Seeing Netzach's follow-up reasoning—delivered with such meticulous logic—Zhou Zhuang started thinking about how to persuade him.
But before he could even type a reply, the group chat shifted again.
Zhou Zhuang focused on the rapid-fire messages and quickly realized what happened: Netzach's line about "employees don't need to enjoy benefits right now" had hit Hod's fuse.
Hod:"Netzach, I don't know what's gotten into you. Yes, the employees may not meet the minimum standards you're talking about, but they're working extremely hard to improve. Under my and Malkuth's training, they're making visible progress at an impressive rate."
"And besides—mental health issues aren't something a person can fully recognize on their own. When someone does realize they have a problem, they're already like someone standing at the edge of a cliff with one foot hanging over."
"Especially right now—this is an extraordinary situation. There's no positive feedback loop. The environment is closed and, except under special circumstances, no one can leave the company."
"If we follow your logic, Netzach—no benefits unless they reach Level 3—then as the Training Department head, I can guarantee that even if employees can endure long enough to reach Level 3, it will only be a rare few with extraordinary talent."
"As for everyone else… they'll end up like in the game—only able to rely on other addictive things to fill the hollowness in their hearts, living like machines."
Netzach didn't accept it. He countered immediately.
Netzach:"Is that so? If they can't become Level 3 quickly, doesn't that just prove their potential is limited to that extent? In that case, why should they be allowed to waste company resources?"
Hod:"You…!"
The chat's temperature was rising fast. Zhou Zhuang hurried in to put out the fire.
Zhou Zhuang:"Okay, okay—Netzach and Hod, stop arguing. This is just a vote."
"And Hod—Netzach currently has his emotions stripped away. His starting point is the same as yours: thinking for the company. It's just that his perspective is… maybe too idealistic?"
(Truthfully, Zhou Zhuang didn't even know what Netzach's real starting point was anymore.)
Netzach replied at once, calm and perfectly unhelpful.
Netzach:"No, Manager. My opinion has nothing to do with whether my emotions have been stripped away. In fact, after losing them, my work efficiency has become extremely fast."
"Also, I discovered I had left an enormous amount of work unfinished."
Zhou Zhuang grimaced.
Zhou Zhuang:"Alright, Netzach—please stop talking."
Zhou Zhuang couldn't help clicking his tongue internally. So this is what stripping emotions does… Earlier, during the inspection, he hadn't seen how deep the change ran.
Damn. Netzach used to be such a decent guy—good relationships, good vibes. If they didn't get his emotions back soon, he was going to become the kind of person everyone wanted to punch.
Zhou Zhuang:"This is only a vote, and you two are already fighting like this."
"I'm just testing the waters. If the vote fails, it means it's not suitable to implement right now. Final outcome depends on everyone's choice."
After the Manager spoke, Hod and Netzach stopped spamming the chat.
Right—arguing didn't matter. The Manager would only look at the final vote. And if they kept blasting the group without regard for context… someone might write their name down.
Zhou Zhuang nodded with satisfaction. Nice. I still have some authority.
"Okay, let me check the vote… why hasn't it moved for so long?"
The current score was 2:1—Agree vs Oppose.
Known votes:
Angela: Agree
Hod: Agree
Netzach: Oppose
That left Binah and Malkuth.
So Zhou Zhuang posted a reminder.
Zhou Zhuang:"Binah and Malkuth—only you two left. Cast your valuable votes."
Malkuth immediately exploded.
Malkuth:"Manager! If you call me by that name again, I'll vote Oppose!"
She'd tolerated the nickname in private—barely—but now that the entire leadership group was present? Absolutely not.
And Malkuth—genius girl that she was—could tell this vote was something the Manager really wanted.
Zhou Zhuang, of course, chose violence.
Zhou Zhuang:"Mm, okay, Malkuth. No problem, Malkuth."
Malkuth's eyes widened.
Manager—how dare you?!
She was one breath away from smashing the Oppose button—
Then she felt it: a hollow gaze beside her. A chill ran down her spine.
She turned her head.
Hod was bent slightly at the waist, watching Malkuth's hand with dead, lightless eyes—mechanically focused on that small motion.
Malkuth froze.
Seeing Malkuth stop, Hod let out a soft laugh.
Hod:"Ah, Malkuth. Why are you looking at me?"
"Mm? I won't do anything to you."
"Didn't the Manager say it? Vote according to your own will. Choose whichever you want."
Yeah right.I'm scared if I vote Oppose you'll eat me alive.
Malkuth swallowed, looked back at the options, and silently spat in her heart:
Manager, you just dodged death.
Then she remembered: if music got approved, she could still use it for training in the future. That logic was good enough for her conscience.
So, with that excuse firmly in place, Malkuth voted Agree.
Binah, who had been quietly lurking, finally spoke for the first time after being pinged.
Binah:"Manager, may I ask what kinds of music you intend to play?"
Zhou Zhuang—who had been obsessively watching the poll—instantly replied with his "plan."
Zhou Zhuang:"Uh… lots of types. Blues, rock, anime tracks, classical—stuff like that."
"Later we'll also fix certain music styles to certain recurring time slots in the company."
Binah:"Is that so."
That two-word response made Zhou Zhuang's heart seize.
Then Binah followed up.
Binah:"Very interesting. I vote Agree."
Zhou Zhuang's joy detonated on the spot.
With that, implementation was basically locked.
He checked the vote again.
4:1.
Malkuth voted agree after all… what a tsundere.Next time, he'd call her by her title in front of others. Probably.
Zhou Zhuang declared the result.
Zhou Zhuang:"By vote count 4:1, after refining the detailed measures, this will be implemented as soon as possible."
"The company's first vote-based decision is hereby concluded."
In response, the group chat filled with clapping stickers.
Zhou Zhuang—drawn in by the +1 energy—also sent one.
Then he exited the chat, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the whole process.
Honestly… the currently awakened Department Heads were all people likely to vote yes.
Binah was a chaos-enjoyer.
Hod and Malkuth—without their emotions removed—would naturally lean toward approval.
Angela would probably approve any proposal that benefited him and carried no obvious risk.
Only emotionless Netzach had become the unexpected hardliner.
If all the Department Heads were present, though… that might not be the case.
Zhou Zhuang shook it off.
No point dwelling on it. It ended perfectly—why rehash it?
Rest. Tonight he was inviting Angela to dinner.
With that thought, Zhou Zhuang peeled off his jacket and crawled back into his "seal."
....
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