Chapter 109: Chapter 108
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The next day.
Santo Domingo, The Glen.
David let out a big yawn, pushed open the bedroom door, and walked into the living room, only to find it empty.
"Mom?"
He tried calling out but received no reply, seeing Gloria's bedroom door open.
"Where could she have gone so early?"
Mumbling to himself, David walked into the bathroom to wash up and prepare for work.
After finishing an early shift yesterday and having lunch with Tang Yu, he felt much better.
Cupping cold water in his hands, David vigorously washed his face, instantly feeling more awake, and looked up at his reflection in the electronic mirror.
His features were becoming more defined, beginning to look more adult.
David couldn't help but recall yesterday's conversation. Tang Yu had told him to be himself.
It was a shame he hadn't been more composed, sobbing uncontrollably. Even though he didn't fully grasp the meaning behind those words, he was somehow moved by them.
Clutching his face tightly, David was overwhelmed with regret, wishing he could hide away.
The memory and scene from last night incessantly haunted him; every time he thought about crying in front of Tang Yu, he felt so embarrassed that he almost twisted into a ball under the blankets.
How humiliating!
After all, David was nearly eighteen - how could he lose his composure and cry in front of Mr. Tang?
Moreover, upon reflecting, the words Tang Yu said weren't exactly comforting or encouraging. How did he get so easily moved, to the point where now, thinking of Tang Yu, his mind was in complete disarray?
"Little brother, Mr. Tang called me little brother..."
"Ah, I'm still just a kid..."
"But it seems Mr. Tang is quite nice to me..."
Lowering his hands, David's face bore the imprint of his fingers, flushed red.
He looked at his reflection, caught in turmoil.
"Should I even go to work today?"
"I hope Mr. Tang forgets about yesterday's lunch..."
"I should never do something that foolish again, like asking Mr. Tang for lunch..."
David slapped his cheeks, trying to psych himself up.
No matter how awkward, he had to tough it out and go to work. If he stayed away, Mr. Tang would naturally forget about it over time.
David believed that with Tang Yu serving as deputy director of two departments, he must be too busy to remember such things.
After taking a deep breath and fixing his appearance, he ran to the living room to change clothes.
Suit, tie, leather shoes, and a dab of hair gel to set his hairstyle.
The man in the mirror, David, looked every bit the corporate employee.
The suit was a new purchase by Gloria, of fairly high quality, though not a luxury brand like Shinjuku Temple's but enough for work.
David deeply appreciated his mother's intention, not wanting him to stand out for the wrong reasons during his internship at Arasaka Tower.
After getting ready, David headed out towards Arasaka Tower, starting another busy day as a corporate drone.
Before long.
David arrived at his destination, the 33rd floor of the Arasaka Tower, Counterintelligence Department.
He greeted the receptionist as usual and headed to his workstation only to find everyone already there.
David glanced at the time, realizing it was still early. Was today a special day?
During his time in the Counterintelligence Department, he noticed a trend among his colleagues.
Whenever something major happened the day before or was anticipated to happen, everyone arrived exceptionally early to gossip and discuss.
It was as if missing breakfast was acceptable, but skipping the gossip was not, trading various fresh news like the stock market at opening, truly living by intelligence.
Gradually becoming accustomed, David feigned indifference as he slowly walked to his desk, overhearing snippets of conversation along the way.
Some female colleagues complained about their husbands, some male colleagues about the high-end places they visited, and others discussed the recent state of other companies.
David, feeling like a newcomer to the big city, found everything his seniors talked about to be fascinating and new.
But today, it seemed everyone was talking about the same thing.
"Big news, I heard there was a sudden personnel change last night, very sudden, from someone in HR."
"I caught wind of that too, and it might be related to our department."
"Could it be a new person arriving? The boss has been away for so long without a hint."
"I heard it's a high-level position, probably a new deputy director."
"A new deputy director?"
David's heart skipped a beat, momentarily distracted, nearly missing his workstation.
He quickly settled at his desk, pretending to organize as he listened closely to the conversations.
If a new deputy director was indeed arriving, that would be major news; Tang Yu might encounter trouble.
Focused, he listened to several colleagues exchanging information.
