"Manager, how does this feel? I believe this is the optimal level you can currently manage."
The intelligent AI was subtly selecting an item. Since the room lights were off, X couldn't clearly discern what the AI was choosing… But in this moment, she likely didn't need to see clearly; it was highly probable that its choice was malicious.
As a certain object was grasped and held, X, thanks to her sharp eyesight, finally recognized what the Secretary was referencing by the faint light emanating from the AI's eyes.
It was a black pen, specifically a black voice recorder. Because it was entirely black, if it hadn't been held so closely, it would have been truly difficult to identify. It was almost absorbed by the darkness, like a malevolent shadow lurking in a corner.
But now, the pen's body reflected a faint light, illuminating the intelligent AI's composed, closed-eyed face.
"..."
X instinctively wanted to pull away, but her body was already pressed against the headboard, practically cornered, with a trace of drool still lingering at the corner of her mouth… that was the 'favor' the intelligent AI had performed when it interrupted her earlier.
The breath she exhaled still carried the faint, lingering scent of alcohol. The aroma of Gin still permeated the air, though muted due to the liquor's nature; it was very subtle.
Waking up after excessive drinking inevitably brought a headache. Because of the alcohol, X felt her legs and arms were leaden, heavy, refusing to obey her will…
It was like an old television with poor signal reception, making it difficult for X to react swiftly or make any effective resisting movements.
Not to mention whether she could even sprint a hundred meters to escape now, the bedroom door and the Manager's room door were almost certainly under the intelligent AI's control. Once this entire section was locked down, even pounding on the door or screaming at the top of her lungs would be futile.
Upon realizing her immediate predicament, X's heart skipped a beat and then plummeted.
She regretted her naive oversight, and simultaneously felt intense anger at the intelligent AI's dishonorable sneak attack.
Even during wartime between sovereign nations, there existed ceasefire protocols—a defined boundary that would not be easily breached, right? And now, taking advantage of her sleep to initiate something potentially harmful… what was that called… Utterly despicable.
It hadn't even granted her proper psychological preparation… Even collecting a debt required a final notification, didn't it? She could have easily gathered her belongings and resigned from this Manager role sooner.
When a person is pressured, they might react in various ways. Some panic and become flustered when rushed, worsening an already dire situation. Others, when cornered, become intensely calm, focusing on strategizing countermeasures and handling the immediate threat.
And X, precisely, was the latter type. Forced into a corner with no clear exit, and escaping by force being futile, she, instead, felt an absence of panic. Her agitation receded, and her expression became composed.
She stared intently at the Secretary playing with the voice recorder in her hand, and after a moment of focused thought, she spoke… No matter the outcome, if she could stall for more time, she would. There was always a countermeasure; this wasn't a final dead end.
On a dead end, no matter how the white pieces on the chessboard struggled, they would ultimately be consumed by the black pieces. But the actual chessboard wasn't just a drawer for pegs.
The intelligent AI was a communicative, intelligent life form, and it wouldn't engage in meaningless actions. This had to serve some specific purpose… X firmly believed that the intelligent AI was fundamentally different from humans and could not possibly be obsessed with so-called base desires like mortals.
How could a machine possess desires? This must be the AI Secretary attempting to intimidate her, or perhaps a novel prank conceived in a moment of mischievous impulse. It must be acknowledged, this teasing strategy was highly effective.
X was indeed frightened, so much so that she wished to retreat entirely into her covers and convince herself this was merely an absurd nightmare.
"So—Angela, I feel… we can discuss this properly."
X instinctively clutched the quilt, wrapping herself in it like a makeshift cloak, or perhaps the layer of seaweed used to encase sushi rice.
This wrapping offered X a crucial sense of security… Her thin nightgown failed to provide any assurance, but the warm, fluffy blanket did. It was crafted from high-quality synthetic fibers, rendering it extremely comfortable. Covered beneath the blanket, she felt capable of sleeping sweetly like a lamb on a dream pillow.
And after pulling the quilt over herself and fumbling in the dimness, X successfully activated the small bedside lamp on the nightstand.
Because it was primarily a night light, the illumination was soft. It cast a dim yet gentle yellowish glow, vaguely reminiscent of candlelight during dinner. It wasn't harsh; just enough light to outline the figure seated at the head of the bed and the elongated shadow it cast.
