Chapter 1

" Wang Fan, my mother said if you don't buy a house, we'll break up! "

A banner dozens of meters long hung at the newly built riverside residential complex sales office, with prominent black letters attracting the attention of onlookers. Almost everyone took out their phones to take photos, then promptly added their own comments and posted them to their social media circles!

For a time, it spread wildly online, with all sorts of comments emerging. Seventy percent of people believed that houses were not selling well, and real estate developers were using all sorts of gimmicks. If everyone didn't buy houses this year, the prices would definitely fall next year!

Only Wang Fan, who was in a tough spot, knew that this was not a real estate developer's publicity stunt. It was the final ultimatum from his girlfriend, Zheng Yiran, whom he had dated for three years in college.

" We are in the securities business. Your personal issues have damaged the company's image and seriously affected everyone's work... "

The words of Vice President Li still echoed in his ears. Just now, the finance department had already notified him to collect his salary; he had been fired from the securities company.

In the bathroom, Wang Fan, tall and slim with eyes as bright as stars, felt his heart turn to ashes. He held back the sting in his nose, washed his face, and tried to clear his mind.

His parents were farmers, and his father had always been in poor health. After supporting him through college, the family was left penniless. He had a younger sister in her second year at Jiangcheng University, and her living expenses and tuition cost over ten thousand yuan each year. To ease his burden, she had always been frugal, even refusing to buy a dress during her youth.

When he walked out of the bathroom, Wang Fan appeared to have returned to normal. As a man, he should be strong. There would always be a way out, and everything would get better.

While packing up his things in the office, he could still hear a few female colleagues in skirts and light makeup adding fuel to the fire.

" That Wang Fan who doesn't buy a house, it must be him! "

" You can't judge a person by their appearance! He looks talented, but he doesn't want to buy a house and is trying to take advantage? "

" Those who don't buy a house for marriage are just scoundrels! "

...

Wang Fan felt disheartened. Who wouldn't want to live in a mansion and drive a nice car, taking their beloved woman to a good life? But reality was always too cruel. Who could he blame for all this?

When Wang Fan returned to the basement at seven in the evening, it was damp and dark, but the rent was cheap, only 300 yuan a month, which saved enough money for his sister's living expenses.

" I need to find a job quickly. My sister's tuition for the next semester hasn't been settled yet! My father's health is poor, and he should have a full medical check-up! "

Wang Fan washed his face. He no longer had time to be sad about Yiran and his job. As a man, he needed to pull himself together; the family still relied on him.

Without love, at least he still had family! He needed to take on the family's burden. Yiran had the right to choose her happiness! If he couldn't provide it, he could only let go!

He turned on his computer and searched for job information. He urgently needed a job, a well-paying one, even if it meant cleaning toilets. As long as the salary was high, he was willing!

" You have a new email! "

Holding a bowl of instant noodles, Wang Fan was puzzled. He had just sent out a dozen job applications, and a company had already replied. He hoped it wasn't a rejection letter!

" ...Please fill in the information completely... "

Wang Fan smiled bitterly. It seemed his guess was wrong. He quickly put down the bowl of noodles and typed a line of information on the keyboard.

...Born on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month at midnight...

" What a strange company, they even need the time of birth. Are they going to calculate the eight characters for new employees? "

Wang Fan clicked to send, feeling a bit strange. He stared at the email name again—Sanjie Supermarket!

Cold sweat suddenly broke out, and Wang Fan felt a chill down his back!

Although he had sent out many job applications, Wang Fan remembered clearly that he had never sent a resume to this Sanjie Supermarket. To confirm his suspicion, he checked all the emails he had sent, and indeed, there was no mention of Sanjie Supermarket.

" You have a new email! "

Wang Fan looked at the time; it was already 9:30 PM. He took a deep breath. He was born on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month at midnight. The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Festival, and midnight is the time of the most yin energy. However, he had always been braver than most people since childhood.

So, Wang Fan calmly opened the new email. It was indeed from Sanjie Supermarket!

" ...You fully meet the supermarket's hiring criteria. Please come to Sanjie Supermarket on Yanjiang Avenue at midnight... "

Wang Fan silently repeated the address. There was a Fengjie station on Yanjiang Avenue, but he hadn't noticed if there was a supermarket there. An interview at midnight was simply absurd!

Wang Fan closed the email directly. Whether it was a paranormal event or a prank, he wouldn't go out in the middle of the night. He needed to find a job quickly the next day.

He turned off the computer, threw away the instant noodle box, and took out the trash. After washing up, he went to bed. In his dream, he saw his sister graduate and was taking a photo with her. Suddenly, his stomach hurt, and he woke up!

He turned on the light to go to the bathroom, but his stomach still hurt!

