Night of the Apocalypse

“That’s all, folks!”
“What I mean is, sir, the movie has ended. You should exit now.”

A polite voice suddenly interrupted Shen Qiu’s thoughts, pulling him back to reality.

Shen Qiu slightly raised his head to look at the short-haired woman beside him in a dark blue work uniform. He then slowly got up and replied somewhat dully,
“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. We look forward to your next visit,” the young female attendant said with a professionally polite smile.

Shen Qiu put his hands in his pockets and walked out in silence.

He soon arrived at the entrance of the cinema.

The rain fell continuously, washing the spotless ground, while a cold breeze swept by.

On the bustling street, pedestrians hurried by, holding umbrellas.

Shen Qiu stood still, gazing at the scenery in the rain, feeling somewhat dazed.

Buzz buzz~
At that moment, a vibration came from Shen Qiu’s pocket.

He reached into his pocket, took out his black smartphone, and opened it; a message popped up.

“Dear Mr. Shen Qiu, congratulations! Your resume has passed the preliminary review. Please arrive at Shengyuan Building for an interview at 2 PM. We look forward to your arrival.”

After reading the message, Shen Qiu was about to exit the screen when another message appeared.

“Dear Mr. Shen Qiu, your psychological consultation appointment on March 24, 3020, at 10 AM has been confirmed. Please arrive on time. If there are special circumstances, please contact us in advance.”

After reading this, Shen Qiu casually closed the message interface, walked over to a nearby service point, scanned his phone at the sensing area, and took out a public umbrella.

At the service point, an electronic display immediately showed a notification.

“Red Alliance.Third Administrative District. Mr. Shen has borrowed an umbrella. Please return it to any service point within 24 hours.”

Shen Qiu opened the umbrella and walked onto the street, heading toward a tall blue square office building not far away.

As he walked, he passed by building walls that constantly displayed various commercial advertisements and news.

“Love beauty? Use Xianyue Skincare Lotion to nourish your skin.”

“The 42nd General Assembly of the Red Alliance successfully concluded yesterday.”

The planet where Shen Qiu was located was called Blue Star, and the nation he was in was referred to as the Red Alliance. The Red Alliance was divided into eight administrative districts, with the districts closer to the top being more prosperous and powerful, but, of course, the pressure of survival also increased correspondingly.

Within the eight administrative regions of the Red Alliance, there were eight massive cities, surrounded by countless residential areas.

Although the eight administrative districts belonged to the Red Alliance, their relationships with each other were quite loose.

Before long, Shen Qiu arrived at the entrance of Shengyuan Building. The entire building stood over 500 meters tall, with about 120 floors. The exterior was clad in deep blue glass, and the towering golden doors were wide open, guarded by ten security personnel standing in two rows, creating an impressive sight.

“Sir, this is Shengyuan Group. May I ask who you are?”

A security guard saw Shen Qiu approaching and walked up to him to ask,
“I’m here for an interview.”

Shen Qiu briefly stated his purpose.

“Please show me your invitation information.”

The security guard said earnestly after hearing this.

Shen Qiu took out his phone and displayed the interview invitation information.

“Please follow me.”

After confirming the information, the security guard led Shen Qiu inside.

Shen Qiu followed the guard into the building. He looked around and noticed that the lobby on the first floor was 12 meters high, with the floor paved with natural sea rock, its surface beautifully textured and high-end. The surrounding walls and lighting fixtures were very luxurious, indicating that Shengyuan Group was financially robust.

As he looked around, Shen Qiu was quickly taken by the security guard to the waiting area on the fifth floor.

He saw dozens of strong and sturdy men sitting there, all of whom raised their heads warily to look at the newcomer, Shen Qiu.

However, upon seeing his ordinary and unremarkable physique, they all shifted their gazes away and no longer paid him any attention.

Shen Qiu quietly found a spot against the wall and sat down.

At that moment, a staff member walked over and called out,
“Mr. Zhang Kui.”

“Here!”

A large man applying for the job stood up and responded hurriedly.

“It’s your turn.”

“Okay.”

The man named Zhang Kui nervously clutched his resume and walked toward the office door not far away.

Shen Qiu slowly closed his eyes and waited quietly.

Time passed bit by bit.

One by one, the interview candidates entered the room with high spirits, but eventually came out looking dejected, like frostbitten eggplants.

Finally, it was Shen Qiu’s turn. When he heard his name called, he stood up and walked toward the interview room.

As he entered the office, the sensor door behind him closed automatically.

Shen Qiu took a moment to observe the entire office. It was quite spacious, decorated mostly in gray tones, and had very few furnishings.

In the center, there was a long interview table.

The chairs on both sides of the table were slightly different in height, allowing the interviewer to look down on the interviewee, creating a certain psychological pressure.

“You must be Mr. Shen Qiu. Please have a seat!”

A capable-looking woman dressed in a white shirt and a black pencil skirt, with her hair tied up and a fit figure, spoke up.

“Thank you.”

Shen Qiu walked over and sat down in the interview seat.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Zhang Yue, the deputy supervisor of the Human Resources Department at Shengyuan Group. If there are no questions, we can start the interview. Please present your detailed resume.”

As Zhang Yue spoke, she also took the opportunity to assess Shen Qiu’s appearance and attire.

She noticed that although Shen Qiu couldn’t be called exceptionally handsome, his features were well-defined, his complexion was calm, and his eyes were deep. He was dressed in black athletic leisurewear that was quite appropriate, exuding a unique aura that left her with a very good first impression.

Shen Qiu took out a copy of his resume and handed it to Zhang Yue, then sat back down.

Zhang Yue opened Shen Qiu’s detailed resume and began to read it carefully.

Shen Qiu
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Place of Origin: Resident of the Red Alliance, Third Administrative District.

Alma Mater: Saint Borley University.

Hobbies: Extreme sports, Kendo, Freestyle fighting.

Zhang Yue’s eyes lit up as she looked at Shen Qiu’s resume, and she said,
“Mr. Shen Qiu, I see here that you are passionate about various extreme sports. Could you elaborate on that?”

“Yes, I really enjoy extreme sports and have conquered the Twelve Death Projects multiple times. You can find the details recorded in the back section of my resume.”

Shen Qiu replied calmly.

Zhang Yue was surprised to hear Shen Qiu say this, and she immediately flipped to the back.

“Year 3012, April 2, achieved the title of Conqueror of the Twelve Death Projects – Aerial Wingsuit Gliding.”

“Year 3013, January 9, achieved the title of Conqueror of the Twelve Death Projects – Snow Mountain Speed Skating.”

“Year 3016, March 8, achieved the title of Conqueror of the Twelve Death Projects – Free Solo Climbing.”

“Year 3018, December 4, achieved the title of Champion in the Twelve Death Projects – Racing Champion.”

Shen Qiu is the player who has completed the Twelve Death Projects the most times in history, known as “One Smile.”

Zhang Yue looked at these challenge records, utterly shocked, her mouth slightly agape.

However, when Zhang Yue’s gaze fell on the last note in the resume, her brows furrowed slightly.