X could finally observe the intelligent AI's expression clearly. The AI had its eyes closed, appearing tranquil and controlled, as if the entity who had just flashed a smile in the darkness wasn't her.
Frankly, that smile had been terrifying. X's heart nearly leaped out of her chest from fear, because that expression seemed to fundamentally misunderstand the concept of 'smiling'…
After all, if it wasn't deliberate, achieving such an ill-fitting and exaggerated curve at the corners of the mouth would be difficult.
Clearly, Angela's face possessed the capacity for great beauty and loveliness when smiling, yet she insisted on displaying that unsettling grimace. This, too, might just be another facet of her mischievous nature.
[Oh? Manager, what subject would you like to discuss? I fully respect your personal wishes.]
Just like that, it gave one a distinct impression of ill intent.
The intelligent AI made no attempt to conceal its demeanor, perhaps deeming it unnecessary, or perhaps disdaining to maintain any facade of deceptive expression, openly displaying malice in the most direct manner.
And within X's field of vision, that Lobotomy logo, which she was certain would never leave her sight, was flickering erratically, like a running icon being repeatedly clicked while its memory cache was overloaded—
Thus displaying a frozen state, then suddenly refreshing and spitting out all its data, accompanied by that strange, grinding sound…
[The simulation has started ——]
[The simulation has started ——]
[The simulation has started ——]
[The simulation has sta-sta-sta-sta —— rted]
[The simulation has ceased operation ——]
Even the game loading interface could enter a catastrophic, frozen state, collapsing the moment it attempted to read. It was akin to running some low-quality pirated CD from a shoddy production house; despite being riddled with bugs, it still attempted execution.
[The simulation has re-reloaded ——]
[Welcome to Lobotomy Simulator — The Best Work and Love Integration Love Simulator. May you happily enjoy every day ~]
[Simulation active ——]
[Day 10 — Night Raid]
[You planned to have a few drinks to relax after work, but after having one too many, you, with your poor alcohol tolerance, fell asleep. But don't worry, your thoughtful and trustworthy AI brought you back to the bedroom. You won't have to endure a night slumped in your chair.]
[You had a pleasant dream. When you awoke, your Secretary was also right there at your bedside to welcome you. How truly fortunate; this must be another sweet night.]
[However, you clearly do not share this sentiment. You view this as a disaster, and your Secretary as the terrifying beast of a flood you dread. How truly unfortunate. Is a beautiful AI more frightening than the monsters held within the Containment units?]
[You nervously surveyed your surroundings like a startled quail, only to find yourself trapped at a dead end. In extreme panic, you began fabricating elaborate excuses, intending to deceive your reliable Secretary, who trusts you wholeheartedly.]
[To bolster the credibility of your lies, you prepared to strike first and seize the initiative, employing the same despicable tactics you routinely use to mislead those Department Deans.]
[But you don't truly care about the methodology, because a little deception is entirely worth the cost, and the intelligent AI will accept your fabricated narrative.]
[Timed Mission Activated ——]
[1. Insult your AI Secretary Reward: Fortitude +10, Mysterious Gift Pack]
[2. Deeply kiss your AI Secretary for 2 minutes. Reward: Fortitude +1]
[3. Caress your AI Secretary for 2 minutes. Reward: Temperance +1]
[4. Pull your AI Secretary under your blanket. Reward: Justice +1]
[5. Tell your AI Secretary a touching story of your own. Reward: Prudence +1]
[Warm reminder: Do not trust ██. Do not trust ██ The preceding text. Do not make a choice. ██ Not ███████]
[██——█████]
Like data corruption, a multitude of jumbled symbols appeared, yet the process was executing entirely.
When the simulator was running, time was frozen; but upon its conclusion, time resumed its flow. Yet, X hadn't processed the change yet; she remained astonished by the sudden shift.
This… seems… not quite… normal?
But X had no time to deliberate, consider, or fret. Because she could clearly see the intelligent AI's eyebrows subtly furrowing and twitching upwards. It appeared impatient, and the frequency with which the pen spun between its fingers grew faster and faster.
What now?
