Tulip Security Company.
The layout of the boss's office remained the same as before.
The desk was still the same desk, its surface covered with a sheet of tempered glass, under which lay several of the company's promotional flyers.
A neatly folded grey blanket was draped over the back of the chair, and the blinds by the window were half-open, allowing sunlight to leak through the gaps.
Jian Lai was sitting in the boss's chair with his legs crossed, holding his third pot of tea for the day.
The tea was of a famous variety, part of Yue Shi's personal stash. Jian Lai had snuck quite a few sips of it while the boss was away.
The tea was sweet on the palate with a long-lasting aftertaste. He closed his eyes to savor it, feeling that his current life was truly relaxed and comfortable—he had even fallen in love with working.
"No wonder those bosses, entrepreneurs, and officials all love working," Jian Lai sighed.
The 'work' of the upper class and the work of the bottom-tier workhorses were two completely different things.
The sunlight outside the window was just right, neither too cold nor too hot, falling upon his shoulders. He shifted his crossed legs, and the chair rotated slightly with him, allowing him to see the busy players outside through the gaps in the blinds.
Everything was in order, all under his control.
Suddenly, space fluctuated.
Jian Lai was startled. The cup slipped from his hand, and tea splashed onto the desk, soaking the promotional flyers beneath the glass.
He didn't bother with the teacup and sprang directly from the chair. His legs slammed into the edge of the desk, his knees throbbed with pain, and he hurriedly backed away two steps, only for his lower back to hit the bookshelf behind him.
The bookshelf shook, and a book from the top shelf fell, nearly hitting him.
The true boss, Yue Shi, had returned without warning, still carrying the snow leopard cub. His expression was calm, and he didn't give Jian Lai a second glance.
Jian Lai's throat tightened. Feeling guilty, he scrambled to pick up the teacup from the desk.
Water was still dripping from the bottom of the cup onto his pants, but he didn't notice at all. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"Ah, Boss, you're back? Why didn't you say something beforehand? I would have gone to meet you..."
Yue Shi's tone was flat. "Yeah, I'm back."
The snow leopard yawned and shifted its position on Yue Shi's shoulder.
Jian Lai stood by the chair, still holding the teacup, unsure whether to put it down or keep holding it.
The chair seemed to have suddenly become scorching hot. Yue Shi must have seen him sitting there just now, legs crossed, drinking tea and basking in the sun with his eyes closed.
He must have seen it!!!
Jian Lai's ears burned, the heat spreading from his earlobes to the tips.
The snow leopard jumped down from Yue Shi's shoulder and curled up on the desk.
"You can head out now," Yue Shi said with a wave of his hand. He wanted to take stock of the loot from this God Realm trip.
Jian Lai blinked and nodded repeatedly. "Oh, oh, alright. Boss, you carry on, carry on..."
Holding the teacup, he retreated from the office like a cat kicked out of its nest.
The door closed behind him. The sound of the hinges turning was very soft, but to his ears, it was no different from someone slamming the door in his face.
The corridor was quiet. Jian Lai stood at the office door and looked down at the teacup in his hand. Suddenly, the so-called famous tea felt tasteless. Having lost that relaxed, appreciative mood, the premium tea was no different from dishwater.
Jian Lai wandered aimlessly through the company. He occasionally ran into players; some bowed and scraped to greet him, while others stopped and called out 'Boss' from a distance.
Their information hadn't been updated yet; they didn't know the true boss had returned.
"Hello, Boss!"
"Boss, are there any task assignments today?"
Jian Lai forced a smile in response, his mouth curling upward, but his eyes didn't follow. "It's nothing. You all carry on with your work."
His voice was very soft, but the players heard him. No one noticed that his smile was off or that his eyes were darting around.
They walked past him, their footsteps growing distant and their voices becoming blurred.
Jian Lai stepped into an empty storage room and closed the door.
The storage room was small, with metal shelves on all four walls. The shelves were piled with folders, scrap cardboard boxes, and decommissioned office supplies.
The air smelled of expired printer paper. Jian Lai leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to sit on the floor. He placed the teacup by his feet, then pulled up the game system interface and clicked 'Logout.'
...
Jian Lai sat up from his gaming pod. The room in the real world was quiet; only the hum of the gaming pod's cooling fan could be heard, along with the occasional car horn from the street below.
He sat on the edge of the pod, hands gripping the rim and feet on the floor. A chill traveled from the soles of his feet up to his knees.
"Gone."
Just moments ago, he was still the acting boss. Now, he had nothing.
His mind began to replay his experiences from this period. When he first became the acting boss, he had been very nervous, fearing someone would cause trouble for him.
But gradually, he had grown accustomed to the feeling of having great power in his hands.
Watching other players stay busy while he remained comfortable—this contrast had made him feel incredibly at ease.
The players all respectfully called him Boss. He had even posted on the forum to brag about his status, accepting the adoration of the comment section.
All those players had to line up at his desk to receive their task rewards, their faces full of anticipation and fawning.
He would hand out the rewards one by one, feeling the emotional shifts of the other players. It felt like feeding a group of small animals waiting for a handout; because he held the food, he was their king.
"Having power in hand is truly wonderful,"
Jian Lai muttered to himself, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the empty room.
Those players who revolved around him didn't like him at all. It was only because he was the 'Boss' and controlled the resource rewards and the right to speak that everyone was forced to fawn over him and humor him, even speaking with a hint of caution in their tone.
This feeling of exercising power was addictive. One hit made you feel amazing all over, but quitting made you miserable.
"No wonder so many people crave power."
Jian Lai tilted his head back to look at the ceiling, staring for a long time until the patches of light from the window crawled from the floor up the wall.
"What a pity."
Those three words weighed lightly on his chest, yet they made it hard for him to breathe.
Rate on N.U.
