379: Chapter 378 Family

The Number Five Command was the fixed instruction Wang Shuo used when initiating Knowledge Infusion.

The name sounded sophisticated, but in reality, it was just an alarm clock.

Unlike an ordinary alarm clock, the Number Five Command had various preset conditions already configured, with Zero determining whether to activate them; its level of complexity was far beyond what an alarm clock could compare to.

Perhaps this was the true meaning of Artificial Intelligence.

Having settled on the keywords, Wang Shuo took a deep breath, slowly lay down on the sofa, and calmly closed his eyes.

Knowledge Infusion, activate!

...

Luo Changan clutched his briefcase, unsure of how he had even left the signing room.

It was only when the blinding sunlight slanted through the large, transparent glass of the dome and hit his face that he finally snapped back to reality.

His hand, tucked inside the briefcase, shifted; the substantial feel of the papers inside gave him an inexplicable sense of security.

"Hey there, brother." A voice came from beside him.

Luo Changan turned his head and saw several of The Figure surrounding him, though he hadn't noticed when they had gathered.

A middle-aged man, about his own age, was looking at him.

"How is it inside? Are there any age requirements? How did your interview go?"

The three consecutive questions laid bare the middle-aged man's inner anxiety, and the others nearby also wore tense expressions.

Luo Changan recognized these people; they were among those who had been turned away earlier. He hadn't expected them to be let in as well.

Looking at the expectant expressions on their faces, Luo Changan had no desire to toy with them.

Only those who had truly experienced the crisis of unemployment could understand what this meant.

The people before him were likely feeling exactly as he had, their confidence deeply shattered by the malice of society.

The aura that had once belonged to high-level employees had completely faded from them. All that remained was a desperate desire to make a living and support their families.

Whether forced by necessity or still holding onto hope, at least they weren't lying at home waiting to die, and they hadn't dumped the burden of survival onto their parents, wives, or children.

Such men should not be mocked at such a serious moment.

"There are no requirements. You can all be like me."

Luo Changan took a deep breath and solemnly brought out his contract.

Looking at the crisp new pages and smelling the faint scent of ink, everyone's eyes widened.

"This is..." A flash of excitement crossed the middle-aged man's face: "You succeeded? You were hired?"

Luo Changan nodded gently.

"Thank you, thank you." The middle-aged man couldn't contain his excitement and thanked Luo Changan repeatedly.

"You're welcome." Luo Changan put the contract back into his briefcase and reminded him: "Go queue up quickly. There are so many people applying today, don't miss your chance."

The group seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly bidding farewell to Luo Changan and returning to the middle of the line.

In just that short time, two more people had joined the line, both in their thirties or forties, looking at Luo Changan with envy.

A faint smile appeared on Luo Changan's face.

He hadn't expected that the second highlight moment of his life would be when he found re-employment after being laid off in middle age.

Walking out of the Talent Recruitment Center and watching the crowd still surging toward the entrance, Luo Changan felt a surge of emotion. He got on his little electric scooter and hurried home.

Compared to the confusion he felt when he left home at noon, Luo Changan felt so relieved now that even the wind blowing on his face felt warm.

The ten-minute ride home felt slightly long at this moment.

Finally back at the apartment complex, he parked his electric scooter in the shed, walked to the stairs, and stood at his front door. Luo Changan calmed himself down, adjusted his clothes, and gently opened the door.

In the living room, his daughter was hunched over the desk, diligently doing her homework, while his wife was busy in the kitchen, making clattering sounds; the air was filled with the scent of home.

This small nest, less than seventy square meters, was his everything in this world.

Hearing the door open, his daughter looked up and shouted happily: "Daddy." She put down her pen, ran straight to Luo Changan, and gave him a big hug.

"Xixi is such a good girl." Luo Changan smiled and patted his daughter's head: "Were you a good girl today?"

"I was." The little girl said with a serious face: "The teacher even gave me a little red flower today."

"That's wonderful." Luo Changan wore a kind smile, patted his daughter's little head again, and said: "Go do your homework, I'm going to check on Mommy."

"Okay, I'll play with Daddy after I finish." The little girl was very obedient, returning to her desk to continue her hard work.

Luo Changan smiled with relief, changed his shoes, and walked into the kitchen.

"You're back." The speaker was a woman around thirty-five years old. Her appearance wasn't stunning, but she was very pleasant to look at; even on the street, she would be considered above average.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Go change your clothes, watch Xixi outside, and take a rest."

"Okay." Luo Changan replied but didn't turn to leave, watching his wife's busy back in silence.

Ten years had passed, and she seemed to be the same person she was when they first married. No matter what he did, she had no complaints and never left his side.

Seeing this, Luo Changan couldn't help but step forward gently and hug his wife.

His wife didn't resist, just said somewhat helplessly: "What are you doing? I'm still cooking."

