Switched Life:I Went Viral on a Family Variety Show
Chapter 138: Money Makes People Compromise

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Money Makes People Compromise

Sang Ning was eager to start work and arrived at the location given by President Li in just half an hour.

She thought there would be an interview, but unexpectedly, as soon as she arrived, she was asked to change into protective gear and was taken away in a private flying ship.

President Li was on the ship with her—a middle-aged man in a sharp suit with neatly combed hair.

He wore a constant smile on his face, but his squinty eyes gave Sang Ning an unmistakable feeling of malice hidden behind the façade.

On the way, President Li explained the requirements for the burial work.

Sang Ning kept asking what exactly she was supposed to bury, but President Li avoided answering, maintaining an air of mystery with a dismissive, cryptic smile: "You’ll find out when you see it."

Though he didn’t elaborate, Sang Ning had a sinking feeling that this wasn’t going to be good.

She was parachuted onto the ground. Even though she had mentally prepared herself, the sight of the piled-up corpses immediately made her collapse in fear, unable to move.

There’s no such thing as free lunch from the heavens—President Li wanted her to bury Alien Beast corpses!

The war between the Alien Beasts and the Federation had ended a hundred years ago, but the shadow they cast over the Federation Planet People remained indelible to this day.

Alien Beasts, products of cosmic radiation, supposedly emitted radiation tens of thousands of times stronger after death than when alive.

Even robots as tough as steel would immediately malfunction and break down when exposed to this radiation.

Federation Planet People wouldn’t die instantly from exposure, but they wouldn’t survive more than half a month.

During the war a hundred years ago, dealing with the corpses of Alien Beasts alone cost the lives of one hundred thousand Federation soldiers.

Sang Ning was on the verge of tears. Wasn’t the extermination of Alien Beasts said to have been completed a hundred years ago?

Why was she being tasked with handling these relics that only appeared in textbook illustrations?

She opened her holo-terminal and, choking back sobs, pleaded with President Li: "Boss Li, I don’t want the money anymore. Can you send a ship to bring me back?"

On the other end of the terminal, the man impatiently barked: "You agreed to do this job, so you’ll either do it willingly or do it unwillingly—your choice!"

President Li was adamant, but Sang Ning, faced with life-threatening danger, found a spark of rebellion within herself and shouted back coldly.

"I didn’t even sign a labor contract with you! How can you force me to work? If you won’t pick me up, I’ll just walk out of here myself!"

Fuming, Sang Ning stood up, her anger giving her the strength to start running in the opposite direction.

The area she was in was the Federation’s infamous Acid Rain Forest. Every night, acid rain would fall, and by dawn, the skies would clear.

Years of erosion had reduced the forest’s trees to nothing but hollowed-out husks, making it an ideal place for burying corpses.

Sang Ning thought her protective suit would allow her to hold out until she made it out of the forest.

But after just a few steps, President Li, who had been silent on the other end of the terminal, suddenly let out a derisive chuckle: "Are you sure you’ll make it out alive?"

Sang Ning froze in her tracks. "What do you mean?"

This time, she didn’t wait for President Li to answer. She found out for herself.

Ahead, under the withered branches, a dozen corpses lay stacked one atop another.

They weren’t Alien Beast corpses—they were Federation Planet People, all wearing protective suits like hers.

These people had probably been exposed to acid rain for days—their protective suits were in tatters, and their skulls were starting to show through the decay.

The sight was so horrifying that Sang Ning felt as if her own skull were being corroded. A sharp migraine hit her, and she nearly lost her footing.

In the holo-projection from her terminal, President Li took a leisurely drag from his mechanical cigar and exhaled a large smoke ring.

"See them? These are all the people who quit halfway, just like you.

What employers hate most are employees who lack responsibility and commitment. If you don’t want to do the job, I won’t force you.

But you’ll have to leave your life behind here in the Acid Rain Forest."

President Li spoke with a gentle smile on his face, but through that fake demeanor, Sang Ning could see the devil in his eyes.

At this moment, she found President Li more terrifying than the Alien Beasts.

"Got it. I’ll go back and do my job properly." Sang Ning’s face went blank, her tone numb and hopeless.

Her abrupt shift in attitude made President Li raise an eyebrow. The previous burial workers who had received the same threat had all refused to submit, clinging to the slim hope of escaping.

In the end, he had sent robots to deal with them on the spot. This wretched girl was the first to comply.

Sang Ning’s heart sank. She decided to endure it. As long as she was alive, there was still a chance.

"President Li, I’ll keep burying the corpses, but I have one request—can you increase my pay?

You know as well as I do how difficult this job is. Getting only 1,000 Star Coins per corpse is far too exploitative."

Sang Ning’s tone was remarkably gentle. For once, President Li was agreeable. "Fine. As long as you work diligently, money won’t be an issue."

Sang Ning ignored his empty promises and got straight to the point: "10,000 Star Coins per corpse!"

A bold demand, but President Li, instead of getting angry, burst into laughter and agreed easily. "Deal!"

He had plenty of money—he just wondered if Sang Ning would live long enough to collect it.

Money had a uniquely motivating power. After closing the terminal, Sang Ning’s dizziness and fatigue seemed to fade away.

Lacking spiritual power, she couldn’t manipulate the soil at will and had to rely on the most primitive method—a shovel.

President Li required each corpse to have its own grave. Sang Ning worked tirelessly, digging her first deep pit after much effort.

As she shifted the corpse of an Alien Beast, she found a soft, fluffy white rabbit about a meter long.

Its gentle appearance was so harmless that, even in death, it looked like it was peacefully sleeping.

Unable to bring herself to harm such an adorable creature, Sang Ning set down her shovel, crouched, and gently moved the rabbit aside, planning to bury it last.

Beneath the rabbit, however, she uncovered a coiled-up snake resembling a pile of excrement, its jaws wide open in a menacing gape.

Her blood ran cold as she instinctively picked up the shovel and swung it with all her might, immediately throwing the snake into the pit.

"Ugly thing, off you go!"

Without pausing, she frantically shoveled dirt onto the snake.

Some beasts, even in death, retained a lovable charm, while others made you wish they could be obliterated on the spot.

From dawn to dusk, Sang Ning buried a total of 20 Alien Beast corpses.

After a grueling day, 200,000 Star Coins were finally within reach. Her initial fear had transformed into elation.

She began to calculate in her head—if she survived this, maybe she could establish a long-term partnership with President Li. Future burials? She would be their go-to, provided she was still alive.

After a full day’s work, her protective suit was soaked with sweat.

Thinking that Alien Beast radiation could penetrate the suit anyway, she decided there was no point in keeping it on. She took it off and plopped onto the ground.

She was exhausted and needed a break.

But the moment she sat down, a strange sensation hit her from below, followed by the sound of a man’s pained groan in her ear.

Startled, Sang Ning jumped up and turned to look.

There, lying on the ground, was a man in a dark suit, writhing in agony.

Sang Ning was shocked. A living person was lying here all along. How did she miss him while burying corpses all day?