Absolute Death Game

As he was speaking, the secretary suddenly walked in from outside, "Chairman, there's someone looking for you."
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"Just say I'm not here, do I still need to teach you that!" Dugu Han bellowed while tugging at his tie.

The secretary was startled by his voice, but still whispered, "That person—that person is Liu Zijian."

"What!" Dugu Han, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, sprang up instantly.

"When did this happen, quick, let him in!"

"No need," a deep voice with a bit of nasal tone came in from behind the door, "I've already come in."

As the office door was pushed open, a bald man dressed in a suit walked in.

He looked to be in his forties, not tall, but exceptionally sturdy; his face wore a serious smile that didn't make people feel cordial, but was enough to demand serious attention. He resembled an old European-era politician, or perhaps a high-ranking commissar in the Soviet Red Army—composed, strong, severe, and with a piercing gaze that subconsciously made people want to avoid.

Liu Zijian cast a somewhat disdainful look at Dugu Han, casually pulled over a chair to sit, and gave a signal to the secretary. Despite having no clear idea who this person was, the secretary retreated without hesitation.

Liu Zijian's gaze pinned Dugu Han to his chair, "I've seen many fools, and many who are full of themselves, but you are the first to combine the two so perfectly."

The mocking words turned Dugu Han's face from green to white, yet he dared not make a sound, and said sheepishly, "Liu, why have you come?"

Liu Zijian spoke astonishingly, "If I hadn't come, you wouldn't even know how you died."

But the door was opened once again, and it was not the secretary who entered, but Qin Shimoon.

As Qin Shimoon walked past Liu Zijian, Liu Zijian stood up with gentlemanly grace, nodding to her in greeting. Qin Shimoon returned the gesture, her face seemingly relieved, but she sighed inwardly, "Why did this guy have to show up now, just as things were about to wrap up."

Dugu Han still looked puzzled, not understanding why the boss would assign such a person to manage Qilin Hall. Aside from loyalty, this guy seemed to have no redeeming qualities.

"Do you know that your subordinates are conspiring to rebel against you?"

"What? That's outrageous, they've got some nerve!" Dugu Han was both startled and furious. Though aware of some instability below, the notion of a revolt still took him by surprise.

Liu Zijian said indifferently, "This matter has nothing to do with courage. When pushed to the brink, anyone would refuse to sit idly by."

Dugu Han's eyes widened, "Pushed to the brink? I haven't pressured them. I just asked them to produce a deputy, that's what they're supposed to do..."

Dugu Han tried to justify himself, feeling his arguments were valid, but under Liu Zijian's sharp gaze, his voice grew fainter. He looked at Qin Shimoon, pleading for help. Qin Shimoon wore an expression of helplessness and interjected, "Perhaps you might be interested in meeting with them."

Liu Zijian nodded, "That's my intention." He got up and cast a glance at Dugu Han, "This time I will help you, but next time, I hope this kind of situation doesn't occur again."

After speaking, he headed straight out, with Qin Shimoon quickly following, leaving Dugu Han behind, still confused about what had just happened.

In the break room, the argument was escalating towards intensity and losing control.

"Fuck, if this doesn't work out, I'm done! Might as well resign and be done with it. I've made enough money anyway."

"Yeah, exactly, I say we resign together, they can't punish all of us. As long as we stick together, I'd like to see what they can do."

Everyone was shouting in disorder.

Zhang Yaoyang was secretly pleased, but his expression was earnest as he tried to persuade them, "You can't talk like that. Would the higher-ups even agree if you resigned? The contracts all state we must comply with the company's arrangements."

Wu Tao chose his moment to burst out, shouting like a gangster, "To hell with the contract! They won't even explain clearly what this game is about, but they still want us to risk our lives for them. Do they think our lives are worthless? Zhang, you must know what this game is about, you tell everyone."

The others also chimed in, "Yeah, what's the deal with this game?"

Zhang Yaoyang put on a wry smile, "Alright, since everyone wants to know so badly, I'll tell you. But this is just my own speculation and guess, it might not be true."

He spoke modestly, but inside he was thrilled, (Dugu Han, Dugu Han, you're even dumber than I thought. Now, you can't escape death.)

Just as he was about to deliver his carefully prepared speech, a deep, slightly nasal voice suddenly came from behind, "The truth about this game, perhaps I can clear that up for everyone."

The voice was unfamiliar, no one had heard it before. Zhang Yaoyang was taken aback, and turning around, he saw a bald, burly man in a suit standing solemnly at the entrance from the elevator to the break room, with Qin Shimoon standing behind him. The way they stood gave the impression that this man was somebody important.

Zhang Yaoyang frowned, feeling a sudden sense of unease, "Who are you?" he asked apprehensively.

"My name is Liu Zijian," the bald man said while walking past the group, his cold gaze swiftly sweeping over everyone, "From now on, I'm in charge of this company."

PS: My sister has come home, so the update is a bit late. A two-in-one chapter, five thousand words are presented, hope it's not considered too little. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)