Chapter 752: Initial Flower Sword Practice Record (26)

You see, although Si Ke Te will apologize, is he truly feeling guilty?

San Yue Qi also understands that Si Ke Te has already lost to her four times, and he's still unwilling to accept it; if we don't use some other method, there will be a fifth and sixth round.

Qing Que nodded thoughtfully: "That's just accepting the loss—whether apologizing or learning to oink like a pig, I doubt he does it willingly."

He wasn't really apologizing when he learned to bark like a dog before.

Exactly, he chose the duel location at Jinren Xiang just to save face.

Out of curiosity, Qing Que learned from Xing about all the past grudges with Si Ke Te; when she finished speaking, Xing noticed that Qing Que's face seemed a bit angry.

If liking work is a disease, then this Si Ke Te should just lie in the ICU! Just liking it is fine, but coming out to harm society is unacceptable!

"Do you have any suggestions?" Xing asked.

Qing Que shook her head: "I have no suggestions, only an evaluation—my evaluation is about working on the job."

This time, Qing Que also decided to join in and go together to subdue Si Ke Te.

On the appointed day, the three arrived as agreed at the Jinren Xiang dock; with previous experience lessons, Si Ke Te again modified his mech, showing a momentum to avenge his past shame.

"Look, isn't this our heroine San Yue Qi? And beside you, this is..." Si Ke Te lowered his gaze to size up this petite girl under 1.5 meters tall.

Qing Que cleared her throat: "Cough cough… Before you officially start the duel, I need to say a few words."

"Ha—?! Who are you again? How come you people from the Immortal Vessel always like to show up uninvited?"

"It's fine if you don't know me, Xing—please introduce me."

Xing took a deep breath and solemnly introduced: "This is our Imperial Jade Group's Chief Qing!"

Qing Que affectedly waved her hand: "Don't scare him; I usually mainly handle the Sect Leader duties of the Divination Bureau."

——

Xiao Lin's Dragon Maid.

"Xiao Lin, are people like Si Ke Te common in the company?"

Xiao Lin lay on the sofa, holding the remote, switching channels intermittently, when Tuo Er's voice came from the kitchen.

"It's quite rare; actually they aren't that passionate about work, just more ambitious."

"Ambitious? Do you think Si Ke Te is ambitious?"

"He belongs to the super ambitious type—one in a million who would sacrifice friends and family for work. I've never seen anyone go that far." Xiao Lin got up, went to the fridge, and took out a can of beer, "Such people probably even think about boosting performance on weekends. Honestly, the company loves employees like this."

She herself is a programmer; metaphorically, she's like an old yellow ox that moves only when whipped. Si Ke Te, however, doesn't need whipping—he'll plow the field himself sacrificing weekends, which is practically the opposite of Qing Que.

One person on a business trip actually argues with the Immortal Vessel's high-ups and the Starry Sky Train over the company's cargo—truly a model employee.

... It's no wonder Qing Que can't stand it. If Qing Que had Si Ke Te's proactive work attitude, she could probably even get Di Yuan Qiong Yu to quit.

——

"I'm just a diviner from the Divination Bureau—what's so special about that? I'm also a specialist at the Interstellar Peace Company! Tell me, do you have more subordinates than me, or earn more credit points than me? What's so great about you?"

Si Ke Te snorted at Qing Que.

Qing Que wasn't angry either; she leisurely placed her hands behind her back and said, "You're not young, but your mental state is like a newcomer just entering the workplace—spending almost all your time on work, calling it 'loving work'."

"... You, you shut up!"

Qing Que gave a light hum and continued, "I guess you like to cast yourself as a jester, spouting nonsense everywhere, just to pretend objectivity so you can act uninvolved at any time."

Si Ke Te was obviously a bit flustered, but he kept his tough attitude: "Enough, enough—! Shut up, how could you possibly understand me! Don't talk as if you know everything."

San Yue Qi quietly leaned close to Xing's ear and couldn't help exclaiming, "Amazing—this is the first time I've seen Si Ke Te get angry after just a few words."

Si Ke Te gritted his teeth: "I almost got led astray by you. Today I was actually… supposed to come for a duel, not to debate scriptures with you."

"Is this really a harmless little sparrow?" Xing felt for the first time that Qing Que was so unfamiliar.

"This is already a battle-ready sparrow!"

Qing Que ignored Si Ke Te and instead countered, "I ask you, is the company your home?"

"The company is definitely my home—there are so many of my good brothers in the company! Do you know the company's structure? The colleagues in the Human Resources Incentive Department make the company warmer than home!"

Xing crossed his arms and coldly asked: "Think again—if you treat the company as home, does the company treat you as family? You love the company, but does the company love you?"

——

Slaying the Crimson Red Pupil.

"Good question!" Wei Er couldn't help slapping his thigh with a "bang," "You're absolutely right! This kind of thing should be clarified—if the company only treats you as a tool, how could such a place be called home?"

However, Wei Er quickly noticed that Lan's complexion next to him was off.

Lan, who usually smiles gently, now had the corners of his mouth completely flattened; he stared at the screen, his pupils trembling slightly, unknown what he was thinking.

"What's wrong? Your complexion looks terrible."

Lan suddenly seemed to realize, blinked, and quickly returned to his usual gentle expression.

"Nothing much, just… suddenly wondering if the Imperial Capital is also like the Interstellar Peace Company."

"Huh?" Wei Er froze for a moment.

"Think about it—countless people from all directions flock here, regarding this place as where dreams are realized." Lan gazed out the window at the Imperial Capital; his eyes seemed to pierce the high city walls, looking toward even farther places: "Poor farmers, fallen nobles, ambitious youths… they all believe that with effort and loyalty, they will be rewarded within the Imperial Capital."

As he spoke, the corner of his mouth curled into a bitter smile.

"Isn't that so?" Sai Liu held Xiao Ke, smiling as she countered.

"... I don't know." Lan turned his head to look at Wei Er, then also at Hei Tong and Sai Liu, "I don't know whether the Imperial Capital regards them as family, or simply treats them as consumables—using them when needed and discarding them when worn out."

Wei Er opened his mouth, wanting to say something to refute, but after thinking carefully about his time joining the hunters, he indeed experienced many sordid things unimaginable in the countryside.

"Lan, you're our companion; I can treat what you just said as if I hadn't heard it." Sai Liu tightly hugged Xiao Ke, saying word by word, "But please don't say such things again in the future."

——

"The company, does it love me… the company isn't a person, it doesn't need to love me!" Si Te suddenly realized.

San Yue Qi: "So the company isn't your home! Stop lying to yourself!"

"Ask your buddies you brought—can they stand tall and say the company is home? Do you treat your buddies as family, and do they treat you as family?"

An employee beside them whispered: '... I work under Mr. Si Ke Te... as... a grandson.'

Si Ke Te, however, didn't think anything was wrong; instead, he straightened his chest righteously: '... A grandson, isn't that just family?'