’t afraid of NPCs noticing him.
“Now that everyone has their badges, check the department assignments in the intern group and report to your respective teams.” Sister Sun’s stern gaze swept over them again. “I despise people with no sense of punctuality. I hope none of you will be late or leave early during your internship.”
Sister Sun was the group admin, with Wang assisting in communications.
[Wang: Welcome to Kunlun Enterprises! Please check the assignment table and report to your departments ASAP. (Celebratory emoji)]
Wang’s tone in the group was lively, a stark contrast to Sister Sun’s severity. But no one was foolish enough to treat him as just a regular colleague. After politely thanking him in the group, they checked their assigned departments.
“This Wang guy seems pretty easygoing.” Ze opened the table and saw his placement. “Customer Service Department?”
Xiaojuan scanned the form from top to bottom. There were thirty interns in total: ten assigned to the Customer Service Department, two to Logistics, five to Sales, and a few scattered across other less significant departments. Departments like Technical R&D and Operations, which required practical skills, had only one intern position each.
She had been assigned to Customer Service. While this department was prone to triggering bizarre incidents, as long as one handled them properly, there wasn’t much life-threatening danger. For players assigned to specialized departments like Technical R&D or Operations, it was practically a death sentence from the start.
When Chao Musheng passed by, she took the initiative to ask, "Which department did you get assigned to?"
"Technical R&D," Chao Musheng replied politely before asking in return, "And you?"
"Customer Service." Xiaojuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for him. So, he was the unlucky one stuck in Technical R&D.
Hearing that she had been assigned to the non-core Customer Service Department, Chao Musheng quickly offered consolation, "Customer Service isn’t bad."
An internship at Kunlun was still a golden opportunity, something that would boost their competitiveness in the job market.
She’s got it tough.
He’s really in a terrible spot.
The two of them exchanged friendly smiles.
"Eh, why is he heading upstairs so fast?" Ze, noticing Chao Musheng walking toward the elevator, turned to Xiaojuan and asked, "Which department was that guy assigned to?"
Xiaojuan raised an eyebrow. "You seem to like him?"
Ze nodded. "I get the feeling he’s a decent guy."
"Then you should take a good look at him now," Xiaojuan said, slipping her phone into her pocket with a soft sigh.
"Why?"
"Because if you don’t look now, you might not get another chance later."
Ze’s face tensed. "Is our Customer Service Department that dangerous?"
Xiaojuan: "..."
Sometimes, she really didn’t want to talk to idiots—it was too easy to have her intelligence dragged down.
"He won’t survive," Xiaojuan suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and explained to Ze, "In a multiplayer instance like this, player elimination starts on the very first day. That guy doesn’t seem to have much luck."
Luck was part of a player’s strength, after all.
Kunlun Corporation had multiple industries under its umbrella, and the Technical R&D Department was divided into different office zones based on the industry.
After reporting in, Chao Musheng was assigned by the department head to the Game Development Team Three.
Just within the gaming division alone, the headquarters had so many teams. Across the entire enterprise, how many job positions must there be?
Holding his assignment slip, Chao Musheng found his way to Game Team Three. Before even stepping inside, he caught the scent of milk tea and coffee wafting through the air. Amid the clatter of keyboards, the occasional burst of frustrated curses could be heard.
"Change this, change that—why don’t they just do it themselves in the Art Department?!"
"They want the hair purple, silver, and flowing with every strand distinct? Let them take a look at my hair—does it look ‘distinct’ to them?!"
Chao Musheng knocked on the half-open glass door. "Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. I’m the new intern."
An intern?
The entire team fell silent, heads turning in unison toward the door.
Fair, glowing skin—no oiliness, no blemishes. Thick, lush hair, so abundant it was almost enviable.
This was a fresh, unspoiled sprout.
"Xiao Chao?" The leader of Team Three, upon recognizing the newcomer, looked surprised. "The department head just messaged that an intern from university would be joining us. I didn’t expect it to be you?"
From the moment he received the message, he had been cursing internally. Work was already stressful enough—now he had to spare time to mentor some clueless student? Did the higher-ups even see them as human?
"Senior?" A delighted expression crossed Chao Musheng’s face. "Hello, Senior."
Seeing that it was Chao Musheng, the team leader immediately brightened. "Come in, come in. Let me introduce everyone."
"This is my junior, Chao Musheng, a current student at Jinghua University and a favorite of my mentor. Sharp mind, strong skills." The leader pulled Chao Musheng to the center of the office. "Let’s all get along well in the coming period. He’s still young, so take good care of him."
A Jinghua University student interning at headquarters? That alone spoke volumes about his outstanding performance.
The mentor’s favorite? That meant strong connections and potential for further studies—he wouldn’t be sticking around the company forever.
Everyone present understood the subtext. Someone with such a promising future—if they didn’t seize the chance to build rapport now, they’d never get another opportunity.
