Full and satisfied, Zhou Zhuang slid the empty bowl away and collapsed back in his chair, rubbing his stomach with a contented sigh. Watching servers weave between tables, he raised a hand and called out:
"Excuse me—could I get a glass of water? Thanks."
Across from him, Angela was nibbling delicately on her snacks, one small bite at a time. In that moment, Zhou Zhuang finally understood why some couples could sit together while only one person ate—because the other would simply watch in quiet comfort.
Of course, in Zhou Zhuang's case, it was also because the woman sitting opposite him was the kind of beautiful lady he never would've had the chance to meet in his old life.
And honestly… Angela's way of eating really was a pleasure to look at.
If Angela's very existence wasn't constantly reminding him that he'd crossed worlds, Zhou Zhuang might've believed he was still living his old life—just finished work and stopped by a restaurant for dinner.
The moment felt… ridiculously peaceful.
Zhou Zhuang propped his chin on one hand, leaned toward the table, and stared at Angela with an empty, dazed look.
Angela lifted her wine glass, gently swirled the liquid inside, took a small sip, then raised the glass to eye level—peering at Zhou Zhuang through the colored drink.
"How does the Manager feel about dining here?" she asked.
"Hm?" Zhou Zhuang blinked back to reality. After a moment's thought, he shrugged. "It's fine. The food tastes fine, at least. I've never eaten this style before, though. The atmosphere's nice too."
A server soon brought him the requested water. Zhou Zhuang thanked them, and when they gestured toward his used dishes, he nodded to indicate they could take everything away.
The server cleaned up the table neatly.
Then Zhou Zhuang suddenly noticed something new in front of him—
A palm-sized gift box.
He frowned.
When did they bring that? I didn't see anything in their hands.
He turned to ask Angela about it, but she looked at the table blankly and said she hadn't seen anything appear at all.
That only made Zhou Zhuang more confused.
Still, curiosity won.
He opened the gift box.
Inside was a hat—identical to the one worn by W Corp cleanup personnel.
His confusion immediately evolved into even greater confusion.
And the moment he lifted the hat out—
The gift box collapsed like a deflating balloon, shriveled into a limp mess, and vanished right in front of his eyes.
Zhou Zhuang stood there holding the hat, completely stunned.
Only then did Angela finally seem to "see" it.
"Manager," she asked, her gaze locked onto the hat in his hands, "is that hat something you took out of the gift box you mentioned?"
Zhou Zhuang's eyes widened.
"Angela… you can see the hat now?"
"Yes, Manager." Angela nodded. "I can see it clearly. And I can confirm this is an authentic W Corp product, containing W Corp's Singularity technology."
"So the box itself was invisible… but once the gift comes out, it becomes visible," Zhou Zhuang muttered, trying to process the logic.
He explained what had just happened.
After listening, Angela asked him calmly:
"Manager—have you heard of HamHamPangPang?"
"Huh?" Zhou Zhuang blinked. "HamHamPangPang? What's that—some kind of sausage brand unique to the City?"
Angela patiently clarified:
"HamHamPangPang is the name of this restaurant. It is the City's largest chain restaurant brand. Under the HamHamPangPang name, there are many types of cuisine, enough to satisfy the dining needs of various organizations throughout the City."
"Wait—HamHamPangPang…" Zhou Zhuang repeated, rubbing his chin. "That name… feels familiar. I know I've seen it somewhere…"
He sat with his legs crossed, arms folded, thinking hard—his eyes drifting to the W Corp hat.
Then he slapped his thigh.
"Got it. I remember now."
"I had a group chat friend who went to a Project Moon-themed restaurant—same name. HamHamPangPang."
"I remember every customer got a small gift. And that guy's gift was a super cool cleanup crew hat."
Now that he'd recognized the "same elements" from his former world, the restaurant around him felt… different—like it carried a strange intimacy and weight.
"If you've already found your answer, Manager," Angela said, "then we should return to the company."