One elegantly dressed woman whispered, "This isn't just speculation; think about it, the number of times Mr. Tang has visited our department can be counted on one hand..."
Another with stylish short hair added, "Exactly, and from what I've heard in Special Operations, Mr. Tang hasn't visited them once; just submitted an expense report and left."
"That's a clear message to them, using their dominance in the past to clean up their messes. Just thinking about it irritates me!"
The elegantly dressed woman provided a deeper insight, confidently analyzing, "It's not that simple. At their level, these things don't matter. What I'm saying is, Mr. Tang's absence in Special Operations won't go unnoticed by the board, likely using it against him."
Shifting position, she continued, "Since Mr. Tang is overseeing two departments and can't manage Counterintelligence alone, it makes sense to appoint a new deputy director. The board mentioned this before but it wasn't approved."
Her colleague whispered in awe, "So, this new deputy director, being appointed so swiftly, must be someone placed by the higher-ups, decided overnight. The speed suggests they're someone of significance."
Nodding pensively, the first woman agreed with her colleague's speculation, then added, "No need to guess anymore, we'll find out once work starts. Mr. Tang might not even be here today, let's wait and see."
The other sighed, "I don't want another boss to deal with; Mr. Tang is enough!"
With a knowing smile, the first woman sighed internally, "Who wouldn't, I haven't even had a chance to report to Mr. Tang alone. I wonder if I ever will."
After expressing their concerns, seeing it was nearly time to start, they returned to their workstations, preparing for the day's tasks.
Hearing this, David Martinez felt overwhelmed.
This information was too shocking for him.
The Counterintelligence Department getting an additional deputy director meant Tang Yu would have a competitor.
He knew the general opinion about Tang Yu; many found him to be a lone wolf, easily offending others.
Whether it was Special Operations Director Susan Abernathy, R&D Manager Tanaka, or various other employees, the consensus was Tang Yu was difficult to deal with and liked to show off.
David didn't share this view. In his interactions with Tang Yu, he found him not to be as cold and authoritative as others claimed.
David admitted he couldn't understand or predict Tang Yu.
Tang Yu's world was beyond his reach.
Whether it was his lofty position or hidden depths, outsiders had no way of knowing.
But David trusted his instincts, like how Tang Yu's words profoundly touched him, offering comfort despite not explaining much.
However, the corporate hierarchy and proceedings were beyond what an intern could comprehend.
Who would become the deputy director was out of his hands.
David looked down the office corridor, longing for a familiar figure, anxiously awaiting the start of the workday.
As time passed, the office fell into an eerie silence, like the calm before a storm.
Many colleagues began to look towards the direction of the public elevator.
Suddenly.
Noise emanated from the direction of the public elevator as a group of people approached, accompanied by Arasaka security guards, clearly high-ranking employees. The receptionist quickly stood up to greet them.
The group approached the reception, and one of them spoke, "This is your new deputy director for the Counterintelligence Department, Ms. Kate."The receptionist quickly recognized the identity scanner's result and realized that the person standing before them was the deputy director of the HR department. They quickly responded with politeness, "Good morning, Ms. Kate."
Kate carried herself with an arrogant demeanor, her auburn hair braided into two strands, her eyes cybernetically enhanced into square visual system processors emitting a faint red light.
She was expressionless and didn't say much.
The HR department's senior management could only proceed to ask, "Is Mr. Jenkins in the office?"
The receptionist replied, "Mr. Jenkins is on a business trip and hasn't been in the department lately."
The deputy director of the HR department was somewhat displeased and followed up with, "What about your deputy director, Mr. Tang?"
The receptionist truthfully answered, "Mr. Tang is on field duty today and is not in the department."
It was disappointing that no senior executives came to welcome the new deputy director upon their arrival.
The deputy director of the HR department clearly remembered that the appointment notice had been sent to Arthur Jenkins; this cold treatment was unexpected.
Knowing Kate's complicated background and her sudden promotion to the deputy director position, the HR deputy director, somewhat angrily, asked, "Is the new deputy director's office ready then?"
The receptionist was puzzled, having received no such notice and wondered how they could prepare an office in advance.
Although there were vacant offices available, without official notice, nobody bothered about them.
The HR deputy director then sternly ordered, "Well, get it arranged now!"