The team greeted Chao Musheng warmly, even assigning him the workstation by the window with the best natural lighting.
"The computer login password is your intern ID," the team leader said without ceremony, immediately assigning him tasks.
The other colleagues: "..."
Was the leader really just throwing work at the intern like this?
Had they misread the earlier hints?
When Secretary Liu passed by Game Team Three’s area with the boss, the chatter inside was unmistakable.
Out of the entire floor, their team was the loudest.
He glanced cautiously at the boss’s expression—nothing discernible.
Peering inside, he saw several people gathered around a computer, engrossed in something.
"That color rendering is insane."
"Xiao Chao, take a look at this code for me."
"Whoever recruited Xiao Chao for our team is a genius—real eye for talent."
Seeing that none of the technicians had noticed the boss’s arrival, Secretary Liu rapped his knuckles against the doorframe.
Knock, knock, knock.
No reaction, no acknowledgment.
Not daring to check the boss’s expression now, Secretary Liu clapped his hands loudly.
"Secretary Liu?" The technicians finally noticed him. "What brings you here?"
Why was someone from the executive office suddenly visiting their tech department?
"The boss is making rounds today to check on each department," Secretary Liu said, eyeing the group. Of course, their team had to be the noisiest. "If you’re facing any work-related difficulties, feel free to bring them up."
The big boss was here?
Every employee, seated or standing, immediately rose and turned toward the door.
Chao Musheng stood up as well, positioning himself behind his colleagues. He glanced at Mr. Su as he entered but remained silent.
Mr. Su’s gaze swept past the crowd, meeting Chao Musheng’s eyes briefly.
Chao Musheng curved his lips into a polite smile.
Mr. Su’s eyelids flickered slightly. He gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod before quickly looking away.
He really did seem to be here just for a routine inspection. After a few words of encouragement, he left with Secretary Liu in tow.
Once the boss was gone, the team buzzed with excitement.
"I never thought the boss would personally visit us."
"This is the closest I’ve been to him since joining a year ago."
Chao Musheng quietly asked the team leader, "Senior, everyone seems to admire the boss a lot?"
"The company offers great benefits and high pay," the leader said, checking a private message from Secretary Liu. "For us workers, that’s what matters."
"The boss just gave us a personal bonus out of his own pocket. I’ll send it to the group—everyone grab your share."
Team Three, including Chao Musheng, had fifteen members. The leader sent fifteen red packets to the group.
"Senior brother, is there one for me too?"
The team leader replied, "Secretary Liu said the boss specifically instructed him to send fifteen portions—of course there’s one for you."
Chao Musheng happily accepted the red envelope, which contained a surprisingly generous amount.
Heh, the boss really was a good guy.
After receiving their red envelopes, the colleagues chatted with Chao Musheng about office gossip while typing away at their computers.
"The money tree downstairs gets either drowned to death or stolen all year round."
Chao Musheng: ?
Drowning it made sense, but why go through the effort of stealing it?
"Some rumor spread in the industry recently that Kunlun has excellent feng shui, which is why it’s stood strong for a hundred years. Some bosses actually believed it and sent people to steal our money tree."
"The logistics team kept complaining in the company group chat until the boss got tired of seeing plants being mistreated. He had them place two plastic money trees at the entrance. After that, the thefts gradually stopped."
Probably because feng shui masters often say fake plants lack vitality and harm financial luck, so the thieves didn’t dare take them anymore.
Chao Musheng: "..."
Well, now he knew the truth behind Kunlun’s grand entrance being guarded by plastic trees.
Using superstition to defeat superstition—not only did it save the poor money trees, but it also cut company expenses.
Mr. Su truly deserved praise.
At lunch, the colleagues took Chao Musheng to the company cafeteria. The lavish spread made his eyes gleam as he piled his plate high with food.
A boss this generous to his employees? No wonder he was thriving.
Ze, who had been dealing with difficult customers and superiors all morning, dragged himself to the cafeteria with Xiaojuan. His stomach growled at the sight of the delicious food, but he didn’t dare indulge.
With only a pitiful serving of greens on his tray, Ze sat in a corner, his face greener than his vegetables.
He glanced around and spotted Chao Musheng sitting among a group of yellow-name NPCs.
The NPCs were laughing and chatting, one even handing Chao Musheng a drink like he was one of their own.
"Xiaojuan," Ze whispered to her as she miserably chewed her greens. "Didn’t you say he was doomed? How is he not only alive but also getting along so well with the NPCs?"
"Look, someone even brought him chopsticks and fruit."
Why were the NPCs in the customer service department so cold to him?
The manager even said he had no brains for soothing upset customers.
Xiaojuan stared at Chao Musheng, effortlessly blending in with the NPCs, then down at her own sad meal, questioning her life choices.
Don’t ask her why.
Damn it, she wanted to know why too!
