The Only Player in ‘Child of Stardust’
Chapter 363 - 252: The Shadowless Arrival

Chapter 363: Chapter 252: The Shadowless Arrival

The newbies’ job was simple: they packed the snacks that had been made on the production line.

The factory assigned employees to different levels of production lines according to their ranks. Compared to the average production line, the speed of the line where Transcendent employees worked could truly be described as soul-chasing and life-stealing—it was fast enough to take off.

Even these tough nuts, who had been living on the edge of the blade for years, found it hard to keep up with the pace when they first started. The workshop supervisor had no choice but to slow down the speed, letting everyone get used to it first.

"Damn, I used to work on the production line, and now that I’ve become Transcendent, why am I still working on a production line?" a wanted international criminal cursed, his movements clearly more skillful than the others.

"Be content. At least it’s a place to lay low," his cohort next to him replied, slightly distracted and missing several bags of snacks. Luckily, someone helped him out, and he clicked his tongue, "That said, if we have to do this every day, it’s not going to work..."

"You’ll get used to it. At least you can still practice your skills while working."

The people could only tough it out, as most were there to hide from disasters. To endure for now was to secure peace for a time.

Zhou Yuan had been to factories before and was well-versed in production line work, his mind wandering while his hands never stopped moving.

"With the production line moving this fast and so many lines, the number of products they produce must be astronomical, but the market has very few Reagan-brand snacks... These snacks definitely aren’t being sold in the real world but somewhere else..."

Suddenly, Zhou Yuan’s pupils contracted as he stared intently at a packet of snacks on the conveyor belt.

"This packet of snacks has an abnormal power. After eating it, one will turn into a teddy bear biscuit."

An abnormal item was produced just like that?

Zhou Yuan was shocked. He had just inspected the entire production line, and every step seemed ordinary, not involving anything abnormal or Transcendent. Yet now, an abnormal item had been produced...

Quickly, the packet of abnormal snacks was mixed with regular ones, sorted, and packed, stacking up with boxes of other snacks.

"The factory has the ability to produce abnormal items, but the probability is tiny, that’s why it keeps expanding, aiming to grow into a super-factory that can produce abnormalities at will.

A factory with such ambition is admirable, yet why is it you workers who are toiling to death every day? Keep it up. As long as you work hard enough, your boss can live the life he desires."

The remark full of malice left Zhou Yuan with no words. It reminded him of his own days as a laborer.

Suddenly, chaos erupted from a neighboring production line, with shouts and screams filling the air. Zhou Yuan glanced over to see a blank-faced employee clumsily picking up goods, his speed nowhere near matching that of the conveyor belt.

The workshop supervisor noticed the situation and walked over, pulling him aside for a lecture, saying irritably, "Number 10272, what on earth are you doing?"

The dazed man lowered his head, apologizing with fear, "I’m sorry, Supervisor. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again."

"How many times has this happened? Problems one after the other." The workshop supervisor grew increasingly angry. "You young people lack a sense of responsibility. So slack. How can you adapt to the factory’s wolf-like culture? Do you even know what wolf culture is? Buck up, don’t screw up, don’t be like a dog."

"Yes, yes... I will correct myself."

"Heh, that’s what you said last time," the workshop supervisor’s gaze darkened, "Here’s what we’ll do. You go to the publicity department for some re-education. After being imbued with the corporate culture, you’ll definitely become a real wolf."

The employee reacted as if he had heard something terrifying, his eyes wide with fear, "No... please no... I don’t want to go to that ghastly place, I don’t want to!"

Two burly security guards stepped forward, grabbed him firmly, and took him away by force.

The workshop supervisor smiled, "Everyone, continue with your work."

"Among the employees, the publicity department is a place that sends shivers down the spine. When you see the person who was taken there again, they will have become a tireless machine, working for the factory forever, until death."

"It looks like some kind of brainwashing... If the factory has this technique for brainwashing, why isn’t it used on a broader scale? Or is it only when certain rules are broken that someone is taken away?" Zhou Yuan wondered to himself.

