Chapter 591 Vending Machine

Chapter 591: Vending Machine

Lu Jinyan, of course, had no idea what was happening in the rest area, silently trailing the other players down the corridor.

The whole floor was bigger than he'd expected. The floor beneath his feet was made of cold gray tiles, and light from the overhead fluorescent lamps fell evenly, no shadows, but no warmth either.

On both sides of the hallway, glass walls partitioned off separate rooms, each one looking like a regular office in a real company. But almost all of them had their blinds pulled shut, concealing the interiors completely.

Every now and then, you could see into a workspace. Lu Jinyan spotted rows of desks and old computers, each with a headless figure sitting in front of them, their hands rapidly typing on keyboards.

When those figures noticed the gazes from outside the glass wall, they would twist their necks to "look" in Lu Jinyan's direction, making it hard to imagine spending two months with these things.

"Next, let me introduce these five vending machines."

The Headless Receptionist led the players to a spot near the end of the hall. Five machines, all looking the same but a bit bigger than normal vending machines, stood against the wall. At first glance, they didn't look like anything special.

"All the vending machines here only let you pick items through the electronic screen."

"The first is the food and beverage vending machine, which takes care of employees' hunger during work hours." The Headless Receptionist gestured for the players to step closer before continuing, "Regular compressed biscuits and bottled water only cost 1 employee point. After selecting an item, just put your wrist here, and the points get deducted automatically."

One point wasn't much. Even though Lu Jinyan only had 20 points, he remembered that finishing daily work would earn him points, so he figured hunger wouldn't be an issue in this game.

"There are also items worth 2 and 3 points in this vending machine. You can buy whatever you need." The Headless Receptionist tapped a few times on the vending machine's screen and gestured for the players to look at the descriptions below some items.

"Temporarily boosts movement speed? Temporarily sharpens hearing? This vending machine actually sells one-time-use items?" Xiong Yi sucked in a sharp breath, keeping his voice low but unable to hide his shock.

Lu Jinyan quietly moved a couple steps closer, trying to get a clearer look at the item list. He'd heard of items before, but this was the first time he'd seen special stuff sold at a set price in an official game.

His hand instinctively went to his pocket, where a folding knife from the last game was hidden. It was sharp enough, but that was it.

And in this game, they could just buy items with points?

Lu Jinyan could clearly feel the other players' focus sharpen, their looks at the vending machines getting more serious.

"Next is the clothing vending machine." The Headless Receptionist walked over to the second machine. "The workplace is a special environment, and different jobs may require different styles of attire. If you need anything, you can pick it out here. All items are just 5 employee points."

Lu Jinyan craned his neck to see the clothing vending machine's screen. This seemingly useless machine actually sold suits that wouldn't get stained with blood or dirt and shoes that made no noise when you walked.

"The third one is the office supplies vending machine."

"This machine has a lot of essential office items that can help you out. The prices come in three levels: 5 points, 20 points, and 50 points. Feel free to buy whatever you need." The Headless Receptionist operated the machine as she spoke, and the screen began displaying a list of items with clear descriptions. "Although the company's fixed monthly salary is paid at the end of the month, daily work rewards and overtime pay will be handed out after each workday."

"A pen that never runs out of ink? Huh? A folder that can block one attack for just 5 points?" Bai Qi's eyes went wide, her voice low but clearly surprised. "And this... a can of coffee that explodes when you throw it?"

These seemingly ordinary office supplies all had useful properties here.

"You can check out the full item list once you start working." The Headless Receptionist ignored the players' reactions and kept walking without stopping. "Next up is the company's fourth vending machine, which is also a very important security weapon vending machine."

"This area is crazier than you might think. You'd better carry some proper security weapons when you go out to work."

"For example, the 500-point stun baton and riot shield are cost-effective bestsellers." The Headless Receptionist added, calm but with a hint of meaning, "If you folks have enough points, you can unlock higher-tier special gear—like master-crafted melee weapons or various firearms, each priced at 2000 points."

"However, keep in mind that the items in this vending machine are one-of-a-kind. If you've got your eye on something, buy it fast before someone else snatches it up."

"..."

