Zhou Zhuang stared at the invitation letter in his hand, a headache building. He looked at Hod and asked, "So… how am I supposed to deliver this invitation to her?"
Hod's expression turned slightly awkward.
"Um, Manager… because the Training Team hasn't been opened yet, all of its functions are still offline. So this invitation letter can't be dispatched by the system right now. You'll need to pick a suitable person and have them go to the recipient's location and deliver it in person."
To Zhou Zhuang, that "traditional" delivery method didn't feel awkward at all. In his mind, invitations were supposed to be hand-delivered.
He rubbed his chin, though—wasn't this a little beneath the company's aura? Lobotomy Corporation, of all things… sending invitations by having employees walk up and knock on doors?
Zhou Zhuang sighed.
Well, our own business is our own business. Right now, the company was still a shadow operating behind the scenes, unable to stand under the City's sun.
Seeing her Manager sulking, Hod mistakenly assumed he was unhappy with her competence. Already feeling guilty, she hurriedly apologized.
Zhou Zhuang blinked, even more confused.
"Why are you apologizing, Hod? This isn't your fault at all."
"If we're going to blame someone for everything, I can always say: 'This work can't be completed—it's definitely Malkuth's fault!'"
"Because Control hasn't been fully developed, so the Manager can't unlock the next department."
"Or it's Angela's fault, because she didn't thoroughly explain every little thing about the company's operations, so I can't fully understand how it runs."
"And it's also my fault—because as the highest person in charge, I understand nothing, act like someone who does nothing, and shamelessly dump responsibility onto you all."
"See, Hod? You can throw blame really far."
As he delivered this chain of blame-shifting, he "chanted" like Ahab—mentally reciting Ishmael's name each time to stack more "Resonance."
Honestly, Ahab really was a human-shaped whale. The infectious power was terrifying.
Hod and Malkuth watched him run through the entire combo—from Malkuth, to Angela in the distance, and then ending right on Hod.
The result: Hod's guilt evaporated on the spot, while Malkuth gained an even deeper understanding of what kind of creature her Manager was.
Zhou Zhuang continued, calmer now.
"I'm only worried about one thing: the person I'm inviting—Angelica—might think we're imposters."
Malkuth jumped in immediately.
"Hm? Why would you worry about that, Manager? We're the real Lobotomy Corporation. If she gets chosen by you, that's her good fortune."
"I know we're real," Zhou Zhuang said, pressing a hand to his forehead. "But outsiders don't know that."
"In this world, that AI 'Angela' in L Corp's Nest just brought the local Lobotomy Corporation crashing down."
"When I went out to recruit earlier, it was only because I got lucky—on the last day the Tree of Light bloomed—when people in the City still didn't fully understand what had happened to L Corp, and the Nest hadn't lost its protection yet."
"And at the same time, the local company was busy with critical negotiations. A bunch of coincidences lined up, so I managed to fish in muddy waters."
"But now… the remaining Light has already been secured by Angela through their negotiations."
"The City has entered four days of darkness."
"And the people affected by L Corp's 'incomplete grand performance' are starting to twist and mutate."
"I don't believe the Head won't step in to 'clean up.' They probably already announced that the Wing has fallen."
Hearing this, Malkuth put on that familiar, game-like confident expression.
"Manager—there's something in what you said that I need to correct."
"We are never someone else's shadow."
"Maybe some people will reject our invitation because of their ridiculous information sources."
"But their rejection won't be our loss."
"To borrow your phrasing—if you want to be the company's dog, you should first check whether you even have the qualifications to walk that road."
"Exactly," Hod nodded in agreement.
"Manager, you don't need to worry about the reputation impact of the other world's Lobotomy Corporation."
"The company will offer anyone who doubts us a set of terms they can't refuse."
While Zhou Zhuang was still dazed, Malkuth simply reached over and pulled the invitation letter out of his hands.
"I'll take this invitation," she said confidently.
"Don't worry, Manager. I'll find employees to complete this task."
"We'll treat it as their graduation exam for training."
"I guarantee you: in the end, you'll see the name you want to see appear on the employee list."
Staring at Malkuth's certainty, Zhou Zhuang wasn't even sure how he ended up leaving and rejoining Angela.
Before he left, it felt like they said something else—but he didn't catch it.
What he did understand was this:
Aside from a few personality traits, these department heads were completely different from the people in his memories.
Now he finally grasped what Angela had said at the very beginning:
The game was only a reference.
What they lived in was reality—a corner where everything changes.
Back in the familiar corridor, he reached the familiar door, pushed it open, and saw a room unchanged from when he left.
On the familiar blue screen, there was now an image.
On the topmost monitor: the Control Team's area. Malkuth and Hod—who he'd only just separated from—were standing in front of Faust's group of five (who had apparently regrouped after eating), giving them a speech.
The dry, monotonous atmosphere spilled out of the screen.
Bored, Zhou Zhuang reflexively patted his pocket.
Wait. Where's my phone?
Oh right. He'd transmigrated.
So… how was he supposed to kill time when he was bored?
Was he really going to spend every dull moment counting sheep in silence?
The thought alone chilled him to the bone.
Zhou Zhuang slowly turned his head to look at Angela, his expression stiff.
"Angela—does the company have anything to help pass the time?"
"Or can the company retrieve my old phone and computer?"
He stared at her, pleading, terrified she'd answer with two fear-inducing words: "No."
Thankfully, Angela's reply launched him out of despair and straight into bliss.
"Manager. This is the phone and computer the company has prepared for you."
"Besides my contact information and the department heads' contact information, the phone can also connect—during your idle time—to information and news from other worlds that you wish to see in your mind."
"The computer works the same way."
"Hell yeah!" Zhou Zhuang cheered.
"But the connection time is limited to your free time."
Zhou Zhuang immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.
Angela added gently, "Manager, I believe you also wouldn't want to be interrupted during work, causing your work to be wasted."
"…That's true," Zhou Zhuang said, pulling himself back together.
"Having it at all is already good. I shouldn't ask for too much."
"Anyway—thank you, Angela."
"You're welcome," Angela replied, "I am the person you trust the most."
....
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