The receptionist, criticized for no reason, quickly started to arrange the office.
Kate, standing aside, spoke in a cold tone, "I'm just here to have a look today; this will be all for now."
Hearing the boss's command, the HR deputy director felt that their duty was sufficiently fulfilled, seeing no need to stay longer.
The company executives, noticing Kate's inconvenienced first day, guessed she must be somewhat displeased and did not insist on staying further.
Everyone bid farewell and left the Counter-Intelligence Department.
Only the newly appointed deputy director, Kate, and another personnel newly transferred from the Special Operations Department to the Counter-Intelligence Department, remained in front of the reception desk.
Kate ignored the receptionist and walked into the office area to start her inspection.
Since she had reported to the Counter-Intelligence Department, the HR department had generated new job identity information for Kate, allowing employees to verify her status through scanning.
Kate walked along the corridors with an unchanging expression, carefully observing the layout and details of the Counter-Intelligence Department.
Some passing employees, curious, greeted her jovially after recognizing her as the new deputy director, "Good morning, Ms. Kate."
Kate did not respond, treating those around her as if they were air and hardly worth her notice.
Before long, Kate reached the office area of the Counter-Intelligence Department, attracting attention.
Many employees looked up at Kate, scrutinizing the new deputy director.
David, seeing the new deputy director for the first time, noticed her slow pace and strong presence, sensing she wasn't easy to deal with.
Kate surveyed the office area coldly, her gaze lingering on everyone without saying a word.
A chill rose in the hearts of those present; her demeanor and attitude clearly signaled she was not easy to serve.
Employees hurriedly lowered their heads to work, pretending as if nothing had happened.
David, too, smartly lowered his head to avoid making eye contact with Kate and potentially inciting misunderstandings.
After seeing the new deputy director, David speculated about her impact and Mr. Tang Yu's intentions.
...
"Your technique is improving... not bad," Tang Yu commented while enjoying the morning sun on the balcony.
Different from usual, Sasha, his new cat-girl assistant, was standing behind him, massaging his temples gently.
Sasha, puzzled by her task as she was supposed to assist Tang Yu with work, wondered why they were not heading to the office but instead working from home.
Despite her confusion, she followed Tang Yu's instructions and continued to serve as a maid at home.
Tang Yu knew Sasha was still learning and preferred her to voice her confusions rather than speculate wrongly.
"If you have questions, just ask. Guessing might lead to misunderstandings," Tang Yu advised.
Sasha, seizing the opportunity, inquired, "Mr. Tang, why are we working from home when it's supposed to be field duty? Isn't this more like a holiday?"
Tang Yu, somewhat exasperated, explained, "Field duty is hardly a holiday; it's more like slacking off. Tell me, what is my current position?"
Sasha answered promptly, "Deputy director for both the Counter-Intelligence and Special Operations Departments!"
Continuing his point, Tang Yu asked, "So, which department should I work for? Counter-Intelligence or Special Operations?"
After considering, Sasha decisively responded, "Both!"
Tang Yu had to clarify further, "How many salaries and bonuses do I get, then? And who pays out the mission rewards?"
Sasha, well-aware of his employment details, replied, "You receive one salary from the Special Operations Department finance team, and mission bonuses are paid out based on performance!"
Exemplifying, Tang Yu stated, "Exactly, I'm tasked with two department roles yet receive one salary. That'd mean splitting myself in half."
Sasha, alarmed, quickly retorted, "You can't split in half! That's not possible!"
Resignedly, Tang Yu explained, "That's why I opt for field duty; it saves me the trouble. Being on field duty is taxing, waiting for the right moment to strike."
"Resting now is essential for the energy needed later. Understand?"
Sasha, convinced by Tang Yu's logic, nodded in agreement but then offered to switch to an 'intimacy mode' suggesting a 70% setting for a more comprehensive massage.
Tang Yu, amused yet undeterred, declined as Sasha reminded him of Kate's appointment as the new deputy director in the Counter-Intelligence Department, a move that seemed to sideline Tang Yu.
Aware of the internal politics, Tang Yu decided it best to steer clear of the drama, focusing instead on other matters, including updating Sasha's wardrobe, despite her protests.
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