"What? Can't we rest a little longer?" Zhou Zhuang protested.
"I recommend resting in your room," Angela replied. "In my judgment, this is not a place suitable for rest."
Left with no argument, Zhou Zhuang could only nod and rise—
And the instant he stood up, he discovered he was no longer in HamHamPangPang.
He was beside a table in the company cafeteria.
Still half-standing, Zhou Zhuang froze. His brain visibly lagged.
Then he reflexively sat back down—
And the texture under him was completely different than before.
He scratched his hair.
"Angela… when did we come back? Does the company have instant teleportation too?"
Angela answered smoothly:
"Manager, we never left the company. The dining environment simply manifests in the form of a place you wish to be."
"Oh… so that's how it works."
Angela tilted her head slightly.
"Then, Manager—would you like to return to your bedroom to rest?"
"…Fine." Zhou Zhuang sighed.
He pushed himself up again.
Elsewhere, in some back alley of the City—
Inside an actual HamHamPangPang shop.
"Huh?" A waitress leaned against the register during a lull and asked the cashier girl. "Meizhen, when did the customers at that table leave?"
"How would I know?" Meizhen replied lazily. "They left, so they left. We just do our jobs. Once this busy period ends, we can rest for a bit."
"Come on," the waitress said, full of regret. "That was such a polite, gentle customer! And the silver-haired lady—her hair was like moonlight at night. Gorgeous. Eye-catching."
"I don't know how eye-catching her hair was," Meizhen said flatly. "But I do know someone's butt is about to get smacked."
Then she brightened instantly and called out:
"Hello, Boss!"
The other waitress stiffened.
Because she could already feel the solid gaze behind her.
"Ahahaha—Meizhen, I think I hear a customer calling me!" she babbled. "I-I-I'll go work!"
She bolted, and the boss's angry voice rolled in from the entrance along with her squealing excuses:
"Li Na! You're slacking again! I step out for one moment and—!"
Meizhen rested her cheek on her hand behind the register, listening to the scolding and the pleading with an expression of mild amusement.
That silver-haired woman really had been beautiful.
But…
Meizhen frowned, thinking back.
Why did she have no impression of the man who ordered with her?
His movements didn't resemble a back-alley person at all.
…Wait.
Was there even a man?
Back in the company cafeteria—
As Zhou Zhuang prepared to leave with Angela, he noticed five employees entering from the doorway.
They looked like they'd gone through another round of "extra training."
Even Faust—who usually looked effortless—had hands trembling faintly.
As for the other four…
Anna was half-dragged along by Faust.
Lain Seifer, Jin Shiyong, and the young noble-looking guy formed a "human support wall," arms slung over each other as they limped forward in sync.
Zhou Zhuang watched them and noted quietly:
Their spacing is closer than before…
The moment they entered and spotted Zhou Zhuang—the HR Manager observing them—they finally understood his true status.
Not just some staff member.
Not just "someone important."
The top.
The company's highest authority.
The four newcomers hesitated, unsure what to call him—
But Faust, already aware, stepped forward first.
"Manager."
The others immediately followed her lead.
"Good evening, Manager." ×4
Zhou Zhuang nodded rapidly.
"Ah—yeah. Hi, hi."
Seeing how miserable they looked, he turned and asked Angela:
"Angela… can I waive their first meal fee?"
"Yes, Manager."
Zhou Zhuang brightened.
"Oh, that's great."
"Then listen—your first meal is on me. Eat boldly."
"I only have one request: don't waste food. Take what you can finish."
The three from the backstreets lit up, forgetting their pain for a moment.
Faust and Jin Shiyong, on the other hand, didn't show nearly as much excitement.
Zhou Zhuang, unable to think of anything else to say, seized the moment while the mood was still decent and started walking away.
"Alright—keep it up."
The three enthusiastic ones bowed deeply and called after him:
"Thank you, Manager! Safe travels, Manager!"
Feeling the overflowing passion at his back, Zhou Zhuang shuddered—then quickened his pace.
-------
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