This world was going to fall apart.
Instinctively, Chi Zhan turned to look at Zhou Yanxing’s reaction—but before he could see anything, someone finally found an opening. A shove sent Chi Zhan stumbling to the side, and a hand grabbed the sleeve of the red-and-blue-haired guy. “Let’s see how you dodge this time. You little—”
Clang!
Chi Zhan wasn’t sure who he’d tripped over, but his lower back slammed hard against the edge of the desk. The coffee he had just placed there—still untouched—toppled from the impact. With the force of a perfect high-arc parabola, the cup shattered against the floor.
Chi Zhan didn’t even have time to react. A dull, spreading pain exploded from the point of impact, sharp and breath-stealing, accompanied by the crisp sound of ceramic shattering.
“—That’s enough!”
Zhou Yanxing’s voice suddenly rang out, thunder splitting a silent sky. Everyone froze mid-action.
“This is not a place for your antics,” Zhou Yanxing said coldly. But if you looked closely, you’d notice his jaw clenched so tight it looked like he was grinding his teeth, barely holding back his rage. “Our company is not hiring.”
They didn’t call him Demon King Zhou for nothing. Just his usual stone face was enough to send children bawling. Now, as he rose with a thundercloud looming behind him, the full weight of his presence descended upon the room. Instinctively, everyone took a step back.
Zhou Yanxing strode up to the red-and-blue-haired pair.
“You pushed him?”
The one who’d looked so aggressive moments ago suddenly found his legs going weak. He stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to…”
“Security,” Zhou Yanxing snapped. “Take them downstairs. I want the full story—what led up to this, and everything that followed.”
He lifted his eyes, sweeping across every player present. His gaze cut like a blade—icy, sharp, and utterly merciless. If looks could kill, the office would’ve been a massacre.
“Notify HR. We’re having a meeting downstairs in thirty minutes.”
Under the crushing pressure of Zhou Yanxing’s command, everyone trembled.
Chi Zhan, however, heard none of it. All that remained in his ears was a high-pitched ringing, drowning everything else out. One thought echoed through the haze: His back…was broken.
That collision just now had slammed the soul clean out of him. It took ages before he could even think again. By the time he finally regained awareness, the horde of players had vanished—logged off, maybe? Who knew?
Zhou Yanxing, meanwhile, was kneeling on one knee beside him, frowning slightly as he checked Chi Zhan’s condition, phone pressed to his ear.
“Can you come over right now? It’s urgent—looks like an injury from impact. No, not me. Don’t ask so many damn questions. He can’t move. Just get here, fast.”
As he spoke, his eyes flicked over toward Chi Zhan. His words paused for a beat. “…Hanging up. Can you move?”
Chi Zhan gave a faint grunt of assent and tried to push himself off the floor. He was in a truly sorry state—utterly humiliated.
But the moment he moved, a searing bolt of pain shot through him, far worse than before. He couldn’t help letting out a hiss and quickly bit down on his lip.
He had to keep it together… but he was already at his limit.
He turned his face away.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Zhou Yanxing’s tone sharpened, displeased. “Secretary Chi, could you be honest—just this once?”
Zhou Yanxing had no patience for evasiveness. He was already reaching forward, ready to forcibly turn Chi Zhan’s face toward him to make his point—
And then stopped cold.
Chi Secretary’s temples were soaked in cold sweat. His pale skin looked nearly translucent. His eyes were rimmed red, faint moisture glimmering in them. He was clearly choking back a sob. He closed his eyes briefly, pressing his emotions down like he was swallowing glass, thinking he’d hidden it all well.
Then, in the calmest tone he could muster, he murmured,
“I’ll be fine. Just need a minute.”
***
By the time Chi Zhan had steadied his breathing enough to think, he found Zhou Yanxing watching him.
Those deep eyes gave away nothing. But still—Chi Zhan sensed danger, something primal. Every nerve in his body tensed instinctively.
Zhou Yanxing was the first to move. Only then did Chi Zhan realize the state of his suit jacket—completely ruined, coffee stains still fresh.
“The coffee you just made? Didn’t get a single sip. All of it’s soaking my clothes now,” Zhou Yanxing said casually, slipping off the jacket. But the shirt underneath had fared no better—thoroughly soaked, like he’d taken a bath in a coffee pool.
Chi Zhan didn’t know why, but he blurted out, “Good thing you didn’t drink it. I forgot to add sugar—it’d be bitter as hell…”
Only as the words left his mouth did he realize how inappropriate they were. He cut himself off mid-sentence.
Zhou Yanxing arched a brow slightly, taking his sweet time finishing the rest of the line.
“—bitter as hell, just like that heartless bastard of a boss who treats you like trash, right?”
Chi Zhan immediately straightened up.
“I didn’t say anything.”
He hadn’t expected Zhou Yanxing to actually read his resignation letter word for word—much less remember it. At the time, he’d written it in a fit of rage. Hearing his own words thrown back at him now, he couldn’t help wondering if he’d been too impulsive.
“You’re already quitting. No need to sugarcoat things now. Secretary Chi, if you’ve got complaints, this is your chance. Say everything.”
Chi Zhan sighed, sullen.
“I’ve got nothing left to say. It’s all in the resignation letter—you saw it, didn’t you?”
Thinking back now, Zhou Yanxing’s reaction that day had been oddly off—like he genuinely had no idea there was a hiring event going on.
A soft rustle broke the silence. Chi Zhan turned his head and saw Zhou Yanxing disappearing into the break room.
No wonder they called him the cold-blooded Demon King.
Was this… considered a workplace injury? Could he file for compensation?
Ugh. Still hurts like hell.
Chi Zhan tried sitting up again. The moment he moved, pain shot through him like lightning. He couldn’t even breathe, let alone move.
He couldn’t just sit there forever—it’d be too weird.
As he groped around for his phone, which had disappeared somewhere in the chaos, Zhou Yanxing’s voice came from overhead.
“What are you looking for?”
Zhou Yanxing had changed into a fresh shirt. He casually picked up Chi Zhan’s phone.
“Think you can stand?”
Chi Zhan muttered, “Just give me a sec…”
“Got it. Don’t move. Almost done.”
