Deadlock [Infinite]

It was a strange job interview.

The interviewer held up a photo of an apple tree and asked Jing Wang, "Are there apples on the tree?"

Jing Wang answered, "Yes."

The interviewer put a check mark beside her name. "You've passed."

Jing Wang was confused. "It's that simple?"

The interviewer asked, "What? Were you expecting something else?"

Jing Wang said, "I just don't feel like I've actually been hired."

The interviewer stood up, strode over to Jing Wang, and solemnly shook her hand. "Team member Jing Wang, congratulations on joining this godforsaken Abnormal Incident Response Department. You'll earn a high salary doing work that could kill you before you get to spend it, be paired with a psychologically disturbed partner you'll have to live and die with, and enjoy the benefit of a group memorial service on Qingming Festival that nobody wants. Welcome aboard!"

Jing Wang: "Is this job really that awful?"

The interviewer said, "Oh, there's worse. Your partner is worse than psychologically disturbed, because he doesn't exist. Nobody here has ever seen him. Good luck. Next!"

*An atypical infinite-loop story / mystery-solving infinite-loop story / a tale of friendship turning into something else

Theme: The past cannot be changed, but the future can still be pursued