Hours later, the shift finally ended, and the employees left the premises in groups.

Suddenly, from a distance, Zhou Yuan felt the surge of a tremendous ghostly aura. A massive horde of Fierce Ghosts, at least two hundred strong and including some of the fiercest Red Ghosts, approached with anger boiling over.

"Many ghosts can’t absorb enough Yin energy, so they look for places to work. The Reagan Food Processing Factory’s canteen offers an unlimited supply of Yin energy and flesh. Once word spread in the Ghost Realm, countless spirits came looking for jobs. They are an excellent labor force.

While they get their fill meal after meal, their endless work and overtime has made their resentment grow even heavier."

Everyone knows that working overtime can make people resentful.

This was no exception for ghosts. When fierce ghosts were forced to work overtime, it was bad news on top of bad, and even the tough guys who loitered in the dark zones would avoid them at all costs.

Zhou Yuan spotted some figures in school uniforms among the crowd of ghosts—those were the fierce ghosts from Yilin Private High School. He recognized the three ghost students he had seen before, but they looked worse for wear, like students who had been tricked into a bad summer job, their faces filled with fatigue and a lost will to live.

It seemed the factory wasn’t keen on letting the employees have it easy; relentless exploitation was the norm.

Some of the new employees began to think, "I can still put up a fight, maybe I should apply to be a security guard. It’s definitely got to be better than being on the assembly line."

Many people had this thought, and consequently, they headed for the office building, hoping to negotiate a job transfer with the HR manager.

[In other places, being a security guard usually means an easy job, but not here—a factory guard with a gun is like a soldier, expected to defend against those who attack the factory, and the casualty rate is extremely high.]

"Hmm? There are people attacking the factory? Who could they be?" Zhou Yuan was taken aback. Had he known earlier, he would have tried to ally with them.

But it was no big deal. He would just undermine the factory from the inside and maybe scavenge some things along the way.

Zhou Yuan returned to his dormitory, lay down on the bed to wait for nightfall, and took out his phone to send a message to Chen Guangxi, but he discovered even the opple smartphone had no signal.

"Completely cut off, huh..." Zhou Yuan pondered. This was probably to prevent employees from calling for outside help.

...

In the evening, at the cafeteria.

A cafeteria employee went to the restroom to relieve himself. Just as he was pulling up his trousers, his clothes burst open with a crack, shredding into countless pieces.

The employee was stunned for a moment, and then everything before his eyes went dark—he was devoured by the return to ruins.

Zhou Yuan had previously seen with his Eyes of Identification that the man was an escaped convict, so it didn’t matter if he was killed.

He picked up the employee’s ID badge from the ground and wore it, assuming the identity of a cafeteria worker.

After disposing of the scraps of cloth on the floor, Zhou Yuan left the restroom and used the badge to unlock the door that led to the inner part of the cafeteria.

He made his way to the kitchen, but it was nothing like the bustling, busy place he imagined, with hundreds of chefs working. In reality, there were no stoves or any cooking equipment or materials at all—just dozens of conveyors endlessly transporting pre-made meals.

The cafeteria staff only needed to move this food along.

"Damn, all pre-made meals?" Zhou Yuan couldn’t help but curse.

He activated Shadow Transformation, minimizing his presence to the lowest level, so that even when passing by other people, he wouldn’t draw any attention.

The ever-present surveillance cameras had already been hacked by him.

[Skill Name: Cyber Martial Arts·Shadowless and Traceless]

[Quality: Rare]

[Effect: Completely invisible on electronic devices.]

[Spiritual Consumption: 1000 points]

[Duration: 60 minutes]

[Cooldown Time: 90 minutes]

[Note: In 2077, a master thief appeared. He came and went without a shadow, like an invisible man, unseen by any camera or cybernetic eye. After numerous heists at major companies, he became a legend in Night City, but his end was tragic—he was accidentally killed by a gang of drunk drivers racing their cars because no one could see him.]

(Wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)