Slander

The path you choose, you must walk it through gritted teeth.

Facing a bottleneck, Shen Yi lay down in a comfortable position to think quietly.

"Ring ring ring~"

Suddenly his phone vibrated with an incoming call. Shen Yi saw it was from his team leader Old Dai, and after a moment's hesitation, he answered.

"Hello?"

"Mmhmm, yes, yes, doing the inspection now. Okay, I'll come back when I finish early."

"Thanks for your concern, Team Leader."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Yi looked at the simulator and found it peculiar that the phone call hadn't affected its running process - it was still waiting for Shen Yi to make his selection.

Dai Tiefeng had been Shen Yi's superior since he joined the company.

Having worked under him for over two years, they were quite familiar with each other, and everyone called him Old Dai.

In his late thirties, he was just a minor leader in the group.

These years he'd felt a strong sense of crisis, so he worked very actively, always eager to show off.

It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though it made life harder for Shen Yi and his colleagues below.

Half an hour ago, Shen Yi had sent a message asking for leave. Since his mind was elsewhere, he'd made up an excuse about his previous landlord needing him for a house inspection issue.

Old Dai called to check on him, and also subtly inquire when he might come to the office.

He was hinting at the Planning Department matter, but Shen Yi managed to dodge it with vague responses.

He hadn't decided yet whether to return to work. Logically, with the dating simulator, he could spread his wings and fly - there was no need to go back to watching people's faces.

"Wait a minute, work..."

Shen Yi suddenly sat up and slapped his thigh in realization. He should have thought of it earlier, but he'd been stuck in a mental rut.

He'd assumed his surroundings were just around his residence, forgetting that he'd only moved here yesterday. By that logic, his workplace should also count as part of his daily activity range.

"Fu Nanzhi might be someone from the group..." Shen Yi speculated.

Now that he thought about it, even the simulator had been hinting at this - three consecutive branch choices had included work options, but poor Shen Yi had such an aversion to work that he'd consistently ignored them, wasting quite some time.

Shen Yi immediately chose Option A to return to work.

[After bustling about all morning, you finally remembered you had to go to work. You rushed frantically toward the subway entrance, but it was already 10:17 - even if you flew, you couldn't make it on time. You were late.]

[You calmly accepted being late, changing from running to walking. Since you were already late, a few minutes more or less didn't matter.]

[No matter how leisurely you were, you still arrived at the company entrance before eleven. When you reached your department on the 7th floor and pushed open the door, they had just finished a small meeting, and everyone turned to look at you.]

[Holding some documents, Old Dai called you over to ask about your tardiness. You gave your prepared excuse, but surprisingly, the usually tolerant Dai Tiefeng completely ignored your excuses and instead gave you a stern lecture.]

[Using your lateness as a pretext, he brought up the Planning Department manuscript issue again, criticizing you for being selfish and pushing work onto your colleagues.]

[Middle-age crisis had dramatically increased Old Dai's pressure. His bald head gleamed so brightly it made you squint, and in your daze, you noticed Liu Changjiang nearby showing a satisfied, delighted smile...]

[You realized Liu Changjiang had been scheming behind your back, and faced with this slander, you chose to...]

A. Argue reasonably, explaining that you did nothing wrong

B. Expose the villain, angrily denounce Liu Changjiang for distorting the truth

C. Accept calmly, let the foul words pass like a gentle breeze

D. Act freely

Sure enough, a villain is always a villain - even in the simulator, Liu Changjiang appeared despicable and irritating.

'Wait, if the simulator mirrors reality, then doesn't that mean Liu Changjiang slandered me in real life too?'

Thinking of this, Shen Yi's anger surged - his fists clenched tight.

However, the simulation had to continue. Based on Shen Yi's understanding of Old Dai, choosing Option A to argue reasonably would make Old Dai understand but not agree - he always believed that Team Three was one unit, and everyone had an obligation to do any work.

According to his thinking, even if Liu Changjiang was truly avoiding work, Shen Yi should first complete Liu Changjiang's work and then report to him, finally letting him punish Liu Changjiang - that was what he considered the correct way to handle things while considering the bigger picture.

Option A was out, and taking hits without fighting back wasn't Shen Yi's style, so C was also out. That left only B.

[Faced with your angry denouncement, Liu Changjiang was naturally prepared and wasn't afraid to confront you.]

[He immediately acted wronged, saying he had come to the office yesterday but had to request emergency leave due to family matters, and had instructed you about the writing work before leaving. Who knew you'd agree verbally but not write a single word.]

[Hearing his distortion of the truth, you were momentarily speechless with anger. Yesterday Liu Changjiang had merely passed by to remind you about the client's proposal deadline - there was absolutely no mention of any writing work. You finally couldn't help but curse at him.]

[The commotion attracted everyone's attention, and the scene immediately became chaotic. Dai Tiefeng's face turned blue with anger as he shouted once to control the situation. He walked up to you and quietly suggested you apologize, telling you he would forgive you and let the matter slide if you just admitted your mistake.]

[Regarding Dai Tiefeng's suggestion, you chose to...]

A. Bow your head and apologize, reflecting on your failure to consider the bigger picture

B. Dismiss it with disdain, submit your resignation and leave with style

C. Words are useless, I know a thing or two about fighting

D. Act freely

In front of the screen, Shen Yi clenched his fists in anger at Liu Changjiang's shamelessness. He now understood why Liu Changjiang had deliberately wandered by his desk yesterday morning to say some meaningless words.

Liu Changjiang wasn't stupid. Given his relationship with Shen Yi, asking for help with writing was pure fantasy - he'd come by specifically so that if things got serious, he could check the surveillance footage to prove he'd indeed spoken with Shen Yi.

Understanding this, Shen Yi temporarily suppressed his anger. Neither bowing his head to apologize nor resigning like a coward was what he wanted, leaving only one option.

His finger pressed heavily on Option C, escalating the situation.

[Old Dai had been deceived but still tried to quietly protect you. You didn't really blame him - he had elderly parents and young children to support, just wanting to climb up the ladder. But you didn't accept his suggestion, instead calmly walking past him.]

[Liu Changjiang, who had retreated to safety, stood with folded arms ready to enjoy the show. He'd long despised you, and since you'd taken his leave request, he had to get revenge severely, to let you know the price of crossing him.]

[As you walked, you calmly rolled up your sleeves. Your composed demeanor carried a pressure that swept forward. Liu Changjiang stood in place, anxiously looking around but finding no support. He unconsciously cleared his throat, wanting to say something to you.]

[You walked straight toward Liu Changjiang, picking up a long-handled stapler from the desk along the way, holding it reversed in your hand.]

[Bang! A dull thud accompanied Liu Changjiang's scream and everyone's shrieks. The quiet office suddenly became like boiling water, with steam rushing out in whistles.]

[The crowd stood frozen in shock with their heads covered, while you continued swinging without a word, creating an interesting contrast.]