A Guide to Landing a Government Job in the Underworld

Qin Yi spent five years preparing for the civil service exam, and every year he failed to make it to the interview stage.

In his sixth year, an agency was hiring three accountants. Nine candidates made it to the interview, and he came tenth on the written exam.

Qin Yi slammed the table in a fury (╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻: "I'm done!"

The next day, a text message came through:

[Dear applicant, congratulations on advancing to the interview stage of our agency's civil service recruitment exam. Please attend your interview at 8 p.m.]

Had he... made it to the interview stage?!

Qin Yi hurriedly put on a suit and went to the interview that night. Thanks to his intelligence and talent, he passed and became a proud government accountant!

Government jobs offered great benefits: a 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule, five types of insurance and a housing fund, two days off a week, triple pay on holidays, and plenty of other perks! Qin Yi was overjoyed and sincerely respected his new job.

The next day, Qin Yi excitedly arrived half an hour early for work.

But... why were the company's doors shut tight?!

Puzzled, he opened the text message he'd received the day before and read it again:

Haha, turns out it's not 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. ^ ^

An accountant on the night shift? Unheard of.

But it was a civil service job!!

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That night, Qin Yi cheerfully went to work, full of ambition as he opened an old-fashioned ledger.

Raw material purchases: Book of Life and Death

Office supply reimbursements: Meng Po Soup

Payroll: Hell banknotes

Main business revenue: Joss money burned by the living

Total earnings last year: A minus sign followed by a string of zeroes

What is this supposed to be?????

With trembling hands, he opened the text message once more and read it carefully.

"Congratulations on joining the Underworld's Finance Bureau! Stay full of energy and work hard today!"

Qin Yi: ...!!

I thought I'd be a government accountant, but it turns out I'm an accountant for the Underworld.

He wanted to run, but he'd signed a five-year contract.

-

On his first day at work, the fire Meng Po used to cook soup burned the Book of Life and Death.

On his seventh day, the soul guards formed rival gangs and smashed the Bridge of Helplessness.

On his tenth day, Black and White Impermanence applied for a third set of scythes.

On his twentieth day, King Yama took off on a trip with a flask of Meng Po Soup, causing massive damage to human memories.

Losses: +1 +1 +1 +1...

His first month's salary was an IOU.

No wonder the Underworld had been running a deficit for hundreds of years!!

Looking at the horrendous ledgers and his IOU for a paycheck, Qin Yi could take it no longer. He pointed the way forward:

Pointing at Meng Po: You, become a food influencer!

Pointing at the Judge: You, design creative merchandise!

Pointing at Ox-Head and Horse-Face: You two, start livestream selling!

Pointing at Black and White Impermanence: You two, go sell your bromance in the entertainment industry!

Under his leadership, the Underworld turned its finances around and became a fresh, festive place. Even King Yama's room was decorated with red lanterns and red gauze curtains.

But...

The hand dangling from behind the curtains looked like it belonged to their human accountant?!

2025/02/17

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Reading Guide

1. They are each other's first love. The pursuer is King Yama.

2. My own take on civil servants and accounting. The author didn't pass the civil service exam and was terrible at the specialized subjects. This was written during a breakdown at work.

3. More to be added if I think of anything.

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