Chapter 2 Leave On Time? You Want to Get Fired?
The near-death feeling at 1 a.m. had been far too real. When Lin Juan opened his eyes again, faint white light was already seeping through the windows outside. The cleaning lady was pushing her cart past the office, and a faint mark still lingered on his keyboard where his forehead had slammed into it.
It wasn't a dream.
The clear system panel was still in his mind, and the countdown for the novice task was glaringly displayed:
9 hours 12 minutes remaining until 18:00.
Lin Juan let out a long breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.
Half a year since graduation, he had been brainwashed with ideas like "Young people need to work harder" and "Overtime is a blessing" from his first day on the job. Earning just 6,000 yuan a month, he did the work of three people, ruined his health, and didn't even dare to leave work on time once.
But just a few hours earlier, he had almost died in this brightly lit office.
Screw blessings.
Screw involution.
I'm done playing along.
Lin Juan turned on his computer and pulled up the plan Wang Qiang had rejected the night before. He had revised it seven times, each time starting over according to Wang Qiang's demands, until he had even forgotten the original core logic. But now, his mind was unusually clear. He saw the problem at a glance — it wasn't that his work was bad. Wang Qiang's demands were contradictory every time. He was just torturing people for the sake of torturing them.
He spent half an hour reorganizing the plan, cutting out flashy nonsense, and clarifying the core data and execution path. When he saved the file, it wasn't even 9 a.m. yet.
Colleagues arrived one after another. Zhang Chao, the involution freak, rushed into the office first, threw down his bag, and turned on his computer, acting as if he was going to work forever. Passing Lin Juan's desk, he glanced at his screen and sneered.
"Wow, Lin Juan, early today? Couldn't finish the plan last night, so you're in a hurry today?"
Lin Juan didn't even look up. "I finished it."
Zhang Chao scoffed, not taking it seriously, thinking he was just putting on a brave face.
The entire morning, the office was filled with a tense atmosphere of pointless competition. Some pretended to be busy while scrolling short videos. Others stood up to get water just to check if others were working. Some typed loudly on their keyboards, afraid their boss wouldn't see them "working hard."
Only Lin Juan worked steadily at his own pace. At 12:00 sharp, he stood up and went to the cafeteria. During the lunch break, he slept for a full hour, showing no intention of working ahead of time.
At 5:30 p.m., half an hour before getting off work.
Not a single person in the office packed up. Everyone sat rigidly in front of their computers, pretending to be overwhelmed with work — even if they had nothing to do. Wang Qiang's office door was still open, and no one dared to leave on time under his nose.
Except Lin Juan.
He filed all his work documents, closed unnecessary web pages, and slowly packed his backpack. Charger, keys, everything went in. His movements were clear and unusually noticeable in the silent office.
Zhang Chao beside him was dumbfounded. He leaned over and whispered in disbelief:
"Lin Juan, what are you doing? Packing to leave? Are you crazy?"
Lin Juan looked up, his tone calm.
"What else? Half an hour left. I'll pack early so I can leave on time."
"Leave on time?"
Zhang Chao sounded like he'd heard the biggest joke of the century, his voice rising, drawing everyone's attention.
"Manager Wang is still in his office! He specifically told you to revise the plan last night, and you dare leave on time? The whole company is working overtime, and you're being special? You want to get fired?"
Lin Juan curled his lip.
"The labor contract says 9-to-5. It's legal working hours. I finished my work. Why can't I leave?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it exploded like a thunderclap in the office.
Everyone froze, staring at Lin Juan in shock. None of them didn't want to leave on time — they were just too scared. In this company, leaving on time meant "unprofessional," "unmotivated," leaving a bad impression, and being first on the layoff list.
No one had ever dared to say that out loud.
Zhang Chao's face turned red. He stayed until 1 or 2 a.m. every day just to impress the boss. If Lin Juan left on time, it made his overtime look like a joke.
"You! If you can't handle the grind, don't drag us down with you!"
Zhang Chao snapped, then rushed straight into Wang Qiang's office to snitch.
Colleagues around him gestured anxiously. Someone whispered:
"Lin Juan, don't be rash. Put your stuff away and apologize to Manager Wang, or you really will get fired."
Lin Juan smiled and said nothing.
Within a minute, Wang Qiang stormed out, his bulky body blocking Lin Juan's desk. He tapped the table hard.
