Zhou Zhuang staggered back along the route they'd come from, his face pale. Only when his legs went so weak he could barely stand did he stop, leaning against the wall of a building by the street and gulping air.
The instant he relaxed, his mind replayed the image from moments ago—Rat Number One's jaw getting blasted off in a single punch, blood pouring everywhere.
Zhou Zhuang's stomach flipped.
He hadn't eaten anything since waking up, so there was nothing to throw up—he could only bend over and dry-heave, spitting strings of saliva.
Faust watched him, puzzled.
That kind of psychological tolerance didn't match the identity he'd claimed: "a supervisor from Lobotomy Corporation."
Meanwhile, his secretary remained utterly calm. She seemed indifferent to everything that happened around them—only reacting faintly when it concerned the "Manager."
Faust was curious about who these two really were, but she wasn't the type to act on impulse or ask reckless questions.
Eventually Zhou Zhuang finished dry-heaving. He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, swallowed, and finally looked up at the famous Faust of the bus.
Faust spoke first.
"Faust is grateful that you intervened to save me. However—impersonating a Wing will place you in extreme danger."
"Lobotomy Corporation's Fixers will not spare anyone who scams the City under its name."
"And if that Thumb soldier and his superiors realize they were deceived, they will come for revenge."
"Still—Faust can introduce you to a place where you may hide from both sides' pursuit."
Zhou Zhuang hadn't even opened his mouth yet, and Faust had already completed the full combo: gratitude, warning, and repayment plan.
Yep. Zhou Zhuang thought. No wonder she calls herself "the smartest genius in the City, bar none."
He tried to respond carefully.
"Um… Ms. Faust."
"If there were an opportunity right in front of you—an offer to join Lobotomy Corporation—would you choose to join?"
Faust's tone stayed calm and level.
"Faust does not know why you ask such a question. However, Faust can still answer your hypothetical."
"For anyone living in the City, the chance to join a Wing is not a multiple-choice question—it is a single-choice question without a 'reject' option."
"For ordinary people, it is an opportunity to ensure one's family can live safely for a lifetime."
"For capable individuals, joining Lobotomy Corporation can amplify their value through the Wing's resources."
"If you ask Faust… then on the matter of joining Lobotomy Corporation, Faust is no different from anyone else."
"From the moment you asked, the answer already existed."
Zhou Zhuang's brain half-buffered through the long explanation, but Faust kindly placed the key answer at the end.
He heard exactly what he wanted.
His smile broke loose, nearly feral.
"Then that's perfect, Miss Faust."
Faust blinked. "Faust is confused."
Zhou Zhuang straightened his clothes, tried to look serious—then failed as the grin returned.
"Miss Faust, I—Zhou Zhuang—am a supervisor at Lobotomy Corporation headquarters."
"And this is my secretary, Angela."
"I hereby extend to you a formal invitation."
He held out his right hand.
"Miss Faust—are you willing to join Lobotomy Corporation?"
Faust stared at his outstretched hand.
Her first reaction was exactly what you'd expect from her: skepticism.
"Faust does not believe your words. Faust cannot join a so-called Lobotomy Corporation based only on your one-sided claim."
Zhou Zhuang's face twitched.
"Huh? Then what would convince you we really are Lobotomy Corporation?"
To him, proving you were yourself felt like the definition of pointless.
He turned, helpless.
"Angela… help me."
Angela stepped forward smoothly.
"Miss Faust, please come with me for a private word."
"Manager, you don't need to follow."
Zhou Zhuang had already lifted a foot to trail after them—then obediently put it back down.
He watched the two women walk deeper into the alley, speaking where he couldn't hear.
Zhou Zhuang turned his back to them and looked out at the Backstreets crowd flowing past.
And for a moment, he felt it again—an old, sharp sense of estrangement.
The world was unfamiliar.
The people were strangers.
Even this entire reality felt like it had nothing to do with him.
He looked at the "Tree of Light" shining in the Nest and, in a haze, remembered the day he'd left his hometown… and the day the last person close to him left the world… and the nights he'd fallen asleep alone in a room after exhausting work, cut off from everything.
The street was crowded, but he felt isolated.
Then—like a voice at his ear—
"Manager. Manager. Manager!"
"Ah—ah! What? What is it?" Zhou Zhuang jolted back to reality, looking around.
Their conversation had ended without him noticing.
Angela was right beside him again.
"Sorry," Zhou Zhuang said awkwardly. "I zoned out. Are you done talking?"
"Yes, Manager."
His chest tightened.
"So… Miss Faust. Your decision is…?"
"Faust agrees to accept your invitation, Manager."
Zhou Zhuang didn't process it immediately.
"Oh—agreed. That's fine. As long as you want it, Lobotomy Corporation's door—"
His brain caught up mid-sentence.
"…You agreed?!"
"Holy—Angela, you really are my Doraemon!"
"But I'm curious—what did you say to prove we're Lobotomy Corporation? If it's inconvenient, you don't have to tell me."
Faust answered instead.
"Angela did not explain anything about the company to Faust."
Zhou Zhuang froze. "Then why did you change your mind?"
"She only showed Faust… the possibilities of the future."
Possibilities of the future…? Zhou Zhuang felt like he'd heard that phrase somewhere, but it snagged in his mind before he could place it.
Angela interrupted his mental buffering.
"Manager. Do you still wish to continue your Backstreets tour?"
"Ah?! No, no—no need. We can head back."
He turned to Faust.
"Faust—do you still have anything to handle?"
"Faust must observe the gigantic beam within L Nest. Manager may proceed first. Faust will report to the company later."
The moment Faust said she'd go alone, Zhou Zhuang panicked.
"That, uh… what's so interesting about the beam? It'll disappear soon anyway. You should report first—new employee onboarding has a lot of procedures…"
Faust looked at him for a second, then understood why he was flustered.
"Manager, do not worry. Faust knows the company's location."
"Angela has already informed Faust how to go and report."
Zhou Zhuang looked to Angela.
Angela nodded once.
"Faust merely wishes to witness the end of a Wing," she concluded.
"Rest assured. Faust will return and report."
Zhou Zhuang gave up.
"…Fine."
He turned back to Angela, smugness swelling again as he imagined today's results.
"Today's work evaluation: perfect. Target exceeded."
"How about it, Angela—am I cracked or what?"
"Manager," Angela replied calmly, "your task is not yet complete. Once you return to the company, your next assignment will be issued."
Zhou Zhuang's eyes widened.
"What?! I worked myself to death overtime and you're telling me the next task is already waiting?! I'm a Manager—don't I get rest?"
"Manager," Angela said, utterly sincere, "you are currently in your rest time."
Zhou Zhuang's soul left his body.
"No—AAAAAH!"
Faust watched as her future Manager walked up to a shop door. He opened it—
And the two of them vanished beyond it.
Faust observed, expressionless, already turning it into a field note:
"Faust watches the Manager return to the company. From a third-person perspective, the method shows no abnormal behavior—only a normal act of opening and closing a door, yet enabling free teleportation between two locations."
"No restrictions detected at present."
"Project marked for delayed analysis. Further assessment pending firsthand experience."
"For now… Faust will continue observing the Tree of Light within L Nest."
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