Just as X was hesitating over whether he should immediately push his employee away and flee, or shout at the top of his lungs to call for help…
Humm—
A faint sound, like electromagnetic waves passing through the air, suddenly appeared.
X was very familiar with this sensation—it was what happened when the TT2 Protocol was activated.
Yet, for some reason, time did not freeze for him.
It was as if he had been isolated from it.
X quickly understood why.
Tap—tap—
The crisp, rhythmic sound of high heels striking tile echoed clearly as it drew closer from afar.
A figure wearing a white lab coat, with blue hair, walked up from behind X and stopped beside him.
She then extended her slender yet powerful hands and effortlessly pried apart the restraint holding X tight—the grip of the purple-haired employee.
After that, she met X 's eyes head-on—eyes that had secretly opened just a sliver.
"…Huh?"
Who else could this blue-haired figure be, other than Angela?
She seemed genuinely surprised that X was still conscious.
"X , you're still awake?"
"Aha… haha…"
Caught red-handed by Angela, X gave up pretending.
He awkwardly staggered back a few steps, fully freeing himself from Justin's warm embrace, then greeted his secretary with an embarrassed smile.
"Good evening… Angela."
"So you were only pretending to be drugged, Manager."
After her initial surprise, Angela's expression returned to its usual calm and composure.
Even her form of address reverted to the one that emphasized their hierarchy.
"A skilled hunter often appears in the guise of prey."
Her pale golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"It seems I may have interrupted your hunt?"
"…That's not it at all. Please don't make it sound like I was deliberately going out looking for trouble."
X laughed dryly.
Only then did he realize that showing such obvious resistance to the drug in front of Angela might not have been wise.
It could very well expose the existence of the Backside of Lobotomy Corporation.
"Actually… I was just looking for an opportunity to call you in to save me."
So after his initial remark, X immediately put on an act—looking weakened, as though still affected by residual effects of the drug.
"As things stand… I should be thanking you for stepping in on your own initiative, Angela."
"Truly worthy of being the top AI in our company."
"It is simply my duty. One of my most important tasks is to ensure your safety at all costs."
Though Angela said this calmly, the faint curve at the corner of her lips betrayed a small but genuine sense of satisfaction.
"Then, what is your decision?"
She turned her gaze to the purple-haired employee lying motionless nearby, frozen in time.
"This employee intended to act against you. My recommendation is to hand her over directly to the Disciplinary Department."
"You've already unlocked the mid-level departments. There are certain matters you can begin to familiarize yourself with in advance."
"If she's handed over to the Disciplinary Department… what would happen to her?"
X asked.
"Threatening the Manager would most likely result in execution via non-lethal suppression rounds."
Angela's answer was flat and straightforward, as if she were stating a simple mathematical formula.
"In rare cases, she would only be confined and demoted to clerical staff with no clearance."
"Alright, hold on—let's analyze this calmly."
X waved his hands quickly.
"First, let's examine the nature of this incident."
"In this company, no matter how many 'Eyes' you have, there's nowhere to spend them. So robbery is clearly off the table."
"Second—murder. One, we have no personal grudge. Two, if she really wanted to kill me, she's had plenty of chances. There was no need to drug me."
"So murder doesn't hold up either."
"If it's neither money nor my life…"
"Then there's only one answer left."
"She intended to violate you."
Angela supplied the conclusion at just the right moment.
"Uh… yes. That's correct."
X nodded awkwardly.
"But! She didn't succeed, and the drug didn't work either. So strictly speaking, that charge doesn't really stand."
"At most, it's an attempted offense. Not a capital crime."
"Therefore—"
Angela did not allow herself to be led astray by X 's clearly flawed sophistry and repeated the same question:
"What is your decision?"
"Uh… um…"
Seeing her expression , X found himself momentarily speechless.
There was no avoiding it—he had to make a call.
To be fair, Justin was a veteran employee who had been under his command since Day One, and one of the strongest combatants he had painstakingly trained through endless overtime.
executing her outright would be a terrible waste.
And honestly speaking, she hadn't committed anything unforgivable.
Even if things had gone all the way, judging from her earlier monologue, it might have ended with X being the one who benefited.
"Got it…! Ahem…"
X cleared his throat. At last, he came up with a compromise.
"She was in the wrong—but not to the extent of death. There's no need to send her to the Disciplinary Department."
"Send her back to her room. Make her drink the drugs she gave me herself. Lock the door and don't unlock it until the next morning."
"Then go to the Desire Suppression Equipment Storage and fetch a few appropriate items. Add a note from me—one filled with 'understanding' and comforting words—and leave everything in her room together."
"If she's still salvageable, she'll at least regain some sense of shame after she calms down tomorrow."
X glanced at Angela and continued:
"…At the same time, this serves as a warning. If she offends again, I'll personally escort her to the Disciplinary Department for execution. How about that?"
"…"
Angela said nothing.
"…"
X waited nervously for her response.
"…"
The silence dragged on.
For a moment, it looked as though both X and Angela had been frozen by the TT2 Protocol.
"…Heh."
After a long while, the calm, lake-like expression on Angela's face finally shifted.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips once more.
But her eyes showed no warmth at all.
"A punishment that strikes directly at the heart—and conveniently tests the employee's true nature."
Angela seemed to approve of X 's slightly malicious idea.
"That is… quite an interesting proposal."
"Very well. We'll proceed as you've decided."
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