"Honey, you've worked hard all these years." Luo Changan said with a hint of apology, his voice low.

His wife froze, and the movement of her hands stopped. She turned around and looked carefully at her husband. Seeing nothing wrong with him, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief and asked: "Why are you saying this all of a sudden? Is it because work isn't going well?"

"It's nothing." Luo Changan gave a relieved smile and said: "I just had some reflections and wanted to talk to you from the heart. All these years I've been busy with nothing, and I haven't had time to accompany you and Xixi..."

"Don't say such discouraging things." His wife gently covered his mouth, her face full of tenderness: "If you hadn't been fighting hard out there, how could Xixi and I have such a peaceful life? This is what I should do, I don't blame you."

His wife paused and said: "Actually, there is something I've been wanting to tell you as well."

Luo Changan nodded gently, signaling for his wife to continue.

"I've been considering this for several days." His wife said with some hesitation: "I want to go out and find a job."

Seeming to worry that her husband might misunderstand, his wife quickly added: "It's not that I'm worried about you; I just want to find a job. No matter how much it pays, it can always help subsidize the household."

Luo Changan looked at his wife, who looked somewhat uneasy, and sighed after a long moment. He raised his hand and took hold of her hands, which looked somewhat rough from frequent contact with cooking fumes.

"Xiaoyun, do you know everything?"

His wife's uneasiness became more apparent. She somewhat awkwardly pulled back her hand, picked up the knife on the table, and wanted to continue chopping vegetables.

Luo Changan held her back and asked: "Xiaoyun, do you know?"

An unavoidable question.

His wife could only look up, her eyes already brimming with tears, and choked out: "Changan, we know everything. Xixi and I both know."

Luo Changan felt a pang of heartache: "If you knew, why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't, I couldn't." His wife held back her tears, trying hard not to let them fall, and said: "Xixi and I watched you leave every day. I knew you weren't going to the company. I watched you wandering in the park, staring blankly on the bench. I felt so much pain for you, but I couldn't say anything. You are a man, you are the pillar of this family. If we didn't say anything, this family could remain the same... Changan, you cannot collapse. Unemployment is fine, everything will get better. I can go find a job, I can support Xixi and myself..."

Luo Changan hugged his wife with heartache, gently patting her back, letting her sob in his arms.

Xixi seemed to hear the commotion, sticking her little head through the door crack, asking innocently: "What's wrong with Mommy?"

"Mommy is fine." Luo Changan let go of his wife, wiped away her tears, and laughed jokingly: "Look at you, making a fool of yourself in front of the child."

Saying this, he pulled her hand and said: "Let's go."

His wife's eyes were still a bit red, and she asked: "Go where? Are we not eating?"

Luo Changan laughed: "Why cook? We're going out to eat! Xixi, how about we go eat your favorite Braised Prawns today?"

The little girl's eyes lit up: "Really? Daddy? I haven't had prawns in almost two months."

"Of course it's real. We're going right now, I'll let you eat your fill today." Luo Changan smiled and patted his daughter's head.

"But..." His wife wanted to say something more, but Luo Changan interrupted her, carefully untying her apron, and said: "No 'buts.' It's rare that I'm in such a good mood today, and our daughter wants to eat it, besides..."

Luo Changan showed a mysterious smile. "I have some good news to announce to you both."

A few minutes later, his wife finally reluctantly accepted Luo Changan's explanation, went inside to tidy up a bit, and the three of them went out together. They didn't take a car, just walked along the street like that.

His wife wore a red scarf and a smile on her face, while the little girl ran around Luo Changan, giggling from time to time as he teased her.

Looking at everything before him, Luo Changan couldn't help but feel emotional, and the image of the beautiful, somewhat aloof female interviewer resurfaced in his mind.

"Mr. Luo Changan, I have reviewed your profile. A senior computer software engineer with certain software engineering management capabilities, having participated in large-scale software engineering projects. Logically speaking, with your qualifications, you shouldn't be looking for a job at this time. I would like to know the reason for your resignation."

The female interviewer was very young, but her words were sharp and to the point.

This was the eternal pain in his heart.

The company he left was never an ordinary one, and what he gave up wasn't just a simple job to make ends meet, but an industry he had worked hard to build alongside his brothers.

But so what?

The company's performance was poor, and his brothers had sold the company behind his back; his own qualifications had instead become an eyesore to the new boss.

"I see." The female interviewer nodded gently.

"Our company is a startup and not well-known. We might not be able to match your previous salary level directly. If you don't mind, you can check the company's salary grades, position levels, and promotion conditions attached to the contract. If there are no issues, you can sign the contract."

Luo Changan remembered that he had been in a completely dazed state at the time.

"Wh... what do you mean?"

"It means..." The female interviewer's voice was calm as she uttered a sentence that he would remember for the rest of his life.

"You have been hired."