Chapter 080 ★ Halftime x Break x Company Annual Party ★

Chapter 080 ★ Halftime x Break x Company Annual Party ★

In dreams, changing clothes is convenient. There’s no need to repeatedly take them off and put them back on. You just hold the clothes against your body, and they automatically fit perfectly, even adjusting the shoulder-to-waist ratio to the ideal size.

There were bespoke suits from England, France, and Italy, each looking like they cost at least 100,000 currency units. The craftsmanship was impeccable.

There were also many casual outfits popular with celebrities, ranging from equestrian wear to trendy British vests. The color-blocking and contrasting combinations gave off a strong fashion vibe.

Keding tried them on briefly but felt they didn’t match his personality.

He was okay with wearing these roles during missions, but he wasn’t the flashy, cool type in real life. Forcing himself into these outfits felt somewhat out of place.

The system showed great interest in this.

“Try a dress! And various wigs!”

Unable to resist his curiosity, Keding tried on all sorts of Lolita and JK uniforms.

“Really beautiful…” he said, stroking his golden curls. “Too bad I’m not a girl.”

The system played along happily. “You haven’t tried makeup yet! There might be a perfect match!”

Keding waved his hand and pushed aside hundreds of rows of clothes racks, suddenly spotting some eccentric outfits hidden in the middle and back rows.

“What are these?”

“Oh, cosplay outfits,” the system said. “Fantasy knight armor and the like. Some are modeled after the Knights of the Firmament, and there are even King Arthur replicas.”

“And these Chinese-style armors, some are school uniforms from factions like Tiance and Cangyun, and some are modeled after Han and Ming dynasties, complete with matching weapons.”

Keding asked, “Am I just not well-informed, or is the company annual party the same as a comic convention?”

“Other companies might not be, but ours? Think about it. Our colleagues span across time, space, and even include some aliens. So, you can wear whatever you want.”

Keding: “……?”

He had just taken a look at the annual party schedule and noticed there was a red carpet photo session. His heart started pounding.

“I’ve—made up my mind!”

System: “Huh? That fast?!”

Keding quickly grabbed an inflatable frog suit. “This is it! I get nervous easily in front of the camera and strangers! This suit gives me a sense of security!”

The system looked at the splendid and elegant Western clothes, then at the handsome and refined Hanfu, and after a long while said, “How about we take a look at something else?”

Keding had already put on the lonely frog suit and adjusted the head position with its paws. “Wow, there’s a small fan inside. It’s very cool.”

The system: “Darling!! You can still change into something else!”

Keding: “I want this! When I wear it, I feel super confident!”

Forget social anxiety, forget receiving awards on stage, forget the red carpet photos. He was now the big-eyed, blue-scarfed frog, and he feared nothing!

That evening, outstanding employees from all walks of life gathered in the virtual Crystal Hall for the grand company annual party.

To cater to everyone’s different tastes, there were over twenty rows of buffet tables, from French baked snails to osmanthus eight-treasure duck, and the dessert table was a dazzling display, with cakes resembling flower arrangements.

“Today—we gather here—” said the chairman, dressed as a long-tailed demon fox, holding a microphone. “Not only to recognize our top employees of the year but also to look forward and plan for the future together!”

Below the stage, people were engaged in a marathon of eating and wandering. Their floating plates conveniently hovered beside them, allowing them to applaud at any time.

“First, let’s welcome the top three employees of the year!”

The concert-like circular screen displayed their stunning photos and impressive data.

“No.1. Tang Jinqing: 5 years of work, 92% completion rate, 352 tasks completed, average yield rate 150%!”

The chairman praised enthusiastically, “This employee is the most cherished type in our company—stable and efficient. His attendance and punctuality records are still the highest in the company’s history and deserve the highest level of reward!”

“You grow old with the company, and the company stands tall with you!”

“No.2. Qiao Yin: 2 years of work, 100% completion rate, 62 tasks completed, average yield rate 2340%!”

Gasps filled the room.

“Whoa, is that yield rate correct? Did they add an extra zero…?”

“Terrifying, isn’t he like a monster?!”

……

Keding was dipping marshmallows in a chocolate fountain when the system suddenly poked him.

“That’s a senior from your school!”

“He’s amazing,” Keding said. “The yield rate is super high!”

“Darling! You’ve already almost reached his level even though you just joined! Your future is bound to be immeasurable!” The system watched with great interest. “Well, our batch of systems even held a weekly meeting to study your strategies.”

Keding: “Huh? Do systems have to be this competitive?”

System: “Yeah… we also have to write weekly reports… and set KPIs… I’ll go cry for a bit.”

Halfway through eating, Keding suddenly choked. “Something’s wrong.”

“You think this green-green outfit doesn’t look good, right!” The system perked up. “Let’s go backstage and change clothes!”

“No!” Keding said, zipping up the secret feeding hole of the sad frog suit. “I redeemed a racing coupon in the zombie world and never got a chance to use it!”

