Negotiation

Shen Yu's eyes widened slightly at those words. Suppressing his pounding heartbeat, he asked with a smile:

"Department Head Yesod, I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

Yesod propped up his square head with one hand and sighed.

"Don't worry. I've modified the Cognitive Filter here. Angela won't notice."

Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair before asking:

"Do Department Heads Hod and Malkuth know too?"

Shen Yu wasn't overly worried about his identity being exposed. It was bound to happen sooner or later. He just needed to gain enough authority or power before Angela sent him back to the furnace.

"No. I corrected almost all the footage as it came in. They'll only think you worked as a Fixer before becoming the Manager. They won't suspect that you know a 'Doppelganger Technique.'"

At that, Yesod planted both hands on the desk, stood up, and stared at Shen Yu.

"So, can you explain your drastic change in temperament, those strange combat techniques, and your extra Doppelganger? As far as I remember, the company doesn't have a Cloning Device."

"That's not a clone. It's a genuine Doppelganger of me," Shen Yu said casually, stretching.

"Not a clone, but a genuine Doppelganger?" Yesod sounded puzzled, then asked:

"How did you do it?"

"Want to know? Have someone bring over my little guy from the Control Department first."

Yesod clenched his mechanical hand into a fist. After glancing at Shen Yu, he pressed a button beside him and issued an order:

"Wu Ke, bring that Trial in your department over here."

Before long, the Intelligence Department's door opened again, and Wu Ke carried Little Knight inside as though he were holding a bomb.

After setting Little Knight down, Wu Ke gave a brief report, then darted out through the doorway and slammed the door behind him.

"All right, the Trial is here now. Isn't it time you explained?"

Meanwhile, Shen Yu picked up Little Knight and instantly felt more confident. He nodded and said aloud:

"Nothing much. I injected myself with a dose of Cogito, and then..."

"Cogito? It's a miracle you're still alive. And where did you get it?"

"Uh... it followed the rushing upper reaches and the winding middle reaches all the way down, finally arriving in the gentle lower reaches."

After pondering those cryptic words, Yesod understood. He looked at Shen Yu and said:

"Manager, that individual is dangerous. You'd best avoid contact."

"Of course," Shen Yu said firmly. Then he gave a few sheepish chuckles and pleaded:

"Yesod, considering that I saved you and the other two department heads earlier, could you help keep this under wraps? If Angela finds out, I'll definitely be 'fired.'"

"Are you asking me to violate company regulations? I'm the head of the Intelligence Department!"

"Yesod, I think you could be a little more honest. If you really wanted to tell Angela, you wouldn't have gone to all that trouble to correct the footage with the Cognitive Filter."

Yesod gave a quiet huff, then closed his Mechanical Eyes. After a moment of silence, he said:

"I can only cover for you by correcting the footage. As for the employees, you'll just have to pray that my authority is enough to keep their mouths shut."

So he's a tsundere, Shen Yu mused, then asked:

"What tipped you off? My Anti-Physics Combat Techniques?"

"Yes." Yesod leaned forward slightly, which served as a nod.

"How could two people possessing such bizarre techniques possibly be a coincidence? But I didn't expect you to be so straightforward. I'd even prepared an interrogation."

"By the way," Yesod said, looking Shen Yu up and down, "what did your Cogito injection extract? Another you?"

"No." Shen Yu shook his head and pointed at Little Knight in his arms. "It was this little guy. As for the Doppelganger..."

Shen Yu set Little Knight down and had Little Knight use the Dream Nail on him.

Brilliant light burst forth, and Shen Yu once again transformed into light.

Then the mass of light shifted and took shape, becoming Yesod's human form.

"That's how it works," Shen Yu said in Yesod's form.

"Does your little guy have any other abilities?" Yesod pressed.

"Can you promise not to tell Angela?"

"Yes."

"All right." Shen Yu took a deep breath and slowly said, "Little Knight can devour Abnormalities directly."

Yesod fell silent at once, then pressed a hand over his Mechanical Eyes. After a long while, he sighed. "If this gets discovered, both of us will be disposed of."

"Viper, I knew you were the best department head," Shen Yu said with a soft chuckle, then asked:

"Could you use the Cognitive Filter while the company is dormant tonight to block out the footage of me entering Little Red Riding Hood's Containment Unit, as well as the footage inside the Containment Room afterward?

Shen Yu chuckled. "Honestly, pulling this off under Angela's surveillance really isn't easy."

"Why do you want to enter [F-01-57]'s Containment Unit?"

"You'll find out tomorrow."

"All right, but I have one condition." Yesod folded his arms again, and a cold gleam returned to his purple Mechanical Eyes.

Shen Yu's expression turned serious, and he listened closely to what Yesod would say next.

"Manager, even if you're currently in an employee's body, your appearance still represents the company. Please straighten up your attire."

When Shen Yu returned to the Control Department's Rest Room, he flopped straight onto the soft sofa and set Little Knight beside him.

Then Wu Ke kept looking around as he approached Shen Yu and asked in a low voice:

"What happened in the office? That 'Viper' just ordered all of us employees not to mention your combat techniques. Does this have something to do with a major incident?"

"Want to know?"

"Mm-hmm." Wu Ke shook his head.

"I'm not telling you." Shen Yu grinned and leaned back on the sofa, intending to get some proper rest.

But just then, Angela's voice came from the Loudspeaker above the Rest Room:

"All Control Department employees, please assemble in the Conference Room."

At the same time, Angela slowly turned toward Shen Yu's Doppelganger and said:

"Manager, please accompany them as well."