April 7th, Monday, 8:30 AM. Jack Young strolled into the office, not in any hurry.
Nothing weird happened in his dreams these past two nights—just regular dreams, regular sleep. He woke up and found he hadn’t suddenly turned into his reliable female self again. Maybe Jack’s earlier guess about the pattern was right. Still, from the cameo on his left palm, Jack got a vague feeling or hint: it seemed like Jill Young wouldn’t be showing up for a while.
"Jack?" His coworkers in the office stared at him wide-eyed. One of his buddies glanced around, waved him over, and whispered, "Why’d you come in this late? Aren’t you scared the Old Ghost will flip out?"
A female coworker hurried over too. "Jack, why didn’t you show up last Friday? Did something happen? I heard Old Ghost got so mad after calling you that he smashed his phone. Seriously, what went down?"
Old Ghost, of course, was the "affectionate" nickname everyone gave to the section chief.
Speaking of last Friday... Jack couldn’t help but smile. He really let loose that day. Thinking about it, he shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Nothing much, just finally awakened my bloodline powers."
The slightly older female coworker looked confused. "What are you talking about? Bloodline powers? Sounds like something out of a novel."
"It’s just my Gemini talent," Jack said, putting down his bag and sinking comfortably into his seat. "They say Gemini is the most split personality sign, but I never felt that way—always thought I was pretty harmonious. Last Friday, my hidden other personality finally showed up. Now I’m a fully-fledged Gemini."
The lady gave Jack a look like he was nuts, tossed out, "Old Ghost’s been acting like he’s going through menopause lately, so watch yourself and don’t slack off," then headed back to her desk.
Jack nodded to her, grateful for the reminder, then casually booted up his computer and started surfing the web. Usually, even if all his work was done, Jack had to pretend he was super busy—no time for browsing. The other coworkers didn’t care, but Jack always got picked on. Loose management or strict management didn’t matter; it was the double standard that really got under his skin.
But today, Jack was totally relaxed, in a nearly 'reckless' state of mind.
He felt like everything that used to hold him back and weigh him down seemed so weak and laughable now.
He opened his browser and searched for 'Gemini.' Jack had never cared about horoscopes—he always thought split personalities had nothing to do with him. But now, he was starting to think he was a Gemini through and through.
Jack and Jill Young really did have different personalities. For example, when they first met Master Golden Wheel, Jack called him "Master." If it had been Jill, she wouldn’t have been so polite—she’d probably just call him "Monk," or maybe "Baldy" or even "Skinny Head," depending on her mood.
Same person, two personalities. Jack had to admit, maybe horoscopes were onto something.
"Hmm, let’s see—Gemini: adaptable, clever, versatile—yep, that’s basically me. Then there’s—dual personality, some stronger than others—guess I’m on the strong side. Next—language genius—uh, that one doesn’t fit at all… really doesn’t…"
Just as Jack was browsing, his coworker poked him and whispered, "Close it, Old Ghost’s coming!"
Jack looked up and saw someone walk into the office.
This guy was easy to spot: bald, stubbly face, thick features, short bow legs, beady little eyes, and a sleazy way of looking at people. Yeah, a classic 'villain' look. The best part? He looked like a middle-aged uncle, but he was actually younger than Jack!
Looking like that—man, what a tough life.
Old Ghost had always been hated—not just by Jack, but by everyone in the section. The classic joke was, "So young and already evolved to look like a person, now that’s talent." Of course, in the office, it’s hard to tell who’s joking and who’s serious. Things are always complicated.
Old Ghost walked in with his coffee, spotted Jack, and stomped over, fuming.
"Well, well, Jack Young! Do you even know what time work starts? Showing up now, I’m marking you late!" Old Ghost slapped the desk, making a racket.
Jack dodged the flying spit, didn’t even bother to stand up, and coolly replied from his seat, "Chief, you really have a bad memory. Company rules say work starts at 8:30. I don’t think I need to whip out the employee handbook for you. If you think the start time is too late, talk to HR about changing the schedule. Until then, whether I’m late or not depends on HR’s clock-in records—not your opinion."
"You—!" Old Ghost jabbed a finger at Jack, eyes wide in disbelief. The other coworkers all peeked out from behind their screens, craning their necks to watch but trying to act like they hadn’t heard a thing—no one wanted to get dragged into this.
"You, you! Fine, let’s talk about company attendance!" Old Ghost was practically yelling. "Last Friday, you didn’t request leave and didn’t show up—when I called, who answered your phone?"
"Last Friday?" Jack smiled. "That was my sister, what’s up?" He picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.
"Your sister?" Old Ghost ground his teeth and spat out, "She’s a real shrew!"
"Watch your mouth!" Jack shot up and blocked Old Ghost’s view like a thundercloud. "What’s that supposed to mean? Who are you calling names?"
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Jack was nearly twenty centimeters taller than Old Ghost, instantly giving off a sense of intimidation. The Blackridge Bandits massacre didn’t count—he’d thought that was just a dream. But in the Martial Arts Realm, he’d actually killed assassins and gunmen for real. After you’ve killed, you carry a certain aura. Martial arts make you tough, but killing gives you an edge.
That mix of toughness and killing intent—no way a booze-soaked loser like Old Ghost could handle it.
Old Ghost’s knees instantly went wobbly and he staggered back two steps, trying to act tough but clearly scared. "What do you think you’re doing?"
Jack’s face was blank. "Nothing. Just wanted to remind you: back in my hometown, getting beat up would be your own fault—the cops would say you had it coming."
"You—Jack Young! You skip work for a day and think you’re in the right?" Old Ghost was so riled up he was about to jump out of his skin. "I’m firing you! This company doesn’t need employees like you. I’m terminating you right now!"
"Suit yourself." Jack sat back down, cool as ever. "But my contract runs till August. To fire me, you need three consecutive days of absence or five days total in a year. If you let me go now, you’ll have to pay me through August."
Old Ghost’s hand shook as he pointed at Jack. "You—you’re lazy, you never get results, and you still want a paycheck?"
"It’s not up to you. The company has its rules, the country has its laws." Jack was calm, like he was watching monkeys jump around at the zoo. "And Old Ghost, don’t get too cocky. People only treat you as a boss out of courtesy. Without that, you’re nothing. You mess up more than you help, think about it. Maybe I’m a parasite, but you definitely are. The company’s big, it can handle one more, but a parasite who thinks he’s a woodpecker and keeps poking around—well, that’s just asking for trouble."