"Lin Juan, what's the meaning of this?" Wang Qiang roared. "The whole department is killing themselves for the project, and you're packing to leave? Did you even finish the plan I told you to revise last night?"
Lin Juan turned his screen toward him, calm.
"I finished it, Manager Wang. I covered every requirement you mentioned. Logic, data, execution details — it's all here. You can check."
Wang Qiang froze. He'd assumed Lin Juan hadn't even tried, but he actually had a finished version. He pulled over the keyboard, flipped through a few pages without reading, then slammed down the mouse.
"What garbage is this? No highlights at all! What did I tell you yesterday? Catch users' eyes! Blow up traffic! This plan will embarrass the company!"
Wang Qiang spewed his usual PUA lines.
"Stay tonight and work overtime with everyone until I'm satisfied. You don't leave until it's done."
Lin Juan sneered inwardly.
He knew Wang Qiang hadn't even looked at the plan. He never wanted a perfect plan — he wanted unconditional obedience. He wanted people to stay late even if they had nothing to do, just to show "dedication."
Lin Juan looked up and said slowly:
"Manager Wang, if you have specific revisions — which section to adjust, which data to change — you can say it now. There are 10 minutes left before work ends. If I can finish it now, I will. If not, I'll do it first thing tomorrow."
He paused, meeting Wang Qiang's disbelieving eyes.
"At 18:00, I'm leaving on time. I'm not working overtime tonight."
The entire office fell deathly silent. Everyone held their breath.
Crazy. Lin Juan was definitely crazy.
He actually dared to talk to Manager Wang like that, and reject overtime to his face!
Wang Qiang's face turned black with rage. Veins popped on his forehead. Through gritted teeth, he said:
"Lin Juan, you want to get fired? If you dare walk out that door on time, don't come back tomorrow!"
Lin Juan looked at him and smiled in relief.
He was sick of this PUA, sick of meaningless involution. With the system, he wasn't afraid of losing this lousy 6,000-yuan job.
He glanced at the time in the bottom-right corner: 17:59.
Lin Juan picked up his backpack and slowly stood up.
Wang Qiang trembled with anger, pointing at the door. "Lin Juan! Don't you dare!"
The punch card machine was right by the door. Lin Juan walked toward it step by step. Under everyone's gaze, he looked back at the furious Wang Qiang and smiled.
Then he reached out and pressed the card.
"Di — Clock-in successful."
The mechanical sound cut sharply through the silent office.
Chapter 3 Clock-in Success! 100,000 Yuan Reward Arrived Instantly
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the novice task: Leave work on time! Task completion 100%!]
[Rewards issued: 100,000 yuan in cash, God-Level Office Skills (Mastered), 100 Lying-Flat Points. All received!]
The cold system voice exploded in his mind. A warm current instantly spread through Lin Juan's body. Dizziness, back pain, chest tightness from staying up late — all vanished without a trace.
Immediately, massive professional knowledge flooded his brain: event planning, user operations, data review, advanced Excel functions, PPT visualization, basic PS. Every office-related skill was engraved in his memory, as if he'd been in the industry for over a decade and could write top-tier plans with his eyes closed.
His phone vibrated in his pocket: a bank message.
Lin Juan quietly took it out and glanced at the screen:
[Your savings card ending in 0817 received 100,000.00 yuan. Current balance: 102,356.78 yuan.]
It really arrived!
Lin Juan's heart skipped a beat. After half a year of frugality, his savings had never exceeded 3,000 yuan. Now, just by leaving work on time, he got 100,000 yuan!
This system was a savior for workers!
"Lin Juan! Come back here!"
Wang Qiang's furious roar came from behind, but Lin Juan didn't stop. He just glanced back calmly.
"Manager Wang, something else?"
"Get back here!" Wang Qiang rushed over, blocking the elevator. "Did you not hear me? If you leave today, I'll have HR fire you immediately!"
Colleagues gathered around. Some gloated, some worried, but no one dared speak.
Lin Juan looked at him, tone steady.
"Manager Wang, you can fire me. According to labor law, unjustified dismissal requires 2N compensation. I've worked half a year, so one month's salary. Have HR prepare the agreement, and I'll sign right now."
He paused.
"If there's no compensation, don't waste my time. It's my personal time now. I don't have to listen to this."
With that, Lin Juan pressed the elevator button.
