Chapter 132: Dad, Someone’s Bullying Me!

“Big Data is now synced with WeChat Sports. You can see exactly where you’ve been and at what time every day, and you can even link it to track your family members’ whereabouts.

Starting today, all citizens must check in daily using facial recognition. Inspection officers will be responsible for random video checks, and local governments will oversee compliance. Civil servants, certain public sector employees, and those over 65 are exempt from this rule.

Besides storing personal data, Big Data also includes features for reporting incidents and emergency calls. Next year, we plan to launch new shopping platforms, including a bartering market, virtual currency exchange, and local trading. Stay tuned!”

After the news broadcast, WeChat updated again.

That day, almost everyone was talking about Big Data. People found it novel, but it also highlighted the perks of being a government employee—those with official status enjoyed all sorts of privileges and exceptions, making others increasingly envious.

The terms “inside the system” and “outside the system” started spreading. So, what does it mean to be “inside the system”?

It’s not just civil servants—it includes public sector employees and anyone working in government-run fields: recycling management, food supply, supermarket cooks, cleaners, security guards, and so on.

How do you become a civil servant? First, get any job under the government’s umbrella. If you do well, you might be promoted to a permanent position. Of course, these days, landing a formal job is harder than reaching the sky. Most people have to settle for odd jobs handed out by the government—if you can fill your stomach, you’re already lucky.

After dinner, the whole family opened WeChat, curiously checking out their own data. “Huh, I actually went there that day? I don’t even remember.”

Jing Shu also opened her Big Data profile. Every route she’d taken since January 2023 was recorded in detail, with graphs and analysis. Her purchase history went all the way back to 2018.

Her work section read: “Honorary Consultant, Development Zone Management Office.”

Recorded incidents included: “January 14, 2023: Act of bravery, commended.”

“May 29, 2023: Captured Zhang Qiang, leader of the Zhetian No. 3 gang, and other criminals. Awarded Second-Class Merit.”

Note: Holders of Second-Class Merit can skip lines and get priority when using facial recognition ID.

While other people’s records were full of offenses, Jing Shu’s were all merits. No more waiting in line for her—what a great feeling!

“I don’t have to check in,” Jing’s mom said, showing her phone.

“Me neither,” Jing’s dad replied with a goofy grin.

“Same here!” Third Aunt chimed in, feeling honored. She wasn’t a civil servant yet, but thanks to the seasonings Jing Shu gave her last time, she’d been promoted to team leader. The supervisor said she’d be considered for the next round of permanent hires.

“Not only do I not have to check in, but I don’t have to wait in line to buy or exchange things with facial recognition either!” Jing Shu was full of emotion. In her previous life, she’d struggled to eat and hovered on the edge of death. Now, she’d brought her whole family into the system.

What a great start.

Jing’s grandma and grandpa said, “We’re old, so we don’t have to bother with any of this.”

The whole family burst out laughing. Life was good.

……

With the launch of Big Data, the status of those inside the system soared. As food and water grew scarcer and people survived on grain insects, everyone became even more desperate to pull strings and find a job.

If you couldn’t force your way in, you had to beg. After all, the government controlled all the food.

The government kept announcing: “Obedient people get to eat. Disobedient people…” Well, the daily executions made the consequences clear. This tactic really scared the public.

But what no one expected was that Wang Zhong, the former partner from Jing’s dad’s old renovation company—someone Jing’s dad never wanted to deal with again—showed up at their door.

Grandpa and Dad Jing had been busy lately. As temperatures dropped, they were building a house behind the villa, mainly a huge garage for the RV. With earthquakes and disasters happening all the time, the house had to be sturdy and quake-proof.

Plus, Jing Shu needed to claim as much land as possible before next year’s floods. Otherwise, when the place got overcrowded—even the basements would be packed—it would be much harder to expand. Luckily, the area behind the villa was hilly and deserted. Technically, it was a public area in the neighborhood, but since no one lived there, it wouldn’t bother anyone. If she had to pay a “fine” later, so be it.

That afternoon, just before dinner, Jing Shu was mixing cement at the villa gate—cement she’d gotten from Master Liu, the renovation guy—when an electric bike pulled up. Off got a middle-aged man, wrapped in a military coat but with a decent-looking face.

Jing Shu kept working with her shovel and cement. The man took two big bags off his bike, looked over the villa, then sized up Jing Shu.

Wow, even in the apocalypse, someone’s come to deliver gifts to my house. Who are they looking for?

“Is this the Jing An residence?”

“No.”

The man frowned. “But this is the right house number. Don’t you know Jing An?”

“Nope.”

“I’m Wang Zhong, an old friend of Jing An’s. We’re very close. His wife is Su Lanzhi, his daughter is Jing Zhu. See, I came to visit him. Old Liu told me this was the place. I even supplied this cement. Are you Jing Zhu?”

Wang Zhong finally lost his patience. Even he was amazed at how shamelessly he could lie, but he kept his cool and asked.

Jing Zhu, my ass. You can’t even remember the name and you dare bring gifts?

“No idea. I’m not Jing Zhu.”

Jing Shu narrowed her eyes. So it’s Wang Zhong—the so-called old friend Dad’s talked about for over twenty years, the “brother” she’d never met in either life, now here to ask for a favor?

Her impression of Wang Zhong was always secondhand. No matter how poor or down-and-out her dad was, he’d never actually met him. In this life, because of the butterfly effect of the tempered glass cover, Dad had a falling out with the company and was forced out—the mastermind was Wang Zhong—so she’d never met him either.

“I’ll go knock on the door, then.”

Jing Shu blocked the way, saying nothing, lost in thought about what Wang Zhong had done in both lives.

It was supposed to be Dad and Wang Zhong’s company, but in the end, it became Wang Zhong and the other shareholders’ company, with Dad pushed out. Dad never fought back, just took his 2% dividends every year until the apocalypse, when they went their separate ways. Later, when the company was sold for food, Dad got nothing.

This time, it was even worse—Dad was directly fired and forced to give up his shares, leaving him heartbroken.

“Whose brat are you, anyway? Move aside!”

Jing Shu still blocked the door. By now, Dad had changed—he wasn’t a pushover anymore—but Jing Shu was still worried about what would happen if they met. Part of her wanted Dad to see Wang Zhong, to see how he’d handle it, to get an answer.

How well would Dad do? Jing Shu was a bit anxious.

“Jing Shu, bring some more cement!” Dad’s voice called from the back.

At that moment, Jing Shu’s eyes lit up. She immediately shouted, “Dad, someone’s bullying me!”"