Wang Fan held his stomach and struggled to lock the door, took some money and his phone, and barely managed to walk out of the basement. The surroundings were pitch black, and the street was deserted, with no one in sight.

" It doesn't hurt as much now. I'll just buy some medicine and won't go to the hospital! "

After leaving the basement and breathing fresh air, Wang Fan felt the pain in his stomach lessen. He decided to find a pharmacy that was still open and buy some medicine.

Given his current condition, it wasn't a life-threatening illness, and he really couldn't afford to go to the hospital!

" This isn't a pharmacy, and this one isn't either... "

Wang Fan didn't know how far he had walked when he finally saw a pharmacy sign. This made him quite happy, and he quickly rushed into a supermarket-like pharmacy.

He didn't notice that next to the pharmacy sign, the electronic screen displayed "Sanjie Supermarket" prominently. As he walked into the supermarket, the nearby electronic clock showed exactly midnight!

As soon as he entered, Wang Fan heard the sound of a wind chime. He realized it was a large supermarket of about 2,000 to 3,000 square meters. On the right side of the entrance, there were several dozen cash registers, and next to them was a pharmacy section, about 100 square meters, with white marble tiles on the floor, clean and shiny, with water stains left by a mop.

Wang Fan stood at the entrance of the supermarket, looking around. The goods were neatly arranged, with large signs for each category, making everything clear at a glance.

It was a very ordinary large supermarket, so ordinary that if you walked into any supermarket, it would basically have the same layout, with nothing unusual. The next moment, Wang Fan looked up and saw the banner in the supermarket—Sanjie Supermarket. The pharmacy he had seen was inside the supermarket.

Wang Fan was startled and pulled out his phone. It showed 12:01 AM. He suddenly remembered the email! How did he end up here in the middle of the night?

" Welcome, are you Wang Fan, here to apply for the night shift cashier position? "

Suddenly, a middle-aged man appeared in the previously empty supermarket. He was wearing a black robe, with a well-proportioned face and a friendly smile, and even had two dimples.

His strange attire didn't look like that of a supermarket employee or a boss, but the two dimples left a deep impression on Wang Fan, making him feel that the man's smile was very sincere!

However, Wang Fan felt nervous, his palms sweating. He remembered receiving the email at night and going to bed, but he woke up with a stomachache and just happened to arrive at the supermarket at midnight. It was all too coincidental!

" I am Wang Fan, but I'm not here to apply for a cashier position. I'm here to buy medicine! "

As he said this, Wang Fan suddenly touched his stomach. It was strange; his stomach no longer hurt!

" However, you have already filled in your birth details and replied to Sanjie Supermarket's message. We see that you are very interested in this position. Our night shift cashier has short working hours but a high salary, especially with very generous performance bonuses! Since you're here, why not take a look at our benefits before making a decision? "

The middle-aged man's dimples were still charming, but Wang Fan felt a chill down his spine. At that moment, the lights in the supermarket suddenly dimmed, turning blood red and blurry.

Wang Fan's face changed, and he instinctively wanted to leave, but he heard the man mutter, " The voltage is unstable in this area at night, but it usually doesn't cause a power outage! "

Wang Fan felt relieved. What was wrong with him today? Was it because he was fired from the company and under too much pressure, making him suspicious?

The weather was too hot, and more people were using air conditioning, causing voltage instability, which was a common occurrence. He was overthinking, and this supermarket was just a very ordinary place!

" Welcome to Sanjie Supermarket. I am the manager, Qin Han, from the Qin Dynasty! I'll show you the work process first! "

" You are applying for the night shift cashier position, from 11 PM to 5 AM. During this time, you cannot leave the supermarket at will. If you are half an hour late, it will be considered an absence, and your salary for the day will be deducted! "

" Our supermarket offers first-class benefits. The basic monthly salary is 4,000 yuan, and there are performance bonuses. In principle, it's a 0.5% commission on the value of goods sold. Of course, if a customer complains about you, your salary and performance bonus for the day will be deducted! "

" The performance commission you earn each month can be used to buy member products in the supermarket or to exchange for items listed in the employee handbook! It's a great deal! "

As he said this, Qin Han turned around and smiled sincerely at Wang Fan, showing his deep dimples. This smile seemed a bit strange to Wang Fan. Why would a grown man have two dimples?

However, a monthly basic salary of 4,000 yuan sounded quite high, and working only six hours a day with such benefits and treatment was quite attractive, especially given his current urgent need for a job!

Wang Fan's thoughts were already active. At first, he thought the email was sudden, but after coming to Sanjie Supermarket, he felt more at ease. This was just a very ordinary and normal place, and he had been overthinking.

But why was a supermarket hiring employees at midnight? And why did Sanjie Supermarket reply to him when he hadn't sent a resume?