The printer churned out sheet after sheet, each still warm and fragrant with ink. Jiang Yi gathered them up one by one. Behind him, Chi Zhan stood waiting. The secretary office’s dedicated printer had broken down, so they were forced to use the communal one for now.
“Chi-ge, what are you printing?” Jiang Yi seized the opportunity to butter up. “Let me do it for you—it’s no trouble at all.”
He turned to glance at Chi Zhan, who looked like he’d just washed his face. His bangs were still damp, a faint mist clinging to them. His skin was pale, making his features appear even more striking. His lips were pressed into a sharp, cold line.
Chi Zhan looked up at the question and gave Jiang Yi a faint smile. That lethal aura he usually carried—the kind that could slice through a crowd—misted over like condensation on glass, quietly dissipating.
“No need to trouble yourself.”
Jiang Yi didn’t leave. While Chi Zhan operated the printer, he pretended to be organizing files, but in truth, he kept stealing glances at him from the corner of his eye.
The stillness before a volcanic eruption could be just as terrifying. But when Jiang Yi caught a glimpse of the document printing out, his eyes went wide.
“You’re resigning?!”
Chi Zhan gave a quiet “Mm.”
Zhou Yanxing had already started recruiting a new secretary. What else could he do—throw a fit, burst into tears, threaten to jump?
He just wasn’t that type.
And anyway, no worker bee should have to grovel like that.
The printer was right next to the interview room. As Chi Zhan’s resignation letter finished printing, someone stepped out of the room and addressed the waiting candidates.
“Apologies, everyone. We’ve already found someone suitable for the position. We’re not hiring for other roles at this time.”
Jiang Yi was floored. So the gossip he’d overheard yesterday was true—Zhou Yanxing had really hired a new secretary! Poor Secretary Chi… Wait—where did Secretary Chi go?
Zhou Rui Tower, 50th floor.
The office was bathed in natural light. The air conditioning hummed quietly, warming the early morning chill just enough to keep the space comfortably temperate. Zhou Yanxing wore a Bluetooth earpiece in one ear. When Chi Zhan entered, he tapped a finger against his now-empty coffee cup.
His expression was unusually serious.
From Chi Zhan’s month of observation, he knew Zhou Yanxing only wore that face when something truly important was at hand.
He said nothing. Instead, he placed the freshly printed resignation letter on the desk and gave it a light push in Zhou Yanxing’s direction.
Then he picked up the empty coffee cup and turned to leave.
When he returned, someone new was loitering outside the office door.
The person paced back and forth, visibly nervous. Upon spotting Chi Zhan, they rushed over like they’d just found salvation.
“Hello! I’m the new secretary starting today. Um… They told me to find Zhou Yan… President Zhou.”
Chi Zhan had expected to feel furious at this moment—but when it finally arrived, all he felt was a strange, unsettling calm.
New clothes never fit like old ones. People were the same.
At the speed Zhou Yanxing cycled through secretaries, replacing him was inevitable.
“Come in with me,” Chi Zhan said with a nod. “We’ll do the handover while we’re at it.”
“What?” the newcomer blinked in confusion, but followed him inside.
Zhou Yanxing was holding the resignation letter, reading it line by line. Chi Zhan, by force of habit, placed the coffee cup to his right. His gaze dropped slightly.
Zhou Yanxing finished reading, set the paper aside, and looked up—only to suddenly notice a third person had entered the room.
“And who’s this?”
Zhou Yanxing’s face darkened. But when he remembered the resignation letter, he forcibly reined in his temper. He adjusted his tone with effort.
“Didn’t I say no unauthorized personnel are allowed in the building?”
Chi Zhan glanced at the name tag on the man’s chest, intending to give a formal introduction—only to see the words: [Thanks, You’re My Dad.]
…A player.
That name was a bit too polite, wasn’t it?
“This is your new secretary, President Zhou,” Chi Zhan said courteously.
“If I’m not mistaken, today isn’t April Fool’s Day,” Zhou Yanxing said, lifting the coffee cup in a vain attempt to soothe the chaos of his morning. “Get this red-and-blue-haired brat out of here.”
But just then, a commotion erupted in the hallway. A wave of complaints and angry shouts followed.
“So this was rigged from the start, huh? I waited in line forever and you just tell me to scram? You think we’re made of clay? I’m a golden VIP, you know! This is how you treat us?!”
“Exactly! I’m his goddamn ancestor! Why wasn’t I allowed in? I want an explanation!”
With a dull thud, the office doors burst open. A mob surged inside, led by “Thanks, You’re My Dad.” Behind him came a massive crowd: “Thanks, You’re My Mom,” “Thanks, You’re My Son,” “Thanks, You’re My Ancestor,” “Thanks, You’re My Great-Uncle”—the Thanks clan was flourishing, indeed.
Just as it looked like a full-on player brawl was about to break out, Chi Zhan hurried forward to maintain order. “Everyone, calm down. Let’s talk this out—”
“This little bastard snuck in a ten-draw while we weren’t looking! No way he didn’t score something rare. Fairness, my ass! Beat him up!”
The players were out for blood, ignoring Chi Zhan entirely. Security rushed in to restore order, but no one dared to lay hands on the players—NPCs couldn’t attack them. The spacious office devolved into a brawling pit of chaos, the Thanks clan’s very own fight club.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen!” the red-and-blue-haired one whimpered, hiding behind Chi Zhan. “Help me! I’ll quit—I’ll quit being the secretary, okay?!”
Chi Zhan asked tentatively, “Uh… can you log out right now?”
“I can’t! The first five minutes of the game are a lock-in!”
The crowd broke into a chaotic round of tag, with dozens of “hawks” chasing a single “chick.” The red-blue-haired player clung to Chi Zhan so tightly, his shirt was nearly ripped apart. Everything within reach turned into a projectile. Papers flew, coffee spilled, chairs toppled—the office was in complete disarray.
“Why are you hiding behind him? Weren’t you trying to romance Zhou Yanxing? He won’t even look at you!”
“We said we’d take over the world together, and now you’re off playing lovebirds behind our backs!”
“Traitor! Ingrate! Disowned!”
Those words made Chi Zhan freeze.
If Zhou Yanxing found out these people were players—and that this world was just a game…
