Chapter 1: Dismissed

Chapter 1: Dismissed

The scorching sun hung high in the sky, casting its relentless heat upon the bustling metropolis where people hurried about their business.

A woman wearing black-rimmed glasses was being forcefully pushed out of an office building by a security guard.

"Get lost! Don't you dare come back here again."

The guard spat the words with venom, his ire inexplicable to the onlookers.

Ming Yue, the woman who had just been treated so rudely, stood helplessly in front of the towering skyscraper, her head tilted back to gaze at the dizzying height. Having skipped breakfast, she now felt lightheaded and disoriented.

The ceaseless flow of traffic behind her continued unabated, not a single soul pausing for her plight.

In this sprawling city of opulence, she was but a blade of grass, a speck of dust—insignificant and overlooked.

Yet even in her obscurity, there were those who sought to target her, to crush her spirit, to grind her underfoot until her will was broken.

This was the second time she had been dismissed from her job. Initially, she had chalked it up to bad luck, but the realization that she was being deliberately targeted left a bitter taste in her mouth. It would have been one thing if she had remained unaware, but the person responsible had taken the liberty of revealing the truth to her face. How could she accept such injustice?

She stood by the roadside, the pavement shimmering with heat. The fleeting chill from the air conditioning inside the company had vanished the moment she stepped outside.

Freshly dismissed, the chill in her heart could not quell the oppressive heat of the day.

"Driver, take me to Hongwei Community."

Today, Ming Yue indulged herself with a rare taxi ride.

Born in a small village in the south, she had proven her worth by securing admission to Yanjing University, escaping the confines of her rural upbringing to become the golden phoenix that soared above her humble origins.

Reality, however, did not match her dreams. Before she could graduate, her illusions were shattered by her classmates.

Yanjing University was among the top institutions in the country, and few of its graduates failed to make a mark.

Ming Yue, with her top-tier academic performance within her major, was no exception.

"Miss, we've arrived."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Ming Yue paid the fare via her phone and disembarked. Hongwei Community was an old residential area, home to retired officials who had spent the majority of their lives there, unwilling to relocate.

Despite its age, the community maintained a pleasant atmosphere.

Ascending the stairs to her floor, Ming Yue retrieved her keys and unlocked the door. As fate would have it, her neighbor, Grandma Li, was stepping out at that very moment.

"Moon, why are you back so early today?"

The elderly woman was warm and friendly, always keeping a close eye on Ming Yue.

"Grandma Li, I...had some matters to attend to, so I came back early."

How could she admit to being unjustly fired?

Entering her modest room, barely larger than a dozen square meters, she collapsed onto the bed without changing her clothes.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking into the pillow as she wept silently, her sobs muffled and uncontrollable.

Her family had already struggled to provide for her and her brother's education. She had done her best to work part-time to ease their burden, hoping that her senior year would mark the beginning of her professional career, allowing her to contribute to her family's well-being.

After securing a position at a prestigious corporation, she discovered that Liu Yue, the daughter of one of the company's shareholders, had orchestrated her dismissal. Her cherished job was snatched away in an instant.

"Hello, Mom. I'm doing fine, everything is good at work, at a big company..."

Upon seeing her mother's call, she hastily wiped her tears, suppressing her sorrow to maintain a calm demeanor during their conversation.

But once the call ended, she was left feeling hollow and adrift.

She still had four thousand yuan left over from her previous part-time job, but rent was due soon. Before her savings ran dry, she needed to find another job.

As Ming Yue lay there, she gradually drifted off into a dreamlike state.

[Searching for host...]

[Target locked]

[Do you agree to bind? 10, 9, 8, 7...1, no response received, binding initiated.]

[System binding successful.]

"Quiet."

Ming Yue, deep in slumber, turned over and continued her rest, oblivious to the recent turn of events.