This time, even Pei Zhan, Wen Ya, and Shen Guanlan—players who'd kept their cool—looked shocked.

Although the previous vending machines had some seemingly useful items, they all sounded like one-time-use gimmicks, often not as good as their own abilities, so they hadn't paid them much mind.

But the fourth vending machine sold weapon items with no usage limits? And from the introductions of the cold weapons and firearms on the screen, each weapon had impressive capabilities!

"Only 2000 points to take away such a weapon item? That means if you survive for two months, you can exchange for one or even more powerful weapon items?" Pei Zhan also unconsciously touched the long sword strapped to his back.

Although the vending machine's screen only showed a portion of the item list, some of the weapon items had already caught Wen Ya's attention. If not for their lack of points, they would have likely decided to grab them first.

"It seems you've all been inspired to work." The Headless Receptionist was clearly pleased with the players' reactions, walking briskly to the last vending machine. "Finally, let me introduce the company's fifth vending machine—the Work Ability Vending Machine."

"This machine sells work ability blind boxes worth 1000 points."

"Abilities?"

"Blind boxes?"

The players, who had just barely recovered from the shock of the security weapon vending machine, were now firmly gripped by this new information.

"Yes, for just 1000 points, you can obtain a work ability blind box." The Headless Receptionist spoke slowly and clearly, deliberately leaving time for reaction. "The most common outcome is a B-grade ability, which can slightly enhance your existing work abilities. However..."

"It doesn't sound as practical as those weapons." Xiong Yi frowned, muttering dismissively with a hint of disappointment.

The Headless Receptionist ignored his doubt and continued in a calm tone, "However, each purchase has a twenty percent chance of yielding an A-grade blind box, and a ten percent chance of an S-grade blind box."

"An A-grade blind box can significantly enhance your existing work abilities, while an S-grade blind box can grant you a new work ability you didn't have before."

"..." Pei Zhan stood silently, his gaze fixed on the vending machine screen. After a long moment, he spoke in a low, unusually tense voice, "Are you saying 'work abilities' refer to our own abilities? Like my 'sword'?"

"Of course." The Headless Receptionist confirmed this without emotion. "You need to use abilities to complete the company's work, so these abilities can naturally be called work abilities."

The moment of confirmation seemed to weigh down the air.

Lu Jinyan stood still, his eyes locked on the vending machine. Even though his understanding of the nightmare game was far from complete, he knew that abilities in the game were a player's life and trump card, and each player should only have one ability.

Now, this vending machine could not only enhance their original abilities but also grant them "new abilities"?

That meant if he drew two S-grade blind boxes, he could become a player with three abilities?

Lu Jinyan had once read plenty of overpowered protagonist novels in his spare time, where the main characters often had various bizarre multi-class talents, easily dominating the field.

But he had never imagined that he might one day have such an opportunity.

The moment he realized this, his palms grew warm, his fingertips trembled slightly, and his emotions surged to a peak as if pushed by some force.

Points.

He needed points.

With enough points, he could grow stronger, survive this hellish place, and even go further!

It wasn't just him.

The other players' reactions were no longer calm.

All eyes quickly focused, staring intently at the work ability vending machine. Their breathing was uneven, and their emotions were so intense it seemed they might tear the machine apart to see inside.

"Of course, the company also offers some special employee benefits." The Headless Receptionist continued, "If you purchase five blind boxes, the vending machine's pity system will activate, meaning your fifth blind box is guaranteed to be A-grade or S-grade."

"And your tenth blind box is guaranteed to be S-grade."

"Even if you have already drawn an A-grade or S-grade blind box before, the pity system will not reset. Please feel free to draw with peace of mind."

Although the Headless Receptionist's final words sounded like a benefit, they gave the players the creeps.

After all, if they wanted to pull ability blind boxes, they would need enough points. But they had no clue how to rack up enough points, let alone whether dumping that many points—enough to buy several powerful weapons—into the machine would even get them what they wanted.

The worst part was that even though they understood all this rationally, they still wanted it like crazy.

They needed to work!

They wanted points!

Even if it meant skipping meals and going thirsty, they wanted to save every point just to pull blind boxes!