The doors opened. He stepped around the stunned Wang Qiang and walked in. As the doors closed, he saw Wang Qiang shaking with anger, nearly fainting on the spot.
In the elevator, Lin Juan looked at his reflection and smiled.
Satisfying.
In six months, he had never felt so proud. Before, he only nodded and bowed to Wang Qiang's PUA, swallowing his anger for fear of losing his job. Now he understood: backing down only made unreasonable bosses push harder. Standing up was the only way.
Stepping out of the building, the evening sun shone warmly on his face. The evening breeze carried the smell of street food. Cars and people bustled. For the first time in half a year, Lin Juan saw such a lively evening on a weekday.
Before, he always left at 1 or 2 a.m., when only taxis and convenience stores were open, with no hot food in sight.
Lin Juan took out his phone and ordered a seafood feast he'd long wanted but couldn't afford. He also bought the game console he'd been eyeing for half a year. It cost less than 5,000 yuan, and he didn't even blink.
Before, he never dared spend like this. But now, with the system, he could make money while lying down. Why torture himself?
Back at his rental, the food had just arrived. Lin Juan ate his fill, collapsed on the sofa, and turned on the console. Then his phone blew up with vibrations.
It was the department work group.
Wang Qiang sent a message, @everyone:
[Online project review meeting at 9 p.m. tonight. Everyone must attend on time. No absences!]
A flood of replies:
[Received, Manager Wang!][Okay, Manager Wang, will be there!]
Then Wang Qiang @Lin Juan directly:
[Lin Juan, prepare the plan you revised today. You'll present it at the meeting. No skipping!]
The group went silent. Everyone waited to see how Lin Juan would react.
Lin Juan glanced at the message and sneered. He tapped his screen, set the group to Do Not Disturb, muted his phone, and tossed it aside.
Meeting? What meeting?
It's after work. I'm not serving anyone.
He played games comfortably for two hours. At 11 p.m., he washed up and went to bed, strictly following the system's rule of 8 hours of sleep. He fell asleep instantly and slept soundly.
At 8:50 the next morning, Lin Juan walked into the office right on time.
He had just sat down when Wang Qiang stormed over and slammed a stack of documents on his desk, making everyone look over.
"Lin Juan! Why didn't you join the meeting last night?!" Wang Qiang roared. "How many times did I call? How many messages? Do you even care about the company? About me as your boss?!"
Colleagues lowered their heads, pretending to work while eavesdropping. They thought Lin Juan was done for — fired or torn apart.
But Lin Juan remained calm.
"Manager Wang, 9 p.m. last night was my after-work time. The contract clearly states my hours are 9-to-6. Anything beyond that is overtime. You didn't pay me, so I'm not obligated to join meetings or answer your calls."
One sentence left Wang Qiang speechless.
His face turned red and white. He pointed at Lin Juan and gritted his teeth:
"Fine! You think you're tough? I have a brand-new project plan. Finish a full, implementable proposal by 12:00 noon today! If you can't, get lost right now!"
The office erupted.
A full event proposal — user analysis, gameplay, traffic paths, budget, risk plans — even a senior planner needed at least three days. Wang Qiang was giving Lin Juan three hours?
It was obvious sabotage to force him to quit.
Zhang Chao smirked, waiting to watch Lin Juan make a fool of himself.
But to everyone's shock, Lin Juan nodded calmly.
"Okay. By 12:00, you'll have the plan."
Wang Qiang was stunned. He'd expected begging or arguing, not immediate agreement. He sneered inwardly: let's see you pretend. When noon comes, you'll have nothing.
Wang Qiang huffed and returned to his office, waiting to mock him.
Lin Juan opened his computer and took a deep breath.
In his mind, God-Level Office Skills were crystal clear. Countless ideas and logic spun rapidly. His fingers moved almost nonstop, typing quickly.
The keyboard sounded crisp and continuous, as if moving on its own.
Zhang Chao glanced over, sneering at the show. Three hours for a full proposal? Dream on.
Time ticked by.
At 11:50 a.m., 10 minutes before the deadline.
Lin Juan pressed save and stopped typing.
A complete 28-page event proposal — logically closed, data-detailed, innovative, immediately implementable — was finished.
He stood up, picked up the printed plan, and walked toward Wang Qiang's office under the stunned gaze of the entire office.