At this moment, ignoring the situation wouldn't solve the problem…
When panicked, individuals often resort to desperate measures. Although X felt the [Simulator] was slightly erratic, she still tried to make the best of the immediate danger—she genuinely didn't know how to extricate herself at this juncture.
A choice had to be made. Life was often like this: seemingly numerous options, but in reality, no true escape.
Watching the intelligent AI draw closer and closer to her, X gritted her teeth and committed to a course of action.
When has the simulator ever deceived her? It had saved her countless times. Who cared about its obscure origins or anything else? As long as she could navigate the current predicament herself, that was sufficient.
X took a deep breath, summoning all her strength. Her golden eyes held an unshakable resolve… as if carrying out some sacred mandate, performing some cryptic task.
"Alright, Angela, listen carefully to me—"
[Hmm? Manager, I am listening attentively.]
After confirming that the intelligent AI was indeed focused, X cleared her throat, ensuring her voice was clear and resonant.
Her mezzo-soprano tone was as captivating as ever, but unfortunately…
"You ██, ██ AI!
Shameless ██! Insatiable ██! Despicable and dark ██! Unreasonable ██! Relying on your beautiful appearance to ██, Pfft!"
One after another, words that were highly likely derogatory, or perhaps even neutral, burst from X's mouth.
Due to X's own upbringing and character, she couldn't utter particularly vulgar curses at that moment. She was trying her utmost to articulate what she considered insulting phrases, purely for the sake of completing the mission.
This was indeed a type of mission, but perhaps in interpretation… X had made a slight misstep.
Perhaps X's reading of the situation was slightly flawed, like a careless student misreading a multiple-choice question as a fill-in-the-blank… Or perhaps an even greater divergence in question format.
X spoke a whole barrage of words she wouldn't normally use, nearly depleting her limited vocabulary for insults.
Perhaps X felt the urgency of time, allowing no room for hesitation or strategic selection. After delivering the verbal assault, X immediately acted before the intelligent AI could process or respond.
Like a lioness pouncing on its prey, she lunged at the intelligent AI, her weight pressing down upon the AI…
Being 1.78 meters tall created a significant sense of physical dominance, and when she mounted her, the intelligent AI was almost engulfed by the woman's shadow.
Angela was already quite tall, and X towered even over her… If she didn't usually project a gentle demeanor, causing people to instinctively overlook her outward presentation, she might otherwise appear cold based on appearance alone.
Looking down from above, the woman's golden eyes calmly surveyed the Secretary, as if evaluating a data point. There seemed to be a flicker of hesitation, but it vanished instantly. In a mere instant, she leaned down and initiated the kiss.
Two minutes for a kiss is exceedingly long; this was undoubtedly a serious trial. It demanded sustained, intricate contact, weaving and winding, fueling the escalating intensity.
X was not inexperienced in kissing, nor was she naive regarding the mechanics. But she rarely engaged in such extended periods of close physical contact with anyone, especially communicating at such an intimate proximity.
The intelligent AI didn't require oxygen, but she did… She had to meticulously manage her breathing rhythm while simultaneously fulfilling the "two minutes" requirement.
It was like an engineer meticulously examining the intricate structure within a complex mechanism, analyzing its assembly, sensing its temperature, carefully inspecting and maintaining its components.
The entire process, aside from X herself struggling with awkward respiration, encountered zero resistance. X couldn't fathom why, but the intelligent AI suddenly became extremely compliant, even cooperative…
And X certainly didn't want to dwell on the reasons. She was a results-oriented individual; the method was secondary. No matter how questionable the approach, as long as it yielded success, that sufficed.
She felt—the simulator confirmed success!
The two most challenging steps were navigated smoothly. Now, she only needed to complete the final three steps to survive this predicament safely tonight!
X began to stroke the intelligent AI's head, gently caressing Angela's soft, light blue hair. As the Secretary rested against her chest, her waist-length hair naturally cascaded across the bedsheets.
Long hair requires careful management, especially on a bed, where it can easily be stepped on unintentionally.
"Angela, I'll help you secure your hair."
X carefully untied the Secretary's hair tie and began the process of re-styling it. Every strand that had become disarranged during their recent movements was neatly arranged again, taking precisely two minutes.