Dual Worlds: I Have a Doomsday World

While Lin Qi waited, he used his A-Class clearance to search the company’s internal network for A-Class literature.

...

In the office next door, Liu Weicai was on a call with Dong Wenlong, the A-Class researcher assigned to work with Lin Qi.

"I’m not going! Have you no idea what the situation at the company is right now? I’m afraid of dying, I’m not going to the company!"

"If you have the guts, submit a request to the board of directors to have me fired! I’m not going to the company either way!"

"I’m taking a vacation! I’m using my annual leave. I’m taking a hundred days off! No, three hundred days!"

Dong Wenlong’s reaction was vehement. As the one who’d been quickest to flee yesterday, the last thing he wanted was to go back to that powder keg of a company.

After all, according to the benefits for A-Class researchers in the Pharmaceutical Department, he was entitled to twenty days of annual leave each year.

The leave could be rolled over; it didn’t have to be used up each year.

Dong Wenlong was sixty-one years old. He hadn’t taken a single vacation in the eighteen years since he became an A-Class researcher at the age of forty-three.

In other words, Dong Wenlong had over three hundred days of vacation saved up, ready to be used at any time.

Faced with such a shameless old fox, Liu Weicai could only try to appeal to logic and emotion.

"Old Dong, I’ve treated you well, haven’t I? I was the one who petitioned the board for special approval of the Pharmaceutical Department’s annual leave policy."

"Things are tough for the Pharmaceutical Department right now. Including you, we only have three A-Class researchers left. Just do this as a favor for me."

Liu Weicai felt a headache coming on.

Under normal circumstances, requisitioning an A-Class researcher would never be this much trouble.

But after yesterday’s incident, the Pharmaceutical Department had suffered devastating losses.

The researchers from Prosthetic Engineering were fine; clad in their prosthetic bodies, they were tough as nails. Some even managed to turn the tables and kill their attackers.

But the Pharmacy researchers...

There were only six A-Class researchers to begin with, and one of them was that fraud, Lin Qi.

Half of them died yesterday.

Aside from Lin Qi, the only two left unscathed were Dong Wenlong and another researcher who was reportedly so traumatized they’d already checked into the company infirmary.

"No! I’m not going!"

Dong Wenlong’s stance was exceptionally firm. He absolutely, positively would not go. Nothing could make him.

Liu Weicai sighed. "Very well then, Old Dong. I hope you won’t blame me for this."

Liu Weicai ended the call.

A second later, the color drained from Dong Wenlong’s face.

’Damn that Liu Weicai!’

He’d actually invoked the company’s crisis emergency recall clause!

Failure to report to the company within two hours would result in a penalty of ten times his total training cost.

’How much does it cost to train an A-Class researcher?’

According to company standards, the cost was approximately thirteen million Credit Points.

The figure wasn’t high; in fact, it was surprisingly reasonable.

But with the tenfold penalty, that came to a whopping one hundred thirty million Credit Points.

What A-Class researcher could possibly afford that?

Dong Wenlong had worked diligently for the company for many years, but his savings only amounted to a little over twenty million.

’Run?’

’But where could I run?’

With the Big Business Alliance in place, anyone with outstanding corporate debt would be arrested in any Cyber City they fled to.

But the memory of yesterday’s attack was still fresh in his mind, and Dong Wenlong was a man who feared death...

His expression grim, Dong Wenlong dialed the customer service line for the Intercontinental Stability Trauma Emergency Company.

"I want to invoke the ten-year clause on my Black Gold Member account to activate a monthly Black Gold Pro membership. How many Credit Points will that cost?"

The young customer service representative’s heart leaped.

He immediately ran a system check on the caller’s assets.

Account balance: twenty-one million, three hundred sixty thousand!

’A whale!’

The system recommended a premium-priced upsell!

"Hello, sir. Our system detects that you are currently under a security alert, which prevents normal activation. However, you can pay an additional fee in Credit Points to temporarily override this alert."

"Given your ten-year Black Gold tenure, the combined price to override the alert and cover the monthly fee for Black Gold Pro is two million Credit Points."

The young representative sounded quite confident.

Backed by the system’s assessment, he was sure the sixty-one-year-old Dong Wenlong would obediently pay the fee.

But to his surprise...

"Shit!"

Dong Wenlong instantly ended the call. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

’Damn that Intercontinental Stability Trauma Emergency Company! This is fucking robbery!’

That twenty million was Dong Wenlong’s nest egg, saved for a lavish retirement. He couldn’t bear to part with two million for a temporary one-month upgrade to Black Gold Pro.

Piloting his flying vehicle, Dong Wenlong headed toward the company.

Upon arriving at the company’s entrance, Dong Wenlong hesitated for a long moment before making another call.

"Upgrade me to Black Gold Pro, but just for one month!"

Dong Wenlong had made up his mind. ’One month from now, I’m starting my vacation!’

The emergency recall clause was only valid for one month; the company couldn’t keep him tied down for long.

Taking the elevator, Dong Wenlong arrived on the thirteenth floor.

The elevator doors opened to an enthusiastic greeting from Liu Weicai. After all, this was the only A-Class researcher in the Pharmaceutical Department currently fit for duty.

"Old Dong, I hope you can appreciate my position. After all..." Liu Weicai tried to play the sympathy card again.

Dong Wenlong completely ignored him.

Liu Weicai’s expression instantly turned cold. "Dong Wenlong," he said, "I advise you to take your work seriously. You should be well aware of this company’s policies."

Dong Wenlong’s steps faltered, his body shuddering twice.

In this Cyber Society, employees were essentially company property, and Dong Wenlong was still nearly twenty years from retirement age.

"Understood. I will take my work seriously."

The veteran A-Class employee’s steps were unsteady, and he seemed to have aged several years in that moment.

...

In the lab, Lin Qi glanced at the time. ’It’s already eleven. Why isn’t the A-Class researcher Liu Weicai assigned here yet?’

Just as he looked up, the laboratory door slid open.

Entering the lab required clearance. Besides Lin Qi himself, only Supervisor Liu Weicai and his new research partner—that old man named Dong—had access.

He looked up toward the door.

Dong Wenlong entered the lab, radiating resentment. It was clear the A-Class researcher was in a foul mood.

He looked like he was about to start cursing.

But right behind him was the supervisor of the Pharmaceutical Department, Liu Weicai.

Liu Weicai wore a broad smile. "Lin Qi, let me introduce you. This is Dong Wenlong, a senior A-Class researcher in the Pharmaceutical Department here at our Liu’s Heavy Industry Branch."

"Hello," Lin Qi said, taking the initiative. He was an A-Class researcher, after all, and deserved a certain degree of respect.

Dong Wenlong’s expression was strained. He said nothing.

Still smiling, Liu Weicai walked over to Dong Wenlong’s side.

He clapped Dong Wenlong on the shoulder.

"Old Dong, let me introduce you. This is our company’s A-Class researcher, Lin Qi. He’s nineteen years old."

Liu Weicai deliberately emphasized Lin Qi’s age.

Dong Wenlong’s head snapped up, his gaze fixing on Lin Qi’s face.

’Fuck!’

’A nineteen-year-old A-Class researcher.’

’He’s got to be a goddamn nepotism hire!’

’And judging by Liu Weicai’s attitude, the kid’s connections are probably even stronger than his own as a member of the Liu Clan.’

’Can’t afford to get on his bad side!’

A smile was instantly forced onto his face. "A pleasure to meet you, sir! Please, just call me Xiaodong."