He had originally watched plenty of zombie movies, planning to leave the zombie horde in the dust and become a racing legend during his escape. But who would have thought he'd spend all his time holed up in a base, and even when going out for fun, there'd be helicopters.

Upon careful thought, there hadn't been a single chance to drive throughout the entire journey. Wasn't that a huge loss?!

"That's not a big deal," the system said. "Your debut performance was so impressive that the AI authorized me in advance. Such minor issues can just be postponed!"

Keding said, "I'll find a chance to go big sooner or later!"

Before he could finish two pieces of the golden roast suckling pig, the announcement for the Best Newcomer Award began.

The vice chairman, dressed as a cherry blossom spirit, held up the number plate and announced, "The top 3 best newcomers of the year are!!"

The system urged, "Swallow it quickly, you're about to go on stage to receive the award."

Keding exclaimed, "Ahhh, I can't swallow such a big piece!"

"In first place! Keding! Although he's only been with us for four months, his achievements are far ahead of others, with a comprehensive score of 98.2, earning him the title of diamond seed candidate by the AI!"

"Keding not only solved numerous tricky problems with his magical thought process and excellent mental state, but his yield rate also ranked in the top five of the entire company just two days ago!"

Keding felt a little embarrassed by the praise, thankful that his frog suit concealed his shy expression.

"Let's welcome him on stage to receive the award and witness this moment of honor together!"

Following the guidance of the starlight, Keding walked to the center of the translucent, luxurious platform and received the trophy from the vice chairman.

"This custom-made trophy in the shape of a magpie is crafted from pure silver with an external gold inlay, matching your strength and achievements."

A ceremonial assistant brought over a brocade box, and the vice chairman personally opened it, holding up the key inside.

"And this gift for our newcomer is a time-traveling Rolls-Royce Phantom!"

Keding said, "...Ah?"

"Whether in ancient or modern times! Whether in Renaissance Paris or during the Anshi Rebellion at Mawei Post, you can summon it for assistance at any time! With a fully automated driving system and intelligent anti-collision settings, enjoy the thrill of high-speed travel and the freedom of life!"

"The company has also included a lifetime fuel and maintenance package with this gift, so enjoy the wind and freedom, Best Newcomer!"

Keding asked the system in his mind, "As much as I'm thrilled, isn't the company crazy?"

"Amazing newcomers like you only come around once every few years," the system said nonchalantly. "Giving away a car is fine, though you can't sell it for cash."

"Don't you think it's out of place?!" Keding was a bit frantic in his mind. "If I drive a Rolls-Royce on the battlefield during the Spring and Autumn period, doesn't that feel too supernatural?!"

"You have to hustle to win," the system said casually. "Think about it, there were dimensional mages in the Eastern Han Dynasty summoning meteor showers, and Wang Mang killed five Liu Xius but still failed. Some things just can't be overanalyzed."

Keding took a deep breath. "Well said, I'm going to practice for my driving test."

After the flashy award ceremony ended, people gradually finished picking up their food and returned to their seats to focus on eating.

Several senior executives took turns speaking about this year's financial report and the newly upgraded supporting systems.

"The Bubi Fast Travel APP has completed its beta testing, and from now on, everyone can use their phones to efficiently grab and request orders. The backend can now statistically track user feedback to enhance the actual experience on all three platforms!"

"The disguise system has been upgraded. Now, you can change your gender and body shape flexibly with just 50 points, making tasks more efficient!"

"The antidote and straightening pills have been successfully developed to prevent emotional entanglement during missions and to reject workplace romance. Our slogan is to make big money every day and let love take a back seat!"

Attending the company's annual meeting for the first time, Keding couldn't help but feel it had a vibe similar to those motivational speeches from pyramid scheme companies, but he didn't mind as long as the buffet was delicious.

His attention was still on the Rolls-Royce Phantom that could be summoned at any time, feeling unreal.

I have a car now?

I have a car just like that?

"After sharing these exciting good news, we need to review the major challenging projects that have not been cracked so far this year."

The chairman sighed and gestured for the screen to display the related data in a somber green.

"Challenging Project Rankings"

1. ABO world / Difficulty: Pheromones control brain reactions, with Alphas having absolute dominance and manipulation over Omegas.

2. Kidnapping village world / Difficulty: Villagers cover for each other and commit crimes together, with legal and moral standards completely lost in this remote mountain area.

3. Ancient world / Difficulty: A tyrant who kills indiscriminately, leading to a high mission mortality rate and often causing psychological trauma to the protagonist.

4. E-sports world / Difficulty: All members are high-attractiveness love scammers, with the protagonist falling for them almost 100% of the time, requiring emotional cleansing after withdrawal.

...

Keding was still nibbling on marinated goose wings, finding it all quite fascinating.

"Is there a shopping cart?" he asked the system. "I want to add all of these to it."

The system replied, "Darling, you're my KPI tree. I wish I could give you ten thousand bottles of nutrient solution."