Chapter 113: Benefits

Those few brief words instantly captured everyone’s attention.

“Old Wang’s exact words were, ‘Everyone has worked hard tonight. Since we still have to work overtime the next couple of days, why not let colleagues choose shifts on a rotating basis? Each person only comes in for half a day, and the rest of the time they can rest well at home.’”

“Did Da Ming agree to that?”

When Chen Xu Jia nodded, a wave of excitement swept through the group.

“So, how will it be arranged? What are the times?” Yang Tian Qi was the first to shake off her excitement and ask.

“Da Ming said the morning shift is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the evening shift is from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Alright, you all pick for yourselves!”

“I want the evening shift!” Su Zhen Xin was the first to speak.

She stretched her neck and continued, “This old auntie of mine has no energy left. I need a good nap. No way, I just can’t stay up anymore.”

As she yawned, Su Zhen Xin grabbed her bag and prepared to leave.

“Hey, wait for me!” He Su Zhen saw her leaving and hurriedly gathered her things. “I’ll take the night shift too! I can stay up late, but there’s no way I’m waking up early!”

The others quickly made their choices as well.

Lin Lu You thought for a moment. Since she planned to stay at the company tonight anyway, choosing the night shift would mean extra trips and extra transportation costs. With that in mind, she looked up and said to Chen Xu Jia, “I’ll take the morning shift.”

***

When Lin Lu You rode the elevator up to the 22nd floor, her curiosity was immediately piqued by the decor. The walls were coated with fluorescent paint, making it look as if she were gazing into a starry sky.

Following the number tags, she found her berth. After slipping off her shoes, she quickly crawled inside.

Without even looking, just by the scent, Lin Lu You knew this place was cleaned daily. The bed carried the fresh smell of detergent and sunlight—no way to fake that.

She had expected that after a long, exhausting day, she’d fall asleep as soon as she lay down. But no matter what she tried, she couldn’t escape insomnia.

It wasn’t because she’d had too much coffee at night, nor due to only working a half-day tomorrow. It was simply because she couldn’t fall asleep...

Just as she finally started to drift off, a burst of conversation roused her. Groggy, she sat up and peeked outside the pod, noticing more colleagues coming in to rest.

Was it almost 4 a.m.? Some departments really were busy until this hour.

She had only just managed this thought when she fell back under the covers and soon drifted into sleep.

Lin Lu You was always a light sleeper when away from home. Before seven in the morning, she was awakened by movement. Opening her eyes, she saw the person in the upper bunk getting up, awkwardly shifting their heavy body out.

Lin Lu You closed her eyes, trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep, but after repeated attempts, she gave up and reluctantly climbed out of the sleep pod.

So when Chen Xu Jia returned to the office at eight o’clock, he found Lin Lu You slumped over her desk, looking listless.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well?”

“Mm...” Lin Lu You drooped her eyelids, answering weakly, “I didn’t expect to be so sensitive to the bed. Just when I finally felt sleepy, I don’t know which department’s colleagues came up to rest. Half asleep, I think I even heard someone grinding their teeth and talking in their sleep...”

The more Lin Lu You spoke, the more she felt like a wilted little cabbage in a field—withered, yellowed, and utterly pitiful.